"... Sickness"

[Gray]

Does anyone else suffer from types of nausea from carsickness, seasickness etc? For years and years and years i have suffered with carsickness, where i am the passanger of a vehicle and just end up getting dizzy.

However, with me driving for the past 5 years or so, if im the driver of the vehicle the nausea doesnt affect me. The only times i used to get the travel sickness was when i was generally going on family holidays in the car when i was younger i would always get sick and it wasnt just on bendy roads but also on straight motorways for instance.

I havent been in a plane as of yet, and ive not been on a boat/ship in a good few years so i cant recall if i got the seasickness - But i noticed how dizzy i got today when i was a passenger on just a small journey around town.

-

In other news though, in a few days im seeing the doctor for apparent stress-related illness. I got somewhat pissed off in work so i walked out [With the original intention of just quitting] but i went into my car, cooled down for 10 minutes, before i for some unknown reason just went into a huge rage and had a panic attack.

Ive never been so scared in my life, my left arm had intense pins and needles and i couldnt breathe, i thought i was having a heart attack, luckily i had my phone with me so i called for help from my manager. All a wee-bit scary it was. Ive been given a bit of time off work now, but man, really has me worried now

 

[Xtro]

Hmm you do sound pretty stressed but haven't you been having shit with work for ages?

As for the headache thing, same here - but it's usually if someone is a shit driver that I will get the headache (stop/start with the brakes etc). I am NOT a happy passenger

Get well soon anyways.

 

[TdC]

yarr Greylet, I used to get sick as a dog in cars as a kid. I recall that it would always happen unless I had a fresh airflow to the face or sat in the front pax seat for some reason. otherwise it was puking heaven. Once, in a taxi to Heathrow about 25 years ago, we got stuck in congestion in London inner city for some odd reason and the closed up stuffy cab made me go carsick instantly and I puked all over my mum and into my wee kiddies bag that I was carrying

Nowadays it doesn't happen to me so much because I can distract myself / sit in front and/or bitch until someone opens a bloody window. Recently though I was sitting in the back of my brother in law's car, which contained 4 wet adults and a wet dog, had all the windows closed and the bloody heating turned up ( ). That certainly needed some serious meditation before I could psych the nausea away (mostly because all dogs (especially wet ones), wasps and mosquitos must dissapear from this good earth. when I am king I shall make it so)


As to the other thing, I don't really know what to say that could aid you. There are people on the forums who are far more experienced that I in matters such as these. I certainly hope one or two of them will post some advice. Having said that, going to a gym or out on my bike once in a while never fails to keep me well chilled in the noggin. Listen to your GP, but also if you absolutely don't agree with the bloke you certainly can tell him/her so. Those people are out to help you but that doesn't make them all-knowing eh.

 

[Gumbo]

I don't get car sick, or sea sick (handy really as I run a boatyard), but I am increasingly getting motion sick when playing FPS Games, to the point I tend to avoid them entirely now.

Sorry Gray, that doesn't help much, but good luck and chin up and stuff

 

[phazey]

The pins and needles in the left arm is sometimes caused by Angina - which in turn can be fired off by stress/high blood pressure events. i have it and constantly my little finger is buzzing....quitting smoking helped, but i still get these attacks every so often.

As for car sickness, my wife suffers a lot, she carrys around one of those Eucalyptus/menthol/camphor inhalers she regularly stuff up her nose. apparently, it really helps.

 

[Moriath]

The pins and needles were as a result of the adrenolin rushing round your system not angina.

Panic attack is just a Rush of adrenalin (fight or flight drug) in the wrong circumstances. I have been having these problems for about 10 months now and trying to retrain my fight or flight instinct to stop it happening when there is no threat.

Mostly can be cause by stress. There are a few things the doctors can suggest from mild tranq's (rarely ) like diazepam to beta blockers to cognative behavioural therapy to exercise and a combination of all these.

The best thing to try and remember (but its hard when you are having one of these episodes) is that its only an adrenalin rush and it will pass in time and it wount do you any harm and try to stay calm.

Some people pay a lot of money for an adrenaliun rush like that

 

[Calaen]

Any sailor will tell you take some ginger

It is known for its ability to help stop nausea.

 

[Guest]

get your eyes tested if you havent done already, the nausea is because of the signals your eyes are giving to your brain, it gets confused so it doesnt really know where you are and tries to compensate, but doesnt do it very well.

see technical info below

Motion sickness can result when there is a mismatch between these different systems. If the brain gets conflicting information from the ears and eyes or joints, the histamine receptors in the vomiting centers of the brain may be stimulated to slow down the movement of the GI tract. Even the sight of food can be unpleasant. The brain wants the body to take a break until it can figure things out.

sit in the front of the car and concentrate on the road just as if your were driving that always helps me, and i get sea sick on a pedalo.......

 

[Earl]

While we're here lets see if anybody can help diagnose what my doctor has failed to diagnose for the past 1.5years.

Started off with headaches and nausia not last christmas but christmas before. Then they went after I got tablets. But still felt sick/was being sick and had huge stomach pains.

The sickness is still with me, I don't vomit nowadays, but back then I was vomiting all time. Its worse when I wake up, worse after/while im eating, and never seems to go away. Its the bane of my life at the moment. Stomach pains not too bad lately, but I can feel it, its more of a dull annoyance rather than a sharp "ow this hurts" pain.

I've had a camera down, and CT scan, both show nothing.

Its really really horrible feeling sick ALL the time. Makes me feel awfull and really demotivated.

As far as I know im not stressed, im doing fine at college, im on target to get the grades I need for uni (although failing maths but dont need that )
Discuss.

 

[Moriath]

Could be drepession or I have heard of stomachmigraines but im really stabbing in the dark

HOpe it gets better soon

 

[Will]

There are a few things the doctors can suggest from mild tranq's (rarely ) like diazepam to beta blockers to cognative behavioural therapy to exercise and a combination of all these.

Tick. A combination of exercise and diet change worked for me, the CBT was a nice bonus but i was already on the level. Betablockers were a good short term fix, but they caused me problems with cycling, I couldn't force my heart rate very high and got bad lactic debt quicker than I should have done.

While we're here lets see if anybody can help diagnose what my doctor has failed to diagnose for the past 1.5years.

Total guess, but it could be lactose intolerance. The symptoms aren't far off what Kirsty had. Changing to goats milk helped a lot. If its lactose intolerance, try drinking some double cream. If you aren't sick, it probably isn't that.

 

[Gumbo]

Any sailor will tell you take some ginger

It is known for its ability to help stop nausea.

The only sure-fire way to cure sea-sickness is to go and sit under a tree.

 

[DaGaffer]

In other news though, in a few days im seeing the doctor for apparent stress-related illness. I got somewhat pissed off in work so i walked out [With the original intention of just quitting] but i went into my car, cooled down for 10 minutes, before i for some unknown reason just went into a huge rage and had a panic attack.

Ive never been so scared in my life, my left arm had intense pins and needles and i couldnt breathe, i thought i was having a heart attack, luckily i had my phone with me so i called for help from my manager. All a wee-bit scary it was. Ive been given a bit of time off work now, but man, really has me worried now

Check your caffeine intake. I had a couple of weird episodes just before I left to go travelling - vivid dreams, a panic attack,pins and needles, waking up with a racing heart etc. Doctor did some tests and my heart was fine but he found an issue with liver function; as it turns out I was taking in shitloads of caffeine and not really realising it (coffee on the way to work, coffee at work, coke when I was playing games at home etc.). Stopped all caffeine for a month and the problem immediately stopped and liver function went back to normal. Now I limit myself to one coffee a day and have no problems; although I also have very little stress right now anyway

 

[TdC]

Stopped all caffeine for a month and the problem immediately stopped and liver function went back to normal.

did you get headaches from the stopping Gaff matey?

 

[Gray]

Hmm i dont drink heavy amounts of coffee, maybe only 1-2 cups a day, and thats only while i would be at work. As for the fizzy drinks side i have been off those for about 4-5 months and just pretty much drink water all day as opposed to coke for instance.

On the past few occasions of being the passenger, i have been wearing my glasses that were prescribed to me a few years ago. Previous to this i didnt wear my glasses [This was also when my eyes was skewed]. I find it very difficult to read any type of text or concentrate on something over a period of time.

And it doesnt matter who the driver is: A few days ago i was the passenger in an IAM Instructor [Advanced Motorist] car and i felt it then, then today i was down in Manchester and was with some crazy bastard who was driving and i still felt it niggling away at me

When the panic attack started, the only reason that i shit myself was because of the pins and needles it was so intense, more intense than i ever had it, and it clicked to me straight away that something with the heart could be happening. My dads side of the family all had serious heart problems, and the cause of my dads death prior to the heart attack was infact heart disease - So this was going through my head at the time of the attack, not making it any easier.

The doctors said to phone them tomorrow so i maybe lucky to get an afternoon appointment, so im game for that, and just incase i messup by not exactly mentioning everything that has been affecting me, i may write it all down and present it... Just see it happening though where im sat on some Whacko doctors chair spilling eveything. Eeeeeeep.

 

[DaGaffer]

did you get headaches from the stopping Gaff matey?

Like you wouldn't believe for about a fortnight, then they went away. Problem is I'm now sort of sensitised towards caffeine; one Red Bull in a club and I'll be buzzing for hours.

 

[mycenae]

as regards the panic attacks and pins and needles...
certainly see a Doc, as while it COULD just be a panic attack, pins and needles in the left arm can also signify problems with the ticker, and thats not some thing you want to leave unchecked. Cognitive behavioural therapy can really help if its stress related or panic attacks, and its ceetainly the first thing i would suggest as its better for you and more long term effective than tablets and medication.
As regards the nausea.....
i'm one of these lucky people who can read in the car and doesn;t get sick, the only place i go get sick is in a boat, and the only way I have found to combat that is fresh air, so thats always a good option. Ginger certianly works as well, even mythbusters have done an investigation into this by making their very own vomit chair and seeing how long people who were reknowned to get very car sick could last in it. travelsick meds worked for 20 mins or so, the wristbands didn't work at all, and the ginger kept both of them from even feeling unwelll, even when they did a double blind test with a placebo.
In terms of every day nausea and stomach pain.....
its possible you could be lactose intolerant, though if you have had a camera down recently, this should have showed up as the lactose damages your villi and they would have seen this. its also possible that you might be coeliac, which is a gluten intolerance and presents with very similar symptoms. the best way to ascertain either of these things is with an exclusion diet. get yourself a good multivitamin so you won't be short of anything and prepare to eat very boring food for a while. Basically, you start out by only drinking water and eating something very plain, like boiled white rice or potatoes, and eat little and often. If you have no adverse effects, you introduce something else, like plain grilled chicken or white fish. Then so on and so forth. If you suddenly get a huge increase in symptoms after one type of food, its possible that you have become intolerant/allergic to it, though this can only be properly confirmed by an allergy test which your doctor could organise for you. If you already have an inkling that its lactose or gluten (wheat) related, just try exclusing one of these at a time from your diet and see how you go.
I know you said you didn't think it was stress related, but sometimes i will feel incredibly nauseated for no reason, only to later realise that its beause i was feeling an extreme of emotion about something that i hadn't necessarily picked up on earlier. I have a paranoia about throwing up, and if i think it might happen, i panic, start to hyperventilate and it becomes a vicious circle, so i have tried to teach myself to meditate my way through it - also something you could try. From a purely medical point of view, and wihtout wishing to disgust you, check what goes in and what comes out, from both ends. IE, if you throw up, check if there is blood in it,( fresh will be red, old blood will look like fresh coffee grounds, which could be indicative of an ulcer), and when you poo, check it for blood and/or any abnormal signs, for example, is it excessivly greasy, mucousy, hard, soft, smelly, lack of, too much etc etc etc....i know its not the nicest thing in the world, but it something the docs will ask you.
If you want anything else answered, feel free to pm me....I'm not a dr, but i am a nurse!

 

[Will]

My first symptom when my anxiety gets bad is loss of balance, so its very possible the two things are related.

 

[Earl]

Trying not to hijack the thread, but luck would have it the consultant from BUPA (we pay directly not through taxation, this makes them competent!) phoned up and I have excess stomach acid being produced from when I wake up till I sleep, so a few weeks of acid resistant tablets and I should be feeling better.

1.5 years i've felt sick, so it'll be nice if it works!

 

[TdC]

hope you feel better Earl. a year and a half of feeling ill isn't particularly a laughing matter tbh :/

Gray, if you think writing everything down will help you to help the doc to help you (if you follow me), then by all means do so. you're the only person who knows exactly what you were feeling, and a little preparation never hurt anyone.

 

[Tom]

Yay for mobile phone browsers. To avoid car sickness just point your eyes in the direction of travel.

 

[SilverHood]

I used to get sick as a duck when travelling in a car or bus when younger.

The main thing I did was "learn" to fall asleep while driving. Put me in a back seat and I can fall asleep within minutes. Once I sleep, or once I've slept, I no longer get sick.

The main that made me sick, was the smell of the car. Often the plastic or leather seats would make me feel nautious. The solution was to bring something that smelled nice along, like a bit of lavender soap or some fruity sweets.
These days, I rarely feel sick, but as Tom said, focus on the direction of travel, and take deep breaths.

You wouldn't by any chance have / had problems with ear infections when you were little or even recently?

I have 2 brothers, and 1 of them had big problems with his ears when little, like me, and he gets car sick really badly. Might be some connection.

Speaking of car sickness, does anyone know why I can't read a book while in the back seat of a car bus, or even on a plane, without feeling like im gonna puke?

.SH

 

[TdC]

does anyone know why I can't read a book while in the back seat of a car bus, or even on a plane, without feeling like im gonna puke?

I suppose it is because your built in balance and motion sensors are feeling motion whereas your eyes are perceiving you to be still. Humans can become nauseous when their center of gravity is no longer over their feet, or when there is no clear perception of "down". I gather you can counter the effect (or at least try) by periodically looking out the window or reminding yourself that you are in motion by other means. Also, what always worked for me was air blowing in my face. Might work for you too.

 

[mycenae]

people get sick when they try to read whilst in motion becuase of an imbalance in the middle ear, which is where your balance and motion sensors are. Your sensors will be telling you you're moving, while ur eyes will be disagreeing, and the discrepancy is what makes you nauseous. As others have said, fresh air nearly always helps, as it combats unpleasant smells which some poeple claim to be a problem, and also will give you the sensation of movement.

 

[Gray]

So anyway got back from the doctor about an hour or so ago, i dont know, i still feel as empty as i did before i went in didnt really change too much. I know a few month ago when i went over some small issue when i was ill, i spoke to a woman doctor who took an interest in everything [She knew my dad and stuff].

But today, male doctor... I dont know, it just didnt feel too right or something so that so caled list i made up didnt even get mentioned wholly. He said the waiting list for a shrink is like 6months or so via the NHS, so i guess now i have an option of doing that, or going private... But anyone know the pricing on this to dare such a thing?

He did offer drugs, but i said not at the moment - Plus he said the drugs while they do help, dont get to the bottom of the issue what is happening at the moment which is fair as well.

He has given me a sicknote for a month off work so texted my manager with all the information. Hm

 

[Moriath]

I went to a shrink last year and it was about 180 quid for an initial assessment and then something like 100 -120 per 1 hour session after that

I got health insurance so they mostly paid for it

no work schemes or anything i guess or private health insurance

i got put in to see nhs shrink last august or so and havent heard anything back from them yet :?

 

[mycenae]

you could try investigating whether yor gp has a psychologist attached to the surgery....mine do. And make another appt to go back and see the female doc you felt a connection with.....it'll be worth it.

 

[Ch3tan]

He has given me a sicknote for a month off work so texted my manager with all the information. Hm

Do yourself a favour, call your boss and explain.

And find out which doctors work out of your surgery, you should be able to book an appointment with the female one you saw last time.

 

[Gray]

In a quick update on this, since the original post i [thankfully] havent had any other panic attacks but theres still that feeling of "emptiness" inside. Work did have a Councillor-Employee program setup which was a huge bonus.

I did specifically ask them to find me someone local as well as a female [Same as with the doctor] because i find id be more open with them, few days later they said they found someone in Warrington [not far!] who was female, but then they called back saying im going to the Centre of Liverpool [Not so fun] to see a guy. That knocked me down a little bit.

Anyway, were authorised for 4 sessions with the option of maybe increasing the number of sessions, but i just dont know. Because this is a councillor with work, and not someone i would usually spill the beans out too, but in a way i felt forced in giving the information because i didnt feel open - but i didnt want to waste the time of everyone so i gave all that i could.

My next [and final] session is 2 weeks from now because the councillor is on holiday, and since the "sickness" occured i have recieved 2 sicknotes from my doctor which will last upto the middle of July. I have been keeping in contact with work about this, where i have weekly meetings with my manager [And someone else as a witness] and what i have been told recently kinda threw me off guard.

They want me to return to work [Obviously, since theyre still paying my wages and what not] and keep asking when. I gave them a plan of the hours etc i would LIKE to work, which will probably be accepted, but the return to work date has not yet been clarified by me - Simply because i dont feel any different yet.

However, i have been off on sick for about a month and a half / 2 months now, and work are saying "if by next week you dont decide when you want to return, we're passing this onto another department - HR. It will be then upto them whether they accept your sickness, or release you from your work contract".

So im now backed into a corner again, i know originally i was saying how i disliked the work and stuff, but since my sickness two things have drastically changed: The call stats are now way more leniant and understanding, i had a first look at them and did agree with them, and also secondly was my team coach isnt my team coach anymore, she has been changed with someone else, so thats another added benefit.

But i dont feel ready. I am to see my doctor over this again maybe in a few days [Since my councillor isnt around] i just dont know yet what i can do to get into the motivation and confidence bit, while this councillor is nice and everything, i dont feel any improvement wholy on how i feel - But my doctor has put me on the NHS Waiting List [About 4-5month wait] but work is now breathing down my neck.

Im somewhat stuck. Eee...