# When Authors Pass Out



## David Adams (Jan 2, 2012)

So, exciting day. I went for lunch with a friend of mine, and as we were standing in line at Subway I had really bad abdominal pain set in quite suddenly. I rested my hands up against the counter and she asked me if I was okay, so I turned to her and said something like "Yeah, I'll be okay".

Then the next thing I remember is waking up from the most relaxing nap on the tiles...

Apparently I was all twitching and jerking around for about a minute or so. Got a ride in an ambulance, followed by a battery of tests, but they couldn't find anything wrong.

Anyway, is it bad that after I woke up the two things I were thinking were, "Eh, it's okay. I sent my book to the editor earlier today for the final proof. It's okay if I die." and "Hey, this is just like the time Turner passed out in _Insufficient _and it was pretty much like what I wrote! Nailed it!".

Sometimes I'm a worry.

Edit: Oh yeah, we ended up going back to Subway and eating. I really, really wanted that sandwich. Also, when the nurse hooked me up to the EKG it wasn't reading properly, so she said, "Well, you're dead." I was like "Oh, well, okay. I had a good run."


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## Zelah Meyer (Jun 15, 2011)

Glad you sound like you're OK!  Hopefully they'll figure out what it was and stop it happening again.

I have only fainted once, it was after giving blood.  They made me get up too quickly because they were trying to close down the session for the day.  I confess that one of my first thoughts on waking (other than, "I'm so hot!  Why am I so hot?") was, "At least I'll know how to write a faint from the POV of the fainter now."  Writers...


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## Patty Jansen (Apr 5, 2011)

Hope you have no lasting effects, David!

I fainted once in a hardware store. It was hot and I was pregnant, although not visibly so. It was very embarrassing.


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## sarahdalton (Mar 15, 2011)

Hope you're okay!

I passed out after a blood test once and apparently I did the jerking thing as well, so I'm glad it's not just me!


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## Irma Geddon (Aug 27, 2013)

You cannot die, I forbid it.


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## David Adams (Jan 2, 2012)

Haha, yeah, thanks all. I'm totally fine now. 

I wacked my head pretty good coming down. That's good inspiration for writing.


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## Nicholas Andrews (Sep 8, 2011)

I'd have been more upset. But mostly because I was eating at Subway. The worst I ever got from there was profuse vomiting, but it always came after I finished eating. Go figure.

I kid, but at least it seems to have been a freak incident.

But seriously... it was at this point that things started going downhill for Tony Soprano.


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## 54706 (Dec 19, 2011)

You always make me laugh, even when you've suffered a near death experience.  

xoxo Figure out what's wrong, David!  People don't pass out and have seizures for no reason.


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## Christa Wick (Nov 1, 2012)

It's the abdominal pain more than the fainting/jerking that worries me. I've passed out twice, once in high school when I was sick as a dog and wasn't allowed to stay home and once in my first trimester (I twitched/jerked with that one). Follow up with your physician!


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## thesmallprint (May 25, 2012)

At least you know you'll have a few reviews in the coming months . . . medical ones, but, what the hell!

On a more serious note, I don't know if you've been under stress lately. It can creep up on you and gain a steadily stronger grip so that you almost accept it as part of a life phase. It can have seriously debilitating effects on your physical wellbeing and can be easily missed by medical professionals.

Take it easy

Joe


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## NathanWrann (May 5, 2011)

Judging by the responses to this thread, you should probably get a pregnancy test done. 

Also, you should listen to your body. Stop eating at Subway. There has to be a locally owned deli/sandwich shop near you that makes sandwiches 1,000 times better.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

David Adams said:


> Also, when the nurse hooked me up to the EKG it wasn't reading properly, so she said, "Well, you're dead." I was like "Oh, well, okay. I had a good run."


Thank goodness you didn't have a nurse who was a fan of the zombie genre.

Although a vampire romance fan might have led to some interesting stories on its own. 

Hope you're feeling better!


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## A.A (Mar 30, 2012)

When authors pass out?
I thought you must have had a Hugh Howey sighting experience.

That doesn't sound like fun at all 

(I'm a big-time believer in googling what ails ye in the case that doctors have no clue. I found this thread where people have similar matching and baffling symptoms: http://www.steadyhealth.com/Abdominal_Pain__Colon_Cramping__Passing_Out_t157359.html?page=1 Though yes, it could be anything - and you should follow up on it.)

That's interesting tk in regard to the protein breakfasts.


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## Donna White Glaser (Jan 12, 2011)

My husband--a rugged, construction guy--had a similar thing happen when he was blowing up a kid's balloon one day. Whacked his head big time on the cement driveway. (He's actually pleased because he has the perfect excuse for never blowing up balloons again.) He ended up back in the ER for the 2nd time later that night when he started sweating, groaning, with intense gut pain. Turned out he had kidney stones and they started passing. Moral of the story: no balloon blowing up and DRINK CRANBERRY JUICE!


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## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Did you get any mouth-to-mouth action? I think that would make it worth it.


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## Quiss (Aug 21, 2012)

Cripes, David! Listen to your body!
Pay attention to any other symptoms in the next few days. Blockage, Crohn's, and even nervous system issues could be happening here. (Your digestive system is incredibly wired into your neurology - it has a big job to do)
Back to the clinic with you the moment something else "weird" pops up.
(Unless it was just a whole lot of flatulence that you didn't want to include in your post. Then you're good to go.)


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## David Adams (Jan 2, 2012)

Steeplechasing said:


> At least you know you'll have a few reviews in the coming months . . . medical ones, but, what the hell!
> 
> On a more serious note, I don't know if you've been under stress lately. It can creep up on you and gain a steadily stronger grip so that you almost accept it as part of a life phase. It can have seriously debilitating effects on your physical wellbeing and can be easily missed by medical professionals.
> 
> ...


Yep, that's basically what I did tonight. Relaxed and watched my cat watch pictures of other cats on the internet.


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## David Adams (Jan 2, 2012)

Quiss said:


> (Unless it was just a whole lot of flatulence that you didn't want to include in your post. Then you're good to go.)


Going to be totally honest, while I was waking up (aside from the author stuff) I was also thinking, "Hope I didn't poop myself."

Mission: Successful on that count. Thankfully. 

It's weird what you think of, honestly. I'm pretty sure I had a dream of some description while I was out but I can't remember even a single detail except that I had one.


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## Joe_Nobody (Oct 23, 2012)

When I first read the subject line, I thought it said "When Authors Pass Gas." My glasses were a little smudged this morning...

Anyway, hope it was just a one-time brain reset and nothing serious. I wouldn't ignore it for sure.


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## RJ Kennett (Jul 31, 2013)

David Adams said:


> Edit: Oh yeah, we ended up going back to Subway and eating. I really, really wanted that sandwich. Also, when the nurse hooked me up to the EKG it wasn't reading properly, so she said, "Well, you're dead." I was like "Oh, well, okay. I had a good run."


I passed out at Subway once, too. What a coincidence! I got a free sandwich for it, and a lecture from a stranger that I should have eaten breakfast.


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## B.A. Spangler (Jan 25, 2012)

David Adams said:


> So, exciting day. I went for lunch with a friend of mine, and as we were standing in line at Subway I had really bad abdominal pain set in quite suddenly. I rested my hands up against the counter and she asked me if I was okay, so I turned to her and said something like "Yeah, I'll be okay".
> 
> Then the next thing I remember is waking up from the most relaxing nap on the tiles...
> 
> ...


When I first read this I thought you'd stepped outside the Silo. 

Hope you feel better.


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## Teri Hall (Feb 10, 2013)

All jokes aside, please do go to the doctor and follow up on this. Please? You're my pseudonymous girlfriend, David, so I need you to hang around.


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## cshoughton (Jul 10, 2013)

>Relaxed and watched my cat watch pictures of other cats on the internet.

Why aren't you filming that? More cats need to spend time watching cats watch cats on the internet.

Craig


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## Thisiswhywecan&#039;thavenicethings (May 3, 2013)

> It's weird what you think of, honestly. I'm pretty sure I had a dream of some description while I was out but I can't remember even a single detail except that I had one.


Since I was in grade school, I have had several episodes of vasovagal syncope and in each case, while passed out, I had dreams. I only remember bits of one of them so I know how you feel!


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## Pearson Moore (Mar 14, 2011)

David, 

Definitely see your regular doctor to report the symptoms. It could be something simple for which there is easy treatment. Or I suppose it could remain a mystery forever. Sometimes modern medicine offers no answers. 

I was a long distance bicyclist, doing 25-200 miles a day, day in, day out for a couple decades. Early in my career I went out for a 50-miler, nothing out of the ordinary. It was a sunny day, so I was sweating quite a bit. Came back, felt fine, but the next day my face was swollen. Within a couple days you couldn't tell where my cheeks ended and my forehead began, and I had no chin anymore. No pain, just swelling. Weird. It went away all by itself, never happened again, and I don't know of any enduring effects. Try explaining that one!


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## Rykymus (Dec 3, 2011)

Sounds like the start of a new book about a dead guy still among the living.


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## SunHi Mistwalker (Feb 28, 2012)

David Adams said:


> Apparently I was all twitching and jerking around for about a minute or so. Got a ride in an ambulance, followed by a battery of tests, but they couldn't find anything wrong.


Oh wow.  Please take care of your health, David.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

I've passed out a few times. Never fun. Hope it's nothing serious. Keep and eye on things and make sure you're taking care of yourself.


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## Bruce Rousseau (Mar 3, 2012)

I hate to break the bad news to you, David.  Falling unconscious, twitching, and having an ER nurse look at your EKG and announce that you're dead?  Man, those are all early symptoms of zombie-ism.  You might want a specialist -- someone who knows how to treat emerging undead.  Good that you caught it early.

Besides the great advice on seeing a doctor, it's good to know your deepest concerns are about writing.  That, and unconscious pooping, are what every author should be concerned with in the final moments.  As for me, I just worry I'll see a light up ahead instead of a keyboard.

Take care!


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## Jan Thompson (May 25, 2013)

Yikes, man. Get thee to the doctor, quick.

I agree with others that it's worth following up on just in case it's something you need to deal with. Hopefully it's nothing more than Book Stress. Prevention is the best medicine.

Well, thank God you revived. At least we're not going to get the Jim Joke.









http://pinterest.com/pin/353884483190415002/

Stay well.


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## Vaalingrade (Feb 19, 2013)

David Adams said:


> Edit: Oh yeah, we ended up going back to Subway and eating. I really, really wanted that sandwich.


If it was meatball marinara, I totally understand, my friend.

Take care of yourself: There are few enough people on the internet who admit to eating *GASP* fast food as it is!


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## Hudson Owen (May 18, 2012)

When I was an athlete, I pumped iron in my basement.  One day, doing a military press, I had 160+ lbs. overhead and passed out.  Fortunately, there was space behind me to fall flat on my back.  If the barbell had come down on my chest, or I had hit my head on the cement block wall, there would have been serious consequences.  I don't remember what precautions I took after that.  It never happened again.


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## ToniD (May 3, 2011)

Yikes David, that's a bit scary. Glad to hear you recovered quickly--and that your story-sense and sense of humor are intact.  

Still, I'll chime in with those urging you to see a doc.

And I must say I'm taken aback by the number posters in the thread who have passed out. I'm too lazy to figure percentages but seems like it's not uncommon. Wonder if writers pass out in greater numbers than the general population. Well, one look at sales numbers and that's all she wrote...

Yeah, me too. I once passed out from heat exhaustion/dehydration. Did NOT crave a Subway sandwich when I awoke.


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## CoraBuhlert (Aug 7, 2011)

Glad you're feeling better, David, and it was nothing serious. Though if you notice any more problems, do go to a doctor.

I managed to pass out in chemistry class once. That is, I passed out just outside chemistry class, since I had asked the teacher if I could go to the toilet since I wasn't feeling well. Never made it though. Another student found me and fetched the headmaster of our school, who carried me to the sickroom. Very embarrassing.

Years later as a teacher I had a student pass out in my class from heat exhaustion.


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## bhazelgrove (Jul 16, 2013)

I don't know Dude Subway has not been looking too good lately...I get why you passed out.


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## dalya (Jul 26, 2011)

That is scary!

I nearly fainted once, seeing the vet's photos from my cat's dental surgery. It was before dinner, and I had been hungry, so that's a factor.

You've been working hard getting your new book out in the world.

As the others have stated, you should probably take a pregnancy test just to be sure.


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## 13893 (Apr 29, 2010)

Yikes! Were the pink stars falling in lines?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I fainted once in a fabric store in San Antonio...could tell I was going and leaned against a nearby wall, then, apparenlty, slid to a sitting position.  I think it was food poisoning or a flu...

Feel better, David!

Betsy


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## Al Dente (Sep 3, 2012)

Yikes! I passed out a few times at work years ago. On one such occasion, I woke up and couldn't remember anything. It took me an hour to remember my name and then when I tried to go home, I couldn't remember how to drive. I had to call someone to pick me up and the only person available was my ex-wife.

Get checked out by a doctor to make sure there's nothing seriously wrong. Passing out is common enough, but those stomach pains aren't. Be careful! 

Oh! Good luck with your book release!


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## Thisiswhywecan&#039;thavenicethings (May 3, 2013)

> I managed to pass out in chemistry class once. That is, I passed out just outside chemistry class, since I had asked the teacher if I could go to the toilet since I wasn't feeling well.


In junior high, we were shown a video of a live birth in health class. The biggest jock in school got up, walked to the door, opened it and passed out cold in the doorway. The last we saw of him that day was his feet sliding out the door as the teacher from the next room pulled him into the hall and closed the door.


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## cinisajoy (Mar 10, 2013)

When was the last time you had eaten before you got to Subway?


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## Greg Banks (May 2, 2009)

vrabinec said:


> Did you get any mouth-to-mouth action? I think that would make it worth it.


Sorta depends on who's giving the mouth to mouth, doesn't it? 

Glad you're okay, David.


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## JohnHindmarsh (Jun 3, 2011)

Bruce Rousseau said:


> I hate to break the bad news to you, David. Falling unconscious, twitching, and having an ER nurse look at your EKG and announce that you're dead? Man, those are all early symptoms of zombie-ism.


And I agree with the comments about seeing your doctor.

And wishing you well.


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## TexasGirl (Dec 21, 2011)

I vote for the Zombie theory. Time for the autobiographical work "I, David Zombie." Make Hugh promote it or lose his brains.


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## Shayne Parkinson (Mar 19, 2010)

Oh, that's scary, David! Especially for those witnessing it. I'm glad you're feeling all right now, but please keep a close watch on yourself for anything out of the ordinary.

I once fainted complete with twitching like that, which put the wind up DH. The doctor diagnosed it as one of those things about which he had not a clue. It hasn't happened since (and that was a couple of decades ago). I hope yours was similarly a oncer.


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## AmsterdamAssassin (Oct 21, 2011)

David Adams said:


> Apparently I was all twitching and jerking around for about a minute or so. Got a ride in an ambulance, followed by a battery of tests, but they couldn't find anything wrong.


I thought this was about Authors Passing Out Wolf Tickets... I'm disappointed now... You do look a little pale in your avatar...


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## Anne Frasier (Oct 22, 2009)

oh, my. i'm a huge fainter. huge. i've passed out from:

dehydration
heat stroke
lack of food
too much sugar hitting an empty stomach, usually in the form of sweetened tea or coffee
not enough sleep, as in hit the ground running at 3:00 am.

just pointing out things that can cause a person to faint.

i was giving a talk to a book group once and had to tell them i thought i was going to faint. (i know the signs now.) I had to stop, sit down, and put my head between my knees. this after eying the pool table, wondering if i could lie down on it.


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## David Adams (Jan 2, 2012)

Bruce Rousseau said:


> I hate to break the bad news to you, David. Falling unconscious, twitching, and having an ER nurse look at your EKG and announce that you're dead? Man, those are all early symptoms of zombie-ism. You might want a specialist -- someone who knows how to treat emerging undead. Good that you caught it early.
> 
> Besides the great advice on seeing a doctor, it's good to know your deepest concerns are about writing. That, and unconscious pooping, are what every author should be concerned with in the final moments. As for me, I just worry I'll see a light up ahead instead of a keyboard.
> 
> Take care!


Braaains.

Thanks for the well wishes guys, I'm following up about it and seeing what the story is. No word yet obviously but it'll happen.


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## David Adams (Jan 2, 2012)

cinisajoy said:


> When was the last time you had eaten before you got to Subway?


Breakfast that morning was two pieces of toast and orange juice. It wasn't a food thing as far as they could tell, it was just... weird.


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## Cherise (May 13, 2012)

I passed out recently from severe trapped-gas pains coupled with dehydration. The ER doctor told me some people's nervous systems cause them to pass out because of abdominal pain. She had a name for the syndrome, but I don't recall what it was. After all that, they just wrote dehydration on the records.

Could your abdominal pain have been trapped gas?

Maybe vasovagal response was the term. I got it up-thread.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_response


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## Sarah M (Apr 6, 2013)

That sucks that happened to you!

Like Anne, I am a huge fainter. I fainted at the beach last summer with my kids, and my poor husband (who should know better by now,) called an ambulance. Later my youngest regaled me with the tale of how I "died" on the beach, but it was okay because Daddy took them out for ice cream with _sprinkles_, and then I came back to life because the ambulance shocked me with paddles like Frankenstein.

I am less worried that she thought I was dead than how cavalier she was about the whole thing. "Oh, look. Mommy's dead. Can we get ice cream now?"


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## CJArcher (Jan 22, 2011)

Jeez, David, take care of yourself. Scary thing, I bet.


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## minxmalone (Oct 28, 2012)

Yikes! I have low blood pressure so I've experienced the unique humiliation of passing out in public. Multiple times.  I hope it's nothing serious and just a side effect of being really hungry!


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## A.A (Mar 30, 2012)

ToniD said:


> Yikes David, that's a bit scary. Glad to hear you recovered quickly--and that your story-sense and sense of humor are intact.
> 
> Still, I'll chime in with those urging you to see a doc.
> 
> ...


I'm a serial fainter. But I never had the abdominal pain and twitching thing.

As a kid, I used to faint in church, choir practice, in the bus, during gymnastics, while having tea with the nuns in the convent...
As an adult, I fainted a lot during my 4 pregnancies. People tend to gather in embarrassingly large crowds when a pregnant woman the size of an overblown beach ball drops to the ground.


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## JeanneM (Mar 21, 2011)

Keep us posted, David.  Don't worry us so. Praying for you.


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## David Adams (Jan 2, 2012)

JeanneM said:


> Keep us posted, David. Don't worry us so. Praying for you.


Sorry. I'm just asleep during weird hours. 

I'm totally fine, like really. I'm having a followup with what I can only assume to be a sexy nurse later this week, going to see what they tell me.


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## Vaalingrade (Feb 19, 2013)

David Adams said:


> I'm totally fine, like really. I'm having a followup with *what I can only assume to be a sexy nurse* later this week, going to see what they tell me.


Unfortunately, the town the appointment is in is Silent Hill.


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## dalya (Jul 26, 2011)

Vaalingrade said:


> Unfortunately, the town the appointment is in is Silent Hill.


As he's being tied up, he'll be thinking, "Yay, great material for this new story idea ..."


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## Meowsers (Jun 23, 2013)

If you are on any medication and are putting extra physical stress on your body (working out, not drinking enough, etc), your body may not be filtering out the medication fast enough. I saw a case on Untold Stories of the ER (they claim to be true stories) where a girl training for a 5k started passing out and jerking around abruptly with no prior history. It turned out to be her body reacting to toxic amounts of her bipolar medication building up. All she needed was water. Dehydration can also affect your brain chemistry.

Stay safe! I'm glad you're doing better.


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## AmberDa1 (Jul 23, 2012)

Glad you are feeling better and doing a follow up.


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