feeling faint while driving

[tam31]

I have had some scary symptoms while driving that have begun within the past 3 years.  I often get dizzy feeling, like I'm going to faint, my vision seems to narrow in, I get pressure in my head, my hands get cold and clamy, it's almost like I'm losing consciousness and have to constantly refocus.  When the car stops, the symptoms seems to alleviate.  Sometimes when I stop the car, it looks as though I'm still moving.  Sometimes this happens when I'm tired, but sometimes not.  Also, it seems to get worse the faster I drive.  It's so bad that I can't drive on long road trips for fear of passing out.  Interestingly, it doesn't happen when I'm a passenger, which my doctor says rules out motion sickness.  I've only been on an airplane one time, but it happened then as well, just in a milder way.  My doctor says I am having anxiety attacks, but I don't feel anxious at all until it begins.  I have BPV and Meneires (diagnosed about 10 years ago) and my question is, could it be the Meneires triggering these sensations, thus causing anxiety, or could it be anxiety triggering the Meneires, which triggers these symptoms?  Or is it the BPV, all of the above, none of the above?  Help!!??
Thanks

[JennyJ776]

Please read my comment. You have a hope. I almost gave up. But I think I found the cure! It is a true story.

I am 40 years old now.I used to love driving. My weird dizziness started on November 2013 when I was in a passenger seat while my friend was driving. It was very sudden but very obviously the dizziness were there.  
I used to drive fearlessly for 23 years but all of a sudden I became disabled. Even when I drive 30-40 miles per hour, it was struggling for me and made me so dizzy and I had abnormal visual feeling like a tunnel vision. Driving became a nightmare since then. I stopped driving highway for over one year and six month.

I went to ENT(Ear, Nose and Throat), eye doctor, brain MRI, blood work, acupuncture, Korean traditional medicine, chiropractor and neurologist.
Everything was normal. No doctors couldn't figure out.
On Thursday(June 4th, 2015), I went to a different ENT doctor in a big hospital in the downtown hoping for an answer my ear is the problem but got out with disappointment. Nothing was wrong the doctor said. I am a single mother. It was so devastating to experience this crazy symptom not knowing the cause or clue. On the same day, I researched internet out of desperation and found interesting comment above. That was new. I went to a book store and bought the book "Trigger point therapy workbook" by Clair Davies. I watched several youtube video of STERNOCLEIDOMASTOID (SCM) trigger point massage.

I had nothing to lose and was going to try anything to be better. I tried the SCM massage(Please search google where to find SCM in you neck) right away several times a day very diligently for four days. Since the next day, I felt more than 50% better and today I accidentally went into high way and drove for 4 miles without stopping. I couldn't even imagine to drive on highway before because even for local road with 40 miles per hour was struggling for me for long time. Today I can excitedly say my dizziness for one year and six months were gone more than 90%. I felt normal for the first time.

I was so excited and so was my son. I really hope many of you can be cured like me. It was so simple and so easy to fix it. Current medical system was far beyond to find a cure or cause easily which is sad. However, thanks to some brilliant doctors like Travell & Simons and therapist like Davies, the author and her father, and someone like a normal person who took time to write a comment for other people, I think a lot of people will be relieved from this confusing dizziness.
I am so happy. I feel like I am reborn again. Try this massage today and if you got cured, please write a comment and spread the words for others!!!

[jj4110]

Thank you, JennyJ776. I think this is the cause of a lot of my issues, including feeling faint when driving. I will definitely check into the resources you mentioned

[sarnac]

I just came across this string.  Don't know if it is still active, but thanks to everyone.  To one degree or another, most described what I have been experiencing.  Like many of you, I am dealing with lightheadedness that presents itself  while driving at speed on highways.  Have had a number of tests including EKG, EEG, MRI,  BPPV, etc, etc.  My neurologist now believes I have mild epilepsy and the lightheadedness may be at least partially a manifestation of seizures.   Have a followup appointment next month.  In the meantime, he has me taking Lamotrigine.  In any case, I have picked up some good suggestions after having read your comments. Again, thanks to you all.

[lsmith60]

HI All,
Not sure where my driving anxiety attacks are coming from. I had a hysterectomy in June and have been depressed and lethargic since then. I have been having driving anxiety attacks for about 2 weeks. I don't feel like I'm necessarily stressed about anything, but for some reason, every time I drive on the interstate I feel the panic start happening. It's especially bad at night...the highway is dark and the white lines seem intense and magnified. I get lightheaded and my skull seems to tense up. When I look to either side and look ahead again, it takes a second before my vision catches up, which makes me dizzy and disoriented. When I pass a bridge or overpass, the fast movement freaks me out and feels overwhelming and surreal like a 3D movie. It's like my mind's perception of objects is out of my control, and I truly feel like I could pass out and wreck my car. I don't know how to deal with the thought of driving long distances any more. I'm just find driving in town but as soon as I get on the highway I know it's a matter of time before the panic sets in. I haven't sought medical help yet since this has been within the last 2 weeks. I don't even know where to start. I hate to depend on drugs for something that maybe could be helped with therapy. I wish there was clear answer for this strange condition.

[mazymotion]

Without going into all the details I have also experienced many of the symptoms referred to on this forum, most notably the dizziness while driving. I have been getting acupuncture targeting my parasympathetic nervous system and it has been working wonders. I have had no attacks or symptoms since.

Good luck to all in finding what works for you.

[bhuloka]

Thanks for sharing your experience.
I started to have these attacks recently and got panicked. Somehow, your post has relieved me a bit.

[JessyBleistein]

Thanks Guitarguy89 for your post. I suffer everyday with all of the same symptoms and problems. I am 26 years old. It is so debilitating and exhausting. I have spent the last 10 years of my life trying to fight this disorder...it is a comfort, although I wouldn't wish this on anyone, to know there is other people out there that suffer with the same anxiety and have gotten through it. I work full time and trying to get through every day at work is really hard. I could relate to your post 100% so thank you.

[Guitarguy89]

Joe,

Sorry for the late reply my man. I was under the impression that by default MedHelp E-mails me when users message me here. Note: They do not! :(

Yes, the 7-11 method is indeed reactive and not preventative. However, it's still helpful to have a quick little cure than nothing at all right? :)

As for the medications --- yes and no. The Klonopin (1 Mg) did kill the anxiety about 15-20 minutes after I took it. Mind you, I was prescribed as-needed and not daily dosages, perhaps daily dosages would prevent attacks. But I just hated the way it made me feel. So zombied out --- emotionless. I remember not even being able to laugh or get excited if my life depended on it. Plus it would make me forget my entire day or night whenever I took it. Benzo's (xanax,klonopin) are infamous for their tendency to make you forgetful. But the worst part was I noticed when they wore off, the anxiety would come back 10x worse than it was before I took it. So in short, I stopped taking those unless it was a REALLY bad attack.

As for the Lexapro (an SSRI, anti-depressant), yes that did work to an extent. The anxiety was still there, but not as frequently and intense as it once was. I wasn't waking up in the middle of the night having attacks anymore, but I wasn't exactly walking around with a smile on my face either. Started out at 10 Mg daily, then got bumped up to 20 Mg after a while. Same results really. It just dulls the blade of the anxiety knife, but it's still there.

The truth is you really have to handle these naturally and without medications. Although, the lessening of anxiety from the medications does make it easier for you to gradually be able to fight it on your own.

The biggest thing that helped me (as silly as it sounds) is just being familiar with it, identifying it when its coming on, and reminding yourself it CAN'T kill you. Once I was able to recognize when an attack was coming on, I got it through my head that it can't hurt me and just kept telling myself "you can beat this, it's just stupid anxiety." My biggest trick is the 7-11 breathing that I've mentioned. Again, it's responsive and not preventative. But once you understand you can conquer it when it comes on, it makes the fear of having an attack diminish over time. And truthfully I believe that most attacks come from the fear of having an attack and how badly they suck, as I just mentioned in a PM to another user on this post.

I truly hope that 9 months later you have fully conquered your anxiety, or at least have it under control. You can do it! It's all in your head, just keep reminding yourself that :)

Good luck!