ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Post-Treatment => Topic started by: mwatto on October 03, 2020, 08:30:16 pm
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Hi all I started driving after three years again and yesterday felt very nauseous and a bit dizzy after. I dont have balance issues so I am puzzled. Had CK 18 months ago and all seems well. But I wondered if anyone else had experienced this when driving (thinking maybe its from turning head, eyes etc ...or stress maybe). Any tips? Thinking maybe I get some motion sickness ginger sweets for car.
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Hi Michele. I have been on Wait and Watch since 2014 for a small AN and have experienced disorientation while driving. Over the years, I've changed my driving habits and routine to include: avoiding busy busy intersections with multiple lanes going each direction, avoiding roads that have a train going along the road at a different speed than my car is traveling, and staying off freeways that have lanes of traffic passing overhead crossways from the direction I'm going. Actually, I'm now avoiding ALL freeways. For me, it's too much input at once that causes my brain to stop being able to process it all and I feel waves of disorientation that seem like my body momentarily doesn't know where it is in space. I've found it helpful to tilt the side mirror down away from view if I begin to feel disoriented, as seeing the traffic peripherally approaching at a different angle causes issues. Driving is not always a problem, particularly if I avoid the trouble spots, but can still be if traffic is heavy and I'm at an especially noisy intersection. So I don't drive at rush hour. Also, I no longer drive in heavy rain as I avoid turning the windshield wipers on high speed. They don't bother me much on intermittent setting, where they stop and then go again. But the fast whipping back and forth really sets me off. For me, I feel like driving is still doable right now, but I have to take extra safety precautions, only go a short distance away, and only necessary trips.
My AN is in the IAC, but also grew an extension into my cochlea, and I have wondered if that is causing the weirdness. I also have significant balance issues. So not sure if your nausea while driving may have similar etiology as my disorientation while driving, but I thought I'd comment anyway just in case it's helpful. Some of this stuff is just hard to explain to folks without experience with an AN.
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Hi Judy yes this is helpful! I am also going to keep some ginger candies in the cubbyhole for nausea. I seldom drive far and also avoid freeways!