Is there anything to help with that generalized feeling of being unsteady?

I get in a car and can still feel unsteady!
I don't know if its actually a form of dizzy. Its vague but feels like I'm not moving in sync with my brain and eyes.

There's nothing wrong with my eyes...I went thru years of trying new glasses, contacts and even got lazer surgery thinking that "off" feeling was from my vision.....nope.

Then I was dia with MS. This floaty/unsteady feeling has given me a phobia of driving at high speeds. When things don't appear "in sync".

Have you ever been stopped at a red light and the car next to you starts to move forward. ...you don't realize what the corner of your eye sees.....and you think that its you lunging forward? (just for a split second)

I feel like that a lot. Like things are not as they appear or perhaps I can not react to them at the same time they are happening?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH Can anyone relate???

Hi Karilann, I introduced myself on the Welcome New Members thread. I was diagnosed with PPMS 10/05 then undiagnosed earlier this year. Apparently I'm now suffering from Nobody Knows What You Have. Although I changed neuros after I was undiagnosed and current neuro thinks definitely MS but we have to wait for evidence.

But - I definitely experience something similar to what you do. I feel "tippy" even sitting in a chair. If I move my eyes too quickly I get a weird feeling similar I think to what you're describing. My head feels "foggy", not brain fog but just not right. I'll stop now because I am sounding so vague!

I know there are anti-vertigo medications out there, I don't know whether something like that might help? I can't really help but I can definitely relate!!

Hi karilann,

What you are experiencing sounds scary! I have never felt what you are describing- yet. Who knows what is in my future.

I'm treading carefully here, but do you think you are safe to be driving?

I only dare to mention it because I had to take away my own car keys for 2 weeks this summer. It was very hard to do. The thought of possibly hurting my kids or some unlucky stranger on the road made me do it.

I was lucky that 3 days of steroids whipped me into shape. It was a humbling experience that made me think very hard about the future. It is important to me that my husband and my fellow carpoolees can be confident that I will never put me, kids, or random chumps on the street in danger unnecessarily.

Hope you find answers soon!

MSM

karilann -

I've felt like that when the car next to me moves too! Isn't that a crazy feeling, when you're hitting your brakes because you think that YOU are moving? I don't think that's an MS thing though, I think that's just perception. But still, VERY strange feeling.

I've also had the sort of generalized unsettled feeling. It reminds me of the "was that an earthquake?" feeling that I get when it just feels like everything sorta moves.

Driving too I have trouble. It's just a sense that my eyes and brain and hands/legs aren't quite working in sync with each other, like something is just "off". Then sometimes it's completely gone again, it's like it never happened.

I also thought it might be a problem with my eyes but it's not either. So I think it's something about the processing of information that gets screwy.

MS is a crazy ride!

I believe the moving car thingie is just human cause non msers have said they experience that.

The out of sync thing: When they were trying to figure out if I had m.s. they did some evoke potential tests which shows how quickly or not so normally slow your brain sees and reacts to changes in vision, hearing.

The woman testing me said with m.s. the brain does not respond to what the eyes see as fast as before. So if you are looking at one spot, and then move your head or change your reference spot on top of moving your body physically, your brain has to figure out where your body is in time and space and it has to adjust to the changing visual information.

If it is slowed down beyond what it was pre m.s. your experience is going to be jumbled, out of whack. Usually if you get real still and don't move your eyes, this will settle down, but life isn't like that, is it.

I have experienced the above when having a bit of flareup or allow myself to get super tired and am pushing it. My friend has it too and views it as a warning to slow down, rest more, etc.

You might have an ear infection, maybe a virus? I had this once and it took about 6 weeks to clear. I went to my GP, who had me quickly turn my head back and forth. My eyes kept moving! If you have something similar to what I had, there's no treatment. To drive, I had to pay attention to my head movements, and move slowly.

You should see your GP anyway, as there are some treatable conditions that cause strange eye movements.

As far as MS goes, I get waves of dizziness occasionally, but mostly after I've taken Zanaflex...and I'm ready for bed anyhow...