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Original poster

Dizziness after driving.. has anyone ever experienced this ...

33 replies

Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 14:30

Hi

First Post on MN. Posting here in the hope someone may recognise what could be going on.

Got a new car on Tuesday. After driving it both Tuesday, Wednesday and today I have terrible dizziness & nausea that is lasting hours upon hours. It's actually unbearable.. I feel ill with it. The car is quite powerful and I have a feeling it has something to maybe do with that.

I have never felt like this with a car. I'm quite certain there's no fumes coming from car causing it as my daughter is fine after being in car.

Bit of background.. I have idiopathic intracranial hypertension, although it is slowly but surely improving. Driving has never affected me in terms of this condition.

Has anyone ever experienced nausea & dizziness after driving and if so was there anything that helped? I feel abit daft calling a doctor (they very much fob you off where I am) but I am considering going to a chemist for some motion sickness tablets.

OP posts:
Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 14:31

Dizziness & nausea after driving.. anyone ever experienced it?

OP posts:
UnconditionalSurrender · 10/03/2022 14:41

I suffer from motion sickness and vertigo and things that can cause it in a car are if the window is too curved and my driving position means there is a reflection or the view is slightly distorted or does it have a new car plasticky smell. I have to keep the windows open for days as the plastic smell makes me feel sick and dizzy- like new carpets or smelly paint. Or if the ride of the car is too hard- for example the seat is too flat so that there is no absorption of the motion so you are rolling a lot more than you used to.

LottyD32 · 10/03/2022 14:43

I'd the car brand new? You are supposed to air them for so many hours aren't you?

Oakdog · 10/03/2022 14:49

Agree that new car smells would definitely make me feel like that. Other than that, I've had this happen in car's where the ride is too smooth, if that makes sense. Expensive cars, especially if they're slightly higher vehicles. Fortunately, we can only afford old bangers so it hasn't been a problem recently Grin

Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 15:07

Thank you so much for your replies.
The car is 3 years old so it doesn't have that new smell too it. I have driven both old and brand new cars in the past and none have ever made me feel the way I do at the moment. It is really strange. I have just been to chemist and all they could give me was travel sickness tablets, need to see a doctor for vertigo tablets so I won't feel as daft going to the doctor about it now. The car is a smooth ride but iv had smooth cars before and it didn't cause this. The only thing I can think it might be is the power of the car, its flying off when I pull away - I'm working on that (not as much pressure on accelerator)

Was just interested in of anyone else suddenly felt dizzy/nauseous with driving a different car.

Thank you.

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SoupDragon · 10/03/2022 15:12

I've had it as a passenger in cars but never as a driver. I assumed it was "just" motion sickness.

FangsForTheMemory · 10/03/2022 15:17

Lots of viruses can cause vestibular problems. I would say it's quite possible you've got a virus, but the effects of it are only noticeable when you're driving. Have you tried being in another car or a bus?

JodieFoster1 · 10/03/2022 15:24

No, I’ve been driving for 30 years, different cars, new and old, never had that. I do get car sick as a passenger occasionally and sea sick.

No helpful suggestions I’m afraid but did want to make it clear it’s definitely not normal. Hope you get to the bottom of it.

TheElusivePotato · 10/03/2022 15:25

I saw the title of your thread and the first thing it made me think of was when I had a CSF leak and the driving position was one of the worst things for making me feel unwell, so it could be linked to your IH? Could you try adjusting the seat to a better position and see if that helps?

cultkid · 10/03/2022 15:28

Is it rear wheel drive or all wheel drive and you're used to front wheel drive

My husband had a three series that was rear wheel drive and everyone including him was travel sick in it

What car is it

Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 15:53

Just worked out how to reply to people individually ..

@FangsForTheMemory I was in someone else's car on Tuesday and did notice I felt abit woozy but I have had travel sickness before when being a passenger albeit normally on longer journeys. Didn't think much of it. Only when getting home Tuesday night with my own car (which was literally a 10min drive) did I feel rubbish. As the days have went on and I have driven it abit more its definitely driving the car that is making me feel so ill.

@TheElusivePotato csf leak is not something I considered. I did have a lumbar puncture in April last year and also 25cm of fluid drained from my skull. Could be a possibility maybe.. I never considered it. I had a check up on Monday and my IH is near all but gone.. still abit of fluid there but minimal they said.

@cultkid I'm not sure if it is rear or front wheel drive. It is a 68 plate Kia Rio 1.0 T GDi 2.

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Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 15:55

Thank you to everyone who has replied so far. I don't feel as daft anymore contacting a doctor tomorrow.

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Bramshott · 10/03/2022 16:03

Where did you buy the car from and do you have a cooling off period? If so, I'd be strongly tempted to return it.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 10/03/2022 16:06

I always take a few minutes to “equalise” after driving - can’t stand up straight away. I’m very motion sick as a passenger though so imagine it’s connected.

Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 16:16

@Bramshott it has crossed my mind but iv had such a hassle with the car it's not something I want to do to be honest. They sold me a faulty car, it spent alot of time in the garage, they eventually bought it back off me and I got this one on Tuesday.. iv had to go weeks without a car because it spent so much time in the garage so handing it back is something I'm hoping to avoid if possible.

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Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 16:20

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing when I have had travel sickness as anpasseneger it normally wears off within 30mins of getting out the car. I last drove at 11am this morning and I still feel terribly dizzy and nauseous. It's so strange. I have never had travel sickness or anything like it when I have been the actual driver. Its making it unbearable to drive at the moment.

OP posts:
LadyinRead · 10/03/2022 16:23

Is the front axle uneven by any chance?

Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 16:32

@LadyinRead would that by any chance cause a slight vibration when the car is idle? If so then yes it may be uneven. I noticed a slight vibration today coming up through the seats and through the steering wheel when the car was idle.

OP posts:
TerriblyNaice · 10/03/2022 16:52

I would suggest that it's something to do with your neck.
If the car is more powerful, possibly you're jerking your neck when first accelerating.

It could also be the position of the headrest.

Footballschmootball · 10/03/2022 16:57

Does it have a hanging air freshener? They make me feel like that

Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 17:22

@TerriblyNaice my neck has jerked a few times because of the power when pulling away or when speeding up on faster roads. I did think of that myself.

@Footballschmootball no because they also make me feel sick and give me headaches.

Might just be a case of trying to get used to it and easing off the accelerator as much as possible.

OP posts:
junglejane66 · 10/03/2022 18:04

@Greyarea12

Thank you so much for your replies. The car is 3 years old so it doesn't have that new smell too it. I have driven both old and brand new cars in the past and none have ever made me feel the way I do at the moment. It is really strange. I have just been to chemist and all they could give me was travel sickness tablets, need to see a doctor for vertigo tablets so I won't feel as daft going to the doctor about it now. The car is a smooth ride but iv had smooth cars before and it didn't cause this. The only thing I can think it might be is the power of the car, its flying off when I pull away - I'm working on that (not as much pressure on accelerator)

Was just interested in of anyone else suddenly felt dizzy/nauseous with driving a different car.

Thank you.

A Kia Rio 1.0 isnt really powerful - only 99 bhp, 0-60 is 10 seconds, hardly fast.
BorsetshireBanality · 10/03/2022 18:13

Carbon monoxide leak from exhaust?

Had this from a work pool car - gave me a terrible headache and slightly bloodshot eyes.

Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 18:19

GTI is what is making it feel powerful. For me, it is feeling powerful compared to every other car I have driven.. i notice the difference in power when pulling away and when on faster roads.

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Original poster
Greyarea12 · 10/03/2022 18:23

@borsetshireBanality I kinda ruled out any leaks just because my daughter is fine when she is in the car and afterwards. Might be worth having it checked for leaks though I think.

OP posts: