Dizziness and depersonalisation while driving?

[PolyplaxSerrata]

DD1 has had her licence for a few years now, and at first, she was keen and drove everywhere.
After a couple of years of driving, with no major incidents, she started to have a feeling that her car wasn't moving, but everything else was. Like she was in a video game. She describes this as derealisation.
This mainly happened on motorways or dual carriageways but gradually it's got worse and worse, and now she feels she can't drive at all.
Now she is starting to get dizzy when she goes outside. She says it's worse on hills and she has to stop often when walking to work.
She's fine at uni, inside her house or at work. She also plays hockey and polo just fine, but getting to these places can be an issue.
She does have asthma and is hypermobile and has had bloods done which show nothing obvious. She also has some sight-related issues ( can't see 3d movies and has variable visual snow).
I think anxiety is involved but acknowledge that there may be something visual going that is triggering it.
She insists it's not just anxiety.
Has anyone had similar experiences?

Has she had recent eye/ ear tests? It sounds like things are off when she's moving and then ok again when staying still.

I think she needs to be checked out. A feeling of detatchment from reality could be linked to epilepsy. But it could be a form of vertigo if she gets dizzy. Theres probably a lot of things it could be. Or anxiety.

Has she been tested for visual stress? My DD now has prism lenses. She had an issue with things that looked like they were moving to her (when they really weren’t).

I had problems like this & unfortunately cannot drive anymore.

I'm also hypermobile & now have POTS & MCAS, which is often referred to a trifecta of conditions, as they commonly occur together. Anxiety is extremely common as a co-morbidity too.

Do a little research around them to see if it sounds familiar, as some people who are originally diagnosed with asthma, actually have MCAS.

We're all affected to different levels, but it's great she's still very active. Best of luck x

I had depersonalisation and derealisation including when driving many years ago - it was part of anxiety / panic disorder

I have this if I try to drive on the motorway/if I drive too fast for me (70mph)/ if I’m a passenger in car driving faster than 70mph. For me it’s to do with hyper sensitivity and sheer horror at the sensation of travelling v fast. I feel like I’m going to pass out.

@Brunosaiditlookslikerain

Has she had recent eye/ ear tests? It sounds like things are off when she's moving and then ok again when staying still.

Yes and no one could find a problem. She obviously has some issues though, as she can't see 3D things like movies or pictures. We've found details of specialist who deal with these issues, but mainly in the States.

@Blimecory

Has she been tested for visual stress? My DD now has prism lenses. She had an issue with things that looked like they were moving to her (when they really weren’t).

Who did you see for prism lens evaluation? We are having trouble finding who to see.

@ExhaustedChameleon

I had problems like this & unfortunately cannot drive anymore.

I'm also hypermobile & now have POTS & MCAS, which is often referred to a trifecta of conditions, as they commonly occur together. Anxiety is extremely common as a co-morbidity too.

Do a little research around them to see if it sounds familiar, as some people who are originally diagnosed with asthma, actually have MCAS.

We're all affected to different levels, but it's great she's still very active. Best of luck x

MCAS sounds interesting, she doesn't really have any of those symptoms although we have considered POTS, although she's not severely affected. Have you seen a specialist? How did you find someone helpful?

@Schmz

I had depersonalisation and derealisation including when driving many years ago - it was part of anxiety / panic disorder

Are you okay to drive now? What kind of treatment helped?

I read the OP and thought POTS, especially if she is hypermobile. MCAS overlaps with asthma because one of the mast cell mediators is leukrotine and is treated with an asthma medication called Montelukast. And with hypermobility and POTS, it's pretty much a given.

Unfortunately there's diddly on the NHS and you need a private specialist. Have a look at PoTS UK where they have a list. Or contact the MCAS charity and ask them for a POTS aware MCAS specialist.

I wear prism lenses because my eyes don't work together in certain places, ie in the distance on the left side. Closer and looking to the right is fine. I was referred to hospital by an optician, the first optician I saw didn't pick up on it. I didn't have the sensations your DD has, but I noticed it very much when driving as it felt as though I have double vision in some parts of my eye

@PolyplaxSerrata
I just googled it and found an optician that would test for visual stress. They said she needed prism lenses. They didn’t cost much. Once you get a prescription, you can get them made up at any optician. My DD had had several eye tests over the years, and she has 20/20 vision so nothing was picked up normally. She had been under the care of the neurology department of the hospital for years - to do with migraines and headaches- but nothing helped medically. By the time she was a student, we were getting a bit desperate. But to be honest, she only started describing the way things kept moving as a young adult, because she had assumed everyone saw things the way she did.

I eventually was prescribed anxiety medication escitalopram
I have been taking it for 20 years now
When I’ve tried to reduce it or Come
Off it, the depersonalisation/ derealisation is one of the first symptoms to return 😢
Back on the meds and I don’t get it

Yes, I finally found a POTS specialist who was brilliant & medicated my severe POTS symptoms, when my local cardiologist didn't.

I was going to suggest www.potsuk.org/ & www.mastcellaction.org/ to find the right specialists. Good work BonnesVacances

Waiting lists are long though (or closed) partly due to the amount of Long Covid people who also now have POTS + MCAS

Update on DD.

She spoke to her GP finally who started her on Sertraline which has helped massively with her anxiety and has been having some CBT, which she says has really helped.
The dizziness still happens sometimes, but the knowledge that she can just sit with it and it will pass means that she's feeling much more positive about it.
She hasn't tried driving again yet, as she's at uni and the car is at home but says she feels confident that she will be able to control these episodes, rather than them controlling her.
Thanks to everyone who replied to me.

I used to have similar symptoms. It turned out to be an overactive thyroid which was causing a high heart rate, so whenever I exercised esp up hills I would get dizzy. It went undiagnosed for many years because doctors put it down to anxiety. Does she have a fit bit? See if her heart rate is high. Was her thyroid tested?