End of the Semester Health Problems

Student Lounge College Life
1

These past two weeks, I’ve been having some strange health problem where I can be doing whatever such as sitting in class, laying in bed, or just walking around at the store, and I suddenly start feeling like I’m suffocating and get light-headed and literally too weak to continue doing anything I was doing. I feel like I’m about to pass out/keel over each time, and it continues for multiple hours at a time.

It’s been an isolated problem over the semester, maybe once for an hour every three weeks or so, but it has hit HARD these past two weeks with one/two episodes per day.

On Thursday, I had an exam and I was getting through the exam just fine but about 30 minutes into the exam, I just started feeling incredibly light-headed and weak. I kept trying to tell myself, “You’ll be okay. Breathe. Don’t let this overpower you.” And I lasted until 20 minutes before the exam was over. I had to quickly scrawl a note onto a sheet of paper and stumbled over to the professor’s desk to ask if I can complete the exam some other time/in the testing center because I was literally about to pass out. He was nice and let me take the remainder of the exam untimed, and I truly needed it since the episode continued for two hours before I could even finish the problem I was working on earlier.

I contacted the health center on-campus that same day and they couldn’t help me until TUESDAY. I don’t know the area too well, so that was my only option.

I have informed all of my professors about this issue now since I felt bad that this happened during an exam. I qualify for accommodations for another issue, but I asked if I could go ahead and use my testing accommodations just in case this continues to happen. But I’m not sure what to do… I have no documentation of this issue happening except that the RAs in my building ALL witnessed me having an episode the other day. What if the health center can’t find anything wrong with me and it still happens during an exam later next week? I’m not faking things and I don’t want to be accused of faking things.

I don’t think the events are panic attacks.

2

Honestly, despite you saying you don’t think they are panic attacks that is what they sound like. You literally mirrored exactly what happens to me when I get a panic attack- I suggest also making an appointment with the counseling center; they would be able to better diagnose you if this is something mentally related.

Also, look on your insurance page to see what is around campus- it’s important for you to know what other medical providers are nearby.

If you want specific help I can def share how I feel with you.

Best of luck

3

You should definitely get checked out at health services. Do they have walk in hours? If so, go.
It could be anxiety but you should rule out any physical health issues before jumping to that conclusion.
If its anxiety, that should be a very treatable problem even though its very scary.
Best of luck to you.

4

Talk to your parents about this. Tell them that you need to go a doctor.
Then after that talk to the Dean of Students about what to do about finals.
If it is anxiety, then the meds will take a while to kick in. You may need to keep going to class but in some classes take an incomplete. Same thing if it is another type of health issue.

The main thing is to communicate with your professors/dean of students about what is happening. I read many stories here about how someone is having issues, then they fail everything or they plagiarize and then they are on academic suspension. Talk to the Univ. so they can help you figure out the best way to procede.

I had a car accident one semester and pneumonia another…I worked with professors, took some incompletes (basically didn’t take all my finals, but did the easier ones, and then took the finals at the beginning of the next sememster.)