vertigo and rides

[farfaraway]

I have vertigo and can ride some rides. I definitely will not do any rides that spin or go upside down. I really want to ride SM and possible ME but do not want to sit out part of the day to recuperate from it. Will taking Dramamine help?

 

[Robo]

I have vertigo and can ride some rides. I definitely will not do any rides that spin or go upside down. I really want to ride SM and possible ME but do not want to sit out part of the day to recuperate from it. Will taking Dramamine help?

Sorry, but...
Which "SM?"
And, what is "ME?"


At WDW, there is only one major attraction that goes upside down.
That is Rock'n'RollerCoaster.

I will say that some are bothered by the "backwards section" on Expedition Everest.

 

[farfaraway]

SM is Space Mountain and Me is Mount Everest. Please let me know if it's worth buying before I go.

 

[minnie mum]

If you have vertigo, you might want to ask your physician for a recommendation. Dramamine is a commonly used OTC remedy for motion sickness, but drowsiness is a common side effect. That would certainly impact your park day. There are non drowsy medications with the active ingredient Meclizine, which may be helpful. There is a non drowsy Dramamine that contains this. Bonine is another brand name. But not everyone will have the same results from any medication.There are also prescription medications which your physician may recommend instead.

BTW, the ride is Expedition Everest ( abbreviated EE).

 

[farfaraway]

minnie mum you are so right about EE. Had a non magical moment.

 

[Robo]

minnie mum you are so right about EE. Had a non magical moment.

minnie mum didn't say anything specifically about the effects of EE.

But, I did.

Yes, that backward section of EE can upset sensitive guests... right in the mid-section.

I can say that since Space Mtn. is SO ROUGH, it might have a similar untoward affect.

As to that OTHER "SM," Splash Mtn., the last drop is really not too bad, but guests can
work themselves up in anticipation that it might affect them a bit, too.

 

[Sdobek]

The biggest problem for me on space mt is that it is jerky and it is in the dark. Getting jerked around with no visual frame of reference makes me sick when I ride it and I don't have any problem with Everest. Although most of my experience is with SM at Disneyland which I think might have less / no light leaking in.

 

[kmn952]

I have this issue too. Space mountain was ok. Everest was terrible for me. I got so sick I had to go to the room to lay down. Everyone's a little different with their vertigo

 

[Cuchman]

I had an episode of vertigo about a month ago....first time without other factors....and I'm still feeling some after effects even now. Hoping it won't kill my trip coming up in a few weeks.
That being said, I do find Meclazine to be quite helpful.....the doctor prescribed some for me, but it is essentially just a bigger dose of the OTc stuff. I may not need it but I'll sure have it with me.
I agree that EE has a good chance of triggering some vertigo. Also the darn teacups.....I avoid those even when I'm feeling perfect. I would avoid Dinosaur, and Primeval Whirl (vertigo nightmare!).....I would actually be concerned about Toy Story Mania as well....that one could go unnoticed.
Best of luck!

 

[KrisWitt]

SM bothers my vertigo because I can't focus on anything in the dark. EE didn't bother me. RRC threw me for a loop-pun totally intended! I bought a small bottle of the less drowsy Dramamine because my prescription totally knocks me out and then took half a pill (but made sure to do it in advance of riding). It worked well for me. Good luck on finding what works for you-vertigo can be a real magic stopper!

 

[wuzzy6]

I would like to suggest Bonine for motion sickness as another option - not a bad idea to try out a couple of things ahead of time to see what works best for you. I never had any issues with vertigo until I got into my 40s... now I can't do things like Mission Space - even Star Tours can get to me a little bit. Oddly enough, none of the roller coasters or even ToT bother me at all. Good luck in finding something to work well for you - it's terrible to have your whole day ruined because you feel sick.

 

[Polyonmymind]

Sea Bands work well. I have also used VertigoX Roll with success. Typically bring both with me when visiting theme parks.

 

[JonnaP]

My husband has vertigo/motion sickness issues and out of all the rides, Star Tours actually had him more green than EE or SM!
But he brings Dramamine with him and it tends to really help - his suggestion is to take a dose the day before you go to get accustomed to the drowsiness.

 

[DMCastner]

It does depend on what type of vertigo you have. I will not do any rides that whip me around or spin. So, you can count out Star Tours, SM, EE, RRC, etc. I walk the line in riding BTMRR, Dinosaur, TSMM, etc. I also find that I have a sensitivity to drastic light changes, so lights flashing in my eyes, switching from dark to light, etc. I also have Meclizine - just chew the pill (absorbs faster). I also have a prescription for nausea that dissolves on my tongue in the event my dizziness isn't controlled by the Meclizine.

You know yourself best so don't push it. It's not worth it.

 

[100AcreWood]

I have vertigo and can ride some rides. I definitely will not do any rides that spin or go upside down. I really want to ride SM and possible ME but do not want to sit out part of the day to recuperate from it. Will taking Dramamine help?

I can't do those rides either but there are so many other rides and things to do it doesn't bother me. I don't think dramamine will help with vertigo though. Motion sickness (feeling sick on your stomach for sure). Also I like Bonine better than Dramamine for motion sickness.

 

[elgerber]

I have been battling Vertigo for the last 6 months, and Meclizine is what has been prescribed for me. I always took Meclizine with me in years past anyway, for motion sickness, but it is prescribed for Vertigo.
EE is best for me if I sit in the front. The backwards doesn't bother me as much from there. If I sit closer to the back, it's makes me pretty queasy. Of course I didn't have Vertigo the last time I was there, so hopefully it's not any worse now, than my typical motion sickness has been in the past.

 

[Fizban]

So vertigo is not the same as motion sickness. I was diagnosed with it 9 years ago and it lasted about 6 years. Triggers for me that might trigger you are sudden altitude changes, stress, and believe it or not bouts of high blood pressure. If you are still afflicted with it i would avoid EE as that would trigger me due to the visual height. You can probably get away with SM. Have you been prescribed antivert? If not get with your doc. It does help.

 

[HelenParr]

Dramamine will only possibly help if it helps you generally. That is to say -- now, in the non-Disney World, do you take Dramamine (or similar) to keep vertigo symptoms controlled? If yes, and it works for you, good chance it'll work on the rides too. It does not work at all for some people and some conditions.

Space Mountain takes a couple of unexpected (because it's hard to see in there), whipping turns that can throw those with a vertigo-like condition, me included, into a spell/attack. It took me some time to figure out how to brace myself so that I wouldn't be affected. The 20 or so seconds of aggressively turning, backwards motion, in the dark, on EE are very hard to manage. You might want to skip it!!

 

[W.E.D.]

I was worried I was going to pass out on EE, during the backwards portion. It's never happened on any other WDW ride, or any ride at all for that matter. I was glad the backwards section ended quickly, because I felt myself slipping towards the end.