Falling asleep when driving
Posted , 4 users are following.
I've got menieres and often struggle driving at night and during the day - i find it really hard to focus on the road particularly as the drive to and from work is 70% stop/start in slow moving traffic for over an hour and on motorway as well. I had a scare last week and the Doctor suggested I go to a sleep clinic. I feel it's linked to my menieres rather than lack of sleep. Also possible borderline thyroid which can bring on tiredness. Do others get this happening? Tonight the lights from cars were making me feel terribly light headed & when headlights coming toward me unless street lights are on the road it's really blinding.I am worried I'll have to give up driving
0 likes, 5 replies
donna16710 alison2705
Posted
alison2705 donna16710
Posted
Thanks I don't actually fall asleep but I can't keep my eyes focused sometimes & have drifted losing approx 1-2 seconds - this can happen frequently and I have to leave the motorway - so I'll have the sleep tests to see what's going on. When I got out of the car this evening I was totally wobbly & dizzy which is why I feel it's related to balance but we shall see. The odd thing is im fine when I get home or to destination - I'm not tired
donna16710 alison2705
Posted
eleftherio33095 alison2705
Posted
Because you feel that it is not due to lack of sleep, then a link to Meniere's disease is possible if it is caused by your vestibulo-ocular reflex not being100% (the reflex that connects the vestibular part of your inner ear to eye movements.).
Eleftherios S. Papathanasiou, PhD, FEAN
Clinical Neurophysiologist
Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology
fil39169 alison2705
Posted
You should NOT be driving. I enclose a quote from a website. It clearly lists conditions that lead to dizziness - that is MENIEREs in case you hadn't realised. If you do drive and have an accident and your condition is on record you will NOT be insured. Risking the lives of others is unacceptable. I haven't driven for years due to my own Meniere's and I think anyone who actually still IS driving although they know they have the disease and are subject to sudden attacks and the symptoms you describe is selfish and stupid. Sorry, but there is no other way to put this. No-one on this website who has MD should be driving.
There’s a huge list of medical conditions which can render you unfit to drive. Each case has to be considered on an individual basis. However, the following list outlines some of the conditions that would always result in your licence being refused or revoked:
epilepsy
severe mental disorder
liability to sudden attacks of disabling giddiness or fainting
liability to sudden attacks of disabling giddiness or fainting which are caused by any disorder or defect of the heart which has caused you to have a device, such as a pacemaker implanted
persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol whether or not such misuse amounts to dependency
any other disability likely to cause you to be a danger to the public when driving a vehicle