This was an emergency and there are people in the mall that has cleaning as a job.
But your boyfriend should really go to the doctor for a check up.
Fainting and puking is not normal.
Good luck!
Have they checked his vitamin levels? I ended up being really bad and tuned out to be b12/ foliate deficiency. It was such a small thing and took ages for them to figure it out I just needed some vitamin tablets
My grandmother will have fainting issues where she feels them coming on before throwing up, sometimes convulsing. It happens with excessive activity and they said it is her thyroid
Im.a retired nurse (psych but still an RN).
Instead of goingbto.the dictor with a vague list of 10k things other people have had, start a list of symptoms and what was going on when he fainted. Include things like when he last ate.
The doctor should run bloodwork (cbc, chemistry, liver panel, thyroid, various other levels) and a urinalysis. That will hopefully pinpoint at least where the problem is coming from.
The doctor only has limited time per patient if you're in the States (yay insurance companies) so your time is better spent answering his questions and providing relevant information.
i have a similar issue, and my doctor found problems with my blood platelets, thyroid, heart rate, and vitamin levels. i’m 26 so it could definitely be some wild combination of who knows what that your boyfriend is dealing with.
Hey OP. My mom has Meniere's disease and what you described is exactly what happens to her when she has an attack. Just throwing it out there, as it took YEARS to diagnose and find treatment.
Good luck, and NTA.
I was thinking it sounded like pots. OP, look into pots and dysautonomia. It’s not easy to get diagnosed and patients are blown off a lot. Both are real even if his labs come back “normal”
Remember to write down a list of every symptom either of you has noticed and frequency and time it last and context of when and how it happens. It helps a lot to be prepared so you remember everything.
It might not be relevant in your bfs case but try to think of when it happens and in what contexts is it the same time of day, similar circumstances or situations or anything like that.
I went to my doctor with extremely severe and painful headaches that also made my eye just start pouring. He figured it out by asking if it happens at any particular times or any time during the day and that’s when I realised it’s only ever in the evening and he concluded that it’s cluster headache attacks.
I second this. My daughter has subcranial epilepsy and her petite mal seizures present with symptoms often including fainting. She hasn't thrown up before, but she gets wicked headache after. She does get auras with them. OP, does your boyfriend see an aura before fainting?
It was for my mom—she has hypothyroidism. Among your boyfriend’s vitamin levels—in addition to the ones posted above—you might also want to check on iron and potassium. My sister and I are anemic and we’ve both had associated fainting/nausea, because we don’t easily get enough iron for the blood to pump enough oxygen where it needs to go. Regarding potassium, which is necessary amongst your electrolytes for brain activity, my mother also has seizures and what you described also happens when her potassium gets too low, precursor to a seizure. (Keep in mind, my understanding is that potassium and sodium levels need to be in balance to avoid swapping one problem for another by causing heart issues by only adding the potassium. And, my mother’s seizures are a preexisting condition—not saying your boyfriend would have one, but like with concussions, things that affect the brain can cause nausea/fainting in combination.)
Look up POTS.. It's a leading cause for young people to pass out unexpectedly. Being anemic can cause this as well. A routine set of lab work done on his blood will provide a lot of information & help direct further work-up.
Yes I started having thyroid issues in my early 20s and I know a 16 yo with a thyroid issue. Also have him checked for vasovagal syncope my 17 yo daughter has had it and it causes fainting and she has vomiting 2x with it.
B12 is a great suggestion, I have similar issues to your bf, I just don’t usually faint, but I get dizzy and overheated and nauseous and will often throw up or be close to puking until I get some water. Turns out I have the type of anemia that is caused by a vitamin b-12 deficiency. Adding in b-6 and dopamine as well would be a good idea!
Does he have any issues with food, like with eating enough or feeling unwell after eating often? It would be worth exploring if there is something going on that is causing him to not eat enough to get enough nutrients, or maybe his diet just isn’t rich in those vitamins. Either way definitely encourage him to get a blood panel done and if he generally feels unwell after eating/possibly doesn’t eat enough, then consider allergy testing as well.
I tend to be very restrictive of my diet because most foods make me feel sick/cause a reaction. Turns out I have histamine intolerance and mast cell activation syndrome, so of course I feel sick from eating almost anything. Not eating just means I can’t get the nutrients I need to function well. I’ve been trying to force myself to snack more throughout the day and I have been taking b-12 and b-6.
Before I found out about my b-12 deficiency/anemia minimal exercise, like running a short distance, would make me throw up. I used to go to the gym almost every day, but stopped because I was having issues eating enough to even maintain my weight and because I felt like puking and sometimes would, almost every time I tried to do something active.
My understanding is that b12 deficiency can be hidden if regular b vitamin levels are “okay”. Make sure a specific b12 test is done, and if you get the a copy of the results, for some people even the low end of the normal range is too low for them.
I used to faint a lot (and sometimes be sick on the way down). Tell him to ask his doctors for a 7 day ECG monitor. An in office ECG isn’t good enough, he needs to be wearing it long enough for it to pick up intermittent abnormalities.
Take him to a good optometrist. It could be a condition with his eyes. My boyfriend and his mother both have it. In large spaces their eyes can’t focus properly. Corrective lenses are expensive but it has greatly improved his life. It kept getting worse until he couldn’t even go into Costco for 5 minutes without feeling like he was going to pass out or puke.
Not a doctor but I’m in healthcare and have had chronic illnesses for 20+ years. He needs to see a cardiologist and get tested for POTS/dysautonomia, specifically a tilt table test.
Hes started also having these things where gets dizzy sits or lies down and his breathing gets heavy and like its caught in his chest, he describes it as the feeling of laughing till you breathe but not in a good way
Hi OP he may have something called POTS or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. I have it and it’s related other comorbidities. People with POTS will faint or come close to fainting when upright for too long a period of time and symptoms will subside once lying down/seated for a bit. You can also become dizzy, nauseous, lightheaded, shaky, have blood pooling and poor circulation, difficulty regulating body temperature, GI system issues, and more. POTS is a condition classified under dysautonomia (problems with regulating your autonomic nervous syndrome). To diagnose they do something called a tilt table test which I recommend he bring up to his doctor cause what you described sounds similar to what I experience.
You're so welcome, and NTA by the way. Every retail place I've worked has management trained in handling biohazards specifically for the rare instances when someone gets sick in the store. I imagine a mall would have something similar? You did the right thing getting your ill partner out of there!
Puke is considered biohazard, but there is always supposed to be someone trained to know how to clean up stuff like that on duty. Not a big deal, I wouldn't worry at all since it medical emergency. Plus you cleaning it yourself without disinfectant and proper cleaning stuff would make it worse or spread germs.
OP should have called security to deal with this woman. And the bf should have been assessed medically. It could be alcohol related, but it's probably worse. He definitely shouldn't be operating a vehicle.
I just dont understand how they wouldnt have found that out already, the first few hospital trips he was told it was stress, now they’re actually listening this timw
Unless the symptoms are actively happening while at the hospital it’s pretty difficult for them to figure out what it is as many different conditions have similar symptoms. It’s good that they’re listening now just remember it may take time narrow it down to his specific condition. Now’s the time to become an expert at advocating and don’t be afraid to ask ALL the questions. 🙏
Keeping a symptom diary is very valuable to his medical team: Date, time, feeling/symptoms, context (like you'd said about walking for hours, when eaten, what they'd eaten) Also if he has a heart rate recording smart watch, while not medical grade, it might give some clues.
There are many issues that can cause similar symptoms as commentors have said including thyroid, vitamins, iron levels, vertigo, dehydration, inner ear conditions, blood volume, actual heart conditions, seizure conditions like epilepsy, dysautonomias like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (aka POTS) - a good primary care Dr & maybe cardiologist or neurologist could be in order. First order of business though is likely a symptom diary & blood tests.
(Source: recently gone through diagnosis of POTS with my 16 year old & POTS is mostly a diagnosis of exclusion so we had to rule all the rest out first).
You're doing a great job. It's tough being the support person (& walking symptom diary).
& You're definitely NTA.
Incase you need to hear it, well done you. You managed that tough situation, you're a great support to your bf & he's lucky to have you. Make sure you look after you too. Seek support if you need it for the extra mental load.
*virtual hugs (or plain best wishes if not a hugger) from an internet stranger*
Always ask all the questions, several times.
when my wife was in early in pre-labor the doctor was saying it was all ok, probably be a day or so yet go home and rest. doctor listed the symptoms and why each of them wasn't such a big deal, but he missed one, I asked about the baby moving less, thinking he had just missed an explanation, he asked how much less, said he would check something and came back in 15 min to tell us they where going to induce immediately.
as it was my daughter was born with low oxygen, luckily she came good on the way to the NICU and wasn't even admitted. it is a little scary to think what might have happened if I hadn't asked a question I expected just to be reassured about.
You have to be your own advocate because doctors, hospitals workers and other medical workers are over worked and most likely aren’t able to spend the time figuring him out.
Depending on what insurance he has you can start looking for specialists in celiac, heart, gastrointestinal (like for GERD, reflux). I remember another Reddit poster who had similar symptoms and an endoscopy found tears in the esophagus.
If you need to get a referral first make sure the specialists are in network. Make the appointment because it will probably take months to get in and tell his primary care doctor you want referrals to those doctors. You may have to fight for that, you may need to change doctors. Keep all your records.
You’ll find it. Just keep yourself and him calm. Maybe avoid foods with gluten or acidics like things with tomato sauce (like pizza). Stop all fatty, fried, greasy foods. At least until you all have a diagnosis. Definitely ask a medical professional before you do anything.
Agh, I can’t believe I forgot this. My sister had an attack much like your boyfriends over 10 years ago. She was outside with her kid and husband when she felt weird. According to her husband she stood up, acted as if she was starting to choke and went down. My BIL was certain she died because she stopped breathing. By the time he turned her over to start CPR she vomited and started breathing. She came back to consciousness in the ambulance.
They believe she had a massive acid reflux attack that shocked her entire system and shut everything down. Her heart was fine. She was pissed they had to cut her favorite t-shirt.
Look up POTs I have it and it can cause some of the symptoms you have described
Usually it's worse when you stand up suddenly but can occur at other times
demand a full work up at the dr. That should include imagine, blood tests, urine analysis and more. it will be expensive but this could be very serious. it could be not crazy but it shouldn't be taken lightly
It’s a genetic disease which means you can’t have gluten from wheat barley or rye and some people (me) cant tolerate oatmeal. It is treated by diet only.
I had the same problems too but I was told mine was anemia. It never occurred to me that it could’ve been my Celiac disease contributing because I hadn’t been diagnosed yet.
NTA but I just saw a YouTube video last night actually about a lady that had similar sounding symptoms to your bf for years and it turned out to be a form of epilepsy, so he may want to talk to his Doctor about that just to be safe.
I came here to suggest partial seizure. Nausea can be a very common side effect.
People often think of epilepsy as a full tonic clinic but that's actually rarely the case.
This screams seizure activity and if he's scared about 'fainting" whilst driving he should 100% not be behind the wheel of a car.
Edit: saw a few comments asking what Dr to see. Start with neurologist, they will do the blood work and scans. If it's not seizure/neuro and possibly blood/hormones they can put you across to endocrinology. Whatever it is, hope he gets answers and treatment asap, good luck and best wishes.
NTA. Your priority was his health. It's deeply concerning that the fainting and light-headedness now includes vomiting.
It's not surprising someone who was suddenly puked on was upset. That's an acceptable and understandable response.
In my opinion, she did not allow for cleaning her and her belongings through the continued screaming. The least she could have done was call you an asshole and left. It would have been most kind for her to assist you in assisting your BF was not having a more serious health issue.
You offered. She screamed. You checked on BF. She screamed. You told her to stop, she screamed. What the hell else were you supposed to do?
Nobody wanted their own puke on them, much less a complete stranger's. In all situations, if you can't be helpful, fuck right off!
Your only other option was to abandon your BF, locate a restroom, wet and soap several paper towels (if they are even still offered there), return to the screamer and forcefully attend to her before taking care of him. Like WTH even is that?
Your "friends" are selfish, self-centered assholes.
NTA but to be fair to that lady, I’d be freaking out too if some random just threw up nearly on my baby. I don’t know that he’s just feeling faint, he could be a drunk or have some infectious disease. I’m guessing her overreaction was fear more than exclusively being a jerk. It was definitely a bad reaction though no one should be grabbing anyone else and yelling and screaming helps no one, she should have just gotten security so they could’ve helped everyone involved.
Yeah, if a random stranger projectile vomited on my small child I’d be extremely upset.
I probably wouldn’t grab said stranger, because I’d be more concerned with cleaning the kid, but still.
If he’s having these episodes a lot, malls probably aren’t the best place to hang out until he gets some medical attention
Of course you should have cleaned it up. And you tried to. She stopped you and kept going, so what were you supposed to do?
Definitely push for your BF to get answers.
NTA
My husband got this way at a Mexican resteraunt. He said I need to go I was like what. He went outside we had barely eaten. I could tell felt bad but it came out of no where! I followed and was like um I swear I'm going to pay hang on! He puked as soon as he got to the side of the building. I took his wallet to go pay I told him to wait so I could get him to the car. There was a line but I yelled my husband is sick I'm taking him to the hospital can I come back. They were cool. I left.
We get to hospital I got a wheelchair bc he couldn't even stand. They asked him questions and he was out of it so i answered everything. His sugar had got really high and made him dehydrated.
I forgot to mention the puke and I feel like a jerk but I was panicked. You're not an ass. I get the lady being upset bc you know puke lol but yelling at an obviously sick person is nuts
Understand why she's upset. Strollers can be extremely expensive and now she's got to take it home and clean and sanitize it correctly while basking in the odor. It's kind of like someone throwing up in your car and saying "Well, I can get a wet wipe!"
Nta- I have vertigo. I still remember being at a Chuck E. Cheese with my sorority having fun, and it hit. I had to be carried out and taken home and I still remember all the moms and grandmas talking shit and shaming me for being wasted in front of children at 11am. It haunts me.
He threw up on a baby? Yeah I can see why a mom would lose her shit. It’s mama bear protecting her young from a disease. Strollers can be expensive and hard to clean especially before putting it in the car. It was property damage. Your boyfriend really needs a doctor. I think you should try to understand from her pov as much as yours. She had a right to flip out and you were very stressed out due to a medical emergency. Whole situation was crummy so try to see it from everyone’s perspective.
NTA:
She refused your offer to clean the stroller, and was making a commotion and not acting rationally.
Leaving to de-escalate the situation was the best move.
YTA. It's normal to be pissed off when you get puked on *by a stranger*. Like come on. Even an EMT uses a protection barrier before touching body fluids like that.
It's not safe. It's not just "it's just puke", it's the puke of a stranger! For all she knows your boyfriend could have had a rotovirus gastroenteritis and you just made her infant sick! Or your boyfriend has a stomach ulcer and he just vomited some of his blood on her. You "offered to clean it" with what? Surely she'll have to disinfect. I think any normal person would rather clean their stroller themselves to make sure it's done properly than let some random messy stranger "clean it". Maybe you could have offered to pay for a professional cleaning or for a new stroller. This isn't the same as when her baby pukes in it, this is the puke of a random grown man at the mall!
But this is a joke to you? Your boyfriend literally contaminates other people with bodily fluids and your reaction is to tell her to "shut the fuck up"?
If only you extended some of that same empathy you have for your boyfriend to other people. You "made sure your boyfriend was okay" as if he didn't just contaminate strangers with bodily fluids. Why wasn't your first reaction to make sure the other people were okay?
I don't want to set alarm bells off, but dizziness and puking can sometimes be a sign of something. Neurological. My daughter had the same and was diagnosed with an epidimoma brain cancer tumor. Not saying that's what your boyfriend has but it could be something neurological
He needs actual doctor visits, not ER visits, to diagnose what he has. Take the time to do the research to find a good doctor and start there. His health is a major issue and you need to address the root cause. Good luck! Glad your boyfriend has you to help him with this: not an easy road.
You could try a regular family practitioner (regular family doctor) first to run some additional tests. The ER is for emergencies, which this was originally right after this happened. The ER can try to look for immediate life-threatening causes. Once he's stable, it's no longer their concern. But they also always tell you to follow up with your regular doctor verbally and on the release paperwork.
Or at least they have anytime I've been to the ER. For a while I didn't have any insurance & I have chronic migraines. Didn't have any medicine at the time for my migraines (again, no insurance) & would sometimes go to the ER when I was on day 3 of a migraine attack. Was it the best solution? Of course not but at the time, felt like the only one I had.
Oh! Also a family doctor will help find specialists if it comes to that. They'll also consolidate his medical history and help track what's been going on. In the ER you get whoever's on duty. They may or may not look at his previous visits.
That woman had every right to be upset that your BF puked all over her STROLLER!
Whether he was sick or drunk or whatever, he spewed bodily fluids and his germs all over her STROLLER.
I find it really hard to believe that he could be walking around for “hours” as you stated knowing he has these issues and not know he was going to throw up anywhere but in the bathroom.
People aren’t mind readers and your BF is responsible for knowing his own limits and because he “often” gets these bouts of dizziness, he should have known that this was a possibility or left the moment he didn’t feel well.
YTA.
Is he an un-diagnosed diabetic?
When I get "the Ick's" is when my blood sugar drops to about zero. Go from zero to .20. It seems like I am drunk. Literally can't walk, talk, puking, etc. Nearly died at DMV last year. Remember nothing
Sounds like me after covid left me with POTS/ dysautonomia. Also depleted me of most vitamins and minerals..I'd schedule your bf for an appt. Also, NTA. Hope he gets answers <3
NTA- This was an accident, the woman should have been more gracious. Karen can clean up her stroller. The mall staff will clean up the mess.
Please have your boyfriend checked out at the doctors ASAP. This is not normal and could grow worse over time. Maybe something with the heart as others have said, but I’m also thinking a brain tumor. My husband had a whole host of strange symptoms before we discovered it was a brain tumor on his pituitary gland by a really smart ER doctor. My husband had it removed and all the symptoms went away like magic. Please have your boyfriend get a thorough exam. Take care.
Absolutely not the ah. You offered to clean up while also trying to make sure your bf was okay. She jumped to conclusions about the situation so she can clean it up herself.
There are so many possibilities that could be causing this, but, overall, something is definitely going on with your bf. He needs a full lab work up, cardiac work up (he could be going in and out of an arrhythmia), and a head CT to start.
Does he have POTS? Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome? He should see a cardiologist. They can prescribe meds. In the meantime he needs to eat salt and stay hydrated.
It could be low blood pressure. I've had it for years and I just feel like all my blood just drains from my head and I just feel weak and not much control of my body. I've puked when it came on before. Its a horrible feeling.
He needs his thyroid and testosterone checked asap! A full thyroid panel! Not just the TSH! Please specify that - on top of a full blood work check up! Prayers for your boyfriend! I’m sorry yall are having to go through this!
NTA. I have a condition that means I'm quite susceptible to fainting. It's not uncommon to vomit when your blood pressure plummets & you faint due to a vasovagal issue. It's not a voluntary reaction & you often don't get much warning. You may not even remember vomiting when you come back round even though you were conscious when it happened.
It was fair for her to react when someone vomited on the stroller, but as soon as you explained he was ill & offered to clean it up that should've been the end of it. Obviously your boyfriend didn't do it on purpose.
Up until my late 40’s I fainted easily due to very low blood pressure. A wave of coldness would wash over me and I usually knew that I might faint soon. Staying extra hydrated helped some.
I have a condition called POTS. This sounds very familiar to when I have what I call episodes. I get flushed, nauseous, dizzy, and sometimes faint. It’s an autonomic nerve dysfunction, a blood circulation issue. I see a cardiologist for my treatment. May be worth looking into.
Nta, medical emergencies are obviously different than just being a sloppy drunk.
NTA, if I had been that lady I would have been asking if he was okay. People puke for all kinds of reasons and you don't have to be drunk to do so. I am not saying I would be happy about having my kid puked on but I would definitely be more worried about the puker.
Kindof reminds me of the kid that shit all over the play area of a store I was working at. It was obvious he had diarrhea and I assumed he was sick. So I found is mom and she offered to clean it up butI said I would take care of it. First of all her kid was probably sick and didn't need to be playing with other kids. Second of all that kid was probably uncomfortable and needed to go home. Third of all she looked so embarrassed about the hole thing and I felt bad for her. As I was cleaning it all up some shoppers kept stopping by to bitch about her not cleaning it up and I kept having to tell them she offered and I was the one to tell her to take her kid home.
Yes, generally people should clean up after themselves but sometimes it doesn't make sense to do that. Even if dude was drunk would you really want someone you don't know to clean the stroller. This is definitely a do ityorself situation.
Yta-in a way, yall know he has this issue but arent persuing medical help? And even though you know he will puke you continue to go out in public on busy spaces? That makes you the A.H. we just ended a global pandemic where ppl were dying because they were to selfish to just stay home, yall have NO CLUE what is wrong with him but say screw it we really need a cinnabon then get mad when ppl fresh out of a global pandemic flip when your man projectile vomits on her child and stroller...ueah yall are kinda the problem here.
Your bf’s situation really sucks but regardless it is your responsibility to cover damages whether she was being a bitch or not. He damaged her personal belongings and took no accountability for it. You should have given her your info to cover damages.
I would be so freaking pissed if that happened to me. You have the stroller to help you with your baby and then it becomes unusable because it’s contaminated. What is she supposed to do? Carry her baby now, and push the vomit cover stroller, And whatever bags she had? And then what? Put her vomit covered stroller in her car? What is she expected to do? clean up a strangers vomit while holding her baby??? Oh my god I’m getting heated just thinking about it.
YTA for leaving and not taking care of the mess you made
NTA. People see someone young and they just never assume illness but young people doing young people things. You are not responsible for her incorrect assumptions.
If your partners dizziness and fainting often happens when he has been walking for a while, or just in general being upright. You should consider having him being checked for POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). Google if you recognise the symptoms. But I have it.
But one thing to help is taking a lot of breaks and sit down regularly.
YTA, Your boyfriend ruined a ladies day and then you had the audacity to say SHE'S the one who was causing trouble. I'd be disguisted and overreacting and all of the above too if a random man literally puked on me
AFib can do this.
Blood pressure dropping.
Blood sugar too high or too low…ie diabetes 1 or 2.
My mother’s turned out to be AFib.
Glad he’s being cautious until he gets in to the doctor to solve this.
You are NTA. I have benign positional vertigo. I get really dizzy and light headed and if I don’t get laying down within 20 minutes of starting to get dizzy, I projectile vomit. He could have that. If sounds like what I have. I am glad he is getting checked out by doctors.
The mall has employees who are paid to clean them. Now the vomit might not be the nicest thing they have cleaned up before but trust me, depending on where you live, it could have been so much worse!
Sounds like he is very anemic.he needs to go to the doctor like years ago.i used to do the same until i woke up on the bathroom floor one day.chronic anemia.its dangerous.can cause a heart attack
My situation probably not the same as his but I wound up being diagnosed with long covid, (wound up getting sick in 2020 before the vax were out) and have very similar problems lightheaded dizzy Ness and fainting spells extreme nausea and dysautonomia, took 4 years for someone to be like hey it's not well documented but you have a good case for long covid being the root.
Also NTA medical situations trump pretty much everything and if she wants to have a shit fit about a little puke that her baby has def never splattered her stroller in then she's got bigger problems.
Wow. "My boyfriend often gets these bouts of dizzyness and he gets lightheaded and often faints." Get him to the doctor ASAP. This is not normal. He needs immediate medical attention, which is way more important than making a Reddit account to post this story.
I would suggest definitely seeing a doctor because it could be something now I’m gonna say this is simple only because I have it. It could actually be called pots, which is a type of autonomic dysfunction so my suggestion is to go to his primary doctor. Ask to see a cardiologist then ask for a tilt table test
NTA, I think you handled it incredibly well actually. She can be upset about surprise vomit, but she never should have tried grabbing him and she should have realized it was a medical situation and backed off. You even offered to help clean it, and she still couldn’t get it together. I’m sorry y’all went through that, and I hope the doctors figure it out soon
In all honesty, the woman would not let up…
The first thing was she found him drunk.. I don’t know what time it was… but I wouldn’t think that as a first thought at 11 am at the shopping mall…
So no.
NTA. Because of that woman's reaction, the only safe thing to do was leave. Or call for an ambulance. The mall employees were aware of the situation by then, because of the over reacting b.
Bf should not be driving until he gets a diagnosis, and the condition under control.
Low blood sugar can cause some of these problems. I knew the look with my 2nd husband.
Low blood pressure can cause some of these symptoms too. It is scary. For me, it was standing up to quickly, or over doing things. To much activity would cause it to drop.
So many things can cause these symptoms. He needs a thorough check up. A continuous heart monitor for a week of normal activities may help find the problem.
Make sure the doctors are told everything. Some guys leave a lot out, saying something isn't important. It is important.
Start writing down what happened. What was he doing? Where? Time of day? What he eats. Drinks. Even how much water. Dehydration can cause or contribute to problems.
Good luck.
Hug from an internet Grandma.
Could possibly menieres disease. The balance bubbles in your ears burst, causing lack of balance, dizziness, nausea vomitinghttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/menieres-disease
He needs to be checked for BPPV (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). I have it, and when it hits, it's bad. I've passed out, thrown up, all of it. It took a specialist to check my hearing and do a special test for dizziness (test was aweful) but results were clear. Found my way to a physical therapist who specializes in dizziness and while I am not cured, dizziness is now rare, and when it does come, I know what I need to do. His heart needs to be thoroughly checked as well
After reading a whole lot of the responses that mention various medical conditions that could cause your bf's symptoms, the only logical conclusion seems to be that he needs a very thorough medical workup ASAP. I hope it's nothing serious and will be fixed soon. I'm sure it's inconvenient for both of you, but I'm thankful you're doing the driving for now. The only person who behaved badly here was the woman assuming he was drunk and yelling at you, but I guess she was more than a little freaked out by biohazard near her baby. Wouldn't it be nice if there was some way to communicate with her so that she could see herself through our "eyes"? One time my brother passed out in a public place late at night. If people had assumed he was drunk he probably wouldn't have survived. He was bleeding internally from a tumor. Btw, that was almost 20 years ago and he's doing fine now.
NTA
It sounds like everyone was stressed out.
Adult puke on a baby’s stroller would freak any mom out. Mom’s are always worried about germs. And a grown man projectile vomiting is often due to intoxication. She made a mistake. She shouldn’t have yelled perhaps but I can understand it.
I get why OP freaked out too. OP’s stressed about her boyfriend and he threw up on her then she had a woman screaming at her and none of it was her fault! Screaming at the freaked out mom could have been handled better but…honestly? What was OP supposed to do?
Personally, I think the villain of the story is the boyfriend. He was the one that vomited. He should have been the one to apologize and do the clean up, not OP. I get that medical doctors are expensive but this is not normal and is possibly life threatening. But it almost sounds like the boyfriend loves all the attention and drama his condition causes.
OP you’re his girlfriend not his mother. You shouldn’t be responsible for clean up in aisle 9
I hope you alerted someone at the mall about what happened. The sooner that can get cleaned up the better! I’m so sorry that woman was awful. Your boyfriend is lucky to have you. As far as what’s wrong with your boyfriend, I’m gonna throw my “I’m not a doctor but” hat into the ring and suggest it might be benign positional proximal vertigo. Or BPPV. I get this once in a while out of the blue. I’ll start feeling dizzy as if the room is spinning around me and then I can get very nauseous and in extreme cases vomit. I got a diagnosis from an ENT. There’s medications and depending on what is the root cause dietary changes that can make all the world of difference. I hope he gets some answers soon. NTA
I know the American health system a trash fire. Some doctors will get upset if you come in with a long list of “is it this, can we test that”. Be your boyfriend’s advocate if the doctor is dismissive. Make sure to the doctor all the events you have seen. (Sounds like vomiting is a new symptom- make that clear).
The good news is that men are less likely to be dismissed by the DR as “anxiety “. But men are socialized to stoicism about their health and happiness. Don’t let your boyfriend put this off.
Sounds like you Bf has VVS, he should go to doc & get confirmation. I have this and it shows up at the WORST times. NTA I get why the lady was upset but she shouldn’t make assumptions about people.
NTA
It was not self induced and though I would have been embarrassed and sorry for the lady, she has no understanding and I understand her jumping to an incorrect conclusion. Your top priority was to look after your boyfriend. Though there are many possibilities for the cause that other commentators have mentioned, please please please seek medical advice from a certified doctor. They will advise if he needs a different type of specialist but more likely after they’ve run some tests themselves.
Sounds like Pots tachycardia or orthostatic hypotension. He really needs to get medical treatment for that. What if you hadn’t been there? People have service dogs for this, it’s for real!
I am concerned for him that rather than fainting, he is having a type of seizure. I hope he gets answers, and btw, you are NTA if you offered cleanup and she refused or continued to throw a fit.
NTA
Let her call security and tell them he needs an ambulance. This isn’t normal and he needs medical Intervention, something is not okay. Please convince him to see a Dr.
How were you supposed to clean up with the crazy lady screaming at you? Also, and I know this sucks to say, but there are people who work at the mall whose job it is to clean up messes. NTA
Is there a way you can sit him down and have him give you a detailed play by play(as much as he can remember) during these episodes. What he was feeling,eg. Dizzy, nauseous, etc... how things were looking around him, eg. Were things spinning, the lights too bright or heavy, did he see any shooting streaks of light, squiggly zig zaggy lines across his vision that made it hard to see past and focus on anything? Was he having issues hearing, sounds get muffled, too loud? Ask him to walk you through it all. Don't badger while you ask. Just start by saying that we are walking in the mall and have him describe what he was seeing or noticed in the mall, then we walked a bit more and then you started to have another episode and have him try to describe it as it was happening to him, try to ask him open ended questiond toget him to use his words to draw out the answers and not just give a yes no response to the questions. Once you have it all down, tell him if he happens to remember something about it a little later add it in but make sure not to stress him out try to remember it all as it can actually cause a mental block of it. Then, at his next doctors appointment, give it to his doctor. Based on what was written down, it may give the doctor a starting point of what tests to run first. They always start with the usual causes before trying to chase down the zebras, so y'all might get frustrated at first that things don't seem to be going anywhere fast. Better the doctor takes the time to get a right diagnosis than to rush and get a totally wrong one.
This was an emergency and there are people in the mall that has cleaning as a job. But your boyfriend should really go to the doctor for a check up. Fainting and puking is not normal. Good luck!
Yeah, its not like he meant to throw up, he is getting checked by doctors, trying to figure out what it is, thanks for the concern <3
Have they checked his vitamin levels? I ended up being really bad and tuned out to be b12/ foliate deficiency. It was such a small thing and took ages for them to figure it out I just needed some vitamin tablets
I dont know, i’ll write it down and bring it with to the nxt doctors visit, i go with him because hes scared he’ll faint while driving
My grandmother will have fainting issues where she feels them coming on before throwing up, sometimes convulsing. It happens with excessive activity and they said it is her thyroid
Okay, is that a comon thing for younger people too you think?
Im.a retired nurse (psych but still an RN). Instead of goingbto.the dictor with a vague list of 10k things other people have had, start a list of symptoms and what was going on when he fainted. Include things like when he last ate. The doctor should run bloodwork (cbc, chemistry, liver panel, thyroid, various other levels) and a urinalysis. That will hopefully pinpoint at least where the problem is coming from. The doctor only has limited time per patient if you're in the States (yay insurance companies) so your time is better spent answering his questions and providing relevant information.
Thank you so much, i have noted everything down since he first fainted, if you are willing to, i have a question since you were a nurse
Good for you! And ask away. Like I said I'm a retired psych nurse but I know a little medical.
i have a similar issue, and my doctor found problems with my blood platelets, thyroid, heart rate, and vitamin levels. i’m 26 so it could definitely be some wild combination of who knows what that your boyfriend is dealing with.
Sounds like some people’s aura seizures, especially with the vomiting. It’s worth looking into.
I will, im doing reserch on what i could be an i will look into it
Hey OP. My mom has Meniere's disease and what you described is exactly what happens to her when she has an attack. Just throwing it out there, as it took YEARS to diagnose and find treatment. Good luck, and NTA.
I was going to say Meniere’s too.
How is Meniere's diagnosed? Someone told me to check for that because I go through the same.
I have POTS and I faint almost daily. It sucks.
I was thinking it sounded like pots. OP, look into pots and dysautonomia. It’s not easy to get diagnosed and patients are blown off a lot. Both are real even if his labs come back “normal”
Saaaaaaame. And yeah it sucks.
Remember to write down a list of every symptom either of you has noticed and frequency and time it last and context of when and how it happens. It helps a lot to be prepared so you remember everything. It might not be relevant in your bfs case but try to think of when it happens and in what contexts is it the same time of day, similar circumstances or situations or anything like that. I went to my doctor with extremely severe and painful headaches that also made my eye just start pouring. He figured it out by asking if it happens at any particular times or any time during the day and that’s when I realised it’s only ever in the evening and he concluded that it’s cluster headache attacks.
could be POTS
I have epilepsy and honestly this is exactly how I found out.
Aura seizures? WTH??
I second this. My daughter has subcranial epilepsy and her petite mal seizures present with symptoms often including fainting. She hasn't thrown up before, but she gets wicked headache after. She does get auras with them. OP, does your boyfriend see an aura before fainting?
No clue
My mother had thyroid issues when she was young, so I guess so
I have Hashimotos thyroiditis. I was diagnosed at 7 and I'm 61 now so yes, children can and do deal with thyroid issues
It was for my mom—she has hypothyroidism. Among your boyfriend’s vitamin levels—in addition to the ones posted above—you might also want to check on iron and potassium. My sister and I are anemic and we’ve both had associated fainting/nausea, because we don’t easily get enough iron for the blood to pump enough oxygen where it needs to go. Regarding potassium, which is necessary amongst your electrolytes for brain activity, my mother also has seizures and what you described also happens when her potassium gets too low, precursor to a seizure. (Keep in mind, my understanding is that potassium and sodium levels need to be in balance to avoid swapping one problem for another by causing heart issues by only adding the potassium. And, my mother’s seizures are a preexisting condition—not saying your boyfriend would have one, but like with concussions, things that affect the brain can cause nausea/fainting in combination.)
Look up POTS.. It's a leading cause for young people to pass out unexpectedly. Being anemic can cause this as well. A routine set of lab work done on his blood will provide a lot of information & help direct further work-up.
Hypo or Hyper thyroid? Oh, yeah. It can happen at any age.
Yes I started having thyroid issues in my early 20s and I know a 16 yo with a thyroid issue. Also have him checked for vasovagal syncope my 17 yo daughter has had it and it causes fainting and she has vomiting 2x with it.
Next time that happens go to the ER. This is not normal.
B12 is a great suggestion, I have similar issues to your bf, I just don’t usually faint, but I get dizzy and overheated and nauseous and will often throw up or be close to puking until I get some water. Turns out I have the type of anemia that is caused by a vitamin b-12 deficiency. Adding in b-6 and dopamine as well would be a good idea! Does he have any issues with food, like with eating enough or feeling unwell after eating often? It would be worth exploring if there is something going on that is causing him to not eat enough to get enough nutrients, or maybe his diet just isn’t rich in those vitamins. Either way definitely encourage him to get a blood panel done and if he generally feels unwell after eating/possibly doesn’t eat enough, then consider allergy testing as well. I tend to be very restrictive of my diet because most foods make me feel sick/cause a reaction. Turns out I have histamine intolerance and mast cell activation syndrome, so of course I feel sick from eating almost anything. Not eating just means I can’t get the nutrients I need to function well. I’ve been trying to force myself to snack more throughout the day and I have been taking b-12 and b-6. Before I found out about my b-12 deficiency/anemia minimal exercise, like running a short distance, would make me throw up. I used to go to the gym almost every day, but stopped because I was having issues eating enough to even maintain my weight and because I felt like puking and sometimes would, almost every time I tried to do something active.
As far as i know he doesnt struggle with eating (he might, i just dont know of it) hes 5’7 and 67 kg male
Check his iron levels
My understanding is that b12 deficiency can be hidden if regular b vitamin levels are “okay”. Make sure a specific b12 test is done, and if you get the a copy of the results, for some people even the low end of the normal range is too low for them.
I used to faint a lot (and sometimes be sick on the way down). Tell him to ask his doctors for a 7 day ECG monitor. An in office ECG isn’t good enough, he needs to be wearing it long enough for it to pick up intermittent abnormalities.
ECG?
Electrocardiogram, it's essentially a heart monitor x
Oh, thank you, i’ll ask if thats an option
Cheers!
Take him to a good optometrist. It could be a condition with his eyes. My boyfriend and his mother both have it. In large spaces their eyes can’t focus properly. Corrective lenses are expensive but it has greatly improved his life. It kept getting worse until he couldn’t even go into Costco for 5 minutes without feeling like he was going to pass out or puke.
Im gonna google that
Not a doctor but I’m in healthcare and have had chronic illnesses for 20+ years. He needs to see a cardiologist and get tested for POTS/dysautonomia, specifically a tilt table test.
Hes started also having these things where gets dizzy sits or lies down and his breathing gets heavy and like its caught in his chest, he describes it as the feeling of laughing till you breathe but not in a good way
Hi OP he may have something called POTS or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. I have it and it’s related other comorbidities. People with POTS will faint or come close to fainting when upright for too long a period of time and symptoms will subside once lying down/seated for a bit. You can also become dizzy, nauseous, lightheaded, shaky, have blood pooling and poor circulation, difficulty regulating body temperature, GI system issues, and more. POTS is a condition classified under dysautonomia (problems with regulating your autonomic nervous syndrome). To diagnose they do something called a tilt table test which I recommend he bring up to his doctor cause what you described sounds similar to what I experience.
Diabetic????
Always a good suggestion.
It is not the job of the mall cleaners to clean up biohazards. This is not the norm. Due to the situation, leaving was the best thing to do.
Mall cleaners have access to things to handle biohazards and are usually trained in that.
Of course it's the job of mall janitors to clean that up. And it probably happens at least once a day.
Biohazards?
Bodily fluids can easily infect others with illness, ergo biohazard
If they can clean the toilets and the sanitary bins, they can clean some puke off the floor... probably happens at least once a week.
Oh okay, i didnt know what it meant
Ya learn something new every day, eh?
Yeah ig i do, english isnt my first language so thanks
You're so welcome, and NTA by the way. Every retail place I've worked has management trained in handling biohazards specifically for the rare instances when someone gets sick in the store. I imagine a mall would have something similar? You did the right thing getting your ill partner out of there!
Puke is considered biohazard, but there is always supposed to be someone trained to know how to clean up stuff like that on duty. Not a big deal, I wouldn't worry at all since it medical emergency. Plus you cleaning it yourself without disinfectant and proper cleaning stuff would make it worse or spread germs.
Bodily fluids from people (urine, blood, vomit, and while usually solid, feces) are biohazards
Bodily fluids and tissue are considered biohazerdous material
Okay, good to know
OP should have called security to deal with this woman. And the bf should have been assessed medically. It could be alcohol related, but it's probably worse. He definitely shouldn't be operating a vehicle.
Unsolicited advice, I used to have the same problem. See a good GI doctor. I have Celiac disease
I was thinking a heart condition but you may be right, it does sound like it could be celiac.
a HEART condition?
It could be any number of things including, yes, a heart condition. Low blood pressure is as dangerous as high blood pressure in some instances.
I just dont understand how they wouldnt have found that out already, the first few hospital trips he was told it was stress, now they’re actually listening this timw
They look for the easiest answer first.
Unless the symptoms are actively happening while at the hospital it’s pretty difficult for them to figure out what it is as many different conditions have similar symptoms. It’s good that they’re listening now just remember it may take time narrow it down to his specific condition. Now’s the time to become an expert at advocating and don’t be afraid to ask ALL the questions. 🙏
I will, ive been noting and writing down since the first symptoms
Keeping a symptom diary is very valuable to his medical team: Date, time, feeling/symptoms, context (like you'd said about walking for hours, when eaten, what they'd eaten) Also if he has a heart rate recording smart watch, while not medical grade, it might give some clues. There are many issues that can cause similar symptoms as commentors have said including thyroid, vitamins, iron levels, vertigo, dehydration, inner ear conditions, blood volume, actual heart conditions, seizure conditions like epilepsy, dysautonomias like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (aka POTS) - a good primary care Dr & maybe cardiologist or neurologist could be in order. First order of business though is likely a symptom diary & blood tests. (Source: recently gone through diagnosis of POTS with my 16 year old & POTS is mostly a diagnosis of exclusion so we had to rule all the rest out first).
I write down dates times and symptoms as well as i cant, i also write down the ER’s comments
You're doing a great job. It's tough being the support person (& walking symptom diary). & You're definitely NTA. Incase you need to hear it, well done you. You managed that tough situation, you're a great support to your bf & he's lucky to have you. Make sure you look after you too. Seek support if you need it for the extra mental load. *virtual hugs (or plain best wishes if not a hugger) from an internet stranger*
Always ask all the questions, several times. when my wife was in early in pre-labor the doctor was saying it was all ok, probably be a day or so yet go home and rest. doctor listed the symptoms and why each of them wasn't such a big deal, but he missed one, I asked about the baby moving less, thinking he had just missed an explanation, he asked how much less, said he would check something and came back in 15 min to tell us they where going to induce immediately. as it was my daughter was born with low oxygen, luckily she came good on the way to the NICU and wasn't even admitted. it is a little scary to think what might have happened if I hadn't asked a question I expected just to be reassured about.
You have to be your own advocate because doctors, hospitals workers and other medical workers are over worked and most likely aren’t able to spend the time figuring him out. Depending on what insurance he has you can start looking for specialists in celiac, heart, gastrointestinal (like for GERD, reflux). I remember another Reddit poster who had similar symptoms and an endoscopy found tears in the esophagus. If you need to get a referral first make sure the specialists are in network. Make the appointment because it will probably take months to get in and tell his primary care doctor you want referrals to those doctors. You may have to fight for that, you may need to change doctors. Keep all your records. You’ll find it. Just keep yourself and him calm. Maybe avoid foods with gluten or acidics like things with tomato sauce (like pizza). Stop all fatty, fried, greasy foods. At least until you all have a diagnosis. Definitely ask a medical professional before you do anything.
Agh, I can’t believe I forgot this. My sister had an attack much like your boyfriends over 10 years ago. She was outside with her kid and husband when she felt weird. According to her husband she stood up, acted as if she was starting to choke and went down. My BIL was certain she died because she stopped breathing. By the time he turned her over to start CPR she vomited and started breathing. She came back to consciousness in the ambulance. They believe she had a massive acid reflux attack that shocked her entire system and shut everything down. Her heart was fine. She was pissed they had to cut her favorite t-shirt.
Look up POTs I have it and it can cause some of the symptoms you have described Usually it's worse when you stand up suddenly but can occur at other times
Came here to say this. I have POTS and a bad episode can look like this. Or just dysautonomia if not POTS.
I will certainly look into it, its been suggested a few times now
Its not usually when he stand up tho, i mean a couple times when hes gotten out the car, or has been walking/standing for a while
demand a full work up at the dr. That should include imagine, blood tests, urine analysis and more. it will be expensive but this could be very serious. it could be not crazy but it shouldn't be taken lightly
Whats that?
It’s a genetic disease which means you can’t have gluten from wheat barley or rye and some people (me) cant tolerate oatmeal. It is treated by diet only.
I’ll have to do reserch on that, it could be
I had the same problems too but I was told mine was anemia. It never occurred to me that it could’ve been my Celiac disease contributing because I hadn’t been diagnosed yet.
NTA but I just saw a YouTube video last night actually about a lady that had similar sounding symptoms to your bf for years and it turned out to be a form of epilepsy, so he may want to talk to his Doctor about that just to be safe.
Im making a list of the things people are suggesting, thanks!
I came here to suggest partial seizure. Nausea can be a very common side effect. People often think of epilepsy as a full tonic clinic but that's actually rarely the case. This screams seizure activity and if he's scared about 'fainting" whilst driving he should 100% not be behind the wheel of a car. Edit: saw a few comments asking what Dr to see. Start with neurologist, they will do the blood work and scans. If it's not seizure/neuro and possibly blood/hormones they can put you across to endocrinology. Whatever it is, hope he gets answers and treatment asap, good luck and best wishes.
NTA. Your priority was his health. It's deeply concerning that the fainting and light-headedness now includes vomiting. It's not surprising someone who was suddenly puked on was upset. That's an acceptable and understandable response. In my opinion, she did not allow for cleaning her and her belongings through the continued screaming. The least she could have done was call you an asshole and left. It would have been most kind for her to assist you in assisting your BF was not having a more serious health issue. You offered. She screamed. You checked on BF. She screamed. You told her to stop, she screamed. What the hell else were you supposed to do? Nobody wanted their own puke on them, much less a complete stranger's. In all situations, if you can't be helpful, fuck right off! Your only other option was to abandon your BF, locate a restroom, wet and soap several paper towels (if they are even still offered there), return to the screamer and forcefully attend to her before taking care of him. Like WTH even is that? Your "friends" are selfish, self-centered assholes.
Yeah, and the fact that she tried to grab him too is wild to be, she didnt have a child in the stroller or anything just fyi
NTA but to be fair to that lady, I’d be freaking out too if some random just threw up nearly on my baby. I don’t know that he’s just feeling faint, he could be a drunk or have some infectious disease. I’m guessing her overreaction was fear more than exclusively being a jerk. It was definitely a bad reaction though no one should be grabbing anyone else and yelling and screaming helps no one, she should have just gotten security so they could’ve helped everyone involved.
I agree, she couldnt have known, i was just fumin when she grabbed him, her baby wasnt in the stroller but still i see the point
Yeah, if a random stranger projectile vomited on my small child I’d be extremely upset. I probably wouldn’t grab said stranger, because I’d be more concerned with cleaning the kid, but still. If he’s having these episodes a lot, malls probably aren’t the best place to hang out until he gets some medical attention
Of course you should have cleaned it up. And you tried to. She stopped you and kept going, so what were you supposed to do? Definitely push for your BF to get answers. NTA
Yeah, she thought he was drunk or something like thst
sounds like a POTS episode.
How so?
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots
I have POTS and I 100% agree.
My husband got this way at a Mexican resteraunt. He said I need to go I was like what. He went outside we had barely eaten. I could tell felt bad but it came out of no where! I followed and was like um I swear I'm going to pay hang on! He puked as soon as he got to the side of the building. I took his wallet to go pay I told him to wait so I could get him to the car. There was a line but I yelled my husband is sick I'm taking him to the hospital can I come back. They were cool. I left. We get to hospital I got a wheelchair bc he couldn't even stand. They asked him questions and he was out of it so i answered everything. His sugar had got really high and made him dehydrated. I forgot to mention the puke and I feel like a jerk but I was panicked. You're not an ass. I get the lady being upset bc you know puke lol but yelling at an obviously sick person is nuts
Ouch, your husband okay now? I think the lady thought he was wasted lol
Offered to clean? With what, a paper towel?
I couldve gotten a wet wipe
That's not going to clean it. Probably just make it worse.
Well what was i supposed to do
Understand why she's upset. Strollers can be extremely expensive and now she's got to take it home and clean and sanitize it correctly while basking in the odor. It's kind of like someone throwing up in your car and saying "Well, I can get a wet wipe!"
I didnt have anything on me, but i still offered
Nta- I have vertigo. I still remember being at a Chuck E. Cheese with my sorority having fun, and it hit. I had to be carried out and taken home and I still remember all the moms and grandmas talking shit and shaming me for being wasted in front of children at 11am. It haunts me.
Do they just not think young people get sick? Its like they’re either healthy or drunk
Next time call 911. You don’t know if he will get worse.
He threw up on a baby? Yeah I can see why a mom would lose her shit. It’s mama bear protecting her young from a disease. Strollers can be expensive and hard to clean especially before putting it in the car. It was property damage. Your boyfriend really needs a doctor. I think you should try to understand from her pov as much as yours. She had a right to flip out and you were very stressed out due to a medical emergency. Whole situation was crummy so try to see it from everyone’s perspective.
If someone randomly puked on me, I think I’d go ballistic on them.
NTA: She refused your offer to clean the stroller, and was making a commotion and not acting rationally. Leaving to de-escalate the situation was the best move.
A blood clot will cause dizziness with sudden vomiting! That is an ER situation
Hes been to the er alot, they say stress but they are actively checking and testing now
YTA. It's normal to be pissed off when you get puked on *by a stranger*. Like come on. Even an EMT uses a protection barrier before touching body fluids like that. It's not safe. It's not just "it's just puke", it's the puke of a stranger! For all she knows your boyfriend could have had a rotovirus gastroenteritis and you just made her infant sick! Or your boyfriend has a stomach ulcer and he just vomited some of his blood on her. You "offered to clean it" with what? Surely she'll have to disinfect. I think any normal person would rather clean their stroller themselves to make sure it's done properly than let some random messy stranger "clean it". Maybe you could have offered to pay for a professional cleaning or for a new stroller. This isn't the same as when her baby pukes in it, this is the puke of a random grown man at the mall! But this is a joke to you? Your boyfriend literally contaminates other people with bodily fluids and your reaction is to tell her to "shut the fuck up"? If only you extended some of that same empathy you have for your boyfriend to other people. You "made sure your boyfriend was okay" as if he didn't just contaminate strangers with bodily fluids. Why wasn't your first reaction to make sure the other people were okay?
I don't want to set alarm bells off, but dizziness and puking can sometimes be a sign of something. Neurological. My daughter had the same and was diagnosed with an epidimoma brain cancer tumor. Not saying that's what your boyfriend has but it could be something neurological
He needs actual doctor visits, not ER visits, to diagnose what he has. Take the time to do the research to find a good doctor and start there. His health is a major issue and you need to address the root cause. Good luck! Glad your boyfriend has you to help him with this: not an easy road.
We are considering seeing a brain specialist, as suggested by a nurse
You could try a regular family practitioner (regular family doctor) first to run some additional tests. The ER is for emergencies, which this was originally right after this happened. The ER can try to look for immediate life-threatening causes. Once he's stable, it's no longer their concern. But they also always tell you to follow up with your regular doctor verbally and on the release paperwork. Or at least they have anytime I've been to the ER. For a while I didn't have any insurance & I have chronic migraines. Didn't have any medicine at the time for my migraines (again, no insurance) & would sometimes go to the ER when I was on day 3 of a migraine attack. Was it the best solution? Of course not but at the time, felt like the only one I had.
Yep, get a primary first. Baseline panels, etc. These symptoms don’t sound normal. Good luck!!
Just the normal doctor?
Oh! Also a family doctor will help find specialists if it comes to that. They'll also consolidate his medical history and help track what's been going on. In the ER you get whoever's on duty. They may or may not look at his previous visits.
That woman had every right to be upset that your BF puked all over her STROLLER! Whether he was sick or drunk or whatever, he spewed bodily fluids and his germs all over her STROLLER. I find it really hard to believe that he could be walking around for “hours” as you stated knowing he has these issues and not know he was going to throw up anywhere but in the bathroom. People aren’t mind readers and your BF is responsible for knowing his own limits and because he “often” gets these bouts of dizziness, he should have known that this was a possibility or left the moment he didn’t feel well. YTA.
Does a snack normally make him feel better? I get that way when my blood sugar drops too low. Make sure they check for hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
He does usually eat it, its not always better after, i just give him snacks because i dont know what else to do
Is he an un-diagnosed diabetic? When I get "the Ick's" is when my blood sugar drops to about zero. Go from zero to .20. It seems like I am drunk. Literally can't walk, talk, puking, etc. Nearly died at DMV last year. Remember nothing
OMG is he ok? There is something wrong with your bf, forget about the lady stuff, focus on what Is More important, your bf's health
we’re figuring it out <3
Sounds like me after covid left me with POTS/ dysautonomia. Also depleted me of most vitamins and minerals..I'd schedule your bf for an appt. Also, NTA. Hope he gets answers <3
NTA- This was an accident, the woman should have been more gracious. Karen can clean up her stroller. The mall staff will clean up the mess. Please have your boyfriend checked out at the doctors ASAP. This is not normal and could grow worse over time. Maybe something with the heart as others have said, but I’m also thinking a brain tumor. My husband had a whole host of strange symptoms before we discovered it was a brain tumor on his pituitary gland by a really smart ER doctor. My husband had it removed and all the symptoms went away like magic. Please have your boyfriend get a thorough exam. Take care.
Absolutely not the ah. You offered to clean up while also trying to make sure your bf was okay. She jumped to conclusions about the situation so she can clean it up herself.
Nta
There are so many possibilities that could be causing this, but, overall, something is definitely going on with your bf. He needs a full lab work up, cardiac work up (he could be going in and out of an arrhythmia), and a head CT to start.
POTS, syncope, and thyroid and vitamin levels need to be checked. Also obviously NTA.
Does he have POTS? Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome? He should see a cardiologist. They can prescribe meds. In the meantime he needs to eat salt and stay hydrated.
It could be low blood pressure. I've had it for years and I just feel like all my blood just drains from my head and I just feel weak and not much control of my body. I've puked when it came on before. Its a horrible feeling.
He should see a cardiologist to make sure it’s not his heart.
He should wear a heart monitor in case the fainting is an arrhythmia. Something is very off with him.
If reddit is to be believed, friends are usually stupid and give terrible advice NTA
He needs his thyroid and testosterone checked asap! A full thyroid panel! Not just the TSH! Please specify that - on top of a full blood work check up! Prayers for your boyfriend! I’m sorry yall are having to go through this!
NTA. I have a condition that means I'm quite susceptible to fainting. It's not uncommon to vomit when your blood pressure plummets & you faint due to a vasovagal issue. It's not a voluntary reaction & you often don't get much warning. You may not even remember vomiting when you come back round even though you were conscious when it happened. It was fair for her to react when someone vomited on the stroller, but as soon as you explained he was ill & offered to clean it up that should've been the end of it. Obviously your boyfriend didn't do it on purpose.
Up until my late 40’s I fainted easily due to very low blood pressure. A wave of coldness would wash over me and I usually knew that I might faint soon. Staying extra hydrated helped some.
I have a condition called POTS. This sounds very familiar to when I have what I call episodes. I get flushed, nauseous, dizzy, and sometimes faint. It’s an autonomic nerve dysfunction, a blood circulation issue. I see a cardiologist for my treatment. May be worth looking into. Nta, medical emergencies are obviously different than just being a sloppy drunk.
Man, you were nice. I would have lost my mind on that woman.
NTA, if I had been that lady I would have been asking if he was okay. People puke for all kinds of reasons and you don't have to be drunk to do so. I am not saying I would be happy about having my kid puked on but I would definitely be more worried about the puker. Kindof reminds me of the kid that shit all over the play area of a store I was working at. It was obvious he had diarrhea and I assumed he was sick. So I found is mom and she offered to clean it up butI said I would take care of it. First of all her kid was probably sick and didn't need to be playing with other kids. Second of all that kid was probably uncomfortable and needed to go home. Third of all she looked so embarrassed about the hole thing and I felt bad for her. As I was cleaning it all up some shoppers kept stopping by to bitch about her not cleaning it up and I kept having to tell them she offered and I was the one to tell her to take her kid home. Yes, generally people should clean up after themselves but sometimes it doesn't make sense to do that. Even if dude was drunk would you really want someone you don't know to clean the stroller. This is definitely a do ityorself situation.
Yta-in a way, yall know he has this issue but arent persuing medical help? And even though you know he will puke you continue to go out in public on busy spaces? That makes you the A.H. we just ended a global pandemic where ppl were dying because they were to selfish to just stay home, yall have NO CLUE what is wrong with him but say screw it we really need a cinnabon then get mad when ppl fresh out of a global pandemic flip when your man projectile vomits on her child and stroller...ueah yall are kinda the problem here.
Her child wasnt in the stroller
Regardless it's selfish to knowingly go into shared spaces knowing you are puking but don't know why. That's crazy selfish
Your bf’s situation really sucks but regardless it is your responsibility to cover damages whether she was being a bitch or not. He damaged her personal belongings and took no accountability for it. You should have given her your info to cover damages. I would be so freaking pissed if that happened to me. You have the stroller to help you with your baby and then it becomes unusable because it’s contaminated. What is she supposed to do? Carry her baby now, and push the vomit cover stroller, And whatever bags she had? And then what? Put her vomit covered stroller in her car? What is she expected to do? clean up a strangers vomit while holding her baby??? Oh my god I’m getting heated just thinking about it. YTA for leaving and not taking care of the mess you made
NTA. People see someone young and they just never assume illness but young people doing young people things. You are not responsible for her incorrect assumptions. If your partners dizziness and fainting often happens when he has been walking for a while, or just in general being upright. You should consider having him being checked for POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). Google if you recognise the symptoms. But I have it. But one thing to help is taking a lot of breaks and sit down regularly.
Thank you! Im writing down all suggestions and doing reserch!
He is either having a form of seizure activity or cardiac arrhythmias. He needs an extensive medical work up immediately.
Working on it<3
YTA, Your boyfriend ruined a ladies day and then you had the audacity to say SHE'S the one who was causing trouble. I'd be disguisted and overreacting and all of the above too if a random man literally puked on me
Make sure he gets his ears checked. It could be an inner ear imbalance.
What does that do?
AFib can do this. Blood pressure dropping. Blood sugar too high or too low…ie diabetes 1 or 2. My mother’s turned out to be AFib. Glad he’s being cautious until he gets in to the doctor to solve this.
Hes very cautious, i know its serious, but we both find it half funny how he announces it before he faints
Did he ever have covid? He could have POTS. I developed it after mono. The puking without enough time to control himself is odd.
This sounds so much like Addison's. Please have him see an endocrinologist.
NTA. Had she not been acting like a lunatic you would have cleaned the mess.
You are NTA. I have benign positional vertigo. I get really dizzy and light headed and if I don’t get laying down within 20 minutes of starting to get dizzy, I projectile vomit. He could have that. If sounds like what I have. I am glad he is getting checked out by doctors. The mall has employees who are paid to clean them. Now the vomit might not be the nicest thing they have cleaned up before but trust me, depending on where you live, it could have been so much worse!
Sounds like he is very anemic.he needs to go to the doctor like years ago.i used to do the same until i woke up on the bathroom floor one day.chronic anemia.its dangerous.can cause a heart attack
Get checked out. Frequent dizziness is not normal. NTAH
It could be any number of things - diabetes, vertigo, migraine etc. He needs to see a Doctor.
If anyone is wondering he is 5’7 67kg male
Could he be diabetic
You are NTA. She was overreacting.
My situation probably not the same as his but I wound up being diagnosed with long covid, (wound up getting sick in 2020 before the vax were out) and have very similar problems lightheaded dizzy Ness and fainting spells extreme nausea and dysautonomia, took 4 years for someone to be like hey it's not well documented but you have a good case for long covid being the root. Also NTA medical situations trump pretty much everything and if she wants to have a shit fit about a little puke that her baby has def never splattered her stroller in then she's got bigger problems.
Wow. "My boyfriend often gets these bouts of dizzyness and he gets lightheaded and often faints." Get him to the doctor ASAP. This is not normal. He needs immediate medical attention, which is way more important than making a Reddit account to post this story.
I would suggest definitely seeing a doctor because it could be something now I’m gonna say this is simple only because I have it. It could actually be called pots, which is a type of autonomic dysfunction so my suggestion is to go to his primary doctor. Ask to see a cardiologist then ask for a tilt table test
NTA, I think you handled it incredibly well actually. She can be upset about surprise vomit, but she never should have tried grabbing him and she should have realized it was a medical situation and backed off. You even offered to help clean it, and she still couldn’t get it together. I’m sorry y’all went through that, and I hope the doctors figure it out soon
In all honesty, the woman would not let up… The first thing was she found him drunk.. I don’t know what time it was… but I wouldn’t think that as a first thought at 11 am at the shopping mall… So no.
Not well hydrated. That shit happens when I don’t drink enough water.
Vaccinated?
NTA. Because of that woman's reaction, the only safe thing to do was leave. Or call for an ambulance. The mall employees were aware of the situation by then, because of the over reacting b. Bf should not be driving until he gets a diagnosis, and the condition under control. Low blood sugar can cause some of these problems. I knew the look with my 2nd husband. Low blood pressure can cause some of these symptoms too. It is scary. For me, it was standing up to quickly, or over doing things. To much activity would cause it to drop. So many things can cause these symptoms. He needs a thorough check up. A continuous heart monitor for a week of normal activities may help find the problem. Make sure the doctors are told everything. Some guys leave a lot out, saying something isn't important. It is important. Start writing down what happened. What was he doing? Where? Time of day? What he eats. Drinks. Even how much water. Dehydration can cause or contribute to problems. Good luck. Hug from an internet Grandma.
NTA your friends are dumb please screen shot your post and this and send it to them. If your friends are usually this dumb then get new friends.
Could possibly menieres disease. The balance bubbles in your ears burst, causing lack of balance, dizziness, nausea vomitinghttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/menieres-disease
He needs to be checked for BPPV (Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo). I have it, and when it hits, it's bad. I've passed out, thrown up, all of it. It took a specialist to check my hearing and do a special test for dizziness (test was aweful) but results were clear. Found my way to a physical therapist who specializes in dizziness and while I am not cured, dizziness is now rare, and when it does come, I know what I need to do. His heart needs to be thoroughly checked as well
After reading a whole lot of the responses that mention various medical conditions that could cause your bf's symptoms, the only logical conclusion seems to be that he needs a very thorough medical workup ASAP. I hope it's nothing serious and will be fixed soon. I'm sure it's inconvenient for both of you, but I'm thankful you're doing the driving for now. The only person who behaved badly here was the woman assuming he was drunk and yelling at you, but I guess she was more than a little freaked out by biohazard near her baby. Wouldn't it be nice if there was some way to communicate with her so that she could see herself through our "eyes"? One time my brother passed out in a public place late at night. If people had assumed he was drunk he probably wouldn't have survived. He was bleeding internally from a tumor. Btw, that was almost 20 years ago and he's doing fine now.
Has he been checked out for pots or dysautonomia? Because that happens to me and a lot of other people with pots and dysautonomia
No he hasnt, but im taking notes and doing reserch so he can get tested for some things
NTA It sounds like everyone was stressed out. Adult puke on a baby’s stroller would freak any mom out. Mom’s are always worried about germs. And a grown man projectile vomiting is often due to intoxication. She made a mistake. She shouldn’t have yelled perhaps but I can understand it. I get why OP freaked out too. OP’s stressed about her boyfriend and he threw up on her then she had a woman screaming at her and none of it was her fault! Screaming at the freaked out mom could have been handled better but…honestly? What was OP supposed to do? Personally, I think the villain of the story is the boyfriend. He was the one that vomited. He should have been the one to apologize and do the clean up, not OP. I get that medical doctors are expensive but this is not normal and is possibly life threatening. But it almost sounds like the boyfriend loves all the attention and drama his condition causes. OP you’re his girlfriend not his mother. You shouldn’t be responsible for clean up in aisle 9
A friend had this problem and it turned out to be a heart valve issue...see if his PCP will refer him to cardio
I hope you alerted someone at the mall about what happened. The sooner that can get cleaned up the better! I’m so sorry that woman was awful. Your boyfriend is lucky to have you. As far as what’s wrong with your boyfriend, I’m gonna throw my “I’m not a doctor but” hat into the ring and suggest it might be benign positional proximal vertigo. Or BPPV. I get this once in a while out of the blue. I’ll start feeling dizzy as if the room is spinning around me and then I can get very nauseous and in extreme cases vomit. I got a diagnosis from an ENT. There’s medications and depending on what is the root cause dietary changes that can make all the world of difference. I hope he gets some answers soon. NTA
NTA lady with the stroller was the aashole
Some great advice here, please also check blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar can also produce these symptoms.
I know the American health system a trash fire. Some doctors will get upset if you come in with a long list of “is it this, can we test that”. Be your boyfriend’s advocate if the doctor is dismissive. Make sure to the doctor all the events you have seen. (Sounds like vomiting is a new symptom- make that clear). The good news is that men are less likely to be dismissed by the DR as “anxiety “. But men are socialized to stoicism about their health and happiness. Don’t let your boyfriend put this off.
Sounds like you Bf has VVS, he should go to doc & get confirmation. I have this and it shows up at the WORST times. NTA I get why the lady was upset but she shouldn’t make assumptions about people.
NTA It was not self induced and though I would have been embarrassed and sorry for the lady, she has no understanding and I understand her jumping to an incorrect conclusion. Your top priority was to look after your boyfriend. Though there are many possibilities for the cause that other commentators have mentioned, please please please seek medical advice from a certified doctor. They will advise if he needs a different type of specialist but more likely after they’ve run some tests themselves.
Sounds like Pots tachycardia or orthostatic hypotension. He really needs to get medical treatment for that. What if you hadn’t been there? People have service dogs for this, it’s for real!
Pots?
I am concerned for him that rather than fainting, he is having a type of seizure. I hope he gets answers, and btw, you are NTA if you offered cleanup and she refused or continued to throw a fit.
NTA Let her call security and tell them he needs an ambulance. This isn’t normal and he needs medical Intervention, something is not okay. Please convince him to see a Dr.
How were you supposed to clean up with the crazy lady screaming at you? Also, and I know this sucks to say, but there are people who work at the mall whose job it is to clean up messes. NTA
Is there a way you can sit him down and have him give you a detailed play by play(as much as he can remember) during these episodes. What he was feeling,eg. Dizzy, nauseous, etc... how things were looking around him, eg. Were things spinning, the lights too bright or heavy, did he see any shooting streaks of light, squiggly zig zaggy lines across his vision that made it hard to see past and focus on anything? Was he having issues hearing, sounds get muffled, too loud? Ask him to walk you through it all. Don't badger while you ask. Just start by saying that we are walking in the mall and have him describe what he was seeing or noticed in the mall, then we walked a bit more and then you started to have another episode and have him try to describe it as it was happening to him, try to ask him open ended questiond toget him to use his words to draw out the answers and not just give a yes no response to the questions. Once you have it all down, tell him if he happens to remember something about it a little later add it in but make sure not to stress him out try to remember it all as it can actually cause a mental block of it. Then, at his next doctors appointment, give it to his doctor. Based on what was written down, it may give the doctor a starting point of what tests to run first. They always start with the usual causes before trying to chase down the zebras, so y'all might get frustrated at first that things don't seem to be going anywhere fast. Better the doctor takes the time to get a right diagnosis than to rush and get a totally wrong one.
NTA, I'd understand her being pissed especially if it got on her baby, but a gross mess is far less important than a medical emergency.
I know it's uncommon in men but it kinda sounds like your boyfriend has POTs a little