MediQuestion - What Causes these Symptoms?

No medical knowledge from me, and no help, but I'm sending lots of get well soon vibes to your mum YK.

Must be tough being far away especially when you only get vague updates. Is there another family member or close friend that could go with your ma to the scan and any future appointments to get more info?

My Dad will be with her at future appointments, he's great at remembering what's been said so at least I'll get a more accurate picture than Mum, she's a bit dizzy at the best of times! Her sister is a nurse so would be great at knowing the right questions to ask, but unfortunately she lives in Cardiff so isn't available to attend, and Mum's asked me to keep quiet as she doesn't want to cause a fuss over nothing for other family members (although apparently it's ok to worry me from half way around the world!) she only told me because she thought it was interesting that she'd been screened for domestic violence at the hospital and wanted to tell me about that becasue of my job. She genuinely thinks it's indigestion and was shocked that I was so worried.

Oh YK how worrying for you. Parents can be great at times!! It's so hard when they don;t get the full story. She's telling you a head scan thingy - but it really could be anything. To be fair, she probably wasn't in the best frame of mind to take in what was being said. No advice just lots of vibes for you and your mum and dad. xxxx

I hope she's ok YK. Sending her lots of healthy vibes!

I suffer from severe indigestion and so does my dad - in fact we have both woken up during the night with related chest pain and been convinced we were having heart attacks. In my dad's case my mum went as far as calling an ambulance and they carried him down the stairs on a seated stretcher thing (whatever they're called) - but neither of us have ever lost consciousness or had a slowed pulse. So I'm really not sure it would be that.

My mum has low blood pressure and so passes out easily - just violent throwing up will be enough for her, or trying to give blood (they won't let her do that anymore). Might she have had low BP anyway and not realised? If you have no cause to get it checked then you wouldn't necessarily know.

It does sound like it could have been heart related - but if they are sure her heart was fine, I dunno. Sorry that's not very helpful!

I have no advice I'm afraid, not being medically minded but couldn't read and run!

I know just how scary this is for you so wanted to give you some huge hugs and send some vibes for your mum xxx

Aww, sweetie, I'm glad she seems ok now but it must be so hard for you.

No medical training, but a couple of possibilities are angina, or an irregular heart rhythm. If her heart misses a beat occasionally I think this could cause the symptoms she's seeing, although as I say, no medical training! Neither of those would cover the head scan either

I have an ectopic heartbeat too (another thing inherited from my wonderful father) but that just causes occasional missed or skipped beats. No other symptoms and apparently it's nothing to worry about. I would imagine in this case, the heartbeat was a symptom of something else...but again, I dunno.

I found out today that my terrible indigestion and acid reflux are yet another surprise symptom of perimenopause. Not sure if I like this one better or worse than the swollen gums... *sigh*

Hope your mums ok. As someone else as head a low BP can cause you to pass out. I used to do it all the time when younger, now it's just when I'm I'll. if I get a stomach bug as soon as I'm sick I pass out. Apart from that I don't really know, hope it's something and nothing and she's ok xxx

No medical training here either but what MrsShep thought was my first thought too.....

Sending some positive healing vibes to your mum though x

My Mum had a similar thing a few years ago. The worst was when she was in a restaurant. She didn't even notice her hands were shaking and she was slumping forward, then next thing she was on the floor. When the paramedics checked her over the only thing they could find wrong was very low BP. She had an MRI, heart monitor and other tests when in A&E but they could't find any cause for it. They never worked out why it happened, but it went on for a few months and then just went away. She's been fine ever since.

I have no medical knowledge, but didn't want to read and run, YK. I know how it feels to be thousands of miles from family when things go wrong, and it sucks. I will say though that it is always better to know what's going on, even when it just means you sit and stew with worry. My mum had an ovary removed (preventative for ovarian cancer) in 2008, when I was writing up my MA thesis, and she didn't tell me. I was really upset when she finally told me, that I'd been loading my stress on her without knowing what she was going through. My brother (in FL) is having medical tests at the moment which may have a pretty serious outcome (and then again might not be anything serious at all), and all I want is to be there for him IN PERSON. Skype is awesome, but sometimes it just doesn't cut it! Big hugs.

Thanks for your concern everone. I finally persuaded mum to tell her brothers and sisters. A couple of them are nurses so it reassures me to know she has xome trained eyes on her now, even if fhey don't live near by. I also persuaded mum to read me her discharge letter when it came from the hospital it said: vasovagal response following severe epigastric pain. mum is so laid back that she had just trusted the docs who told her not to worry and hadn't even bothered to find out what that means! A quick chat with mr google leads me to the understanding that she had upper abdominal pain(most commonly caused by indigetion) and fainted.

i am reassured by that, but at the same time, baffled. I've asked some friends who are nurses and paramedics and none of them can explain to me how indigestion would cause such a severe drop in pulse and BP as she had. The letter also said that she would be required for a CT scan and EEG as follow up, so again, it's reassuring fo know it's being investigated.

Mum's been surprised how this has affected her, she's been feeling weak and tired and been off work for 3 days which she didn't expect as she said she felt fine on discharge from hospital.

I'm still a wee bit concerned because the diagnosis doesnt seem logical to me, but I'll have to trust the medics and their training - they know more than i do!

Sambarine - returning some of those positive vibes for your brother. Hope things turn out well for him.

How awful. I don't have any advice to offer at all. I do hop your mum is ok and its an isolated episode.

Could it be anxiety related? My mum had a complete faint many years ago when we were walking back from the bus stop having been on a shopping trip in town. About six months after she was diagnosed with an anxiety related condition.

Thanks YK. Glad you've got a little more clarity, and that you feel better about your mum's support system in the UK. will continue thinking of you until you get answer. x