Whats wrong with me..?

[sweet_sweet2000]

Hi everyone,

I'm a sixteen year old female who is struggling to find out what is wrong with me. About a year ago I passed out multiple times at school, I would feel heavy headed and sharp pains at the back of my head. I was sent to the hospital but they did very small tests and said it might be due to my anxiety but I didn't think so. It happened only when I do any exercise or chores. I felt very dizzy then too. I love to work out, I like feeling distracted, thats why I didn't think it could be my anxiety. I stopped doing my workouts as I was scared if I would get those pains again and I had to study for my finals. Now it's the summer I tried working out again but now I feel very light headed and dizzy. I found it a struggle to breathe even though I only did a few minutes of running or even doing simple stretches. Apparently it happens frequently to people in my mother's side. There were times I felt maybe it is my mental health, but when the hospital told my school, they were going to refer me to CAMs. But CAMs heard what happened and said it is definitely a medical issue. My doctor checked my ears and there was ear wax, she checked my symptoms and came to the conclusion that it is POTS, which is postural tachycardia syndrome but is not sure. Can someone tell me a way that I can still workout but not get dizzy and lightheaded? Moreover, tell me if this is what I am suffering as I ain't entirely sure myself?

Thank you.

[LouBi]

Hi

I don't know what part of the country you live in, but it sounds very much like POTS to me. STARS have a website with info re consultants who diagnose it. With POTS Being upright often causes increase in heart rate and drop in blood pressure which is why you black out. It can be treated with slow release sodium (salt), water and various medications

I have a daughter with it from age 15 so we know what it's like

Hope you get the right help x

[sweet_sweet2000 in reply to LouBi]

I hope so too, but my next check up to confirm if I have POTS is all the way in October. I have really poor body image so I always want to work out but my doctor told me not to.

[MamaSmith]

Heya,

passing out is NOT normal for a 16 year old. I would go back to your doctor and demand answers!

I used to pass out quite a lot too. It took years before they finally realised I am most likely suffering from hypoglycaemia, a condition where the blood sugar levels drop really low. It effects my moods and I will get abnormally grumpy and start snapping at everyone and then I get pains in my head and my chest feels tight/heavy then I pass out. If I don't have a high sugar snack before working out I will pass out. It was only after suffering for 8 years that I ended up in hospital for something else, ended up passing out there and they managed to get a blood sample which showed I randomly get critically low blood sugar levels. Because I was in for a different problem, the doctors wouldn't formally diagnose the problem. It's easily managed though by eating little but often and if I start to get dizzy I grab either glucose tablets or any sort of high sugar sweet or fruit.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[sweet_sweet2000 in reply to MamaSmith]

Thank you, one of the hospitals I went to last year, well my school did as I passed out in school hours. The doctors mentioned about me being hypoglycaemic.