Disoriented, queasy in stores/busy places--is this a cognitive symptom?

[violetopia]

Since my "neurological event" I've had some problems with confusion, and yesterday I realized this often occurs at the grocery store or other places where there's a great deal of visual information to process. If I'm moving through the store and trying to find things at the same time--like glancing down the aisles--I quickly feel sort of seasick and overwhelmed. It's hard to read the labels and discern what's where. Then I get rather panicky, which probably makes it worse.

I'm finding that to navigate a store I need to keep my eyes down while moving, and look up at things only after I've stopped. Otherwise this unsteadiness sets in and I feel as if I'm going to lose my balance or freak out or both.

This strikes me as a cognitive problem, maybe, related to visual information processing? Or maybe it's something else. Can anyone tell me if there's a name for this and if others have experienced it? I don't have a dx yet, so I don't know whether or how this fits in with my other symptoms. Thanks for any input. Wishing all of you wellness and peace.

Violet

[COBOB]

In places with bright lights and longs rows of straight shelving I have some issues.  I found out that covering my right eye causes it to stop.  I'm guessing that it is related to the ON, postive VEP and slight vertical diplopia in my right eye.  I have some balance issues that I compensate for by depending on my eyes, and things that messes up the visual data can get me a little disoriented and throw my balance off, so I'd guess that could cause nausea in some folks.  Heave you had ON or a positive VEP?

Bob

[wiggles94]

Hi Violet,
I have been dx CIS and experience what you are describing as well.I now have to go to the grocery story several times a week and get less items.  Doing a whole weeks shopping is just way too overwhelming and tiring!  Too much stimuli of any sort gets to me!  BE it visual, auditory or tactile!

  I was a teacher for 18 years (first grade) and have been on med leave since last Feb due to issues like this as well.  With all the activity in the classroom (noise, movement, etc) I found myself getting dizzy, light headed, and having great difficulty attending. Would get very confused as the day wore on!

  I used to be able to know what was going on in my room at all times (kind of like the eyes in the back of the head idea) and was excellent at being proactive in keeping all things running smoothly and knowing needs of all my kids,  but over the past couple of years, managing my classroom became more and more difficult.

MY neuro's office has told me that experts in the field are paying  more attention to the cognitive issues related to MS and the impact it can have on daily life!

Maybe one of our experts can shed more light on this?  
Good luck to you!

[texasgirl150]

I do not know what it is but I have it too. I am not diagnosed but am still working with my doctor to figure out what is wrong with me. What you described is something very similar to what i experience when i go to the grocery store.

Someone else with more knowledge will respond.