Will travel be okay?

[Suffering]

Hi everyone,

I’m feeling very, very bummed because I had promised my son to take him on a trip and I’m hardly able to walk from my room to the kitchen without suddenly feeling nausea, a sick head and motion sickness. I am on Lamotrigine 100mg daily (divided am and pm) which is not helping. (The first med, Topomax, did not help either). I’ve already spent the last 3 and a half months trying these medications to no avail and before that one whole year of these horrible symptoms until a doctor finally diagnosed the condition. I really thought I would be better by now. I have lost hope totally that I will ever get better. My trip has been on hold and I feel my son suffers from my condition as it causes me so much anguish. I am his only parent. I can’t take him anywhere. I can drive only a few miles then I get the same feeling. I work p/t as a teacher and thank goodness for remote right now. After a few minutes of doing any normal activity, I have to stop and just sit. This has put an end to my normal life period. I really want to start my recovery but I am not getting any results I had hoped for. Even 5%. I am exasperated of feeling sick each day. It takes so much out of you.
Any encouraging words on your recovery, preventative medications that cured you, other meds that helped you would help me to know. (Dramamine, Meclizine, Promethazine, all make me feel loopy and worse and don’t really take nausea away).
I am filled with dread. Please help.

Will I ever be able to travel?

[turnitaround]

@Suffering

Will I ever be able to travel?

Yes, but it may be a little soon. I wouldn’t have considered travelling within the first 12 months of my condition.

Search can be your friend: take a look at the posts in #diet-exercise-lifestyle-travel. There are lots of positive stories. e.g. specifically Flight Journey with MAV but usually people are a bit further into their MAV journey before attempting bigger trips.

For smaller, necessary, commutes you are just simply going to have to battle through it.

However, this is a judgement call.

You very much need to get the nausea mostly under control. Discuss a stronger vestibular suppressant like Amitriptyline with your physician if your current drug isn’t controlling that enough.

I would start by making sure you are getting out of the house daily for walks because that will improve your chances of getting better and get you more used to symptoms on the go.

In terms of managing your expectations - this chronic condition can last years and it’s quite normal to feel pretty rotten for over a year at the beginning, even on medication. That’s a reality you will have to accept and steel yourself for. You have to be determined to get through it because there is light at the end of the tunnel.

That said, sounds like you need to completely re-evaluate your current medication, because the right medication should make a significant difference within 3 months (but do not expect to be cured and do not expect to be symptom free). Getting truly better, however, takes years, not months. But people make huge strides much sooner.