Passing out

[zizzcat]

Hi! My name is Hope. I am on a high dose of Imuran and Plaquenil, being treated for a generalized but severe autoimmune disease. My ENT is requesting that my rheumatologist treat me for Wegner's because of this scabby yucky stuff going for the bridge of the nose. My septum was eaten years ago. I also have tracheal stenoses and the specialists have not decided if it is cause by damage to the vertebrae or the immune illness or both.

i am starting to pass out again. One neurologist years ago said it was vertigo. I will be somewhere, and suddenly feel very dopey, try to stay awake and then I'm out for minutes or longer, sometimes repeatedly. Sometimes I don't pass out and the sense of being drugged up lingers for a while and later I am fine.. It rarely lasts for hours like it did before treatment. The motion of the carmaker it worse, and when I get the warning signs, I find a place to pull over and pass out for a while. I limit my driving to 20-30 minute distances, which is basically to our small town and back. My husband drives us to longer distances and for a while I am unsteady until I'm out of the car for a little while.

I've had all kinds of tests for my ears plus EEGs over the years and they are basically normal.

is any of this familiar to anyone? If so, some suggestions would be helpfull.

My own opinion is that it may be caused by vasculitis in the brain because of my history of headaches and seizures when lifting anything heavy (I have a supposedly inactive small aneurysm) and/or some type of inner ear disorder.

thanks.

Hope

[mishb]

Wow Hope, that sounds so scary.

I was diagnosed many years ago (way before WG) with meniere's disease but I don't have anything like those blackouts.
I have been known to have some fainting spells but nothing like you say.....it is mainly just the dizzyness when looking upwards or downwards and the ear ringing.

It is very possible for you to have vasculitis in the brain. You haven't mentioned any brain MRI's but I presume you have had these also.

I hope you get the answers quickly.

[Dirty Don]

I assume docs have checked your oxygen intake, transfer, and retention?

[Psyborg]

I had similiar issues to this when I initially was diagnosed. Standing in a hot shower would cause me to just about pass out...not to mention the bad experience with a hot tub. I've had several CT scans and nothing (other than a mucus cyst) ever showed up abnormal for my head. I still suspect some minor amount of involvement, but it's not enough to be visible to anyone as every time I flare I seem to go through bouts of dizziness as well.

[Alysia]

now that Im paying attention to this issue: for years I have a tendency of passing out. it happens about 20 times that I can remember: when I didnt drink enough, after having diarhea, when my blood presure is very low, when I stay in a very hot place, when I feel too much anxiety. etc.