Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group
This community is a place where members can discuss current events and weigh in on what's going on in the world.
I just got back from a short (but needed badly) vacation where we drove from Mpls, MN to the Black Hlls in South Dakota. It is an eleven hour drive. The drive was horribly difficult and makes me not want to drive longer distances any longer until I solve what is wrong.
I LOVE to drive but in the past year I have noticed an issue when seated driving for periods over an hour. I start to lose my bearings, or I feel slight vertigo. Not enough where everything starts spinning but enought to make the drive anything but fun. The feeling makes me start to tense up and then all hell breaks loose with my MS. Spasticity takes over my upper back and neck and even my legs. I start to feel like it is more and more difficult to concentrate on the road. If I turn my head or my eyes to look anywhere but straight again, I feel more vertigo so I quickly look back to straight ahead. Needless to say, I do not LOVE driving any more.
Is this MS or maybe one of my medications? I take Rebif, Carbamezapine 200mg/day, and Nortriptylene only 25mg/day. The meds I take at night and the drive was during the day so I figured it couldn't be them.
Anyone else have these issues? Is it possibly related to MS somehow.
Thanks for your thoughts!
I LOVE to drive but in the past year I have noticed an issue when seated driving for periods over an hour. I start to lose my bearings, or I feel slight vertigo. Not enough where everything starts spinning but enought to make the drive anything but fun. The feeling makes me start to tense up and then all hell breaks loose with my MS. Spasticity takes over my upper back and neck and even my legs. I start to feel like it is more and more difficult to concentrate on the road. If I turn my head or my eyes to look anywhere but straight again, I feel more vertigo so I quickly look back to straight ahead. Needless to say, I do not LOVE driving any more.
Is this MS or maybe one of my medications? I take Rebif, Carbamezapine 200mg/day, and Nortriptylene only 25mg/day. The meds I take at night and the drive was during the day so I figured it couldn't be them.
Anyone else have these issues? Is it possibly related to MS somehow.
Thanks for your thoughts!
I don't drive anymore because of my MS symptoms. It makes it too dangerous for me and those on the road. It was a tough decision to give up driving, and is very difficult as I need to have my caregiver (hubby) take me everywhere. I never get to just go out on my own in my car anymore. Not even to the close drug store. When he takes me places, he is very impatient and I have to hurry in and out. I just hate it, but what am I going to do, risk my life and others because I don't want to be inconvenienced?
Please reconsider your driving, that's very dangerous not only for you but to others as well.
I stopped driving because of that. I have light sensitivity so any light day or night causes problems. Once I was driving and out of nowhere I started spasms in my back, it felt like a child was kicking my back really hard, I wanted to cry/scream all the way back home.
Now I ask for rides or call a taxi.
Alma
It has only happened recently and only on a drive I did to go on an MS 150 bike ride and now this recent trip.
I will take your guyes wonderful advise to consult an ENT specialist to see if it is not MS. That would be my hope.
Thank you for your help!
My vertigo is caused by TOS (toraxic outlet syndrome) after many months I discovered how to prevent them. If my arm is in one position too long, even doing small movements, bam, here it comes, driving is a good example of that. Before I do anything similar I take a muscle relaxer then it doesn't happen.
Alma