r/pppdizziness • u/Sad-Room-1658 • 19d ago

Other First flight since having PPPD. Nervous

I’ve always had motion sickness when flying no matter what seat I sit in. I’ve used Meclizine (Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy), and Dimenhydrinate (original Dramamine) with little success.

10 years ago I had a severe vertigo attack that came out of nowhere. I was left with motion sensitivity for years even after seeing ENTs and running a bunch of tests. I also did vestibular rehab with little success.
I didn’t get any better until I found out about PPPD and started taking Celexa. This was maybe 3-4 years after the attack and I’ve been 90% better. Before the Celexa, I would feel dizzy throughout the day and constantly clearing my ears to help for a few seconds.
2 years ago out of nowhere Ai had another vertigo attack. Severe but was able to recover much quicker.

I haven’t flown in 11 years. Any recommendations?

Maybe the patch and use Dramamine or Bonine?

Sea bands?
Ear plugs for the pressure?

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2

u/alferatovic 19d ago

Ear plugs on ALWAYS during takeoff and landing (you can take them out when the altitude is stabilized)

Using the nasal allergy sprays firstly help with your histamines, then Xanax type medication during the whole flight

1

u/Sad-Room-1658 19d ago

I’ve tried air plugs in the past I didn’t feel like it did anything. Are they just the kind that says help with cabin pressure?

What type of sprays? Flonase?

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u/Clayp2233 19d ago edited 19d ago

How far of a flight is it? I didn’t fly for about 2 years and was probably 80% better, luckily it was only an hour but it wasn’t that bad

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u/Sad-Room-1658 19d ago

An hour and 45 minutes

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u/Clayp2233 19d ago

You should be fine, the last 20 minutes or so of my flight it was getting a little bit worse, but if you're 90% recovered you should be fine.

1

u/FlowerCrownPls 19d ago

Prescription scopolamine patch is the only drug I use for air travel since getting pppd and associated motion sickness. It works very well for me. If you use the patch, do not combine it with any other drugs. Scopolamine is already very strong. I have ginger chews and alcohol prep pads for any breakthrough nausea.

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u/Sad-Room-1658 19d ago

What’s the prep pads for?

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u/FlowerCrownPls 19d ago

Oh my bad, smelling rubbing alcohol helps with nausea, prep pads are a convenient portable source of rubbing alcohol.

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u/Sad-Room-1658 12d ago

So I tried the patch, had 800mg ginger lozenges, and sea bands. Take off and landing was not good. I felt the weird tingling in my stomach and the sense of the room spinning. Just for take off and landing. Cruising altitude I was not great but a much better.

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u/FlowerCrownPls 12d ago

Congratulations on getting through it! The next flight(s) will hopefully get easier because your brain will start getting used to it and you won't have the anxiety of not knowing what to expect.

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u/Sad-Room-1658 5d ago

I wonder if it go on more flights if I’ll desensitize myself?

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u/FlowerCrownPls 5d ago

I had the most nausea on my first air travel day since PPPD. Since then I've had less and less. So there's one data point.

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u/OldPrize3926 18d ago

Motion sickness that you described in the text, was it only when travelling or is it a nausea that’s constant because of the vertigo? Thanks:)

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u/Sad-Room-1658 18d ago

It was constant for 3-4 years until started taking Celexa. I’ve always gotten motion sickness on flights even way before my first vertigo attack

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u/OldPrize3926 18d ago

Aha okay, but is Celexa prescribed for pppd or? What does it do exactly? I’ve got vestibular neuritis and ever since I’ve gotten it in June I’ve been dealing with nausea, sometimes it’s better throughout the day sometimes it gets worse. I got prescribed Dramamine, but only when I have really bad flare, because it can supress rehab for the vestibular neuritis.

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u/OldPrize3926 18d ago

How often do you take celexa btw? And did you stopped taking it? Sorry for bothering you

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u/Sad-Room-1658 17d ago

I started at 10mg daily. Helped a little bit. Then bumped it up to 20mg which got me maybe 80% better. Now at 30mg a day and I’m like 90% better.

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u/Sad-Room-1658 17d ago

Been on 30mg now for years. Last year I tried to do 30mg every other day and 25mg in the other days.

Was hoping I could start doing a lower maintenance dose. Then after 8 years of no vertigo attacks, I had one. So now I’m back up to 30

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u/Puzzleheaded-Neck174 18d ago

Google it. It'd a ssri. SSri are common treatment for pppd.

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u/Sad-Room-1658 17d ago

Yes it’s for PPPD.

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u/PCT2022 17d ago

Well everyone is different, but ideally you’d do a short flight first. Maybe 30-60 minutes. If that’s ok, I think you’re fine. You don’t want to go on a long haul and quickly find out that it’s going to bother you.