Oh Jen. You must be terrified. I hope RLR has some words of wisdom for you. Love, Hazel. xxx

Okay, we have a premise where GI difficulties resulted in not eating on a normal schedule. Realize that both GI issues and alteration in dietary intake can have a demonstrable effect upon vagal tone. Remember that vagal tone is the process which changes in response to feedback from the body in order to maintain blood pressure, heart rate and level of consciousness. A good example of vasovagal syncope is the premise of soldiers standing at attention for extended periods without movement.

You were also probably lying down just prior to going to the restroom to wash up, presumably by applying water to your face. Realize that cool water on the face lowers vagal tone, so if you're already experiencing GI difficulty and lying down for several days and then rise to splash cool water on your face, then you will almost invariably experience a vasovagal syncope episode, which is what I suspect took place.

You have to understand that applying the proper circumstances can easily induce this kind of response and people unwittingly create this scenario, subsequently becoming frightened by the outcome.

Relax and take a breath. There's nothing wrong with you at all. The reason that your heart experienced a palpitation run is merely due to a sudden drop in blood pressure while standing, together with brief instability of vagal tone. Feeling faint or actually experiencing syncope, together with a palpitation run is entirely normal under the circumstances described. It is merely your misinterpretation of the event which suggests something else to be responsible simply because you failed to see the connection between the issues working simultaneously to produce the outcome.

You're going to be just fine.

Best regards and Good Health