Vaso-Vagal Discussion

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Restaurant syncope

From: sloveniaco

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.My husband has been having these fainting or near-fainting episodes for the last 10 years, about one every year or so, and they ALWAYS occur during a meal in a restaurant. Never at home. Three times he wound up in the emergency room after fainting in a restaurant. His blood pressure drops almost to dead. He feels it coming on (sweating, dizziness etc.). For a while he was told to carry an epipen to self-administer, which he did a couple of times, but still fainted. He then went through all the food allergy tests, but no allergies. After several tests, including a tilt table test, he was diagnosed with possible post-prandial syncope or vaso vagal syncope. Various tips included using a cold wet rag, taking a deep breath or drinking COFFEE!!! when he felt it coming on. Strangely enough, all but one of the episodes have occurred at fancy restaurants on special occasions when eating rich food with a glass of wine or beer (only one episode was in a not-so-fancy restaurant). In the last few years, since being diagnosed, he's only had a couple of episodes and managed to ride it out at the restaurant. Any comments? I still get freaked out when it comes over him at the table.


This web site is not a substitute for a thorough medical evaluation and diagnosis of your vaso-vagal type symptoms.  Medical treatment and diagnosis is the only acceptable initial response to these serious symptoms since they might present from any number of life threatening and treatable illnesses. It is for you and your physician to rule out more serious illnesses; Please don't use this online forum as an alternative to getting responsible medical attention and being under the care of a physician for the duration of any unknown, suspected or dangerous vaso-vagal syndrome symptoms.
Last changed: June 22, 2007