Posts by casualheron3

gentlemason62 said:Hmm, I haven't been tested yet. My gut feeling is it's just vasovagal. I feel fine otherwise—no other issues. Well, hopefully it's just that... wouldn't mind adding a brain tumor to the mix, right? That would really be the icing on the cake. Anyway, I'll head to the doctor ASAP... thanks!

Check your PMs.

gentlemason62 said:Thanks for the reply... but everything else checks out. I feel fine otherwise. These dizzy spells and nausea only started once I began visiting the wards and witnessing things that aren't exactly "everyday." I haven't felt lightheaded in any other context, so I’ve ruled out anything organic. How else would you explain a vasovagal response when someone sees blood? I think what I'm experiencing is pretty much analogous to that...

Hopefully the mods don't kick us out or lock this thread. :-)

I've had something similar happen twice in my life, though it was during extremely high-stress emotional moments—like having a sick family member. Usually, I'm pretty much bulletproof.

Since you mentioned everything else is fine, could you walk me through your testing? Did you really cover all the bases? Also, did an actual professional confirm it's vasovagal?

gentlemason62 said:I'm a third-year medical student. During a recent rotation in the ICU, I nearly fainted—I managed to step out of the room before actually collapsing. I assume it was vasovagal, mostly because what I was looking at was pretty grim: a patient in their final moments. Today, during rounds, I felt that wave of weakness again while the attending was taking a patient's history. This has never happened to me before; I've handled cadaver labs without blinking. It’s terrifying that this is happening now, especially with living patients. Please help me—any tips for mental conditioning? How can I become a doctor if I can't handle this? I'm convinced it's psychological. Though, my vision has been a bit off lately (I've worn contacts for years), and I wonder if eye strain could be causing the dizziness. I'll see an ophthalmologist, but please, how can I fix this?
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Hey.

First things first, and likely the most important point: as a medical student, you shouldn't assume these symptoms are purely psychological or related to your vision.
Before jumping to conclusions, rule out organic causes. I'd suggest seeing your primary care physician for a standard workup.
Psychological support is great, obviously, but it won't make a physical syncopal episode just vanish.

A basic workup would include blood work, an EKG, and blood pressure monitoring. Depending on those results, you might need more specialized testing.

Good luck!

Lisa Nelson70 said:I'm curious what everyone here thinks about this... I've been digging through some medical literature, and I keep running into claims that things like hepatitis can be transmitted through kissing. I'm not talking about anything extreme, just standard, deep kissing 🙂.

The problem is that the sources are totally inconsistent: one study claims you could catch Hep B that way, but definitely not Hep C, while another says the exact opposite.
It makes you wonder: if transmission were actually that easy, how many people would be infected by now 🤷? At this rate, I’ll be too paranoid to even give someone a friendly peck on the cheek, let alone a real kiss before they've cleared a full STI panel. That's a pretty exhausting way to live.😠

What's your take?

There’s some suspicion regarding Hepatitis C being transmissible that way, but not Hepatitis B. I've heard it mentioned and read a few papers, though nothing is ever truly definitive.
Most major health organizations state that for Hepatitis C to spread, there usually needs to be contact with infected blood—think sharing a toothbrush or silverware, for example.

Here is a link for reference: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

Personally, I might be wary of kissing someone if they had actual Hepatitis C, but the odds seem incredibly low.