Travel sickness/vertigo/dizziness in 3yr old child?

[vickitoria10]

I’m going to ring the doctors on Monday morning but I was wandering if anyone had any advice/experience.

When she was a baby our daughter always held her head to one side, I mentioned it at check ups but they said it was probably just weaker muscles on one side of her head. As she grew a bit older she held her head straight but she started randomly being sick usually coinciding with getting teeth, she would be sick 2/3 times 10mins apart, she’d go pale and hold her head to one side, after being sick she’d sleep it off and wake up an hour later absolutely fine.

This never happened at home, always when out somewhere, usually not long after arriving.

Fast forward to last August we returned from our local shopping centre where she’d been running around fine, it’s 2 miles away, we pulled on to the drive and the minute we got out the car she was sick. We started to think about travel sickness but we’d only travelled 2miles. A week later we travelled to Florida, driving to the airport, the plane, driving the other side, rides etc and had not issues at all. So thought it was a random thing.

In January we went to a local country park about 10miles away, we arrived, got her out the car and she was sick. Again a bit random. 3 weeks later we drove to Disney Paris and back and rides in Paris again no problems.

The day before lockdown we drove back from a supermarket 3miles away, she got out the car and looked a bit pale, said she was dizzy and then was sick.

She’s been fine all lockdown as we haven’t been out in a car. Last weekend we drove 2miles to a local wood to go for a walk, we arrived, she got out the car, said she was dizzy and was sick.

Not been in the car all week, yesterday drove 45minutes, arrived, she got out the car, said she was dizzy and again was sick.

All this happened after arriving at the destination and always when she gets out the car and when this happens her head always goes to one side.

But then just before tea time yesterday she’d been watching tv lying on the floor so watching it upside down. She got up and said she was dizzy, her head Was to one side and she went very pale just like she does when getting out of a car. She wasn’t sick tho, but when she tried to walk she couldn’t get her balance at all, she really was quite dizzy.

She laid down and had a sleep and an hour later woke up fine!

I was originally thinking it was travel sickness but after tea time yesterday I’m now wandering if it’s something else but triggered by the motion in a car? She’s never been sick in the car. I’ve tried to ask her if she feels dizzy in the car and she says it when she gets out which I think is when we stop.

It’s just all bizarre, I’m wandering if everything has been connected all along by some inner ear problem? Has anyone any similar experience?

I am going to speak to the docs on Monday. I do suffer from anxiety and this isn’t helping cos I’ve now got it in my head we can’t go anywhere in the car now! I even gave her half a joy ride yesterday morning but that clearly didn’t help!

[Love*my*hols]

We used to think our DS was travel sick,but eventually realised that travelling with bright lights going past was bringing on a migraine.Wonder if could be similar?

[Bootrip2]

Its so difficult with little ones, but i think you are doing exactly the right thing by getting medical advice. X

[vickitoria10]

Originally Posted by Love*my*hols

We used to think our DS was travel sick,but eventually realised that travelling with bright lights going past was bringing on a migraine.Wonder if could be similar?

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Would this happen in the daytime travelling only a couple of miles? It’s worth thinking about.

[wifey]

Has her hearing been checked thoroughly? Perhaps there’s an issue that’s not easy to see but may need taking a better look at. One of my nephews had something similar years ago, he had a problem behind his eardrum which was quickly rectified...

[duchy]

It could be ear infection upsetting the balance in her inner ear so vertigo. It was one of the reasons they’d take out adenoids , don’t know if things have moved on and there’s less invasive treatments now.

[Love*my*hols]

Originally Posted by vickitoria10

Would this happen in the daytime travelling only a couple of miles? It’s worth thinking about.

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It was sun flickering through the trees or buildings.

[fissycist]

Please persevere with speaking to the GP and ideally actually being seen. The doctor should be able to check for muscle weakness on one side but also check her eyes and ears as another dibber suggested.
As her mum you know her well, be assured that the GP should hear out your concerns. Even if you get an initial explanation don‘t be afraid to return to the GP to request a referral onwards if she doesn’t improve or gets worse.
The car travel may be a bit of a red herring in that it may just make an underlying thing worse.
Please let us know how you get on.

[Kawaii]

My daughter is nine and has struggled with symptoms like this since she was two. She's been diagnosed with migraines, and we have found that when the symptoms start Calpol will usually stop it developing. Hope you get on okay at the doctor's.

[vickitoria10]

Thanks everyone, I’m thinking maybe some problem with her balance/inner ear. I get travel sick myself but at 2miles down the road if you were a bit queasy I don’t think it’s really long enough in a car to actually be sick? I might be wrong but yeah I’m going to see what the doc says on Monday. I imagine they’ll be reluctant to see her at this time.