Are you able to drive?

dhube32

dhube32

Messages
20
I'm still able to drive. Although I do find that it makes my muscle pain/joint stiffness worse if going long distances. I've also noticed that it increases my vision issues and makes my eyes feel very strained and out of focus lately. But I push through those symptoms as I can't imagine have to rely on others to transport me all the time.
 
Diwi9

Diwi9

Administrator
Messages
1,780
Location
USA
With PEM = No...can't hardly get out of bed.

Normal days = Very little.

Like others, I often struggle with depth perception and concentration. At times I cannot focus on my speed, where I'm going, and other drivers around me. I must focus on the color of the light at an intersection, while I'm passing through it, I'm unable to remember what color the light was. It's too scary for me sometimes.
 
H

Hotch

Hotch
Messages
43
Location
Sydney nosw Australia
I hadn't driven for 8 months until last week. Reason was lack of concentration/ awareness made it very unsafe. Sometimes not noticing lights at all. I also would get confused about which was the accelerator and brake. The shock of going through a red light or accelerating when meaning to brake a few times gave me PEM. I am just so thankful I didn't cause an accident. Drove on back streets 10 mins to drs last week and was ok on way there but on way home had noticeably less awareness.
 
Kinesis

Kinesis

Messages
66
I can if I'm feeling well enough, for short distances. But last time I tried to drive into town for a dr appt. I crashed so hard I couldn't write well enough to circle questions on the paperwork. They didn't have a wheelchair in the clinic, and I was unable to remain standing so i kinda flopped my way to the elevator over fifteen minutes or so, building strength for each flop. Took almost three weeks to recover enough to feel I could drive again.

I lent my car to a friend and now he drives me to appointments. Being a passenger hurts, but at least I can fill out my own paperwork. >_>
 
Marigold7

Marigold7

Senior Member
Messages
430
Driving keeps me sane and happy. The drivng seat is the only really comfortable seat I hve and moving without pain is sheer bliss and freedom. NEVER take codeine etc within 8 hours of driving. I m in deep rural Ireland and a place of sheer beauty that feeds my soul. I am out about every ten days, do my shopping, picnic, etc and sure , totally exhausted etc but worth it.
 
hellytheelephant

hellytheelephant

Senior Member
Messages
1,140
Location
S W England
I was learning to drive when I 'crashed' big time 3.5 years ago. I have a mobility scooter, but am unable to drive it a lot of the time due to exhaustion. I find the combination of sitting upright and having to think about traffic/which button to press/where I am heading always leads to crash. I do have to take Tramadol in order to go out, which adds to the problems(!) and I usually find after 10 mins of driving I am reversing when I should be accelerating etc. I cannot imagine being able to drive a car..
 
I

Invisible Woman

Senior Member
Messages
1,267
I don't drive very often these days - haven't driven for months. Before I became ill (a long time ago now) I used to drive a lot & quite long distances too.

In a "good" phase I do drive a bit. Not very often and tend to be short journeys.

I use an automatic car - in a manual I have problems with my left leg if I need to do a lot of repeated clutch work and also with my left hand because the repeated grip release - moving from steering wheel to gear knob and back.

Another advantage of an automatic is that your brain has one less thing to worry about in terms of gear changes. However you do have to be very careful in 20mph zones as none of the automatics I have driven "like" going that slow constantly.

I avoid driving at busy times because constant stop start will cause problems with my right leg moving between the accelerator and brake.

The seats in my car are very comfortable and have great support - this helps too.

If I haven't driven for a while then I don't go out unsupervised. My husband comes with me and he has my full permission to ask me to pull over if he feels I am not sharp enough. Or I can pull over and ask him to drive if I feel it is too much.
 
ryan31337

ryan31337

Senior Member
Messages
664
Location
South East, England
Lissyleigh said:
No one else gets the muscular issues/exercise intolerance while driving?
Click to expand...

Hi @Lissyleigh,

Usually driving just wears me out cognitively, though I can get a bit of a sore leg after a long drive - not particularly unusual for someone not used to it I'm sure.

More recently I have noticed on worse days that I can find it a bit of strain to keep my arms up at '10 & 2' on the wheel. Similarly its on those days that I find stairs much more difficult, with more effort required to lift the legs. My eyes tend to suffer on these days too, so getting checked by a neuromuscular specialist later in the year.

Ryan
 
I

Invisible Woman

Senior Member
Messages
1,267
Yeah, as @ryan31337 says driving is cognitively exhausting. Much as I love it and even if i am okay while driving, I do have to allow for the cognitive aftermath.

I had also forgotten, because I don't drive much anymore, the arm ache at the 10 and 2. My hands usually ended up at the 9 and 15 instead!
 
A

arewenearlythereyet

Senior Member
Messages
1,478
I can drive comfortably for around an hour. 2 hr drives are doable but need pacing other activities around the carefully planned journey. When I was working I used to plan extra time to my journey so I could take a rest break for 20 mins when I got to my destination ...just cranked the passenger seat down to horizontal and closed down. Any more than this and it's fairly safe bet I will crash. I find motorway driving the worse, since there's so many other drivers to keep your eye on. I also get the arm ache and left leg ache afterwards.

If I'm foggy or anything my wife tends to do the driving...when she is not tired from her thyroid. I've started using the train for longer journeys if I have to go alone. Managed a 5 hour journey with a change at London ...no problem.....trick is to pack light !
 
Marigold7

Marigold7

Senior Member
Messages
430
I could drive forever, but with the way my joints and muscles are, getting out of the car for petrol or.. needful purposes.. is an embarrassing and painful thing. Thankfully my very old car has high seats.
 
Dechi

Dechi

Senior Member
Messages
1,454
I can drive without any problems. I wouldn't try it when my symptoms are severe but other than that it's fine.
 
Zombie_Lurker

Zombie_Lurker

Messages
42
Location
USA
Invisible Woman said:
I don't drive very often these days - haven't driven for months. ...
If I haven't driven for a while then I don't go out unsupervised. My husband comes with me and he has my full permission to ask me to pull over if he feels I am not sharp enough. Or I can pull over and ask him to drive if I feel it is too much.
Click to expand...

I have the same setup with my wife. I rarely drive anymore due to cognitive problems & energy issues, but always with my wife to supervise and take over if I need her to. She also has to remind me sometimes where we are going, too.:p
 
L

Lissyleigh

Messages
86
It;s funny as the cognitive issues and fatigue were never the main problem for me. It was being unable to use my legs. I changed to an automatic but unfortunately even that was too much. My legs would go weak and fluey after a very short time and my body would go into a kind of shock with heart pounding etc. Any sort of sustained movement such as hitting peddles a lot makes me really ill. I'm wondering if it's more a pots than an m.e issue since my heart is affected and it seems very few people with m.e experience exercise intolerance this severe.
 
N

NelliePledge

Senior Member
Messages
807
I can drive up to 60 miles to visit family. I drive that distance in middle of the day when I'm at my best. I always stay overnight and return the following day or 2 days later. I once got stuck in a traffic jam for 45 minutes during a journey that takes around an hour and when I arrived had to go to bed for 3 hours. Since getting ill have bought a new car with automatic rather than manual gearbox which is much less challenging to drive especially in traffic. But I regularly have to cancel trips when I'm having worse symptoms. Mine are mainly pain and lack of energy and I only get brain fog when at my worst. I get my shopping delivered so I'm not reliant on driving to the supermarket. Like everything else driving has to be managed through pacing.

I have managed a train journey of 1h 20 to visit family over 100 miles away etting dropped off and picked up at the station. Total journey time around 3hours. Again it was one way and I didn't return for a couple of days. I also had to go to bed on arrival for a couple of hours The drive would have taken around 3-4 hours so well beyond my limit. Driving for 1 h is easier than that train journey because the seat is comfortable I can control my own aircon and no fellow passengers making noise.
 
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