Hello, after years of unsuccessfully searching for a Diagnosis i‘m now turning to this Forum. I‘m a 25 Year old biological Male and i have severe health issues that nobody here can really explain. But first things first. It all started back in 2019/2020: outta nowhere I just passed out! After about 15-20 mins I regained my consciousness and woke up with Paramedics around me. It was a hot and sunny day and I had been working outside so everyone thought I was just heavily dehydrated and they sent me home to bed. Surprisingly I passed out a second time, at night, right before I went to go to sleep. From then on I had 15 more of these events in the following 1.5 years. It happened in all different types of situations, at home, at my girlfriend‘s house, at night while sleeping, during the day while working etc.
There was no recognizeable scheme, but one thing was quite weird: it occurred in a precise 4 week rhythm! It always was on the 30th/1st of each month! In the beginning of my “illness” I only passed out, cramped shortly, and then was unconscious for 15-20 mins. After getting my consciousness back I was always very tired and confused and it took a while to fully recover. Later (after like half a year) a new feature was added to the list: I always had to throw up very heavily. That got worse and worse until I reached a point where I just didn‘t stop vomiting. I consistently had to be rushed to the ER and receive medicine, otherwise it just didn‘t stop. And believe me, it didn‘t stop - I tried it but after 35+ times of hanging your head in the toilet (in one single night) you just cant take it anymore!
I‘ve went to all kinds of doctors (Cardiologists, Neurologists, Different Hospitals etc.) but no one ever found a diagnosis. I had multiple EEG‘s (also one in a special Epillepsy Clinic for 2 Weeks straight) but nothing ever showed up. My heart is also completely fine, blood‘s good etc.
Back then I just started taking Levetiracetam (aka Keppra) out of despair and that actually helped me to get rid of the passing out, but it still stuck with me that I didn’t feel good every 4 weeks. I tried to get back to normal life and managed to do that pretty okay - until now. On the 12th January 2026 I passed out again. They rushed me to the ER because they thought I had a heart attack but after staying there for 6 hours and after several tests they sent me home without a diagnosis because they didn’t find anything. Exactly 4 weeks later, on the 12th February 2026 I passed out again while going to bed. I can now say that I’m back in my old scheme and I am very helpless. I was put on a higher dose of Keppra at the end of Feb 2026 and last weekend (12th March 2026) I did NOT pass out but I was absolutely unwell! I felt like throwing up all weekend, I had a constant dizziness and weird muscle pain especially in my neck. As soon as the weekend passed my symptoms slowly started to go away. I passed out again last night (17.05.2026). My Heart rate is usually pretty low at night (44-60) but while i passed out my apple watch recorded a Heart Rate between 130-149bpm.
I also have some other issues which might or might not be related to my main health issue. For example: i’m always tired, even if i sleep 9Hrs straight, if i sleep less than 7hrs I’m barely able to even get up. I have back pain and a very weird growing toenail. Sometimes i also suffer from heartburn.
Back in 2010 i was bitten by a tick which was then sent to a lab and the restults came back positive: it was infected. Surprisingly i had no rash so my doc. didn't give me Antibiotics.
Has anyone ever heard of something like that? There is no recognizable scheme BUT that 4 week rhythm! As I said I‘m a biological male, I‘m not taking any medicine besides Keppra and I’m not taking any drugs. I also stopped drinking alcohol completely about 5 years ago, before that I was a regular teenager drinking now and then but not excessively.
I am aware that this is the internet and not a doctors office so I‘m not in the expectation of getting a 100% precise diagnosis but I’m very thankful for any ideas we maybe didn‘t even think about yet! I‘m also very willing to provide pictures of my blood test results or other stuff that might answer some of your questions.
There are some tick-borne infections (Borrelia hermsii, tick-borne relapsing fever, etc.) that tend to cause symptoms in four-week patterns. That's all that comes to mind for me, since you said that epilepsy was ruled out and you're male. I assume if anything else in your life occurred in that pattern (like a place you visit monthly that might cause an allergic or toxic exposure, a stress trigger that might cause severe atypical migraine, something you see or hear or consume at the end of the month, a position you spend time in, etc.) then you would have figured out the connection by now. So sorry you're dealing with this!
The infections I mentioned can be treated with the same antimicrobials as many other tick-borne infections. You could find an Lyme-literate provider (LLMD) through ILADS or by asking on this forum (folks can email you recommendations directly). Infectious disease specialists usually don't believe in long-term infections. An LLMD would put you on specific combinations of antibiotics, likely for several months or years. Another option is to use one of the established herbal protocols, such as the Buhner protocol, and see if it's helpful. Treating Lyme by Stephen Buhner is a good place to start, and also the great website treatlyme.net. Some LLMDs employ herbal protocols instead of or alongside pharmaceuticals.
I assume you have had an MRI? Have you had any concussions or brain injuries?
Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Mycoplasma, EBV
Mold, MCAS, POTS, CFS/ME, HPA axis
Herbs, DNRS, diet, nutrients, EOs
The infections I mentioned can be treated with the same antimicrobials as many other tick-borne infections. You could find an Lyme-literate provider (LLMD) through ILADS or by asking on this forum (folks can email you recommendations directly). Infectious disease specialists usually don't believe in long-term infections. An LLMD would put you on specific combinations of antibiotics, likely for several months or years. Another option is to use one of the established herbal protocols, such as the Buhner protocol, and see if it's helpful. Treating Lyme by Stephen Buhner is a good place to start, and also the great website treatlyme.net. Some LLMDs employ herbal protocols instead of or alongside pharmaceuticals.
I assume you have had an MRI? Have you had any concussions or brain injuries?
Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Mycoplasma, EBV
Mold, MCAS, POTS, CFS/ME, HPA axis
Herbs, DNRS, diet, nutrients, EOs
hello and welcome to the forum
sorry to hear of your difficult journey
i think its wise to at least try to rule out tick born infections in this situation
in fact in any sudden onset neurological condition (sudden unconsciousness for no know reason would certainly qualify ) the possibility should be considered as part of a differential diagnosis as the is a mountain of evidence built over the last 5+ decades that undiagnosed infections can be involved in a wide range of issues with the central nervous system - ranging from movement disorders - to sleep disorders - to mental health issues
however despite the well documented associations between these issues and infections - particularly tick born infections - clinicians have typically been slow to adjust from their prior models - and neurologists often fail to screen for these illnesses - focussing instead on "functional issues". The extremely variable symptoms pictures that individuals can present with causes further confusion and problems with diagnosis in conventional settings.
to add to the complexity - conventional lab testing for these "stealth pathogens" ( so called precisely because they go undetected for long periods of time) is much less reliable than for acute infections.
so even when tested false negative tests results are common. the reasons for this are mainly - that most tests are based on immunological markers - but these chronic infections interact with the host immune system in complex ways - making the tests far less sensitive than we would like.
as a result diagnosis s typical a clinical one - performed by an experienced LLMD - based on symptoms and patient history, physical exam, and patient interview - with test results only acting as support / confirmation
there are now specialists labs with broad multi species test panels and better sensitivity - though still not perfect
sara's response highlighting a possible relapsing remitting borrelia species is excellent - and that is certainly one possibility
i would only add that its worth noting that its nearly impossible to write about these illnesses without creating a kind of cartoon caricature of what they are expected to look like.
on average its correct - but in the real world the variability from patient of patient is really very wide
with perhaps as many atypical presentations as typical ones.
There are also typically more than one infection present in people who become sick - making it important to cast the net wide early on.
ref TBRF i think there are papers or at least LLMD's published findings that in their populations excessive sleeping was a commonly reported pattern in B. miyamotoi positive patients.
i think this was typically people sleeping on and off through the day - rather than sudden onset 20minute bouts of unconsciousness - but again as per the above - remember the very wide symptoms variability that exists.
we have certainly had other members who have had uncontrolled sleepiness - where they simply cannot stay awake in the day - and we have had people who simply faint or collapse - i cannot recall having read any other accounts of it being so perfectly cyclic - but that's doesn't mean it cannot happen.
i hope its at least of a little help
ill since Feb 2015 – Lyme (Armin), Mycoplasma Pn, suspected Bart
Bart now conclusively diagnosed by microscopy see https://tinyurl.com/2eatxxz7
60% recovered - most useful approaches:
=Wholefood Keto Diet
=Exercise – initially walking – now weights too
=Buhner Lyme herbs and co-infect herbs
=Immune modulation- Ivermectin and LDN
=Methylene Blue (Bart)
+T4 and T3 for thyroid
sorry to hear of your difficult journey
i think its wise to at least try to rule out tick born infections in this situation
in fact in any sudden onset neurological condition (sudden unconsciousness for no know reason would certainly qualify ) the possibility should be considered as part of a differential diagnosis as the is a mountain of evidence built over the last 5+ decades that undiagnosed infections can be involved in a wide range of issues with the central nervous system - ranging from movement disorders - to sleep disorders - to mental health issues
however despite the well documented associations between these issues and infections - particularly tick born infections - clinicians have typically been slow to adjust from their prior models - and neurologists often fail to screen for these illnesses - focussing instead on "functional issues". The extremely variable symptoms pictures that individuals can present with causes further confusion and problems with diagnosis in conventional settings.
to add to the complexity - conventional lab testing for these "stealth pathogens" ( so called precisely because they go undetected for long periods of time) is much less reliable than for acute infections.
so even when tested false negative tests results are common. the reasons for this are mainly - that most tests are based on immunological markers - but these chronic infections interact with the host immune system in complex ways - making the tests far less sensitive than we would like.
as a result diagnosis s typical a clinical one - performed by an experienced LLMD - based on symptoms and patient history, physical exam, and patient interview - with test results only acting as support / confirmation
there are now specialists labs with broad multi species test panels and better sensitivity - though still not perfect
sara's response highlighting a possible relapsing remitting borrelia species is excellent - and that is certainly one possibility
i would only add that its worth noting that its nearly impossible to write about these illnesses without creating a kind of cartoon caricature of what they are expected to look like.
on average its correct - but in the real world the variability from patient of patient is really very wide
with perhaps as many atypical presentations as typical ones.
There are also typically more than one infection present in people who become sick - making it important to cast the net wide early on.
ref TBRF i think there are papers or at least LLMD's published findings that in their populations excessive sleeping was a commonly reported pattern in B. miyamotoi positive patients.
i think this was typically people sleeping on and off through the day - rather than sudden onset 20minute bouts of unconsciousness - but again as per the above - remember the very wide symptoms variability that exists.
we have certainly had other members who have had uncontrolled sleepiness - where they simply cannot stay awake in the day - and we have had people who simply faint or collapse - i cannot recall having read any other accounts of it being so perfectly cyclic - but that's doesn't mean it cannot happen.
i hope its at least of a little help
ill since Feb 2015 – Lyme (Armin), Mycoplasma Pn, suspected Bart
Bart now conclusively diagnosed by microscopy see https://tinyurl.com/2eatxxz7
60% recovered - most useful approaches:
=Wholefood Keto Diet
=Exercise – initially walking – now weights too
=Buhner Lyme herbs and co-infect herbs
=Immune modulation- Ivermectin and LDN
=Methylene Blue (Bart)
+T4 and T3 for thyroid
Post Edited (Garzie) : 5/20/2026 7:25:38 AM (GMT-4)
I don’t have anything clever to add. It is interesting the Keppra helped lessen your fainting episodes. So I’m not sure this fits, especially with the cyclical nature, But I have had severe May Thurner cause issues with blacking out. It doesn’t sound like a great fit for your issues, but if you exhaust all other explanations it might be worth seeing an interventional radiologist and/ or vascular surgeon that treats vascular compressions to improve pots symptoms. Lyme can cause vascular issues like may thurner.
I'm not quite sure what to suggest here.
This could be in part due to tick-borne disease, but it also could be a lot of other things.
Lyme disease does not necessarily cause a rash. I never got a rash after the tick bit me, so at the time I thought I was fine. Later I got sick.
If you want to pursue this diagnosis, you can get lab tests including antibodies and PCR. This testing isn't perfect, but it may find something. Alternatively, you could try a round of antibiotics and see if you get a Herxheimer reaction.
You say you are male, but seem to be implying that you might be intersex in some way. If you really believe this, there is lab work that can identify that type of condition. Generally this would include a karyotype to look for sex chromosome abnormalities. Additionally, you'd want to get hormonal tests to look for various forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
This could be in part due to tick-borne disease, but it also could be a lot of other things.
Lyme disease does not necessarily cause a rash. I never got a rash after the tick bit me, so at the time I thought I was fine. Later I got sick.
If you want to pursue this diagnosis, you can get lab tests including antibodies and PCR. This testing isn't perfect, but it may find something. Alternatively, you could try a round of antibiotics and see if you get a Herxheimer reaction.
You say you are male, but seem to be implying that you might be intersex in some way. If you really believe this, there is lab work that can identify that type of condition. Generally this would include a karyotype to look for sex chromosome abnormalities. Additionally, you'd want to get hormonal tests to look for various forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Welcome to the forum, Marvin!
Wow! What a roller coaster ride. I’m so sorry for the disturbing symptom pattern you’re experiencing. I have been on this forum a long time, and I have to say I have never heard anyone else describe this cyclical phenomenon of passing out or passing out with vomiting.
If you were female, I would suspect anaphylaxis due to hormone cycles. I saw that on one of those medical mystery shows years ago. It was a woman in her 50’s who started having anaphylaxis around each menstrual cycle. Once the doctors figured it out, she had a hysterectomy. That immediately stopped the problem.
I understand you’ve already been to a number of doctors and specialists who have found no answers. How did you feel about the level of knowledge and care they provided? Did you feel like any of them really tried to solve your mystery, or did you feel like they just did their basic recipe, shrugged their shoulders, and passed you on to the next one? I’m wondering if going to a place like Mayo might increase your odds of getting real answers. (Mayo is not the place to go for Lyme/co, but this doesn’t really sound like Lyme/co to me.)
When you described the addition of vomiting, it made me wonder if the episodes (both fainting and vomiting) are triggered by something happening with the vagus nerve. I’m not even sure if conventional neurologists deal with the vagus nerve.
One last thing - have you seen a Functional MD about any of this? If not, that would be a reasonable next step. They typically don’t take insurance and can be pricey, especially for the initial evaluation, but they will run tests that conventional docs know nothing about or won’t do.
Sep 2016: Dx CIRS from mold
Sep 2016: Labcorp WB: IGG pos 41, 66
Nov 2016: Igenix: IGG 39 Ind, 41++, 58+ / IGM 39 Ind, 41+, 45+, 58+
Dec 2016: DNA Connexions pos Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis
Sx of bart and/or babs since early childhood
Sep 2009: life altering sx started
Apr 2015: full blown sx; immune system off the cliff
Luke 1:37-For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Wow! What a roller coaster ride. I’m so sorry for the disturbing symptom pattern you’re experiencing. I have been on this forum a long time, and I have to say I have never heard anyone else describe this cyclical phenomenon of passing out or passing out with vomiting.
If you were female, I would suspect anaphylaxis due to hormone cycles. I saw that on one of those medical mystery shows years ago. It was a woman in her 50’s who started having anaphylaxis around each menstrual cycle. Once the doctors figured it out, she had a hysterectomy. That immediately stopped the problem.
I understand you’ve already been to a number of doctors and specialists who have found no answers. How did you feel about the level of knowledge and care they provided? Did you feel like any of them really tried to solve your mystery, or did you feel like they just did their basic recipe, shrugged their shoulders, and passed you on to the next one? I’m wondering if going to a place like Mayo might increase your odds of getting real answers. (Mayo is not the place to go for Lyme/co, but this doesn’t really sound like Lyme/co to me.)
When you described the addition of vomiting, it made me wonder if the episodes (both fainting and vomiting) are triggered by something happening with the vagus nerve. I’m not even sure if conventional neurologists deal with the vagus nerve.
One last thing - have you seen a Functional MD about any of this? If not, that would be a reasonable next step. They typically don’t take insurance and can be pricey, especially for the initial evaluation, but they will run tests that conventional docs know nothing about or won’t do.
Sep 2016: Dx CIRS from mold
Sep 2016: Labcorp WB: IGG pos 41, 66
Nov 2016: Igenix: IGG 39 Ind, 41++, 58+ / IGM 39 Ind, 41+, 45+, 58+
Dec 2016: DNA Connexions pos Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis
Sx of bart and/or babs since early childhood
Sep 2009: life altering sx started
Apr 2015: full blown sx; immune system off the cliff
Luke 1:37-For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Oh, one more question -
You said the tick tested positive. I assume you meant positive for Borrelia burgdorferi. Was the tick tested for any other infections?
Sep 2016: Dx CIRS from mold
Sep 2016: Labcorp WB: IGG pos 41, 66
Nov 2016: Igenix: IGG 39 Ind, 41++, 58+ / IGM 39 Ind, 41+, 45+, 58+
Dec 2016: DNA Connexions pos Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis
Sx of bart and/or babs since early childhood
Sep 2009: life altering sx started
Apr 2015: full blown sx; immune system off the cliff
Luke 1:37-For with God nothing shall be impossible.
You said the tick tested positive. I assume you meant positive for Borrelia burgdorferi. Was the tick tested for any other infections?
Sep 2016: Dx CIRS from mold
Sep 2016: Labcorp WB: IGG pos 41, 66
Nov 2016: Igenix: IGG 39 Ind, 41++, 58+ / IGM 39 Ind, 41+, 45+, 58+
Dec 2016: DNA Connexions pos Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis
Sx of bart and/or babs since early childhood
Sep 2009: life altering sx started
Apr 2015: full blown sx; immune system off the cliff
Luke 1:37-For with God nothing shall be impossible.