So I'm at the nurses' station, it's about 3 a.m., and I've felt a little off all night, but not unusual for me; a little disembodied, ya know? Ate lunch about noon, slept from 1 until 4 pm. Took my Adderall 10 mg at 4 pm, went to work, shift starts at 6:45. Ate a protein bar at around 10:30 pm, a salad with cheese and sunflower seeds around midnight, took 5 mg of Adderall at about 1 a.m., half a banana around 2:30. So not a LOT to eat, but not fasting, either. Couple a cups of coffee in there, too. I've been going thru the usual sort of worknight, and now I'm putting a chart together on a patient that just came in, sitting at the nurses' station, and felt a little dozy all of a sudden, closed my eyes... and next thing I know, people are all around me, shaking me, speaking in demanding tones of voice... it takes me a couple moments to get my voice to work to answer them. I got up after a couple minutes, walked a few steps to the gurney and they whoooshed me down to the ER for a workup; ecg, blood draw, IVF. So nothing much found.... did see a RBBB on the ECG. Not sure that's significant, but of course will f/u on it with my doc. Blood tests showed nothing. Urine test showed nothing.
Now it's the next day and I still feel spacey; now have a cough and scratchy throat, too. Seems to be the bug that's been going around my family for a few weeks. However, isn't fainting a bit extreme as a first sypmtom of flu?

Now, if it were Adderall related, wouldn't it be increased HR and hypertension, rather than the hr 60-70, and bp around 98/58ish that I was displaying? I have all sorts of panic inducing scenarios going around that I'm laboriously beating down until I can deal with this in an informed manner; you know, with a cardiologist, or a neurologist, etc. No need to half-assedly freak out; I can freak out much, much better fully-assedly with all the correct information:rolleyes:

I'm under more stress than I'd like to be; I'm of course the Mom, which makes me the major connecting hub of the household; hubby and kids all bounce things off me, which of course pulls on my mind but is also what I want; I love that they need me and want my input and enjoy me. Just, sometimes I suffer from an overabundance of blessings and it's overwhleming. And now my alzheimer's afflicted Mom is living with me and it's a bit stressful. She's anxious and confused, and makes tremndous effort to be no bother, which means she tiptoes soundlessly around the house and sneaks up on me, scaring the kittens outta me when she is suddenly THERE with a question.

Now, a little background; in looking back over my life I can see inattentive ADD signs since I was a little girl. And now, at the ripe old age of 45, I'm reading that eating disorders can be related to ADD, as a form of self-medication. And I've been strugglng with bulimia since I was 13. Last seven years I've made tremendous strides in dealing with it; all sorts of different things I've tried, mostly amount to stepping forward and saying to all around me "Here I am, you've depended on me for years and I've been therefor you, and THIS is what I need from you, and you need to step up to the plate". And to myself, too, learning not to take myself for granted and put myself last. Self-hypnosis helped a lot, too; but the Adderall is really giving me that last little bit of help with it. I can go through a day and not obsess; I can eat a few bites of something "bad" and stop; it's like I have a time machine, something to help me step into the spaces between the thought and acting on it, when I can question "I this going to get me where I want to be?". So I'd really hate to give up theAdderall. I'm on 20 mg daily, not very much; some days I have not taken any, just because, you know, I'm worried about being dependent on ever-increasing doses. I've only been on it 6 weeks or so.

Anyone had any experience with this as a side effect of Adderall? I have scanned the boards and googled it and not found mention of it.

And I'm of course concerned now about my job. I said to the ER people that I'm on a trial of Adderall; assuming they did a drug screen, it will show up; I'm not an employee, exactly, I'm on a contract... been re-signing every thirteen weeks for three anda half years, now, but all they have to do is not resign me, and I'd not have any recourse. And I really like this job. I'd find another but I like this one a lot. Damn.

No experience with Adderall, but know of people who have fainted for no other reason than the beginning of a virus; mono comes to mind.

Thanks, Imnapl, that's reassuring.

Now, if it were Adderall related, wouldn't it be increased HR and hypertension, rather than the hr 60-70, and bp around 98/58ish that I was displaying?Not necessarily. We each have a tendency to respond to these drugs in our own unique way more often than not. For instance, Adderall was the only stimulant drug to cause me to experience pronounced sedation. It was as if I had been hit with a tranqualizer dart or something along those lines, however I never fainted from it as far as I know. All of the other stimulant medications simply cause me to experience the traditional stimulation to one degree or another.

I would suggest that if you have not already done so that it would be wise to keep your Dr. in the loop concerning this issue. I suspect that you probably already have done that, but I just wanted to be safe and be sure to remind you. You never know, your Dr. may have had a patient before you who might have had a similar issue like this one.

I will be hoping that you find out soon what is causing this issue, and I hope you keep us posted.

Seeing doc in a couple days, had an appt anyway. Will keep you posted.

I fainted at work. Medical people esp, input?

Just fyi: so there's no misunderstanding for future readers, the people who responded in this thread are not medical professionals.

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thank you, eyeforgot. I'm open to advice from all corners, won't necessarily follow it all, or any of it; appreciate your cautionary input. I'm not asking for "medical advice", I have a doctor. I'm looking for advice from people who might have some knowledge about this, and have a little more medical background to draw from, as general input. This is not in place of a doctor's advice; as I said, I have an appointment in two days; I'd just like a little more information, if possible, going into the appt, so as to have a more productive conversation with the doctor.

***I understand. Comes with my job. :) ***

what is an RBBB on an ECG? And how were your electrolytes? Have you fainted before?

I AM NOT IN ANYWAY MEDICALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE, but many years of bulimia may have put strain on your cardiovascular system due to electrolyte imbalances. The adderall might be putting additional strain on your heart by increasing contractility (making it pump harder, not faster), which might not show up as in increased pulse rate or blood pressure.

Or, the fainting could have been an over-vigorus response of your parasympathetic nervous system to the sympathetic stimulation provided by adderall.

Or, you could have just been hypoglycemic. Did they measure your glucose?

Or. . . who knows. I'm really just reaching for stuff here.

Disclaimer: I made this up in my head just now so I could be completely off.

I've heard that prozac helps with bulimia, and, after you visit your cardiologist and get some results, if you have to switch ADD meds, maybe you could take a non-stimulant?

I hope nothing is really wrong. Good luck to you.

tried prozac, not helpful. and as I said, will check with my doc. apparently my lytes were fine; and btw I had a full checkup a month ago, and lytes were fine then, too. RBBB is an electrical conduction abnormality; not all that unusual, could be significant, or could be nothing at all. Significance to be dteermined.

I'm wondering if anyone had this kind of effect from adderall, the drop in bp and/or loss of consciousness; I do not think it's related to that, I tihnk it was the covert action of this flu I'm cooking, my chest congestion and general yuckiness is increasing and I'm weak and wobbly and exhausted. And this stuff is doing me good in a number of ways, I'd hate to have to stop it. But of course, if doc decides I'm stopping it, then it's stopped.

any thought of epilepsy?

Good Grief piglet ! When do you sleep ? For that matter when do you find time to even take a few deep breaths. Please don't misunderstand, I'm not being judgemental, even though I know it sounds that way. My life use to be alot like yours from the standpoint of being a single parent (4 kids), I was working & on call 7/24 + going to school....I was in my mid-late 20's. I wasn't properly dx with ADD until 8 yrs ago ( I'm 53 now) I have a Medical/Legal background.

What about drinking plenty of fluids ? Not coffee or cokes but water. Could you be dehydrated ? The other side of the coin with your HR & B/P.......low B/P can also make you pass out. Could you be anemic? Do you take a multivitamin?

Your comment ."I suffer from an overabundance of blessings and it's overwhleming." I can very well relate too. Also have you ever heard the phrase about "too much of a good thing" When my life was alot like yours, I would get light headed & feel like I was going to pass out, mine was exhaustion. I was finally dx with chronic stress. I Loved my kids, my job & school. And by some God's Honest Miracle ( my personal belief, I respect the fact that it may not be shared) from everything that I was told by others I was very good at all of it.

You were right to tell them about the Adderall because it does show up in a tox screen ( drug screen) Fainting may be a bit extreme for the beginning of the flu, but 1) I doubt it's the true "flu" because due to the high fever, the ER would have picked that up 2) you're immune system is more than likely really weak. When you get a chance if you can get a copy of the Labs that they did, check & see if you're anemic.

I really like your saying "No need to half-assedly freak out; I can freak out much, much better fully-assedly with all the correct information" I'm gonna remember that one. Please let us know what you find out. And please try & take care of yourself. You can't take care of everyone else if you don't take care of yourseld first. And for the record I haven't worked in a hospital in a number of yrs. But irregardless those Replying to your Post,myself included, are doing so based on their own experiences. Your Doctor(s) is your Best source.

BlessedLady


First edit was to add info
Second edit was to add reason for first edit

Thank you all so much. Yes, when do I sleep, that's a good question sometimes. I need more of it. Exhaustion is a good and simple possibility. I'm not a kid anymore, and perhaps burning the candle at ONE end is something to try, hmmm? And I AM coughing and hacking today, so I've got a bug of some sort. Although I think my immune system is better than ever, now; I used to get sick fairly frequently but now that I'm a nurse and meeting sooo many new microbial friends, I seem to only fall prey to the really nasty ones, after everyone else has gone through it already. Take my vitamins every day, too.

Sleep; that's a novel idea. I might try it.

hey this might be a silly suggestion but you might be low on iron?...i fainted twice at work and i thought i was dying but i was just low on iron :P

not silly at all; I had a checkup a month or so before and it all came back okay, tho. Will be doinga Holter monitor... that's a devicey ou wear for 24 hrs to monitor the heart, just to rule out any flippy heart beats.... but I realllly think it was the nasty bug that was going around my family, was flat on my back for three days afterward and am still a little "off".

One part:

Sounds like you need to eat more food, for starters. You can't look after Pts if you do not look after yourself.

Sometimes an ED can be part of ADHD (hard times organizing shopping lists/trips; difficulties coordinating chopping/prep and cooking; meals planning & scheduling).

Sometimes food restriction in EDs can come from needing "control" over one's life or body (as a response to not having had control over certain things in the past.)

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You don't mention fainting after standing up ('postural hypotension') or feeling very cold beforehand (shock-type fainting like in the O.R.).

I'd imagine that the Docs would have figured you out if you have a 'garden variety' cardiac or neuro problem causing this. They have done various relevant tests and a real life exam, etc.

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If you woke up the next day with a scratchy sore throat (assuming you weren't intubated! *laff*), maybe it was many factors? (e.g. rundown by stress and not eating; surrounded by sick Pts and burnt out staff; picked up a virus and your glands are getting sore?)

Hospitals are nasty places to work: physically and emotionally. When I had placements on Medicine floors, those pneumonia/COPD patients made me sick several times.

They also say that a Ward Nurse's back will last for 10 years. Eeek!

Between the Bugs and the Bullying (and no Bystander support), i'd rather be homeless than work on a Ward. :)

I'd work in a Clinic ANYDAY.

You deserves a nice job with nice benefits and less stress risks. :)


N.B. Have you been to ED treatment before?

Well, I have found that this job has made my immune system very strong.... meaning, that I don't get sick until I meet some realllly nasty bug... and then it gets me gooooooood.

And yes, I need to rearrange my lifestyle so as to not be stretched so thin. I'm getting whapped upside the head with reality, and I'm not a kid anymore. I like the type of work I do, and it suits me well, but I could appreciate doing less of it.

Hi Piglet. A cause of fainting which is not serious at all is vasovagal syncope. My mother has fainting spells all of her life, with no cause. Syncope can be caused by the blood pooling in the lower areas of the body, or other areas, areas of inflammation, such as the guts or the pelvic region during an infection, flu, or "monthly event," emotions, upper respiratory flu, yes, etc. It's good you are getting it checked out, but hopefully it's not something you could count on happening again. I did a Holter monitor a couple of years ago. What fun. Hope all is fine.