Question:
Why did I faint?

When I was at Six Flags this past weekend I passed out in the line for one of the roller coasters. It was kind of scary, since I had NEVER fainted before. I think I know what caused it but am embarrassed to admit that I wasn't eating properly (sheepish grin). It was about 11 am and I had only had a cup of coffee and half a muffin that morning. We were standing in the blazing heat. It was about 85 degrees in direct sunlight. I was drinking water by the bucket and had already consumed about 48 oz. of water. So dehydration was a non-issue. But all of a sudden I felt faint and as I was holding on to the side rails in line I found myself on the ground with about 15 people standing around me asking me if I was all right when, clearly, I was not. Actually took a sugar tablet, the kind diabetics take when their blood sugar drops, and found it helped. So my intuition is telling me my sugars were low. Don't know for sure though. Oh, by the way, I am 5 mos post lap RNY and down almost 80 lbs. Thanks for your input.    — RedHeadBeauty (posted on July 22, 2003)

July 21, 2003
You should definitely call your surgeon and inform him that you fainted. There could be a number of causes but that is a question that should be answered by a medical professional.
   — Linda A.

July 21, 2003
I agree with Linda, call your doctor! We always think it has something to do with surgery or weight loss but that may not be the case. Please be safe rather than sorry. Fainting is not normal either way.
   — Carol S.

July 21, 2003
Hi Melissa- I went to that very same Six Flags and was ill as well. We went on an extremely hot day last month, I was actually vomiting yellowish froth (gross, sorry). I went into the first aide office for a while, where they encouraged me to cool off and drink gatoraide. I didn't faint but believe I had heat exhaustion. Well, I just wanted to let you know that if you go to Six Flags again, you can purchase their beeper-type service that will page you when it's time to go on your ride. We wished we'd known that upon entering the park, because our kids waited 2 hours to ride the Superman Ride of Steel! Good Luck, and congrats on your 80ish lb loss :o) Mea
   — Mea A.

July 22, 2003
Sounds to me like you needed to eat something...but I bet your not surprised to hear that though! I have found that I tend to feel more 'lightheaded' when I'm outside for several hours, especially on hot days - and hydration isn't always enough to keep me going. I have found though, that it is helpful to eat something every few hours. You might find that starting your day with a protien maybe followed by a commplex carb (for energy) would help at least some too. Also, remember to take along some sort of snacks or mini-meals to eat throughout the day. Hope you still had fun though!
   — eaamc

July 22, 2003
Did you "come to" after lying in a prone position? You may have had a vaso vagal attack. The nerve runs through your body, past your stomach and intestines and it is a major reason for people fainting. If the nerve is pressed, you faint because it cuts off blood flow to your head. When you lie down, you get better. I have had a few of these attacks. 1- 2 years ago, and 2 since my surgery (4mos). The first one people thought was caused by low blood sugar, it wasn't that. The lying down is what got me better (we all thought the sugar fixed me) It's a good idea to discuss it with your Dr. to find out if this is what it is, or if it was just a "fluke" or it was blood sugar. If it is Vaso vagal, it's nothing to panic about. But you especially need to let the Dr if it happens again so you can learn to watch for the signs. Once you know the signs, you'll know to sit or lay down before you faint. Best wishes -
   — M B.