Husband (Trucker) has 1-5 sec "falling/spinning" episodes while sitting still. Looking for advice.
Posted by OJOSnegrosdejalisco@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 64 comments
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some insight for my husband. He’s a long-haul truck driver and has had two scary episodes in the last 2 days that have him very unsettled. The Episodes: Episode 1 (Parked): He had been sitting and looking down at his phone for a few minutes. Without moving his head, he suddenly felt like he was falling forward. He snapped his head up, and the world spun for about 5 seconds. He felt nauseous and had a lot of burping/gas afterward. Episode 2 (Driving): He was driving straight (no head movement) and felt a 1-second "flash" of everything moving. He blinked his eyes and it cleared up. Past Issues: He’s felt dizzy specifically when getting down from the cab after a long night shift. Background/Habits: Vision: He has worn glasses for 8 years, but just got a new prescription 3 months ago. Caffeine: He drinks 1 coffee a day. He occasionally has energy drinks but had not had one for at least 24 hours prior to these episodes. Setup/Rest: He uses dash mounts, is well-rested, and stays well-hydrated. Health: No ear ringing, no recent illnesses, and no neck pain. The Concern: He is uninsured and worried about his job. He is refusing to do any maneuvers (like the Epley) because he’s afraid they will aggravate the dizziness. Does this sound like BPPV even if he was sitting still for minutes? Could the new prescription from 3 months ago be causing "visual vertigo" glitches? He's really unsettled by the "falling" feeling. Any advice would be great.
crapslock@reddit
BPPV for sure
Cardinal_350@reddit
He needs a neutral doctor not Reddit. I had a bit of Vertigo a few years back and it was because I had fluid in my ears
SuperReleasio64@reddit
He drives for Uber eats
anxious_polarbear@reddit
Tell the doc he drives an Amazon van.
SamHain111@reddit
Sounds like he is having a issue with getting oxygen to his brain. This could happen if he's having heart issues and not realizing it. That's a person who's had three heart surgeries this is not to be taken lightly, get him to his general practitioner ASAP.
mr-doctor2u@reddit
Shit like that was happening to me when i was on night shift. Never experienced it before night shift. It stopped about 2 weeks after leaving night shift. I talked to a friend of mine about it and they told me they had the same experience.
If he wants to go to see a doctor id recommend him not see his primary and not telling them he has a cdl
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
Take mor electrolytes. Pee should be clear. Also it sounds like a carbon monoxide leak in The truck. Get a detector at Walmart. I had a brake pedal seal that was missing and a hole in the exhaust manifold and I had to sit in a mega weigh station for a long time and same symptoms. See a dr. Get on google. Also by you posting this if anything happens while he’s driving then he knew he drove when he was unsafe so he will be guilty in any civil lawsuit. There’s HIPAA for a reason, even tho it usually doesn’t apply to us. Goto a free clinic bc the tests will be ridiculous expensive.
DimensionalAxolotl@reddit
As people have already stated, couple be a slew of issues. Have him park and see a doctor
ooglieguy0211@reddit
Talk to a doctor. I had a similar thing a couple years ago and the doctor performed the Eply Maneuver and it fixed it right up with no need for any meds. It was quick and easy like 10 minutes kind of thing. They will know if that's best for your husband though.
flatdecktrucker92@reddit
Get him to a doctor before he kills somebody. It may be expensive, but it's a lot cheaper than the lawsuit and permanent loss of income
GozyNYR@reddit
We couldn’t afford a doctors visit. Now it’s stage iv cancer. Find a way to afford it. (One visit is a lot cheaper.)
And it sounds like he needs a doctor - not a bunch of us truckers. This isn’t a case where I’d be operating a CMV.
threeglude@reddit
Consulting reddit for health concerns, on a trucker sub no less. Well that's a new one for me.
Op, doesn't matter the cost. Doesn't matter he's uninsured. He needs to get off the road immediately before something bad happens and get into the doctor ASAP. Full stop.
NotEvenLion@reddit
Park and get to the best emergency room in your area, not urgent care. They can decide what's going on. You can't wait around on something like this. Its probably something simple, but you just can't risk it being something serious.
shadowmib@reddit
Using this and spending sensations usually are possible to buy problems with the inner ear. Usually an infection. I'm not a doctor though so obviously go to a real one and find out what's the problem
Pancernywiatrak@reddit
I am not a doctor and I just skimmed through the post, but to me this could be Ménière's disease. I would strongly advise him to not operate a motor vehicle at all.
homucifer666@reddit
I think you need to talk to a doctor, not consult the trucking public. They'll have a better idea of what's wrong and how to fix it. What he's experiencing sounds dangerous to be occurring when he's behind the wheel of a CMV.
You might think you can't afford a doctor visit, but I promise you a funeral is more expensive.
jabeith@reddit
I mean, truthfully a funeral might be cheaper, but it really hurts your earning potential going forward
newkybadass@reddit
He's been parking the truck on an incline that positions him to sleep almost upside down. Fluid in his ears is throwing him off balance. There's a few pointers on YouTube that can help him with Vertigo.
HighwayStar71@reddit
I had this happen to me, thankfully in Joplin and not out in the middle of nowhere. Urgent care diagnosed BPPV and prescribed Antivert which didn't seem to do anything.
Safety kicked me off the truck because vertigo is an automatic two months off to make sure the symptoms are temporary and don't return. A doctor will have to clear your husband before he can drive again.
Rotteneverything@reddit
my first thought is bppv.
OJOSnegrosdejalisco@reddit (OP)
Thank you. Did the medication finally worked? Do you still drive?
HighwayStar71@reddit
Yes, I went back to driving. Honestly, I don't think the medicine worked at all. Also, I don't have 100% confidence in the diagnosis because I only saw a nurse practitioner because apparently the doctor was busy. She said she saw fluid on the ears. Anyways, the symptoms cleared on their own within a week. All I can say is he needs to go to a doctor to make sure there isn't anything else going on.
glandmilker@reddit
may be Afib, i have had his problems myself
Rag3QuitnRob3rtGame@reddit
This is above reddit's pay grade. Immediate doctor visit before someone gets hurt or killed
redrhino606@reddit
Is he drinking enough water regularly? Vertigo can present when dehydrated. Not a doctor
Wide-Engineering-396@reddit
Blood psi ? Thats what happened to me
losteye_enthusiast@reddit
He needs to see a doctor. He needs to not be operating a semi truck until he gets a doctor to figure out what’s wrong and officially treat it.
That’s your Reddit advice. Follow up correctly with health professionals and get it treated that way. Stay off the road and don’t put random people’s lives in danger until this condition is diagnosed and treated correctly.
“But we followed suggestions from anonymous and Google on how to manage it! We didn’t mean for him to kill half your family during an episode!” - don’t make that conversation a possibility in your future, ma’am.
IgnoringHisAge@reddit
Yes, doctor. What he’s experiencing is vertigo
Robjla@reddit
I used to get dizzy then realized I was a fat fuck. Got on a ketogenic diet. No carbs no sugar and it went away. So did the pissing every 50 miles so dis popping 5 times a day.
WubbaWubbaBoingBoing@reddit
he needs a real doctor not us, could be many things like TIA strokes, oxygen issues, inner ear problems and who knows what else. Driving like that is serious, peoples lives are literally in his hands if he is on the road like that. never ignore symptoms like that.
Kershaws_Tasty_Ruben@reddit
Three things.
it could very well be vision related but, It’s a significant time between the new glasses and the onset of the symptoms.
Blood pressure. Either hyper or hypotension.
Some type of cardiac issue. It could be an arrhythmia or bradycardia or tachycardia.
2 and 3 can related.
If he has bradycardia his BP could drop. And if he has tachycardia his blood pressure could rise.
He absolutely needs to be seen by a physician and at a minimum get an EKG.
Best case scenario is he’s prescribed some medication. And, I’ll be honest it could take some time to get the dosage dialed in.
It gonna lie here he’s most likely going to off the road while he gets fixed. And, he should be.
greenchazm@reddit
I had similar symptoms, turned out to be multiple sclerosis
OJOSnegrosdejalisco@reddit (OP)
Thanks he is going to see the doctor tomorrow.
Feeling-Bowl-9533@reddit
I have a similar issue and haven’t been to the doctor for it cause I don’t want it to affect my job. Possibly unlike him, though, my spells last for a bit longer but I also can feel it coming. I believe mine is caused by low blood pressure, if your husband could have that as a source then have him eat more salty stuff. I cook for myself and didn’t used to add much salt if any, now that I do I haven’t had that happen nearly at all. It used to be 1-2x a week.
Could also be vertigo.
Have him go to an urgent care, not his usual doctor. They’re great for job security
RoosterzRevenge@reddit
By all means, protect your job not the innocent fellow travelers around you.
Feeling-Bowl-9533@reddit
If you realize you’re getting to the point that you’re too tired to drive, do you pull off or quit your job because you felt a little tired? Personally, I pull off.
As stated, I realize when I’m about to be not ok to drive. I normally get a 10-15 minute heads up. That’s plenty of time to get off the road.
Her husband doesn’t seem to get that warning, hence my recommendation of going to urgent care
CuriosTiger@reddit
The most likely cause is something called Benign Paroxysmal Position Vertigo, or BPPV. This is a mechanical misalignment of the crystals in the inner ear, and can be treated using something called the Epley Maneuver.
BPPV is intensely uncomfortable and unsettling.
Note that there are other potential causes, from Meniere's Disease to vestibular migraines and beyond. So it is worth getting checked out. But BPPV is a very common cause.
Note also that reporting such symptoms to your doctor can lead to suspension of your DOT physical and thus your CDL. Potentially also your regular driver license. I don't have a good solution for that, because if it's BPPV, that would be an extreme overreaction. But sadly, the system is not designed with driver welfare in mind.
18-Spinning-Wheels@reddit
Sounds like it could be vertigo. Although, I'm not a doctor.
As a 30 + yrs driver, I would suggest he get into a doctor's office immediately before driving any more. Imagine if it happens while he's driving....
CuriosTiger@reddit
The only problem is that reporting such symptoms, he may be disqualified from driving and lose his job and career.
Which is an extreme overreaction if it's BPPV, the most likely explanation.
I second the recommendation above of going to urgent care.
st_psilocybin@reddit
I experienced something very similar, although it wasnt short flashes while I was sitting still, it was more of a constant feeling that would get more intense in waves and fade while driving. It happened suddenly one day while I was driving through a curve on the interstate, had a panic attack out of nowhere and then that persistent feeling of falling, usually back or to the side. I went to the doctor and they said I didnt have vertigo or anything they could see. Finally just chalked it up to "severe anxiety." They put me on buspar for anxiety but it didnt help, i just got a different job. I still feel the sensation sometimes while driving in my personal vehicle, but nowhere near as intense or frequent as it was in the truck. Its probably not what's going on with him as the circumstances sound very different, but the way you describe the physical sensation itself is very similar to what I experienced. I only drove truck for about 7 months too btw
Bigbadsmurf@reddit
Sound to me like early stages of AIDS.
Few-Abroad-6850@reddit
Had this happen to me. Only person I told was my wife. I had three episodes over 6 months. About 5 years ago. Went away on its own.
WallOk4804@reddit
Sounds like ear crystals, there is a method you can find on YouTube tells you how to basically move them.
Dsphar@reddit
Sounds like a textbook case of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) to me.
Doctor will likely refer him to a vestibular physical therapist, who will move/tilt his head around in a weird series of positions. This will re-position the inner-ear crystals and likely fix his vertigo problems almost immediately.
I am not a doc.
up3r@reddit
He needs to be checked out. Perhaps start with a chiropractor for neck adjustments and vertigo.
I had a massive non-painfull ear infection that damaged nerves in my ears for a few months, which caused vertigo.
But get checked out.
MiguelSTG@reddit
The trucking community agree, he needs to see a doctor.
Outside_Squirrel_839@reddit
This might sound dumb but every person has these crystals that float independently of each other around in a fluid filled sac in the ear they occasionally get stuck together and cause vertigo Google how to realign crystals in your head. This is how your body maintains balance more than likely it’s the cause. I’ve known three people who had this problem. My 85 year old mom my mother in law and a 38 year old man. Please google how to realign crystals in your head.
TheDarkCastle@reddit
Go to a family doctor/urgent care. It could be a whole lot of different things that can cause that feeling. If it's an ear infection, blood pressure etc they will find the simple stuff that could cause it. If they find nothing go to an ears nose and throat specialist.
socialrage@reddit
He needs to put himself out of service immediately!
Like right now!
He needs to go to a doctor and find out what's going on.
This is serious.
I understand that it's inconvenient. But if something happens it'll be a little more inconvenient when he's in prison.
lotus6six@reddit
Or dead
JOliverScott@reddit
Could be as simple as an inner ear infection but get it checked out ASAP and if he needs to be out of service that's better than jeopardizing public safety.
Dead_Namer@reddit
Could be anything from vertigo to a brain tumour. Get him off the road and to a doctor ASAP.
BosunKraken@reddit
Sounds like an inner ear infection
Niko120@reddit
I had a similar episode a few years ago. Turned out my ears were clogged up with wax and it was causing pressure on something giving me vertigo and dizzy spells. Got them cleaned out and it went away
Hexum311add@reddit
Why ask truckers for medical advice? Get him to a doctor ASAP
OJOSnegrosdejalisco@reddit (OP)
Sorry I meant to ask if someone had something similar. He is going to see the doctor tomorrow
Hexum311add@reddit
Gotcha. Well best of luck to his health
takeitinblood3@reddit
It could be a simple as an ear infection or too much ear wax in his ear canal. Tell him to see a doctor.
Ill_Aside_5662@reddit
I've had some weird medical things happen to me over the years and doctors couldn't figure it out. There were two instances I got randomly got dizzy and felt like I was gonna pass out, stopped on the shoulder for 5 mins and it cleared up. Never was able to pinpoint what it was.
OJOSnegrosdejalisco@reddit (OP)
It's weird these dont last he had his physical in January everything was good. The first time it happened we were at our pick up parked the store the second time it was just a second but while driving
illdoitlaterokay@reddit
Had he taken benedryl(diphenhydramine) at some point? That used to make me feel that way occasionally the next day. Won't take it anymore for allergies because of it.
OJOSnegrosdejalisco@reddit (OP)
No he hasn't. He normally has seasonal allergies that last all year and took zirtec for many many months but since he change to his new daytime shift job he is like a new man no symptoms whatsoever, he doesn't take any allergy medication anymore
Ayrria@reddit
He needs to seek medical care ASAP. If this happens while driving, he could kill himself or others.
adventure_dog@reddit
there was a dude in our chat that ended up with similar issues, he tried to ignore it but it kept getting worse to the point he couldnt drive at all. unfortunately ended up ik the middle of nowhere.
there ended up being all kinds of issues that could cause that.
your husband basically needs to stop driving and get to a doc to get this resolved