Jenny’s Story

Not the Only One With Syncope

I am the youngest of six children, none of whom has syncope. My fi rst attacks happened both at school and at air training corps camps. At fi rst it was thought that I was having a bad asthma attack or an epileptic fi t. I was taken to my local hospital where I recovered and was sent home. My mum then took me to my family doctor. I was told at fi rst that it was just teenage hormones and nothing to worry about. At this time my school refused to have me in the school as I was at risk of falling down the many fl ights of stairs. The doctor found the tests inconclusive and decided to send me to a paediatrician for more specialist tests. I was given a twenty-four hour heart monitor to record any attacks that occurred. Unfortunately no attack happened. I was then sent back for a

second twenty-four hour monitor, on the second recording it was found that my heart raced at up to 175 bpm during normal everyday activities. There were also signs of ectopic beats. The attacks carried on happening and became more regular and my mum started to worry and doubt the doctor’s decision. She then made another appointment with a different doctor. The doctor then decided to take a series of blood tests. I was then sent to cardiology because of my unusually fast heart rate. That was when I was fi rst sent to a consultant cardiologist, who performed a tilt table test, during which I had an attack. My heart rate had dropped dramatically. I felt dizzy and warm and people seemed far away. In the last year or so I have been experiencing seizures from which ambulance crews and doctors in the A&E departments assumed that I had epilepsy until told otherwise by friends or family. It was also thought that it was diabetes because of my feeling of hunger afterwards [always for sugary products]. It was then fi nally decided by my cardiologist that I had Vasovagal syncope. My life has totally changed, as I have now always got the fear that if I go anywhere on my own something will happen and no one will be there to help me, or that the next time I have an attack it will be at the top of a fl ight of stairs or in the middle of the road. My family have also got the worry of my going out on my own and having an attack.

My mum then found the STARS website through an article in The Daily Mail newspaper. We received lots of information and I felt at ease that I wasn’t the only one with syncope.

Finding this information has also made life easier and put my friends and family at ease knowing that fi nally they all know what to do. I only now need medical assistance when my asthma has been triggered. My condition is also complicated by the fact that I am allergic to Atropine, one of the preventatives when under anaesthesia. I am glad I have a diagnosis and that the doctors still think that I might grow out of it in the future.