12 yr old daughter faints

[fwaldron]

In Sept my daughter had a sudden rash all over her chest after a shower, ER said it was contact dermatitis.  Few days later saw pediatrician who checked as the rash kept coming back and she started vomitting and was constantly running a low grade fever.  She had a few episodes of incontence that she was totally unaware  of the need to urinate until it started.  The doctor did a urine culture and she showed up with Group B strep and put her on amoxicyllin.  After several appointments and tests,  blood work twice, abdominal ultrasound and a  barium upper gi, (all negative), they were running bloodwork one more time and added the Lyme test at my request, it came up positive (at the lower marker).  They switched her from amox. to doxycicline.  Then the folllowing weekat her annual check up appt a few days later she rec'd the nasal H1N1 vaccine and the next day had severe fever, so we went back to doctor.  He determined that she had H1N1 and had been exposed prior to recieving vaccine. She was put on tamiflu.  Then she started fainting up to 20 x a day and we went to ER on a friday night,  At this point the cough from the flu was very severe.  They kept her overnight and administred albuterol to help with the coughing.  That helped.

The fainting continued so she was shceduled for a 24 hr video EEG and consultation with pediatric neurologist.  After 24 hrs and multiple episodes walking to bathroom, in bed, etc. they determined that her brain and cardiac rythms were all normal and diagnosed her with psychogenic fainting/seizures.

They have gotten better as she has gone back to school and we have tried to get back to normal.  However they do continue, once or twice at school, most of the times at home.

I am not convinced that this is stress related, however I am willing to consider that stress does not help.  She is an only child and I am single parent although she/we have very positive relationship with her dad and his extended family and spend all holidays with them.

As for other stress, Oct 08 I had mild cardiac event, was diagnosed as needing a 4xCABG.  There were multiple complications and from the beginning of Oct to Thanksgiving I was in hospital 3 times for over 35 days.  Went back to work in Jan, lost my job in April, and have been dealing with my own levels of stress and depression.

Her therapist (she started seeing him after my hospitalizations) is not convinced that these are psychogenic/conversion disorders.  

I also believe she has ADD,

It just seems to me that her body has been whacked so hard this fall, that it is hard to believe these episodes are just stress related.

Any ideas or directions I should pursue would be appreciated.

When she was in the ER for fainting they did bloodwork (she was at end of doxycline) and tested for Lyme again and said that her level had lowered significantly.

With the exception of one broken arm at age 9 and having her appendix out Sept 08, she has been a very healthy child.  She had kept a steady consistent line on growth charts.  She is just under 5 foot and weighs about 105.  She has begun the early stages of puberty but has not entered menarche yet.



fwaldron --

[jodi40]

see a lyme specialist asap !!!!!!!!! Not sure where you live (State) Ask around for a specialist....The lyme appears to be the link. It does reek havoc sp? on the body and mind.....keep us posted :)

[kay290]

Sleep walking is common at that age. I did it alot. Fainting is also common. However, Lyme Disease can cause all kinds of psych and medical issues and I would research that further. Would an antianxiety med be considered? There is an extreme amount of stress going on. Good Luck.

[fwaldron]

She has started sleepwalking, waking up in my bed and not knowing how she got there.  Last night she was asleep and came into Living Room where I was a kept saying 'momma, momma, momma...' in a very monotone voice and when I responded with "What?  Why are you out of bed"  She 'woke' up and stared at me and had no idea how she got there.