Blacked out after bowel movement

[Meerkat Love]

This is really strange. It usually happens in the middle of the night. I will get up out of bed, head to the bathroom, start having a bowel movement, then almost immediately I start sweating profusely, feel sick to my stomach and have shallow breathing. The last time this happened, I tried to make it back to bed to cool off under the fan, but blacked out and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I cracked my head on my hopechest and thats when I started to come out of it. It was just a matter of seconds. (So says my husband) This fainting spell has only happened once. Usually I make it back to bed (barely). Does anyone have this occur to them? I would really like to know what's going on with me. Any ideas?

[richard wayne2b]

Are you straining to have a B.M.?If so,you're performing a Valsalva Maneuver,which can cause dizziness or even loss of consciousness.

[Unregistered]

This is really strange. It usually happens in the middle of the night. I will get up out of bed, head to the bathroom, start having a bowel movement, then almost immediately I start sweating profusely, feel sick to my stomach and have shallow breathing. The last time this happened, I tried to make it back to bed to cool off under the fan, but blacked out and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I cracked my head on my hopechest and thats when I started to come out of it. It was just a matter of seconds. (So says my husband) This fainting spell has only happened once. Usually I make it back to bed (barely). Does anyone have this occur to them? I would really like to know what's going on with me. Any ideas?

this could very likely be a heart condition, plz see a doctor about this to see if additional treatment or medication is required, i have a heart condition that causes fainting and this is not something you want to leave untreated

[Unregistered]

This is really strange. It usually happens in the middle of the night. I will get up out of bed, head to the bathroom, start having a bowel movement, then almost immediately I start sweating profusely, feel sick to my stomach and have shallow breathing. The last time this happened, I tried to make it back to bed to cool off under the fan, but blacked out and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I cracked my head on my hopechest and thats when I started to come out of it. It was just a matter of seconds. (So says my husband) This fainting spell has only happened once. Usually I make it back to bed (barely). Does anyone have this occur to them? I would really like to know what's going on with me. Any ideas?

I experienced this about 6 months ago & was rushed to the hospital where they diagnosed it as the vagus nerve affected by straining in the bowel.

[Mattoo]

I experienced this about 6 months ago & was rushed to the hospital where they diagnosed it as the vagus nerve affected by straining in the bowel.

Can a person die because they were constipated and tried too hard to go to the bathroom and triggered this nerve somehow from straining?

[Paul Dee]

Can a person die because they were constipated and tried too hard to go to the bathroom and triggered this nerve somehow from straining?

What you experiences was a rapid drop in blood pressure and blood motivation. It is quite common in extremely fatigued people. If you imagine a car engine that has been unused for some time being revved up all of a sudden and then reduced to a crawl the car is going to stall. The same situation has occurred with your heart as you have been sleeping, woken up your BP has spiked and HR has also spiked because you have gone from a sedentary position to an elevated one (waking up) in such a short space of time. The act of passing a bowel movement is a very strenuous one for the body is required the blood and oxygen in your body to rush to your colon to aid in evacuation of the stool. The Vagal nerve is activated during a bowel movement when bearing down to protect your heart and body from massive BP spikes. So in conclusion look at it like this, you were sleeping, you had a rapid increase in Blood Pressure and heart rate to bring your body back to normality after sleeping and it was abrupt, you then performed a very strenuous task that activated the vagal nerve telling your heart to lower its rate and thus your blood pressure. All the blood diverted to the colon, immediate symptom fainting.

I would follow up with your doctor to assess the possibility of a heart condition. It sounds like it could be something very minor but also has the possibility of being something that will require treatment,

Ask for a 2D Echo and a stress test (you need both these tests in this situation).

Hope this helps,

Paul

5th Year Med Student (Cardiology).

This is not intended to substitute a visit to your doctor, it is simply some advice.

[Unregistered]

This is really strange. It usually happens in the middle of the night. I will get up out of bed, head to the bathroom, start having a bowel movement, then almost immediately I start sweating profusely, feel sick to my stomach and have shallow breathing. The last time this happened, I tried to make it back to bed to cool off under the fan, but blacked out and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I cracked my head on my hopechest and thats when I started to come out of it. It was just a matter of seconds. (So says my husband) This fainting spell has only happened once. Usually I make it back to bed (barely). Does anyone have this occur to them? I would really like to know what's going on with me. Any ideas?

more likely its caused due to straining in adition to stimulation of the vagus nerve.
in any case u should be examined by a physician so u can check also your electrolytes and heart just in case.

[Unregistered]

This is really strange. It usually happens in the middle of the night. I will get up out of bed, head to the bathroom, start having a bowel movement, then almost immediately I start sweating profusely, feel sick to my stomach and have shallow breathing. The last time this happened, I tried to make it back to bed to cool off under the fan, but blacked out and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. I cracked my head on my hopechest and thats when I started to come out of it. It was just a matter of seconds. (So says my husband) This fainting spell has only happened once. Usually I make it back to bed (barely). Does anyone have this occur to them? I would really like to know what's going on with me. Any ideas?

This same exact thing happens to me 2-3 times a year; however, I also have abdominal pain which is what wakes me up in the first place. The stool is loose but not runny like diarrhea but very stinky!. I also have profuse cold sweating. I fall off of the toilet and wake up on the floor during one of these episodes, and I usually go to the bathroom on myself when I am passed out (urine and feces). My husband said I had a seizure during one episode when I was unconscious longer than usual. I have been known to vomit at the same time that the movement is occurring. I saw a doctor about it and he didn't seem too concerned...he said not to strain too hard when I go to the bathroom. I explained to him that I don't strain at all because I am usually so nauseous and the room is spinning and I'm trying to hold back the vomit that I don't even think of trying to have a bowel movement. I wish I had an answer for you (or someone has one for the both of us!). I worry that this will happen while I am work. I have an appointment with another doctor in a couple of weeks since I had one of these episodes two weekends ago. I will post any new information that I may be able to get!

[Unregistered]

I think this is very common as you can see by how many ppl have posted back to you. I'm a Nurse & my "Suggestions" to you is Labs, EEG Because of the ? passing out. EKG checking the heart Rhythm. This Problem is called Vasal Vagal Syncope.

The vagus nerve is the nerve of the muscle in the throat and the larynx, and is the nerve that slows the rate of the heartbeat and supplies the parasympathetic nerves to the lungs, the stomach, the esophagus, and other abdominal organs.

arasympathetic means the nerves pertaining to the autonomic nervous system; the system which is concerned with control of involuntary bodily functions.


Stimulating the parasympathetic nerves generally produces vasodilation of the part supplied; in general, it slows the heart rate, decreases the blood pressure; contracts the pupils; causes copious secretion of the saliva; and increases gastrointestinal activity.


Stimulation of the vagus causes slowing of the heart rate and, if sufficient, can cause fainting or even cardiac arrest. Usually, when this happens, the heart's ventricles start beating on their own despite continued vagal stimulation.


In the moment-to-moment regulation of heart rate at rest, the vagal influence is dominant and, particularly in athletes with low resting heart rates, this 'vagal tone' can be considerable.


Hypotension, or low blood pressure, is associated with increased nervous system activation and increased heart rate, but one type, hypovolemic hypotension, occurring after hemorrhage or certain drugs, induces a decrease in heart rate. Both effects result from abnormal excitation of the vagus nerve, and hence, the term used to describe the loss of consciousness that may result is vasovagal syncope.

After passing out it does help to get the person in bed with there legs elevated. Also some studies have suggested to increase your salt intake.

[Unregistered]

This same exact thing happens to me 2-3 times a year; however, I also have abdominal pain which is what wakes me up in the first place. The stool is loose but not runny like diarrhea but very stinky!. I also have profuse cold sweating. I fall off of the toilet and wake up on the floor during one of these episodes, and I usually go to the bathroom on myself when I am passed out (urine and feces). My husband said I had a seizure during one episode when I was unconscious longer than usual. I have been known to vomit at the same time that the movement is occurring. I saw a doctor about it and he didn't seem too concerned...he said not to strain too hard when I go to the bathroom. I explained to him that I don't strain at all because I am usually so nauseous and the room is spinning and I'm trying to hold back the vomit that I don't even think of trying to have a bowel movement. I wish I had an answer for you (or someone has one for the both of us!). I worry that this will happen while I am work. I have an appointment with another doctor in a couple of weeks since I had one of these episodes two weekends ago. I will post any new information that I may be able to get!

i also experienced this but actually went to the hospital they said i anaphylactic shock but it has happened 3 more times since not any particular time of day or night . I also had a colonascopy 3 days before the first one which was the worst one. Doctor says its just a coincedence. It's getting scary because i don't know when it is going to happen. did you ever find anything out