DEAR DR. GOTT:
Recently you published an article about a young lady who had sudden onset motion sickness. The patient found that this developed over a period of 18 months and you advised trying powdered ginger capsules.
As a retired mechanic, I would like to offer another non-narcotic treatment. Many people don’t realize when the rear shock absorbers (“shocks”) or McPherson struts (“struts”) go bad on their car. They can feel it in the steering wheel when the front ones fail, but they get desensitized to the extra bounce when the rear set fails. The passengers, usually children, in the rear seats are actually traveling up and down a greater distance than the driver when this happens so the effect is greater on them.
An 18-month onset period is interesting since many car shocks only last about two years. Struts usually last longer and more expensive cars may be able to go about 10 years without failure. Failed rear struts generally cause more bouncing because they are much longer lasting than shocks.
Perhaps the young lady should have her car “examined” by a mechanic.
DEAR READER:
I have often said that doctors are like mechanics. Both examine, diagnose and treat ailments, one in cars, the other in humans. This may be an instance where the two professions come together to help the patient. Thank you for writing and offering an alternative cause to the diagnosis.
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