Fainting from Shots (Injections)

[wes]

Eric Fattah wrote in an old post:

"I often have blackouts when I have blood tests (blood + me = fainting).

It doesn't always happen though. However if it is going to happen, I feel my vision fading, and I tell the nurse, 'I'm going to black out in 2 seconds', and then I do."

This used to be an issue for me untill my older brother, Cliff, taught me this technique: Clinch all the muscles in your thighs and also your lower stomach muscles like if you think someone would punch you in the stomach. Cliff learned this in US Air Force flight school, it helps to prevent blackout from high g-force turns in jets.

In addition to pressure suits that squeeze the same areas automtically with pressure cuffs worn over thier flight suits, this technique exerts extra pressure which forces blood back up to the head. It works great for me if I am going to faint from a shot which I used to do about 70% of the time. This fainting I am sure is from low blood pressure and not from lack of oxygen saturation in the blood. Often times the doctors will tell me that when I fainted they tried to feel a pulse at my wrist and could not detect any at all which of course scares them alot. This is why I think its from low blood pressure.

Thought this might be of interest. - Wes Lapp

 

[yugyug]

This is of interest to me because I am currently participating in a clinical drug trial in Japan. When I first arrived I had a needle phobia and in fact fainted during a previous trial I started but wasn't allowed to finish.

You are right though, the fainting is caused by low blood pressure. Inside our veins we have a vascular nerve which when stimulated tells our brains that we are bleeding. The brain in turn lowers blood pressure in order to prevent blood loss. This nerve can be tripped in anyone but its effect is dependant on your psychology. I am almost at the end of the trial and have been poked and punctured so many times, including 3 catheter insertions, I no longer have any needle phobia or adverse reactions. Even when the nurses stuff up and dig around in my arm for half a minute trying to find a vein - which happens when you've already given blood 6 times that day. At the moment my arms look they have been having a dirty weekend in Bangkok without me.

Anyway my experience of the drug trial so far has been very interesting, so I've started to post my diary on wordpress, check it out, (but not if you're squeamish. )

http://whitemice.wordpress.com/

 

[BennyB]

Whenever my wife has some blood taken, if she is sitting upright she will pass out. If she's lying down she is fine. Certainly seems like a blood pressure issue.

Clinical trial sounds interesting - let us know if your breath hold improves. You sound like the typical Aussie traveller abroad - when I came to the UK every expat magazine we read had dozens of ads for volunteers in them, my first thoughts were "wow, they pay you £100 a day to play on the internet and watch tv???".
Would have considered it myself had I have not got a job straight away, plus there was that whole incident with the anti-inflammatories in London not long ago which didn't inspire confidence!

Cheers,
Ben

 

[island_sands]

i have nearly fainted with a couple of injections before rofl rofl

 

[Donna]

i have nearly fainted with a couple of injections before rofl rofl

rofl rofl

 

[island_sands]

rofl rofl

hehehehehe knew you'd see that one rofl rofl

 

[Spaniard]

i have nearly fainted with a couple of injections before rofl rofl

Even I restrained myself from getting in on the injections analogies...Naughty girl :rcard

 

[wes]

I guess I was wondering if there would be positive affects to limit SWB by using this technique to increase blood pressure in brain on last part of the ascent. Seems like it can increase blood pressure, maybe even one could measure this increase with a cuff around the neck and see it theoretically it would make any difernece.

Cheers Wes

 

[efattah]

Many top divers use this same technique in the last few meters of a hypoxic ascent to prevent blackout....

 

[wes]

Cool, thanks Eric.

Cheers Wes

 

[yugyug]

Clinical trial sounds interesting - let us know if your breath hold improves.

Interesting, why would my breathhold improve from doing a clinical trial?

Actually it could very well for a few reasons:
1. Using my free time to read Pelizzari's freediving manual
2. Learnt pranayama to calm myself before injections.
3. The drug I'm testing boosts haemoglobin levels in the blood (for treating anaemia).

But BennyB you couldn't have known any of that so what are you thinking about?

 

[BennyB]

Number 3 (haemoglobin levels).... it said on your online diary

 

[yugyug]

Ah, nice sleuthing BennyB. But actually i just found out I was given the placebo! So I don't know if thats or


hey also I had a thought

pressure suits that squeeze the same areas automtically with pressure cuffs worn over thier flight suits

top divers use this same technique in the last few meters of a hypoxic ascent to prevent blackout....

what about a "pressure" wetsuit that does the same thing as flight suits in the last few metres of ascent. It could use inflatable cuffs that would also help bouyancy like the vest being developed by Terry Maas.