Did H1N1 vaccine cause fainting, rapid heart rate?

February 25, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My 15-year-old daughter had the H1N1 shot on a Tuesday morning. That afternoon, she passed out walking to one of her classes. Her pediatrician did not find anything wrong. On Wednesday, she broke out with a rash from her armpit to below her hip. Thursday, her heart was racing at 150 beats per minute. Her pediatrician then ordered an EKG for the following day. The EKG on Friday was normal, but my daughter said she was still having palpitations, so I took her to the emergency room. There, she had blood work done and another EKG. Everything was normal, so they sent her home with a 24-hour heart monitor. On the following Tuesday, she passed out again but for a longer period of time. Again, we went back to the emergency room, where nothing was found to be wrong. She was then referred to a cardiologist and a neurologist. The cardiologist said it was vasovagal syncope and recommended she take salt tablets. The neurologist ordered an EEG, but we haven’t heard anything back from him.

I am not convinced that vasovagal syncope is the problem because she is still having racing-heart episodes out of the blue. What other questions should I be asking her doctors?

DEAR READER: First, vasovagal syncope is the most common cause of fainting and occurs when the body reacts in an exaggerated way to certain triggers. These triggers cause a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, which reduce blood to the brain, leading to a brief loss of consciousness. Because it is generally harmless, it typically does not require treatment.

Treatment may consist of blood-pressure medication (which blocks some signals that can lead to fainting), antidepressants, blood-vessel constrictors, certain exercises, avoiding prolonged standing, drinking plenty of fluids and finally, in severe cases, surgery to implant an electrical pacemaker.

I doubt this is your daughter’s problem because vasovagal syncope decreases the heart rate rather than increases it.

I believe the likely culprit is the H1N1 vaccine. According to the Mayo Clinic, you
should check with your physician immediately if you have chest pain, dizziness, fainting, fast heartbeat, feeling faint, dizzy or lightheaded, get hives, itching, shortness of breath, a skin rash and much more. These side effects are listed as having an unknown incidence rate, but clearly your daughter is having many of these reactions.

I urge you both to return to her pediatrician to discuss the possibility that she is having a reaction to the vaccination injection she received. If they will not consider it a possibility or don’t know how to help, consult another physician.

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Hypothyroidism likely cause of nausea, cramping

February 1, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I am writing because I have not felt well for a long period of time. I go to my doctor every few months and come home discouraged. In November 2006 I was sent to the hospital with chest pain, nausea and abdominal cramping. I also had a rapid heart beat and clammy skin. Four days and several tests later nothing significant showed so I was allowed to go home. I have an extra heart beat that is sometimes very pronounced but a 30-day heart monitor did not show anything significant. I have been to a rheumatoid doctor and he told me there wasn’t an autoimmune disease yet. I feel fatigued, depressed, joint and muscle pain, thinning hair, ringing in the ears, bruise easily, tingling hands and feet, and am very sensitive to the cold and extreme heat, especially my feet. I need help.

I had some blood work done more than a year ago and am sharing the results with you. My doctors don’t feel the work needs to be repeated. TSH 3.48, T3 2.8, T4 1.06, rheumatoid factor 8, ANA, 80, potassium 3.8, bilirubin 0.2, and sedimentation rate 2. I hope this helps you.

DEAR READER: Based on your symptoms and lab results I strongly believe that you have hypothyroidism. This means your thyroid gland is not producing enough thyroid hormone to maintain your health. The thyroid gland produces several types of hormone, mainly thyroxine which contains iodine that allows for normal body growth and function.

As for your lab work, your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) should be below 4 but anything higher than 2.0 coupled with an abnormal T4 (thyroxine) (4.5-11.2) is a red flag for early-stage hypothyroidism. Your T3 (triiodothyronine) level should be 1.0 to 2.0. Yours is elevated because your body is attempting to fix itself by releasing more of one hormone to compensate for the lack of another. However, this attempt is failing in your case. The ANA is abnormal and in some individuals with thyroid disease can be increased, much as yours is. The other levels are all within normal limits.

I strongly urge you to see an endocrinologist who specializes in glandular disorders such as thyroid disease. He or she should run more tests to get up-to-date results. I suspect, they will clearly point to hypothyroidism. The specialist should also check you for other disorders and forms of thyroid disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and others.

Treatment is simply thyroid medication taken every day. Once on medication you should start to feel better within a few days.

As an aside, depression is not generally associated with thyroid disease but given your situation and lack of resolution it can be expected. If your depression does not go away once you start to feel better, I recommend you see a psychiatrist or counselor. He or she can work with you and, if necessary, prescribe medication.

To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Medical Specialists”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed 4 ¼“ X 9 ½“ letter-sized stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.

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