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What Does An Episode Of Confusion Followed By Diarrhea Indicate?
Question: I had 15 minutes where I was confused and then I came out of that and had no memory of the questions that were asked of me. I even stated that I was confused. I had diarrhea and felt like throwing up prior to this event. What could be the cause of this event?
Brief Answer:
Cause of your neurological symptom
Detailed Answer:
Hi CXXXX, thanks a lot for asking from HCM.
I can understand your concern. You had an episode of total blackout or syncope. In such episode, patient develops decreased blood supply to brain. This leads to momentarily suppression of all sensations and brain functions as happened in you.
Now as you have rightly pointed out about diarrhoea. Diarrhoea can cause decreased water content in body and thus low blood pressure. This lowering in blood pressure can cause blackout or syncopal attack.
As you became conscious again after 15 minutes and now behaving ok, then it is good. Sometimes persistent syncopal attack can cause permanent damage to brain like memory problem, seizures.
To avoid such episode in future, you should follow few tips
- Drink plenty of fluids like water/juice/lemon-salt water during diarrhoea.
- You should daily drink at least 2.5-3 litre of water.
- During diarrhoea, do not stop eating. Eat simple carbohydrates, low fat containing food like rice, pulses, wheat products, non fat milk, yoghurt.
- Have more probiotic containing food like yoghurt.
These methods will treat diarrhoea and also prevent syncopal attack. If you still have any doubt, do let me know.
Thanks. Take care.
Cause of your neurological symptom
Detailed Answer:
Hi CXXXX, thanks a lot for asking from HCM.
I can understand your concern. You had an episode of total blackout or syncope. In such episode, patient develops decreased blood supply to brain. This leads to momentarily suppression of all sensations and brain functions as happened in you.
Now as you have rightly pointed out about diarrhoea. Diarrhoea can cause decreased water content in body and thus low blood pressure. This lowering in blood pressure can cause blackout or syncopal attack.
As you became conscious again after 15 minutes and now behaving ok, then it is good. Sometimes persistent syncopal attack can cause permanent damage to brain like memory problem, seizures.
To avoid such episode in future, you should follow few tips
- Drink plenty of fluids like water/juice/lemon-salt water during diarrhoea.
- You should daily drink at least 2.5-3 litre of water.
- During diarrhoea, do not stop eating. Eat simple carbohydrates, low fat containing food like rice, pulses, wheat products, non fat milk, yoghurt.
- Have more probiotic containing food like yoghurt.
These methods will treat diarrhoea and also prevent syncopal attack. If you still have any doubt, do let me know.
Thanks. Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Do you think it could have been a TIA?
Brief Answer:
TIA possibility - Yes
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX, welcome back.
If we search for other possibilities, then TIA is one possibility. As your episode occurred during diarrhoea, the first possibility is syncopal attack due to water loss.
If similar episode occurred even after treatment of diarrhoea, then TIA is very much the cause.
It can be further confirmed by
- USG doppler of neck vessel - It will rule out narrowing in carotid or vertebral artery. The cause can be atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis.
- MRI brain with MRAngiography - It will rule out any ischemic lesion in brain and diseased blood vessels.
- Perfusion scan of brain can clearly demonstrate areas of decreased blood supply.
If you are having history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and family history of TIA, you must consult doctor for above investigations and rule out any possibility of TIA.
If any doubt, please let me know. I will try my best to help you.
Thanks. Take care.
TIA possibility - Yes
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX, welcome back.
If we search for other possibilities, then TIA is one possibility. As your episode occurred during diarrhoea, the first possibility is syncopal attack due to water loss.
If similar episode occurred even after treatment of diarrhoea, then TIA is very much the cause.
It can be further confirmed by
- USG doppler of neck vessel - It will rule out narrowing in carotid or vertebral artery. The cause can be atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis.
- MRI brain with MRAngiography - It will rule out any ischemic lesion in brain and diseased blood vessels.
- Perfusion scan of brain can clearly demonstrate areas of decreased blood supply.
If you are having history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and family history of TIA, you must consult doctor for above investigations and rule out any possibility of TIA.
If any doubt, please let me know. I will try my best to help you.
Thanks. Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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