On the way back home from my checkup the other day I had a coughing fit. Here I am in bumper to bumper traffic going 80 miles an hour on a very wet highway & I started coughing. Fortunately I didnt close my eyes like when I sneeze. It made me wonder if anyone has had car accidents due to CF somehow. A coughing fit that you couldnt pull over for or something.
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**Does CF interfere with your driving
- Thread starter JazzysMom
- Start date
blindhearted
New member
I have pulled off the road a few times for coughing fits. I usually carry a small bottle of deer park water everywhere with me so if I start coughing I can sip on it to help calm down. I've had sneezing spells while going into curves, praying I didn't hit anything. Even though I don't have CFRD, my sugar drops every now and then specially when I start getting sick. I've had a spell where I would get lightheaded, sleepy, headache with spots, shaking, etc. But luckly I was a mile or two from home when it happened and I made it home safely. So far, so good on not having an accident though. *knock on wood*
6
65rosessamurai
Guest
Even though I've been checked for Diabetes (and it was negative), I also experience my sugar levels dropping. I don't have the same symptoms as blindhearted does, my hands tend to shake vigourously, and my legs begin to feel weak. The only problem when that happens while driving is that I have to stop for food, or suck down a coke, or some high sugar stuff you'd give to a diabetic having the same reaction.
As for a coughing fit, I don't have a "fit", but I've had a few coughs where I'd see stars! It actually happened while I was driving (fortunately alone--the wife would have freaked!) and I had to focus immediately on the road right after. I'm not going 80 (At least not 80 mph, more like 80 kmh which is about 50mph!), but some cases which that happens is bumber to bumper and mirror to mirror! (It gets so cramped, we nearly touch mirrors on the road!)
I wondered about this, too, but was a bit hesitant to start a spool on it.
Fortunately, I haven't gone so bad to pull over, but it's definitely something to prepare for, if it were to get that bad. (*knock on wood* here, too!)
My problem is, I've got a 5 speed, and if my hands are full, I gotta prevent the window from getting "splattered" as soon as I start coughing!
As for a coughing fit, I don't have a "fit", but I've had a few coughs where I'd see stars! It actually happened while I was driving (fortunately alone--the wife would have freaked!) and I had to focus immediately on the road right after. I'm not going 80 (At least not 80 mph, more like 80 kmh which is about 50mph!), but some cases which that happens is bumber to bumper and mirror to mirror! (It gets so cramped, we nearly touch mirrors on the road!)
I wondered about this, too, but was a bit hesitant to start a spool on it.
Fortunately, I haven't gone so bad to pull over, but it's definitely something to prepare for, if it were to get that bad. (*knock on wood* here, too!)
My problem is, I've got a 5 speed, and if my hands are full, I gotta prevent the window from getting "splattered" as soon as I start coughing!
spicyone18
New member
I've never had an accident, but I too have had to pull over to the side of the road due to coughing fits.
ive never had to stop due to coughing. i have the ability to cough and drive at the same time. although, if i was driving a manual things might be different. coughing + changing gears = hand slippage. the only problem i have driving is unrelated to cf and thats my poor night vision. cant see anything even with glasses on.
Another thought to this topic. If one has Epilepsy and if the Department of Motor Vehicles wasnt notified & the person had a seizure causing an accident, they could get into some serious trouble for not notifiying them blah, blah, blah. I dont know if CF would fall into this also. I mean the problems are more "controlled" then with Epilepsy. We can pull over for a coughing spell etc. Also the seizure meds are a "controlled substance" versus the CF meds, but the overall dangers can be the same when actually driving. BY THE WAY......I have never had an accident either. I just thought about how easily it could happen. I just wanted to clarify that in case any of you see me on the road. I have personalized licene plates so if you know what that is GET OUT OF MY WAY!
<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>kybert</b></i><br>unrelated to cf and thats my poor night vision.<hr></blockquote>
This can, however, be caused by meds people take for CF, especially prednisone. You might get checked for cataracts. Prednisone can also cause glaucoma, although I'm not sure reduced night-vision is a symptom of its onset.
My left eye is pretty much shot because of all the prednisone I took. Granted, this goes back to the days when they thought it was a good idea for CFers to take corticosteroids continuously for years at a time. Obviously, it was not a good idea.
Q
This can, however, be caused by meds people take for CF, especially prednisone. You might get checked for cataracts. Prednisone can also cause glaucoma, although I'm not sure reduced night-vision is a symptom of its onset.
My left eye is pretty much shot because of all the prednisone I took. Granted, this goes back to the days when they thought it was a good idea for CFers to take corticosteroids continuously for years at a time. Obviously, it was not a good idea.
Q
JennifersHope
New member
I can say for sure about the prednisone giving you poor night vision... I have much more trouble seeing at night.., I get halos around the heads of the car lights and everything seems so much brighter. I used to want to curse everyone out cause I would swear that they would leave their bright lights on just to tick me off... HA how is that for egocentric... but then I realized it was just me and my eyes being ultra sensitive to the light.. and not the whole world out to blind me..
I do have cataracts.. but they are not bad yet so they didn 't feel anything needed to be done about it.... but it does intefere with my dricving slightly.. As far as coughing fits.....I don't recall every pulling off the road because of them unless it was to throw up from coughing so hard.. but that is rare.
Jennifer
I do have cataracts.. but they are not bad yet so they didn 't feel anything needed to be done about it.... but it does intefere with my dricving slightly.. As far as coughing fits.....I don't recall every pulling off the road because of them unless it was to throw up from coughing so hard.. but that is rare.
Jennifer
Emily65Roses
New member
I have yet to have had an accident due to coughing, but I've thought about it. Not in that I was sitting there plotting a coughing-related accident (hah), but that I've wondered if it'll ever happen. I have coughing fits when I drive sometimes (especially in the winter, the temperature shock of leaving the nice warm house and going outside where it's bitter cold), but so far I've been able to drive and cough at the same time.
spicyone18
New member
I have a really hard time seeing at night, I am more worried about having at accident due to night blindness more so then coughing. I've always thought it was b/c of low vitamin levels although i take many vit. supplements they still always seem to be really low.
6
65rosessamurai
Guest
Oh, Kybert,
I didn't even mention I have to shift with the left hand. I guess that means if I cough and cover my mouth, I'd naturally use my right (the one holding the steering wheel) to cover it! (But that one's busy dodging pedestrians and bicycles!!)
Em, if you put a scarf or something over your mouth in the cold winter, maybe you'll cough less. The coughing is more than likely due to the shock from the cold air filling the lungs. I only have that kind of shock if I happen to turn to the wind when a big gust comes by! That's even worse, there's a cold chill factor, which is the calculation of the ambient temperature (the cold air when still), and the wind speed. Based on the wind speed, the air hitting your lungs will be MORE colder. Keep that in mind, and I hope it helped. (That's also why no one drives a motorcycle in the middle of winter in Detroit!)
I didn't even mention I have to shift with the left hand. I guess that means if I cough and cover my mouth, I'd naturally use my right (the one holding the steering wheel) to cover it! (But that one's busy dodging pedestrians and bicycles!!)
Em, if you put a scarf or something over your mouth in the cold winter, maybe you'll cough less. The coughing is more than likely due to the shock from the cold air filling the lungs. I only have that kind of shock if I happen to turn to the wind when a big gust comes by! That's even worse, there's a cold chill factor, which is the calculation of the ambient temperature (the cold air when still), and the wind speed. Based on the wind speed, the air hitting your lungs will be MORE colder. Keep that in mind, and I hope it helped. (That's also why no one drives a motorcycle in the middle of winter in Detroit!)
ive had all the tests for glaucoma and cataracts and even though i took steroids a few years back thankfully it hasnt done any damage to my eyes. ive always been short sighted but for some reason ive never been able to see well at night, its just one big blur. ive been told that there are special night vision glasses out there? might give them a shot if they arent expensive.
i get real dizzy lots of times, so it's getting to the point where i don't trust myself to drive. I think my blood sugar gets all whacked out. I don't know what from . Also i will never drive at night cause that makes it so much worse plus i am photophobic. So if you ever see me out drivin' in the night....you best stay clear..................seriously