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Vertigo while under the car?

Moms68

Moms68

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Today I was working under my car, which is up on stands and ramps from a recent tranny rebuild. After about 2 hours of working on my car bolting things up, I started feeling a little nauseous and had a dull headache. I took a break for about an hour and it went away. Started working again and the same thing happened, in about an hour.

I have a professional CO meter (I’m licensed HVAC) and had 0 ppm. I am 66 and had a recent physical with no issues, and wear cheater reading glasses for close work only.
It was a really nice day here in CT and I had the overhead door wide open, but used the heater in the morning.

Has anyone else experience this??
 
I have vertigo and it affects me sometimes when I’m under a car. It comes on if I’m having difficulty in doing something. It starts with me feeling hot then dizzy. If I’m smart I’ll take my medication before I start and if not I have Dramamine out in the garage that I can take.
 
I haven't but i wonder if it could be eye strain from your glasses and moving around under your car? I use some cheapo glasses for reading once in a while but if i look around i can get a little dizzy motion sickness feeling. I'm no doctor though so just a thought. I wish you the best.
 
I have vertigo. I had to work under the dash the other day, and when I got up I had to lean against the wall or I would have fallen over. The best thing I did was to invest in a hoist. No more lying under the car.
 
I ditch the progressive tri-focal bullshit glasses entirely while working on cars. My natural eyesight is much better suited for the various distances.
Plus I always drink beer while working on them. Never had a problem. :rolleyes:
 
Yes to all the above - vertigo, coupled with issues brought on from a collapsed disc between
C6 and C7 in back of my neck, which affects yer wirin' to extremities and circulation to yer melon.
It takes me a minute to acclimate myself to being under the car - and a few minutes
to get out from under it afterwards.
You get used to it and think ahead of time of where you want to fall against...

I need to wear my "close up" glasses when under there but I don't, because that just
makes things worse seems like.
Recently when under there remounting the Hurst shifter, I had a problem focusing on those %$^$%^
clips on the shift rods, so I did what any old dodder would do - aimed in the middle of the fuzzy
image presented and stabbed at it with needle nose. :thumbsup:
 
Could be low potassium so try eating a banana or potatoes.
Also here in the south the pollen is terrible right now and it could be an inner ear issue from that.
 
I had vertigo after my heart surgery. Not fun for sure. It put me down to my knees at the grocery store. It went away in a few min and is a side effect of my surgery.
 
Last edited:
moparedtn said:
Yes to all the above - vertigo, coupled with issues brought on from a collapsed disc between
C6 and C7 in back of my neck, which affects yer wirin' to extremities and circulation to yer melon.
It takes me a minute to acclimate myself to being under the car - and a few minutes
to get out from under it afterwards.
You get used to it and think ahead of time of where you want to fall against...

I need to wear my "close up" glasses when under there but I don't, because that just
makes things worse seems like.
Recently when under there remounting the Hurst shifter, I had a problem focusing on those %$^$%^
clips on the shift rods, so I did what any old dodder would do - aimed in the middle of the fuzzy
image presented and stabbed at it with needle nose. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
That works! So does having a 20 something son do it for you. Good experience builder for them. :)
 
I get disoriented when working on my back under the car awhile. I can stand under mine on the car lift for hours and have no troubles but something about looking up while sort of upside down just isn't natural.
 
Kern Dog said:
I get disoriented when working on my back under the car awhile. I can stand under mine on the car lift for hours and have no troubles but something about looking up while sort of upside down just isn't natural.
Click to expand...
TROOF!
 
I've never tried it drunk. That would surely be worse.....
 
qkcuda said:
The best thing I did was to invest in a hoist. No more lying under the car.
Click to expand...
Same here. If I didnt have the hoist my wrenching days would be over. I have had 3 cases of some bad vertigo, and a few minor issues. When it is bad everything spins like the worst hangover ever, nausia till you puke. Eyes closed or open dont stop the spinning. The first time, it took a trip to the emergency room and some good meds they gave me to make it go away. Still took a few days till I was stable enough to work. Now I keep the meds at home. I dont work on my back under cars AT ALL. Never upside down under the dash. On my back looking up will bring it on, I have to be very careful.

Good luck with your vertigo. I hope it does not get any worse for you.
 
Paul_G said:
Same here. If I didnt have the hoist my wrenching days would be over. I have had 3 cases of some bad vertigo, and a few minor issues. When it is bad everything spins like the worst hangover ever, nausia till you puke. Eyes closed or open dont stop the spinning. The first time, it took a trip to the emergency room and some good meds they gave me to make it go away. Still took a few days till I was stable enough to work. Now I keep the meds at home. I dont work on my back under cars AT ALL. Never upside down under the dash. On my back looking up will bring it on, I have to be very careful.

Good luck with your vertigo. I hope it does not get any worse for you.
Click to expand...
Very good analogy right there - back when I did drink, it was always "enough" when the "spinnies"
kicked in as we called them. Same exact sensation with vertigo, least with me.
 
It could be in the back of your mind realizing that your under 3800 lbs of steel held up with jack stands from china... primal fear maybe?
 
I have vertigo and it made me park my tool box 15 years ago. No more sliding under a car or dashboard or my world spins. If I take the medication 45 minutes before attempting anything of the sort I have a shot at not getting sick. I have this since my youth,could never go on any spinny rides or cork screw roller coasters.
I can't even look up at the stars without getting dizzy:(
 
It is spring time around here. Allergies can cause excess fluids in your inner ear canal which will sure as hell get me pretty dizzy, particularly when I get up quickly from a prone position. It may be something that simple. A decongestant like Sudafed helps that immensely.
 
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