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Do anyone else's POTS symptoms flare up in the car?

Messages
22
When I'm in a car (driving or riding), sometimes my POTS symptoms flare up like crazy - my heart starts racing, I get chest pain, nauseous, and dizzy. It always happens on long trips (over an hour) but sometimes even on short trips after only twenty minutes or so in the car. If I pull over and stop the car for a while, things gradually calm down until I resume driving again.

Does this happen to anyone else? Does anyone know why it happens or what I can do about it?
 

LisaGoddard

Senior Member
Messages
284
I get faint and nauseous especially in new cars but I think that is because of the smell and the motion. Strong smells and movement do that to me. Not sure that helps any?
 

halcyon

Senior Member
Messages
2,482
I get chest tightness and increased shortness of breath or even bad air hunger when riding in the car. My vestibular function is screwy thanks to my enterovirus infection, so I don't know if it's the motion that causes it or what.

Sadly I have no idea what to do about it. I just don't go anywhere.
 
Messages
2
I get this all the time, Thought I was the only one. However, I'm not sure if I have POTS/wasn't aware that's what it is. I'm usually fine for the beginning of the car ride, then I start getting numbness/tingling in my feet/hands/face, dizziness, my heart races, I have difficulty breathing and see spots in my eyes. My boyfriend lives almost an hour away and every time I visit him this happens so he had to start picking me up instead.

Not really sure what to do to make it better and when I mentioned it to my doctor (neurologist) he didn't have much to say about it. Maybe it's an issue with movement, but I never had any type of motion sickness before CFS.