Are you able to drive?

[ryan31337]

Yes I can manage short journeys. 20-30 minutes won't ruin me, but much more and it'll cause multi-day PEM. Also find night-time and driving in traffic especially tiring/difficult.

Years ago, at onset (at my worst), just being a passenger for 30 minutes would destroy me. Total sensory overload.

 

[Sushi]

Yesterday I had to drive in pouring rain, dark sky, terrible visibility. I had some yellow clip on glasses, put them on and everything was so much clearer, lane markings, signs everything. Worth a try for those bothered by low vision situations.

 

[*GG*]

Yesterday I had to drive in pouring rain, dark sky, terrible visibility. I had some yellow clip on glasses, put them on and everything was so much clearer, lane markings, signs everything. Worth a try for those bothered by low vision situations.

Yeah, I wear glasses like that on low sun days when hunting. Makes things "crisper".

GG

 

[ahmo]

Very grateful that I can drive. Generally only locally for my weekly errands. No crashing just from driving.

 

[Jessie~]

I can, but not like I used to.... Shorter distances, slower speed, and sometimes I pay for it afterwards. I also try to avoid driving in the dark now as I find this very difficult.

I do on a good day. I find it less exhausting than doing cognitive work but I still wouldn't drive for long periods frequently. Driving in traffic is worse than driving on country roads. I wouldn't drive in a big city or on a crowded freeway.

Yes I can manage short journeys. 20-30 minutes won't ruin me, but much more and it'll cause multi-day PEM. Also find night-time and driving in traffic especially tiring/difficult.

I drive but it is the cumulative effort of driving and doing whatever tasks/appointments that take me away from home, that is tiring, rather that driving specifically.

Ditto!
I also avoid driving in bad weather and at busy times of the day as much as possible. If I am going to drive, I have to avoid taking some of my medications too, in order to be safe. If certain body areas and muscles are in really bad spasm and I cannot move them(neck and shoulders for example), that trumps everything and makes it impossible for me to drive.

I used to be a road trip queen. I also enjoyed just going for a local drive in the country. And I could share the driving and do my 4-8 hour shift on a long driving trip/vacation. Not anymore.

 

[me/cfs 27931]

Legally, yes I can drive. Doctors don't seem to care.

When my elderly father developed frontotemporal dementia and was clearly unsafe behind the wheel, we were unable to get his drivers license taken away. So I would be extremely surprised to lose my drivers license.

A decade ago, I told a psychologist my legs weren't working properly and sometimes I'd try to push the brake pedal but my leg wouldn't respond or would respond delayed. He said it was all in my head. I just needed to overcome my fear of driving.

I never went back to see him.

Is it a good idea to drive with eye focus problems, coordination problems, visual processing problems and relentless brain fog? Probably not.

So I don't drive, except on rare occasions on uncrowded streets with few distractions. I have no desire to injure anyone, including myself.

 

[Strawberry]

I can drive. But I need my left elbow touching my tummy as I can't hold it up. Right arm is stronger, but when it is safe (25 mph or less) I hold the steering wheel at 5 and 7 on a clock so my elbows are resting.

When I have been driving too long (about 30 minutes), my right foot starts to go numb. It makes it hard to sense how hard I am stepping on the gas or brake. Or if my foot is even properly ON the gas pedal and brake. So I am extra careful and pay attention to the car.

I avoid the main highway, as heavy traffic and exhaust and I am stoned when I get to work.

So thankful I still can work and drive!

 

[purrsian]

I think the most important thing to remember if you do drive is that your reaction times are probably slower than they should be. I've always kept my distance from other cars anyway, but it's so important to now. Even if I feel great, I still keep it in mind, just in case. I drive about once or twice a week and usually anything under 15 mins doesn't cause PEM, but driving further can cause it. Holding my arms up can be difficult. Usually if I'm feeling bad, I haven't planned to go out anyway, but I wouldn't be able to drive. I rely on my fiancé a lot to drive me places when not well.
I also struggle more driving at night, as it's hard for my eyes to adjust between lit up areas/oncoming headlights and then darkness. Harder to read signs too, so I try to keep to driving well-known areas if I have to drive at night.
Another thing I keep in mind is that anytime you feel bad, just pull over and take a break for a few mins. If you're late to where you need to be, so what, it's better late than having a crash.

 

[Glycon]

I was unable to drive even before ME/CFS. I am way too inattentive and impulsive (thanks to ADHD) for it to ever be safe.

These days, I sometimes have difficulty crossing the street safely, or using public transportation. Driving? LOL

 

[L'engle]

I make attempts to simplify the driving process by not listening to music, and asking any passengers not to talk too much. The roads out here aren't too busy and I avoid the worst times.

 

[Little Bluestem]

Driving itself doesn't bother me. I can do it for hours. I do avoid big cities and busy freeways.

I might well be doing that even if I didn't have ME. I am now living in a very rural area and have few occasions for driving in heavy traffic. The last time I tried it, after several years of not doing so, I felt "out of my element" so I don't do it anymore.

The problem is that i am usually driving somewhere to do something. This is what brings on the PEM.

 

[Angel27]

I can still drive, but I find that the stress of it makes me crash for a few days, so I don't do it often.

 

[Glycon]

I can still drive, but I find that the stress of it makes me crash for a few days, so I don't do it often.

"crash"

heh

 

[flybro]

We could no longer afford to keep car after bedroom tax and high energy bills.

However I had pretty much stopped driving anyway.

Hire car is problematic, very scary too, getting used to unkown car. I took two prednisone and was able to drive 200miles, only 1 stop for wee. I used prednisone, high increase in pain meds, astma puffer, and sleeping meds, to get through the next 7days, after which I had to be driven back home, so nearly 400 mile round trip for family member.

The result was massive symptom flare/relapse, still not back to baseline and that was nearly 2 months back.

 

[Octopusbeak]

I find I am sensitive to the dirty environment of a car more than the physical exertion involved. For this reason I have no license, though I am considering toughing out the acquisition process so I can legally ride a scooter or similar open-air vehicle. On short trips, cycling or walking impacts my health less than driving which is difficult to explain to some. Long trips, over 20 mi say, as a passenger are pretty tiring.

Have also considered buying a vehicle and removing all upholstery, making it cleanable. I don't foresee being able to afford a car though.

 

[kiwigirl29]

I can drive but no point really as driving somewhere (even 5 mins) would use my energy for the day.

 

[Lissyleigh]

Does anyone else experience severe PEM on the muscular exertion of pressing the gas/brake pedals? I do suffer from concentration probs but these are nothing as severe as the muscular issues. When my m.e returned, I nearly crashed my car as I lost power in my legs and my whole body went fluey and shaky. It was very frightening. Driving is just out of the question for me.

 

[lauluce]

Or does driving make you crash? (this question is only to those who know what PEM is)

I tried learning to drive a few times, but I was never able to finish as I was to tired for classes. However, I don't know if I should keep attempting to learn, as I don't think I got enough concentration to ever drive safely.
My wife always takes me from place to place in her car and i really don't think I could focus enough to do what I see she does, it probably would be completely irresponsible for me to drive, as I would be putting other people on danger

 

[Solstice]

I almost wrecked the instructor's car, trying to shift . He told me i was a demolisher to his machine. So driving's not for me untill I can concentrate a lot better again.

 

[charles shepherd]

Car driving and ME/CFS;

Advice and information from the MEA, including a website poll on the subject:

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/201...-poll-on-car-driving-and-mecfs-2-august-2015/

August 2015 MEA website poll result:

• 
  Are you still driving a car following a diagnosis of ME/CFS?
  • Yes - no change (16%, 70 Votes)
    
    
  • Yes - when I feel OK to do so (41%, 183 Votes)
    
    
  • Yes - on rare occasions (10%, 44 Votes)
    
    
  • No - but I'm keeping my licence (17%, 76 Votes)
    
    
  • No - I've surrendered my licence (3%, 14 Votes)
    
    
  • No - my licence was revoked by the DVLA (1%, 3 Votes)
    
    
  • I've never driven or owned a car (11%, 49 Votes)
    
    
  • No - for other reasons (cost etc) (1%, 8 Votes)
    
    
    Total Voters: 447