• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Black Outs

paul80

Senior Member
Messages
298
I'm not sure what the correct name for this is but my family have been telling me i have these black outs a couple of times a day for about the last year. It's like an absence, like i'm not there.

Most of the time i'm not aware of it happening at all but lately when i was at the dentist and i was waiting on him to write me a prescription and the next thing i know i he's telling me to go to the reception and i feel like i just woke up and i'm trying to comprehend what he's saying. I think he was repeating himself multiple times.

Has anyone else experienced this because of M.E? I think it mostly happens when i'm very tired so maybe it could be something like lack of blood to the brain or something.
 

paul80

Senior Member
Messages
298
Yes i seen a doctor and got sent to a specialist. The specialist didn't think it was seizures but he said he would send me for something (think it was ECG).

I'm not sure if i have OI but i can't stand for longer than a few minutes or i start feeling ill.

Could it not be something to do with blood volume/flow that M.E causes? Because i really suspect a lot of my symptoms are something to do with that.
 

paul80

Senior Member
Messages
298
Usually all the symptoms i get are common among others with M.E.
I just assumed this was another M.E symptom. Maybe it is some kind of seizure then. I wonder if this test will find anything. Doubt it.
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
I believe seizures have been seen in some ME patients but I'm not sure what type.
 

Snookum96

Senior Member
Messages
290
Location
Ontario, Canada
This has happened to me before. Once my husband was driving us home and all of a sudden we were half way there, I was so confused I couldn't figure out what was going on.

I do have OI, but I was sitting when this happened.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
It sounds like OI, I used to get that a lot too but don't think I get that kind of seizures "so much" now. Low blood flow to brain with OI and being quite tired. OI can cause seizures.

I remember one day when I had several of these while driving.. I keep missing the road I'd wanted to turn down and keep coming too only when gone past it. It was so frustrating.. I'd turn and head towards the road again..only to blank out again and again.

Another time I came too and I was staring into a shop window with no idea at all how long I'd been doing that for... absence seizures I'd think but never diagnosed with seizures as such by a neurologist, didn't show up on the brain EEGs (One of my specialist said I may need to have one while being scanned to pick it up, but then you cant just time when its going to occur!!)

http://wwcoco.com/cfids/bernesx.html (if you check that out you can see this symptom may be common in ME patients "Seizure-like episodes: 70%** (seizures: 2%)
  • Fainting or blackouts: 40% )
 
Last edited:

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
This has happened to me before. Once my husband was driving us home and all of a sudden we were half way there, I was so confused I couldn't figure out what was going on.

I do have OI, but I was sitting when this happened.

OI issues can occur with sitting esp if legs are down in a car. I need my legs up nearly all the time due to the OI. (I had to get a specially designed wheelchair in which I can have raised legs).
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
There have been several times I have thought my symptoms were from me/cfs and it turned out they weren't but had similar symptoms. It's just so frustrating trying to sort out our symptoms

I'd take advantage of the fact that you already have a referral and follow up with an EEG. Do you know what type of EEG?

Keep us posted and good luck.

Barb