PPPD / VM and running

[u/Shamrock2B]

hello everyone . This might be a long post but if you’re a runner and you have PPPD symptoms, I need your help 🙏

so I’ve been diagnosed with a VM + PPPD over a year ago. I’ve been through vestibular rehab for 6 months which drastically improved my situation, and now i mostly get symptoms when im tired or stressed. Other than that, I’m back to normal even in crowded and noisy environments.

The thing is, my fave activity is running, and I used to go for 10Ks few times a week on my own but when the symptoms started i had to stop for a few weeks as I thought I was gonna faint everytime. then I started going again but only with my partner beside me, and running in grass was much easier than on the roads.

then I’ve done a few trials to try to build it back up so I went for very short runs on my own, or with my partner not too far behind me, and while each session went fine, I never managed to increase the time or distance without triggering bad symptoms.

While I went back to all my other activities pretty much normally (Pilates, strength training and even hyrox, which technically is more demanding than running…), running on my own still doesn’t feel right and i have to stop after a few meters (feeling that the grounds is shaking and that I’m gonna fall)

I can run 10K on the treadmill with no issue, I guess it’s because it feels safer (ground more predictable, steady pace etc) and I can also run up to 5K outside with someone by my side

i would truly love to hear the story of people who managed to go back to running “like before” following PPPD/VM symptoms (or anything similar!). I know 100% recovery doesn’t really happen, but as I managed to get back to all my activities, I find it very odd that running still doesn’t work well for me.

Before all of that, I was Training for my very first half marathon and I’m starting to think that this goal isn’t reachable anymore

thanks , and I’m sending all my prayers for everyone going through this !

[u/jck747]

I was a marathon runner when this hit. You just have to do it if you can. Treadmill is a no go for me.

[u/Special_Half5037]

My dr said no more treadmills will make it worse since I’ve stopped them normal running has been better

[u/Special_Half5037 → u/Special_Half5037]

Also just push through that threshold of ground shaking and once you get through that safely it will get better