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**LindaSo** · 02-27-2009, 01:38 PM

Re: Fainting

If it were me, I wouldn't want to spend much more time wondering about them. I suggest you contact your cardiologist this afternoon.

Linda

**kathyn2** · 02-27-2009, 01:49 PM

Re: Fainting

Linda, I have contacted them. Both of them. I am waiting for a call back from the defibrillator cardiologist now. Trying to get into him. Also, saw the nurse of my regular cardiologist (was suppose to see him but he had emergencies) on Monday and I complained about it to her and then promptly came home and fainted! Believe me I am trying to get some help but the doctor situation here in San Diego is just terrible.

**LindaSo** · 02-27-2009, 02:02 PM

Re: Fainting

I'm glad that you made those calls, you hadn't said that in your original post, sorry. It's been awhile since I moved from San Diego, so I'm unaware of the physican issues there, other than from the state budget deficit, and I know that is HUGE. Obviously there is a problem, and I would be the squeaky wheel with phone calls. Could be from an arrythmia, could be from something else.

How would you feel about a trip to the ER if it happens again ? Don't know about your specific situation, but that is what I would do, and I HATE ER's. Just my thoughts........

**Cynaburst** · 02-27-2009, 02:25 PM

Re: Fainting

Kathlyn - Obstruction can and does cause fainting. I used to faint or almost faint regularly before my myectomy due to obstruction. I believe you have been advised to look into a myectomy or ablation. I think you should do it. It may definitely be your problem. But first, you have to take yourself to a specialty center and let them evaluate you and see if they will do a procedure on you. We cannot advise you what is going on with you, as we don't know. If you aren't happy with your local doctors, there is Dr. Shah in Laguna, and there are some in other cities. I travelled to Minnesota for my surgery.

**kathyn2** · 02-27-2009, 04:20 PM

Re: Fainting

I am still waiting for a call back. Been hours. My doctors have talked a bit about ablation. My problem is being able to afford going somewhere to have this done. I live alone on a very small disability check so I have no funds for traveling or taking a companion across the US for either of these procedures. I am considering UCLA but they are rather new and I wonder how many procedures they could have done there.

There is 1 doctor whose office I spoke with today that has done about 50 septal alcohol ablations. They said with all good incomes and no problems or deaths and I am considering going to him. I do not feel a good candidate for open heart surgery as I have other medical problems (like severe kidney failure) and don't think I want to take a chance on that big surgery. If I am a good candidate for septal alcohol ablation I would consider that. I am old. lol As far as age etc I probably fit the criteria. Dr. Shah thought I would be a good candidate but he doesn't do the ablations and the only one he knows in so. calif at the time I spoke to him was Dr. Johnson and thats the office I have been speaking with here.

Can anyone tell me the experience of UCLA in doing ablations?

**kathyn2** · 02-27-2009, 04:23 PM

Re: Fainting

Hi Linda, if I faint again I will be heading to the ER (I hate to go too!). But maybe they can run some tests and see why I am fainting. I have chest pain too. Could be indigestion but who knows???? I am getting pretty tired of this disease these days! Its getting harder and harder to deal with.

Originally posted by LindaSo View Post

I'm glad that you made those calls, you hadn't said that in your original post, sorry. It's been awhile since I moved from San Diego, so I'm unaware of the physican issues there, other than from the state budget deficit, and I know that is HUGE. Obviously there is a problem, and I would be the squeaky wheel with phone calls. Could be from an arrythmia, could be from something else.

How would you feel about a trip to the ER if it happens again ? Don't know about your specific situation, but that is what I would do, and I HATE ER's. Just my thoughts........

**Cynaburst** · 02-27-2009, 04:45 PM

Re: Fainting

I have not heard of them doing any alcohol ablations at UCLA, though I know that they do them at Cedars-Sinai.

**kathyn2** · 02-27-2009, 05:11 PM

Re: Fainting

Cynthia, what do you know about Cedars Sinai? Would you trust them if you couldn't travel far?

**Cynaburst** · 02-27-2009, 05:20 PM

Re: Fainting

My regular cardiologist is at Cedars-Sinai, and I do go there frequently. I certainly trust him, but I do not know anything about the folks who do ablations there. I did not think that I would be a good candidate for ablation (and as it turned out, Mayo said that I was not a candidate at all, though by that time, I had already decided on a myectomy), so I never even got so far as to ask about who and what they do at Cedars.

You might want to make an appt. with my cardiologist there and have him refer you to the ablation folks, or I could even give you his phone number and you can call him and discuss with him and have him give you the info. on the interventional people so you can do your own research about the number they have done and their success rates.

**mbcube** · 02-27-2009, 06:06 PM

Re: Fainting

kathryn2: Do you have a home monitoring device so you can intrerrogate your device? If so, I'd start there, if not, your on the right track by calling your Doc. I am going to see Cynthia's Doc next week, as I'm looking for someone experienced and in So Cal, they are hard to come by, so I understand where your coming from. Look at everyhting else as well - Your OK on fluids? eating well? minerals balanced?
I went to UCLA for my diagnosis and I will say they are very good on the Diagnostic side. I cannot speak about AA or other surgery there (though they do AA there), I also went to Mayo.
Keep us posted & were thinking of ya!

**kathyn2** · 02-27-2009, 07:23 PM

Re: Fainting

Thanks Robert. San Diego really stinks as far as medicine goes. I have fainted 3 times in 10 days and can't even get the doctor to call me back. All the doctors I have seen since I was diagnosed do know about hcm but they do not know enough. I can't believe in this large metropolitan wealthy area there is no HCM center! Even LA doesn't sound like it has much of a center. I just called the doctor's office for the 3rd time today with no call back and it is almost 4:30pm here. And yet I love that doctor. He is very good at what he does. Actually my defib guy came from Cedar's-Sinai. I was just looking him up. Oh and yes, I have Carelink at home and I sent them one after the 1st time I blacked out. All I heard is that all was 'normal'. I know thats bull. lol I commented on that to the office gal I keep calling today. One reason I wanted them to call me back was so that I could send another one today. They do not want you sending them there willy nilly so I didn't just want to send one.

**gfox42** · 02-27-2009, 08:42 PM

Re: Fainting

There are a lot of different things that can cause fainting. It's important to realize that heart problems aren't the only cause of fainting, though they're obviously some of the more dangerous causes. So, yes, the right thing to do is to check with cardiologists, but it may or may not actually be a heart problem.

The most common single cause of fainting is actually a bad signal from the brain to the circulatory system, causing blood vessels to open up at the wrong time. I have a long history with this problem. I've been to the ER a few particularly scary times, but it's always turned out to not be anything related to my heart.

Once again, get yourself checked out; fainting is never good.

Gordon

**connie54** · 03-13-2009, 08:56 AM

Re: Fainting

Hi Linda

I also have fainting spells. It happened to me once while I was driving. I was very lucky, I was on the 4 lane and managed to start to get the van over before I went all the way out. I know how you feel. I get short of breath, chest pain. I watched my Dad and my brother with this disease,. My dad was very ill. I have seen how this can effect people differently. My son has been diagnosed with HCM also.

Connie54

**mbcube** · 03-13-2009, 11:22 AM

Re: Fainting

Connie54 - Welcome aboard! Please let us know if we can be of any assistance. You post in the category that best suites your needs.

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