Hey everyone, used to post here a bit earlier in the year, and have been lurking around since. Still on the interesting journey called VM. Turns out I need to switch jobs, because I cant at all tolerate 9 hours a day of scrolling on a computer while turning my head to look at 3 screens, so Iām in the process of going through that now. May have to sell my house and move back home for awhile since I burned through a lot of my savings trying to get better to get back to my old job until I get back on my feet financially again
Anyone experience having to start again due to MAV? Its incredibly frustrating at 29 years old to have to change soooooooo much about my life. Sorry for the rant, just one of those days haha
3 Likes
Hi
Im the sameā¦2 computer screens my head moving left to right then up and down scrollingā¦ive had to cut my hours at workā¦im dizzy every day through it
Jo x
Yep, I sold my house to get additional cash. Yep, changed jobs. Yep, burned through some savings. If I had to do it all over again I would. Its been worth it. I highly recommend these types of life changes to get back on track. I wish I was 29 again tooā¦ haha
1 Like
Just goes to show evolution hasnāt kept up with work needs. MAV could prove an industrial injury yet. Humans werenāt designed to work like this. I can see now why your OH doctor was suggesting Veterbrobasiliar Insufficency. Migraine could be work related, VI couldnāt. Iāve often wondered if my condition could be result of far too many years on a computer screen. I was told that long-term sitting at desk caused my back problem (long gone. I changed my job) and was once told if Iād worked āon the landā rather than conputers Iād probably never needs specs. Helen
Vent away! 
Well you may remember I lost not just my job, but essentially my career, which is my mvertigo gets so much of my attention these days.
Do what you need to make ends meet. There are plenty more houses you can buy in the future!
Putting the condition aside, all change is good for experience and you will be a bigger man for all of this ultimately, more able to empathise and it will lead you towards new knowledge, people and experiences.
Strangely I found the whole health-care experience quite interesting at times.
As Iāve recovered and more able to cope with the condition Iāve felt in some ways strangely renewed and a fresh perspective on life has been really healthy.
There are other possible benefits too - dropping your alcohol intake will probably do your general health some good!
Jamesā¦did you change your job or did you stop working altogther? Even though you are doing extremely well these days (yay!!!)do you think you could go back to full or even part time work in an office environment like some of us on hereā¦i think my job has massive impact on my MAV
Jo x
Stopped working altogether ā¦ they made me redundant (!) so I had no choice but to leave my then job. Iām lucky that my circumstances permit for the time being (obviously Iāve had to significantly cut back my spending, though lifestyle is more sedentary when you have this so spending inevitably falls - iām not exactly buying rounds of cocktails in nightclubs anymore!).
I am slightly worried the stress of a new job will worsen things but in any case I may look to getting back into full employment next year, or possibly simply start freelancing from home.
My wife wants to start a family and that of course is a concern.
Its so hard James isnt it? I only ask this because ive lost so much work now have OH on my case and im still unwell every single day after 6 hours of scrolling up and down on computersā¦i have a feeling i may eventually end up in the same boat as you. Ive been placed in the " high risk" catagory of probable future sick leave by OH and i feel this to be correct. If im made redundant i cant see me getting back into work at allā¦thanks for sharing that.
Jo x
They were pretty good with me initially, but even though Iād worked back up to full time and was taking no sick days, I was the first to go in the new cuts. Funny that! Ultimately I basically lost sponsorship.
Im starting to take the " couldnt care less" attitudeā¦which is soooo not me
Jo x
1 Like
Haha, yeah. Itās good to get āphilosophicalā at the very least!
Do you wear specs? Bifocals/varifocals, what? Presumably youāre workstation placements been checked out for eye line etc? Have you tried FL41 lens for computer, with the (at least for us females) āfetchingā pink tint? Worth a try before you quit anyway. I was working with episodic MAV and taking time off for attacks. No way I could hv worked when acute. Cdnt do anything even get dressed or walk and motion sick, and how. I certainly couldnt hv worked with chronic 24/7 symptoms. I cdnt look at a screen, TV or computer for many months. Iād be sick quite literally. I think youād need a sabbatical at least to stand any chance of recovery. Triggers constantly just torment MAV. Changing jobs in this situation is ārock, and a hard placeā syndrome. One is hardly a good employment prospect. So annoying really when I think computer work has most probably bn the most aggravating factor in exenuating the condition in the first place. Obviously weāve each got some predisposition or similar to it in the first place.
Helenā¦every word you just said is true and certainly applies to me. I have a work place assessment coming upā¦they mentioned tinted glassesā¦i will try anything!
Jo x
Iāve found that the f.lux software app makes it easier for me to stare at a computer. Check it out here (itās free): https://justgetflux.com/
I used Amitriptyline to make computers viable again. It was very effective for me.
Youād need the right type of tint. Youād need to look into,Irlen Meares syndrome. FlL41 does work for some but it works against light sensivity. I found the hypersensitivity from the migraine caused me to react to movement on the screen, not the blue light. I needed meds to reduce the hypersensitivity, like @turnitaround presumably, to make computer use viable again and even then I will sometimes react to movement, mostly particularly two types on same screen. Take a football match, miving players OK but moving players and one of those moving advertsing hoarding under the rails to keep crowd off pitch and when this moves the other way from the players. Whoops but itās much improved, 95% but Iām on meds which control it. Visual vertigo wouldnāt respond to tinted glasses, well not for me anyway.
Are you photophobic? Do you need prescription lens? If so I can recommend a website to refer these plp to.
Iād say depending on your eyes you need a clued-up optician to set up a work station optimally. Itās an exact science. They have to minimise head and eye movement and your line of vision has to be lined up exactly. Much like an optician fitting prescription specs. Helen
I think the movement on the screen and the up down motion of my head is whats making me worseā¦more than sensitivity to the lightā¦in fact i know it is. Even if i turn my head to glance out of the office window for natural light i go dizzy. If anthing my sensitivity is mainly smells!!! They kill me offā¦theres the nose involved agsin!!
Jo x
Yes, the visual vertigo does it. Same with me. And the sensitivity to smells. Thatās me. And I have a better nose for smells than our Shepherd dog. I can smell chocolate several rooms away, somebody in a crowd sucking a fruit sweet etc, etc. Itās all hypersensitivity from the migraine if you read Dr Hain etc, The meds control almost all the visual vertigo now and the photophobia I used to exp. although I can still smell really abnormally well.
Something else we have in commonā¦a shepherd dogā¦
Jo x
1 Like
Iām certain what the drugs were doing in part was reducing the Vestibulo ocular reflex I could actually feel the effect: my eye on my bad side was āflickingā less and felt less strained. Comfort improved as I upped in dose. This was especially helpful for eye comfort in front of computer screens and TV.
I urge anyone who is suffering from this symptom who able to and hasnāt done already to try Amitriptyline.
Although so many people seem to like to avoid the topic, I donāt think you can ignore the effect of the ears on your eyes stability.
So far off topic now