passed out

good morning everyone im curious if anyone has had problems like passing out after taking cold medication.  i took some on friday and saturday.  this morning i felt better so decided to just take some cough medicine. about 40 minutes later i got up to go to the kitchen and passed out half way there. i finally woke up DH and he helped me get up which is difficult for me since ive had both knees replaced and i went down  again. needless to say im kinda sore and upset.  this has never happened to me before. since i seem to be stable now i will call my PCP in the morning to have her check me out. thanks for any info, jacki

I haven't passed out, but I will tell you that a child's dose ofNyquil will now make me sleep like a zombie for a full 12 hours.  Many medicines make me very light headed and dizzy and I always take everything with food or a protein drink to slow down absorption.  Best of luck, Sharon

thank you sharon, i will keep that in mind.  man it was a scary morning.

You don't specify what cough medication you were taking... An OTC? Folks taking a narcotic antitussive (codeine, dihydrocodeine, hydrocodone, ect... can have dizziness, become light-headed, or even have fainting spells, especially likely when they get up suddenly from a lying or sitting position. Sometimes referred to as postural hypotension or orthostatic hypotension The sudden change in position causes a temporary reduction in blood flow and therefore a shortage of oxygen to the brain. This may have caused your  "black out" episode. Try not getting up too suddenly after lying down or sitting for prolonged periods of time.

However, this fainting spell may well have been independent of your cough medicine even if it was a narcotic. Could be your a little dehydrated with your cold which could contribute to this as well. Naturally, blackouts can be caused by many other things so it's good your checking with your doctor. That said, there exist an old axiom they likely still teach in medical schools. "When you hear hoof-beats, think horses.. not zebras." meaning look for the simpler explanations first. Rockne

Hope your feeling better Jacki...was it liquid cold med...if so check the sugar content.

thanks for all your kind thoughts. i will see my primary tomorrow and have her check me out. maybe it was just a combo of the cold, the meds, ( just otc meds) and some deyhdrations. but it was scary, never happened to me before.

When you go to the doc tomorrow, have him check your ears for infection or low pulse rate.  Another forum on this site, a woman complained about being dizzy. I told her the same thing. It turned out she had an infection in both ears that made her dizzy.        I've had dizzy and fainting spells over the past year. One Holter Monitor test in January 06 led my gp to believe I had PSVT,  where the heart speeds up. When I had a second test, a 14 day Event Monitor test, my pulse was 38.  I had a ekg in my GP's ofice and he indicated I needed a cario dr. consult.  I had another Holter Monitor test with the cardio dr. the first week in Feb. 07.  Had a consult on Feb.8, where the doctor showed me the ekg reading from the test. My pulse was 45 that day. I've always had a low pulse rate. But, now my heart would race a little at about 130 bpm and then slow down lower than normal, and then speed up to normal. The cardio dr. said that during this "catch up" period is when I probably felt dizzy or passed out. Got a new script for the high bp, and on Feb 12, I had a pacmaker implant surgery.  So fainting spells can be more serious.

dave thanks for your input , will keep that in mind when i see doc. hope you stay well, as i mentioned im kinda worried about my knees cause they have both been replaced and the left one is really hurting me all day.   will have to check that out too.  although, it does not look swollen or anything, so i guess thats good news. thanks, jacki

jacki did you see the dr monday? How are  you feeling after your little episode?

i saw the dr. and she checked me out and drew some blood for a few tests.  of course she told me i should have gone to the ER. but didnt want to do that. she said it could have been the meds or maybe a fluctuation in my BP, but like most docs didnt commit to much more.  will see what the blood work shows. also told me to try and drink even more the next few days cause the cold i have could have caused some dehydration which might have also been a factor. thanks for following up with me, jacki