I have EXTREMELY bad vertigo, I can't even read in a car, now I have to fly. what can I do? NO MEDICINE!

Hi everyone, I have extremely bad vertigo. Can't read in the car, can't ride rollercoasters, when I"m on the subway, I have to face the same way the train is going or I'll get nauseous, sometimes if I whip my head around too fast I get dizzy and sick and of course flying is just a puke fest. I just took a new job where I will be traveling a lot more and of course will have to take the plane. Are there any exercises I can do to overcome my vertigo? A few months ago I was engrossed in a book and would read it in the car on my day to work, long story short, I would have a headache all day and be basically useless because my head would be throbbing. So my question is what can I do to prepare for my flight? I really do not like medicine and I tried that over the counter med stuff once and got really really sick. Do those copper bracelets work? Any thing else I can do..I'm getting dizzy just typing this because there is a window open behind this screen.

With the symptoms you describe, three things come to mind. (1) You may need your eyes tested. Do you wear glasses? If so, have you had the lenses changed recently? You may be due for an eye exam. (2) A middle ear infection can cause dizziness and nausea. There is also a form of it called Meniere's Disease. The middle ear is your center of balance, and when it gets out of kilter, you can be very sick.
(3) You may be one of those people who is very prone to motion sickness. It affects some folks much more than others. I can't give you any cures, but I would urge you to have your eyes, ears and general health checked. The solutions to your problem will have to come from the medical experts. Meanwhile, don't judge all medicines by one bad experience. A medicine won't work or can make you ill if it's the wrong thing. Again, only a doctor can prescribe the proper treatment for you. As for copper bracelets, some people swear by them, but I think the effect if any, is purely psychological. Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.

Have your eyes checked.

i had vertigo between march and july of last year and it was awful.
when i drove and hit the brake to stop, i would jam right down on it because it felt like i was being propelled backwards. if i turned my head to the left sharply i would risk falling over.
and when i layed down in bed at night i would have to hold on for a couple of minutes until the spinning stopped. it was so awful.
there is a medicine that helps to control it, it begins with an M, i can't remember now. but your doctor would know it. dehydration is a key factor to vertigo; drink plenty of water.
i feel bad for you, i know how bad it can be, take care and good luck.

You have motion sickness but it seems like more than this. You need to see a neurologist and find out why you have vertigo. Vertigo can be caused by structural problems in the inner ear or Meunier's disease or various other things.

Try riding a car blindfolded. Not if you're driving. Same in the subway. Don't do this alone. Closing your eyes doesn't work if the ride is too long. You'll open them eventually.
If this works, you can get a comfortable blind, the kind used to sleep, and take it with you to the plane. Get an MP3 player and keep your ears busy and your mind away from the problem.
Fast for half a day before boarding a plane.

And get your eyes checked...

You should see a specialist. My grandpa said that she had him do all sorts of stuff, like just moving his head around in a certain way, or standing in a corner a certain way, and it worked. He couldn't even look up without feeling dizzy.