Flying With Constant Dizziness/Vertigo
 

Hey all,

I have a question about flying. I know this topic has been discussed on here before, but it seems more geared to concerns about flights increasing headaches. I am more concerned about flying increasing dizziness. I'll give a little background on my current status:
My headaches aren't too bad, but i am CONSTANTLY dizzy, and lately my dizziness has been pretty pronounced (usually about a 6/7 out of 10). I have been undergoing vestibular therapy for about 6 months, which helped a lot with the dizziness, but after I stopped going for a month all my vestibular problems came back again. I have a flight booked from NY to Florida this weekend. The flight is 3 hours and then I would have to drive 2 hours to my destination (my parents will be the ones driving, not me). A doctor has prescribed me 25 mg of Meclazene to mask the symptoms of dizziness, but I am afraid after it wears off I'll feel awful. I am only planning on laying on the beach for 5 days and resting, no big adventures! But still, I am afraid that if the flight makes me feel terrible I won't even get to enjoy the nice weather.
About a month ago, I attempted a 3 hour car ride to Philly and after about 2 hours I started to feel very heavy all over my body and in my head, my headache, nausea, and dizziness were all 10/10. It literally felt like I had the flu and I couldn't even enjoy my trip I just stayed in my hotel room all weekend with the shades covered while the others had fun :( . The car ride back was a little better because I took dramamine and sat in the front seat.
Also, one more problem is I have very achy ears, which I think is due to my TMJD but could also be from inner ear issues, so I worry about my ears hurting during take-off/landing. I plan on chewing lots of gum, drinking a ton of water, and wearing airplane ear plugs to help with that.
Anyway, the question is: should I take the trip or should I skip it? Anyone have any similar experiences traveling with these symptoms? Any advice would be much appreciated!!

-Ashley (9 months strong in this PCS nightmare)

Hi there.... I have had dizziness from flying for many years.

I have a left ear problem which can give me attacks of vertigo. Flying can be horrible and trigger me.

I found Ear Planes very helpful. They block the pressure changes that trigger me. Many drugstores carry them, but here is an
Amazon link to show you reviews and what they look like:

http://www.amazon.com/Ear-Plugs-Airp.../dp/B001HTWL8C

Also I do not drink alcohol when flying. That seems to make things much worse for me.