Narrative:

I worked a flight from chicago to los angeles. I was #1 flight attendant. Some background is necessary to explain my reason for medical attention. I had been on a diet for 2 weeks which consists of no caffeine, no sugar and no carbohydrates. Prior to my flight in chicago, I drank an extra large coffee (with caffeine), as our flight was a late departure, and it was a long duty day due to a schedule change. Approximately 2 1/2 hours into the flight I felt strange. My initial thought was hypoxia. I asked the other 2 flight attendants if they felt unusual, and they said no. My next suspicion was possible hypoglycemia. I drank orange juice, had some sugar and water. Nothing helped. From my first aid training, I deduced that I might be having the symptoms of an oncoming seizure. #4 flight attendant made a PA asking for a doctor or medically trained person, however there was no response. I felt progressively worse. The first officer took my pulse, and asked if I felt that an emergency landing was necessary. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind, I felt that this was a potentially life threatening situation. We diverted to las vegas. Paramedics met the flight. I was put into an ambulance, and taken to the hospital. The emergency room physician determined that I had an acute anxiety attack due to the caffeine that I drank. He said the diet I was on is not safe. I learned later the diet dehydrated the body, and affects the electrolytes, and also causes low blood sugar. The doctor felt that a catscan and blood work was not necessary. My vital signs were normal, and I was released. Overnight arrangements were made, and I flew to los angeles. I went directly to my physician (internal medicine/cardiologist). He gave me an ekg and performed blood work. He concluded the same as the doctor in las vegas, due to the diet, I had an adverse reaction to the caffeine. No further medical treatment was necessary. I was immediately released to full duty, and assumed my normal flying schedule.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT CRUISE, ONBOARD MD80S, CABIN ATTENDANT BECAME ILL AND FLC DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE TO GET MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: I WORKED A FLT FROM CHICAGO TO LOS ANGELES. I WAS #1 FLT ATTENDANT. SOME BACKGROUND IS NECESSARY TO EXPLAIN MY REASON FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. I HAD BEEN ON A DIET FOR 2 WKS WHICH CONSISTS OF NO CAFFEINE, NO SUGAR AND NO CARBOHYDRATES. PRIOR TO MY FLT IN CHICAGO, I DRANK AN EXTRA LARGE COFFEE (WITH CAFFEINE), AS OUR FLT WAS A LATE DEP, AND IT WAS A LONG DUTY DAY DUE TO A SCHEDULE CHANGE. APPROX 2 1/2 HRS INTO THE FLT I FELT STRANGE. MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS HYPOXIA. I ASKED THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS IF THEY FELT UNUSUAL, AND THEY SAID NO. MY NEXT SUSPICION WAS POSSIBLE HYPOGLYCEMIA. I DRANK ORANGE JUICE, HAD SOME SUGAR AND WATER. NOTHING HELPED. FROM MY FIRST AID TRAINING, I DEDUCED THAT I MIGHT BE HAVING THE SYMPTOMS OF AN ONCOMING SEIZURE. #4 FLT ATTENDANT MADE A PA ASKING FOR A DOCTOR OR MEDICALLY TRAINED PERSON, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I FELT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE FO TOOK MY PULSE, AND ASKED IF I FELT THAT AN EMER LNDG WAS NECESSARY. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, I FELT THAT THIS WAS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SIT. WE DIVERTED TO LAS VEGAS. PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT. I WAS PUT INTO AN AMBULANCE, AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE EMER ROOM PHYSICIAN DETERMINED THAT I HAD AN ACUTE ANXIETY ATTACK DUE TO THE CAFFEINE THAT I DRANK. HE SAID THE DIET I WAS ON IS NOT SAFE. I LEARNED LATER THE DIET DEHYDRATED THE BODY, AND AFFECTS THE ELECTROLYTES, AND ALSO CAUSES LOW BLOOD SUGAR. THE DOCTOR FELT THAT A CATSCAN AND BLOOD WORK WAS NOT NECESSARY. MY VITAL SIGNS WERE NORMAL, AND I WAS RELEASED. OVERNIGHT ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE, AND I FLEW TO LOS ANGELES. I WENT DIRECTLY TO MY PHYSICIAN (INTERNAL MEDICINE/CARDIOLOGIST). HE GAVE ME AN EKG AND PERFORMED BLOOD WORK. HE CONCLUDED THE SAME AS THE DOCTOR IN LAS VEGAS, DUE TO THE DIET, I HAD AN ADVERSE REACTION TO THE CAFFEINE. NO FURTHER MEDICAL TREATMENT WAS NECESSARY. I WAS IMMEDIATELY RELEASED TO FULL DUTY, AND ASSUMED MY NORMAL FLYING SCHEDULE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.