I had my first drop attack in Oct 2015 ( the violent Crisis of Tumarkin type- felt pushed from the left and a violent flip…heel over head). After that 2 more not as violent , then moved into a phase of mini drops ( heel over head flip- once then stops) I had those a couple times a week until a began acyclovir in January and it all stopped week and a half later. Now months later I am feeling good ( just have ear stuffiness/slight tinnitus) wondering if a dare try driving again? Worried that I may be feeling good but then have a break through violent drop while on the highway.
That's a tough one. I would think if you're on acyclovir and you feel that that has sent the virus into remission, then you're probably ok. Don't stop the acyclovir though!
I think this is one of the hardest things to decide. When I was having drop attacks I stopped driving. I went 3 months without a drop attack before I started driving again. Once I started having mini spins I stopped driving again because I never knew when one would occur. I waited another 6 weeks without spins before I started driving again. I also never drove on the highway, I always took back roads and if I felt like I was about to have any kind of attack I would not drive. Finally I had a laby and that took care of all my drops and spins and gave me freedom to drive again. This disease sucks!
If I was a candidate for the Laby I'd do it in a second! This from reading all of the success stories here. Unfortunately being bilateral does not make that an option for me. How I wish I could do something to live normally again. I was on Valcyclovir for 3 years in remission. Then it just stopped and the symptoms solely started coming back and would hit with a vengeance. From reading here I did what I've seen others do. I requested my Oto to put me on Valclovir at a higher dose by a specific manufacturer. I choose Northstar. 30 days on the Valcyclovir and I'm experiencing marked improvement. That being said, we all seem to respond to the same treatment in different ways. In the beginning it took the Acyclovir 3 months before I saw marked differences. I've only had 2 drop attacks and they are scary. But not as scary as knowing you're going to pass out in a minute. I can't answer your question about driving. I stopped while I was having major attacks. Once the attacks stopped I'd drive but only to places close to home. After awhile I even felt better when driving. I asked my Oto and she said my hand to eye coordination is so busy it's not paying attention to the messages my ears are sending. Good Luck in finding the answers you need.
Laby is short for labyrinthectomy - definition found on the web - is an effective surgical procedure for the management of poorly compensated unilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction in the presence of a nonserviceable hearing ear. Relief from vertigo is achieved at the expense of the residual hearing in the ear to be operated. A laby should only be performed on patients living with uncontrollable vertigo and hearing loss and who have tried other alternatives before seeking the surgery. This is my opinion and I am pretty sure most people on this board will agree with me. I did have the laby due to hearing loss, vertigo and drop attacks. My quality of life sucked. I regained my life after the laby, I consider myself a lucky woman.
I do limited driving and will not drive at night. Sudden darkness (going outside at night with no light on) has caused 2 drop attacks.