Motion sickness while driving

I never deal with nausea while driving or flying—that’s not my issue. The real problem hits when I’m behind the wheel or being driven up some winding mountain pass. It isn't even the curves themselves; it’s the looking down from above. One time, while driving through those turns, my legs practically gave out underneath me—it was like a sudden, overwhelming fear of heights...

Hey guys. This might sound silly, but I’m really struggling with the issue mentioned above. Honestly, I’ve dealt with this since elementary school whenever we’d take those summer trips on the school bus. Back then, if even one kid felt sick, it was like a chain reaction and everyone else would start feeling it too. I ended up becoming one of those people who just can't handle winding roads—sitting in the back of a car, a bus, or a boat is a nightmare. I even get nauseous driving through Washington, D.C. during morning rush hour. Every trip requires days of mental prep. Lately, I've realized my travel plans are basically dictated by the route; if there's a highway, I'm okay, but otherwise, forget it. My biggest issue is the helplessness and anxiety when the nausea hits—I'm terrified of actually throwing up. It’s so embarrassing to deal with in front of myself, let alone other people. I was supposed to drive down to Pittsburgh to see my girlfriend recently, but I couldn't even make it because the anxiety took over. Now I have a trip to Brooklyn coming up this weekend and just thinking about it is stressing me out. I tried those wristbands when I was a kid, but they didn't do anything. I use Dramamine now and it helps a bit, but I just can't beat this fear of traveling. I only threw up once during a trip, but ever since then, my stomach has been in knots every single time. Any advice or experiences you guys can share? Help a guy out!

I honestly find myself getting sick sometimes too if the drive lasts more than a few hours. People always tell me ginger is the way to go for that, but I haven't actually given it a shot yet.

Don't go making the mistake of drinking juice right before a trip—if you absolutely must eat, stick to some water and maybe a couple of saltines; try to schedule your driving for nighttime or build in plenty of time for naps whenever possible; for heaven's sake, don't try reading while you're behind the wheel; honestly, just take the Amtrak instead. 🕺

Maybe just grab something to take the edge off. I mean, if your head isn't in the right place, nothing else is really going to touch the sides, I guess.🤷
Does Dramamine actually do anything for you?
If I were in your shoes, I’d probably pair it with a Normabel and things should settle down, hopefully.
The thing is, though, I have no clue if you can even find that around here.😬

gentlesailor25 said:Maybe just grab something to take the edge off. I mean, if your head isn't in the right place, nothing else is really going to touch the sides, I guess.🤷
Does Dramamine actually do anything for you?
If I were in your shoes, I’d probably pair it with a Normabel and things should settle down, hopefully.
The thing is, though, I have no clue if you can even find that around here.😬

Dramamine knocks me out every single time, but I definitely don't want to get hooked on them.

Jose Ortiz2 said:I saw this motion sickness wristband at a CVS the other day (honestly can't remember the exact brand name right now). When I asked the pharmacist if people actually use them or if they even work, they basically told me they had zero feedback on whether it’s legit or just a gimmick. 🤷 It wasn't even something you could find in local pharmacies around here until recently. 🤷

Jose Ortiz2 said:Found it via Google. It's the Sea-Band.

Found this too:

Acu-strap - motion sickness band

Acu-strap uses acupressure science to help with morning sickness, motion sickness, or nausea following anesthesia or chemo. It works by applying pressure to the Nei-Kuan acupressure point on both wrists. To find that spot, place your three middle fingers on the inside of your wrist so your third finger sits right on the wrist crease. The Nei-Kuan point is just behind your first finger between the two wrist tendons (see pics A and B), which is where the button goes.
You need to wear the bands on both wrists to get results. It can take up to 5 minutes to kick in, and it stays effective as long as you're wearing them. You can boost the effect by pressing directly on the button with your fingers. Acu-strap can be washed in warm water with mild detergent up to 5 times. Once they don't fit snugly against your wrist anymore, toss them and get new ones.

(Source)

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Last year, before a trip, I picked up some of these bands. But I wasn't brave enough to rely on just the bands. 😢 Like always, I brought Rodavan tablets for the nausea and used the bands as a backup.

Same story this year; I still didn't trust the bands alone. 😢

Since even short trips mess me up, maybe I'll try starting with just the bands first to see if they actually do anything.

It used to be that I'd get all worked up before a trip, and just thinking about traveling would make me nauseous.

So I decided to change my mindset. For a while now, I haven't let myself stress about the actual travel, so I stay totally chill before and during the trip.

Now I just need to convince myself that the bands work solo so I can ditch the pills for good.

So, how do those motion sickness pills actually work?
Ever since I was a kid, I used to get nauseous on even the shortest trips. But then, for about 25 years, it just... disappeared. I could even read while riding in a car without any issues.
Then, after dealing with a bunch of stressful life stuff, the nausea came crawling back out of nowhere after two and a half decades!
I guess there’s definitely some psychological component at play here. Or maybe it’s just me. That’s why I’m curious about what these pills actually target, or what people generally consider to be the root cause of this kind of nausea.

these pills basically knock you out

I'm wondering if anyone else struggles with motion sickness while driving, or if my situation is something more specific and unusual...

I used to be perfectly fine with cars; my family and friends used to drive me everywhere. But ever since I moved away from my hometown for college, I haven't spent much time in a vehicle, and I think I've just lost my "sea legs" for driving, which led to this nausea.
I also suspect it might be linked to when my vision started changing. I've recently been diagnosed with a mild prescription and astigmatism, which probably doesn't help at all.
The nausea itself is pretty standard—winding roads, sudden acceleration, or heavy braking always trigger it, especially when you feel that physical force shifting you around.

However, what makes my case unique is that as soon as the nausea kicks in, my facial muscles start twitching uncontrollably. If the drive lasts about an hour, the tension becomes so intense that I end up making a grimace and can barely even speak. I look completely ridiculous; my lips tighten and pout out. Even after we stop driving, it takes about 20 minutes for everything to settle back to normal...🤦

Taking Dramamine helps somewhat, but rarely provides full relief. And if I happen to be intoxicated—God forbid—then Dramamine doesn't work at all.

I haven't been able to find any mention of this specific syndrome anywhere online.🤷

hollowcanyon56 said:I'm wondering if anyone else struggles with motion sickness while driving, or if my situation is something more specific and unusual...

I used to be perfectly fine with cars; my family and friends used to drive me everywhere. But ever since I moved away from my hometown for college, I haven't spent much time in a vehicle, and I think I've just lost my "sea legs" for driving, which led to this nausea.
I also suspect it might be linked to when my vision started changing. I've recently been diagnosed with a mild prescription and astigmatism, which probably doesn't help at all.
The nausea itself is pretty standard—winding roads, sudden acceleration, or heavy braking always trigger it, especially when you feel that physical force shifting you around.

However, what makes my case unique is that as soon as the nausea kicks in, my facial muscles start twitching uncontrollably. If the drive lasts about an hour, the tension becomes so intense that I end up making a grimace and can barely even speak. I look completely ridiculous; my lips tighten and pout out. Even after we stop driving, it takes about 20 minutes for everything to settle back to normal...🤦

Taking Dramamine helps somewhat, but rarely provides full relief. And if I happen to be intoxicated—God forbid—then Dramamine doesn't work at all.

I haven't been able to find any mention of this specific syndrome anywhere online.🤷

It would probably be a smart move to go see a specialist at the Federal Reserve.
Once you get a thorough exam and run some tests, things should be a lot clearer.

By the way, maybe take some photos before and after a drive? Showing a seasoned clinician that facial transformation might actually give them a huge clue.

velvetmoose9 said:It would probably be a smart move to go see a specialist at the Federal Reserve.
Once you get a thorough exam and run some tests, things should be a lot clearer.

By the way, maybe take some photos before and after a drive? Showing a seasoned clinician that facial transformation might actually give them a huge clue.

Thank you so much for the advice. I was actually considering talking to my doctor about this, but part of me felt like I might just be overreacting. Now, it seems much more likely that I'll schedule an appointment. I'm just... what exactly is "TA, ENG at the Federal Reserve"?

And should I see my primary care physician first to get a referral, or should I just reach out to specialists myself to request specific tests that might provide answers?

P.S. - I tried to Google "TA, ENG at the Federal Reserve," thinking it was just for kids. I actually stumbled upon that term once before when I was looking into how to diagnose dyslexia in adults XD

Confused Head | Scientists explain travel sickness: here’s how we trick our brains into thinking we’re poisoned

Traveling makes us nauseous because modern transport tricks the brain into thinking we've been poisoned, according to neuroscientists.

Whether you're in a car, a train, on a boat, or in a plane, you're sending conflicting signals to your brain. This triggers a reaction similar to what happens when someone is poisoned. Dr. Dean Burnett from the University of Cardiff says that nausea kicks in because the brain thinks the body needs to purge toxins by vomiting.

The reality is that your muscles are sending one message to the brain (that the body isn't moving), while your ears are sending another (they feel the movement of the vehicle). Dr. Burnett noted that the human body hasn't evolved enough to handle the sensation of traveling where the body moves without producing its own physical movements.

"When we're in a vehicle like a car, a train, or especially a boat, we aren't actually physically moving ourselves. Your muscles tell you that you're stationary. If you're on a boat looking at a static environment, even your eyes aren't getting information that you're moving. However, the fluid in your ear follows the laws of physics, and it shifts around because you are actually moving. So, the brain receives contradictory messages. It gets signals from the muscles and eyes saying everything is still, but the balance sensors are sending opposite info. In an evolutionary context, the only thing that causes such sensory mismatch is a neurotoxin or poison. That's why the brain thinks it's poisoned, and the first thing it tries to do is get rid of the toxin—by throwing up."

He explained that reading in a car makes the nausea way worse because your eyes are focused on a tiny, static space and aren't sending any signal of movement to the brain at all.

According to this logic, you can lessen the nausea by looking out the window, since that actually shows the brain that you're in motion.

Discussing his new book, 'Brain Idiot: What Your Head Is Actually Doing,' Burnett told the New York Daily News that the brain eventually adapts over the years and gets better at recognizing these subtle signals. Kids are much more prone to motion sickness because their brains are still developing.

There still isn't a definitive answer as to why some people suffer from travel sickness while others don't, but there are plenty of unanswered questions regarding how modern life affects the brain. For instance, jet lag is also a brain reaction to disorientation caused by crossing time zones and shifting day/night cycles.

Ugh, it’s been forever since I actually drove myself. Back in the day, I was a total mess behind the wheel, but man, barely survived that drive from Washington, D.C. down to Boise. Even two Dramamines didn't touch it. When I was heading up to NYC, I popped half a pill on the train about 10 minutes in, then the other half halfway through, and I was fine enough..
But the trip back? Absolute nightmare. I hadn't even eaten anything yet. I took half a pill on the train right as we started moving and felt okay, but once night hit, everything went south. It was pitch black outside, and with those bright lights inside, everything looked warped—like you're stuck in some weird capsule or an elevator where there's nothing to focus on... so I swallowed another half, then another full one an hour later. Total of two pills for a five-hour trip. By the time that last half kicked in, I was feeling pretty rough, but I was close enough to just white-knuckle it. Just tried to focus, squint, breathe... honestly, if I hadn't, I would've needed another dose just to make it to Miami. I wouldn't have just been sick; I would've been pale, sweating, and basically losing it.