VM & flying

Hi
I have been flying every week for a day trip to Dublin & every time Iā€™ve come back Iā€™ve been very dizzy & sick. Does anyone else notice a connection between flying and Vestibular migraine?

I donā€™t fly - no reason to but thereā€™s definitely a connection. Dr S, one of top UK VM ā€˜expertsā€™ said it is a VM trigger. Some people are OK with it, others not. You have to remember VM is a ā€˜variant balance disorder and motion sensitivity is common trigger. With a hypersensitive balance system, the brain seeks information whereever it can to keep you balanced. Feet are a useful source of information and flying takes you off terra firma. Changing horizons can confuse the info from the eyes too. Itā€™s not really surprising if one really stops to think about it although no doubt most inconvenient. There are various OTC preparations people use to ease symptoms. Iā€™m sure @turnitaroundā€™s much more familiar with them than I am and will advise, Helen

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Thank you. Iā€™m hoping I can get a doctors note to stop the weekly flying as itā€™s really affecting me

Hey Helen

I directly asked dr s about flying and be told me it would have no effect on my vm but it would be the jet lag and travelling that would set me off . Where did you read he said flying aggrivated it? Iā€™ve been pretty unwell since my flight but Iā€™m putting it down to my period and lack of sleep :grimacing:

Thanks Amy. I feel sick almost instantly after the flight :sob: I read somewhere too it can affect you think it was vestibular dot org website.
Oh no hope you feel better soon.

Good luck with getting a ā€˜doctorā€™s letterā€™. I cannot imagine they will issue one on my say-so, thereā€™s no reason why they should, Iā€™m no medic but VEDA do produce an information leaflet which may assist you.

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YThanks yes thatā€™s the leaflet I read about flying. Well Iā€™m going to the docs as thereā€™s some reason Iā€™m feeling sick & dizzy all the time see what they say! Itā€™s only started since Iā€™ve been flying every week.

Lots of migraineurs/MAVers suffer from travel sickness. Motion/Car sickness is so common as to be almost diagnostic of MAV. Itā€™s indicative of balance issues. Itā€™s just one of the hypersensitivities, like sensitivity to medication that goes with the condition. The preventatives should eventually control this once your threshold tolerance is higher.

Thanks Zoe I didnā€™t feel Iā€™ll straight after it took a few days so it makes me think it wasnā€™t the flight more lack of sleep food water ect :grimacing:

Iā€™ve a feeling I read it in one of your posts from way back. But Iā€™ve read it elsewhere too. Itā€™s Motion Sickness as much as anything then with balance issues just the vibration of the plane would get me. Iā€™ve had problems sitting in a car being refuelled or on a tubular kitchen chair.

Can imagine youā€™d be rough after the journey. Everything you attributed it to + the release from stress (remember the ā€˜week-endā€™ migraine, gone by Monday time to go back to work) +, the one that always gets me, ā€˜delayed reactionā€™. Catches up with you in the end, days later. Still you did well feeling brave enough to do it, well done, and enjoy. Helen

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Itā€™s wierd Iā€™m terrible in cars but train and planes fine , but the car just awful I think a lot of it is the eyes and the movement . Hopefully once my meds fully control it this will no longer be an issue

And thanks Helen itā€™s been a rough few days and Iā€™m sure there are many reasons Iā€™m feeling off , Iā€™m just hoping it eases soon :slight_smile: I still feel brave for getting on the plane even if I feel crappy ! Hoping the long rest did me good .

A

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Something to keep in mind about flying in airplanes: itā€™s very dehydrating. I once read that the only humidity in the air inside a passenger airplane is from the moisture exhaled into the cabin from the other passengers. So even though you may not feel thirsty, itā€™s probably a good idea to stay as hydrated as possible during the flight.

I always bring an empty water bottle that I can fill before I board the plane, and then I drink it during the flight (in addition to any drinks that they serve). Sometimes if thereā€™s turbulence they wonā€™t serve drinks so if I have my own water with me at least I know Iā€™ll be able to drink that.

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Maybe thatā€™s why I felt so rough after lol although I did try to drink more :grimacing:

For my 45 minute flight I had a litre of water & then 1.5 litres during the day & another litre on the flight back. So I think I was hydrated enough. As I thought that was a problem. Iā€™m still rough from yesterdayā€™s flight & also got a cold & bunged up sinus too.

I always leave a day on the front and back end to get adjusted when I fly. If I have to be at work on a Monday Iā€™ll fly out Sunday morning. Sleep patterns are also a big trigger for me so red eyes or early morning flights donā€™t fly for me (pun intended)

My routine is Iā€™ll pick a flight that leaves the day before Iā€™m supposed to arrive, take a couple advil before the flight, relax as much as possible (I donā€™t work on the plane), eat a little less than usual (and no crappy airport food) then I do nothing once I arrive

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I always take a decongestant 30 mins before landing, to limit pressure on the ears. Agree with Helen, might be a motion sickness thing too, possibly?

Some people have success with ā€˜EarPlanesā€™ ear plugs, though YMMV:

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Decongenstant (US) Sudafed (UK) ā€œEar Planesā€

Thanks everyone. Went to the doctors & sheā€™s told me sheā€™ll write me a note as doesnā€™t recommend regular air travel. Iā€™ll use those tips for when I do fly though (flying for pleasure only I think!)

flying itself seems OK for me - but the accumulation of stress, travel to and from the airports, the airports themselves etc, can all add up - and it could be the whole thing that sets you offā€¦?

Very likely as I donā€™t sleep much so Iā€™m tired when I get there. I notice stress sets it off :frowning: