Riding in car causes draining fatigue.

[WillowJ]

But exhaustion from motion alone without other symptoms is a new one to me.

I have this. But it happens everywhere, not just in a car. Airplane, my chair getting kicked accidentally, sitting on a moving table at the dentist... also any auditory sound that has a percussive effect, including MRI. But I have other symptoms in addition to exhaustion. My balance, coordination, and capacity for using language deteriorates, my vision gets worse...

I've been offered valium for procedures, but it doesn't help much. Scopolamine patch helped more. This is for motion sickness, so not unreasonable prescription for difficulty for car trips. I guess there are probably other motion sickness treatments.

Car has unique problems, though, in that there can be lots of lights that sometimes flash, sirens and loud sound systems, the stop-start and windy road problems others mentioned, as well as more general travel problems like uncomfortable seats, elevation changes, and acceleration/deceleration.

Sitting in the front seat does help as one can then anticipate what motions the car will make. also the seat tends to be bigger and I can sometimes draw up my legs for a while.

Getting migraine treated helped take the edge off, especially for lights.

difficulty breathing.

I get asthma as soon as I set foot in a car, even if it's been recently dusted, vacuumed, or even shampood. Never understood why.

 

[maryb]

@SDSue
thank you so much for your post, I now know what the name of the condition I am suffering is called
optokinetic nystagmus
I have Lyme and other infections, but this visual problem was/is driving me mad, I can't look out of the car window, seeing fence/.telegraph poles going past send my brain do- lally, I have to look away from the tv if the producer has joined the latest craze of speeding all the action up, horrendous, I honestly feel like I could have a seizure ( I pray every day that I wont) so I'm very careful to avert or close my eyes immediately. It seems to be getting worse so I know I need to get on with treating the Lyme etc. thanks for the info though

Apoilogies for hijacking the thread @Dr.Patient I do hope you can find something to help, I've actually ridden in the car with my legs supported on a couple of pillows in the front seat well, it helped my heart not to have to work so hard, obviously the passenger air bag would have to be switched off - I think?? Sunglasses always and a mask at times. So no visual stimuli, little talking, Also done the back seat journey too when unable to sit up.
I have an air filter in our car - long story - new car, horrendous situation now resolved - but do you have MCS? if so maybe the car seats, chemicals/diesel fumes? Minimate personal air filter has saved my life (not literally) in many situations.

 

[xrunner]

If anybody has this riding problem, maybe they found a way to handle this?

I used to have this when I had MCS but in addition to draining I also felt extremely unwell with palpitations. Speed was a factor and the worst was on motorways, kind of torture still vivid in my mind, just awful.
I had always thought it had to do with chemicals inside the car and consequent sympathetic overstimulation.
The only thing that helped me somewhat was driving with windows down. Then when the MCS went away, this problem went too.

 

[LivingwithFibro]

Story of my life! Have had it since childhood. Early morning journeys were a nightmare but even now in cars my bp seems to go very low, I feel like puking.

 

[helios]

I used to have this when I had MCS but in addition to draining I also felt extremely unwell with palpitations. Speed was a factor and the worst was on motorways, kind of torture still vivid in my mind, just awful.
I had always thought it had to do with chemicals inside the car and consequent sympathetic overstimulation.
The only thing that helped me somewhat was driving with windows down. Then when the MCS went away, this problem went too.

I have the same issue as you,unlike the OP. It is driving that wipes me out.short distances are fine,but anything over 40 minutes and it becomes really draining. Leaving the windows open helps me too though its hardly practical in heavy traffic,but were the traffic is reasonable or light then I do, otherwise the air-con helps as well. I have suffered from this for years and its really annoying. For me it is not a motion thing, but I'm sure an MCS thing. Out gassing of the synthetic materials in the car, maybe slight engine fume leakage back into the cabin, car exhaust and other particles stirred up by the traffic.the speed of the car does not make any difference,if anything stop start traffic is the motion type that really tires me out. As much as possible I will take public transport to work or if I drive I do my best to avoid peak hour.I wish someone had a cure for this My MCS is a somewhat better than it once was but this issue with driving wiping me out is probably the most exasperating.
xrunner - what was your big No.1 cure for recovering from MCS?

 

[xrunner]

xrunner - what was your big No.1 cure for recovering from MCS?

Hi @helios,
Friends' prayers.

This is probably not the answer you were expecting but I can't explain my recovery in any other way as I couldn't take any longer medications, supplements or treatments. It got so bad at some point that I could hardly tolerate any food and most smells, couldn't sleep in my bedroom and was lucky if I slept one or two hours per night. It started very much to look like the end of the line.

Then some friends went on a pilgrimage and prayed for me (I wasn't much of a believer at the time) following which I began having strange symptoms of "detox". After each of these "detoxing" episodes symptoms were much lower until they disappeared over a period of a few months.
Three years later I joined the same friends on that same pilgrimage. Unexpectedly and from one day to the next I became a believer, that is in Jesus Christ. If I ever needed a confirmation...

 

[Inspired]

This may sound wacky, but you might want to consider optokinetic nystagmus, which has become a big trigger for my vertigo and/or fatigue. I can no longer scroll rapidly on devices, and I've learned to block my peripheral vision when riding in a car.

I'm glad you mentioned this , Sue. This was an issue I used to have riding in the car, especially on the highway, or riding on the train. It was helpful to stare at a fixed point on the dashboard. Boring, but it helped

 

[soxfan]

I have this problem as well....it usually has to be a pretty long car ride 4 hours or more for this to happen. I have tried everything from wearing sunglasses even when not sunny....close my eyes to avoid the overstimulation....lay in the back seat.
We drive a lot from NC to NH which is about 13 hours and the following day I am totally useless. I feel exhausted and drained even though I have just been the passenger.

I could never figure out what the problem is as I don't have OI so I just assume it is the stimulation of watching the landscape...cars...etc wizzing by and overstimulatiing my brain. I have bad mental fatigue issues so this is probably what happens to me.

Plane rides are not as bad but the noise of the airports and all the stuff like security check and waiting around I believe is why....

 

[Ryan88]

I have this problem too, but for me it has to do with elevation changes (I live on the Big Island where the road varies from beach to mountain - as much as thirteen thousand feet). Also overstimulation is problematic, especially too much noise. Interesting that flying doesn't have the same effect for you. Maybe something to do with the fact the the plane is pressurized while in vehicles you have to deal with different air pressures. Just a guess.