The Dizziness Group: For those who are floating, boating, falling or flying

[Guest [...]]

2200. Thank you for being so kind...

 

I seem to know all of this by heart but each day I'm so darn anxious and dizzy. ( must be a loop) I just am in despair over how I'll survive it.

 

Thank you for responding.

 

I'm afraid to do anything

 

 

I sure understand the fear part of it.I think getting through each day can be so tough!

 

I think grocery shopping is one of the hardest things to get through while so dizzy,but as time goes a long,I get some better trips and it builds your confidence back up that you can do this.

 

 

It sure isn't easy,but you will feel so stoked every day you endure this and accomplish something,even if it's small.Then you do a bit more and the fear gets less intense.I know this for sure,as in early withdrawal,I was    such a mess with panic attacks.Now they are less often,and lighter.I can't wait until they are gone and take the dizziness with them!

[[La...]]

Hi Healing seeker,

I think our pal 2200 has given you some excellent advice! Dizziness is a really difficult (um....brutal) symptom to deal with on a regular basis, and in lieu of a magic wand (which everybody keeps telling me they don't have), we just have to do our best to get through it day by day. If you've had things checked out, and you're pretty darned sure that it's from the benzo, then the cure is time.

 

Do you get any breaks? Any days when it's not as bad? In my case, I tend to get an every-other-day pattern of more-dizzy/less-dizzy. Today's a less-dizzy day -- somewhere around a 6.5 out of 10 on my scale. Yesterday was an 8, though, and with the exhaustion I felt, it was a really rough day. Sometimes I can distract myself quite well, but a few big stressors that I hadn't bargained for were thrown into the mix late in the day, and it made for an anxiety-ridden bunch of hours.

 

My best go-to things for calming down are listening to the radio, reading, listening to music, talking to someone, doing research, doing exercises (i.e. the ones that I can do in sitting), staring out at the beautiful trees outside my window, deep breathing, etc. What about you? What works for you when you're stressed about all of this?

 

I think there's a strong connection between feeling dizzy and feeling anxious, and I've come across it a number of times in the research articles I've read about dizziness. Of course we're anxious! We feel like we're falling all the time! Yes, it's normal to feel this way.

 

Healing seeker, take good care. And don't forget to breathe.....

 

 

[[He...]]

Lapis. I try to do the breathing exercises.... they only make me lightheaded.  I listen to a relaxation tape .... but mostly I freak out over the way I feel. I have quite a bit to go on my taper and that has me scared.  This is hard. No it's impossible right now.  And no one in my orbit( family or friends) gets it.  I was doing ok a few weeks ago and then s tree fell in our yard and smashed our fence. Huge stress... huge money and someone here slmost every day to do something .  I've gotten way worse.

[[La...]]

Shoot! That sounds really intense. It sounds a bit like what I've been dealing with lately -- a lot of extra stressors in the mix that make it much harder to feel calm and in control. It's good that you're attending to the tree issue, though. I hope that gets resolved soon, since that will make you feel much better. If you're like me, then the anxiety tends to be there until "the thing" gets done -- whatever "the thing" is.

 

As far as breathing goes, make sure that you're breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Your belly should rise as breathe in, but not your chest, really. Deep breathing has to do with using the diaphragm. If you breathe only from the chest, you can get quite light-headed. It's easier to practise deep breathing while lying down with one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. That way you can relax and feel what you're doing. Maybe you can try it later on, when you're lying in bed.

 

I was never good at using relaxation tapes. They made me more nervous, actually! But music works. That's my thing. Or visualization. But I have to be relaxed to do that. I've used it when getting blood taken (not my fave thing to do) or during dental procedures. I think people call it "going to your happy place"!

 

Anyway, good luck with sorting out the tree situation! I'm sure you'll feel better once that's sorted. But no doubt, owning property can be expensive. I had to deal with a window recently, and thankfully, it didn't end up being too expensive, but I'd already repaired them back in March. This most recent thing was just "wear-and-tear".

 

 

[[He...]]

Lapis. My doctor called me a few hours ago....he thinks I have vertigo....wants me to see an ENT.  I have an appointment on Monday.  The spinning dizziness is different from the off balance stuff I've been getting from my taper....I'm taking meclizine which doesn't seem to help much other than give me a stomach ache and headache.

 

I'm tired of all of this

 

Thank you for your help. I'll keep you posted

[[La...]]

Yes, good idea, Healing seeker! Definitely get checked out by an ENT. If it's BPPV, it's fairly easy to diagnose, and the usual treatment appears to have a very good success rate. Please do let us know how it goes! Take care. 

[[Be...]]

BPPV can go away on its you, you don't always need treatment. I've had it a few times and it went away on its own.

[[La...]]

Hi Healing seeker,

I just looked up that medication that you're taking -- Meclizine -- and it appears to be an antihistamine-anticholinergic. In the medical literature, these meds are known as "vestibular suppressants", and they can contribute to dizziness if taken for more than a short period of time. Please see the following link about medications from Vestibular.org:

 

http://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorders/treatment/vestibular-medication 

 

Benzodiazepines, antihistamines and anticholinergics are all "vestibular suppressants". I'm not sure how long you've been on that medication, but please consider that it may be part of the problem. If you have a few minutes, check out some of the first few pages of this thread where I've put up a number of links about dizziness, medications and other pertinent topics.

 

Here's a link to page 1 of this thread, which has a number of links that might pertain to you:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=128947.0 

[[He...]]

I've taken 3 meclizine in 10 days....but I've been taking Ativan for 30 years.  I'm home...alone and quite anxious about all of this.  All I want to do is lay in bed.  I'm worried they won't find anything and I'll be stuck with this.  My anxiety is off the charts.  Thank you for sending me the links ....it says to stay active....I can't do that right now.

 

I also have a neurological pain condition ( CRPS) that effects both legs.  I'm so scared right now and my husband is away

[[La...]]

Hi Healing seeker,

I totally understand. Totally. I know how scary it can be. As far as the meclizine goes, it seems that you haven't taken much at all, but I'm glad you had a look at the links. All of that info was new to me when I was just starting to figure out why I was so dizzy. I'm also glad you're going to the doc on Monday to get it checked out. It's an important step to take. Will you have someone with you for that appointment?

 

In the meantime, just take it easy. Do what you can, but be gentle with yourself. If you can read, or listen to music, or watch a movie, or do something that helps you relax a bit and distract yourself, then that might be a good idea. I'm pretty dizzy today too, so I'm just going to read my book a bit and read some articles online. Tonight I may watch a Netflix movie or something. In the meantime, I keep trying to do short walks, and I'm using a walker. If need be, you might want to consider getting one, or, at least, a cane. The walker gives me the confidence to get up and move around while staying safe. I haven't fallen yet, and I'd like to keep it that way.

 

Take care. If you have anyone to call -- including a distress centre -- then that might be a way to deal with the fears. I'm sending good wishes your way. 

[[He...]]

Thank you.  I'm fearing the doc appointment will be a waste of time. I'm extremely nauseous today.  Am laying in bed.  Not good for me but all I can manage.  My husband is taking me on Monday

You are very kind. I feel terrible.  How do you continue to taper like this?

[[La...]]

I don't think it's a waste of time at all. I think it will be good to have things checked out and to rule out other possible causes of your dizziness. I had a whole gamut of testing done, and it narrowed things down. Knowing that it wasn't a tumour was a pretty good thing!

 

As far as the taper goes, there are lots of ways to do it. If you're finding that your method isn't working for you, can you try another one? I wasn't on BB when I did mine. I just crossed over to diazepam as per the Ashton Manual, and cut down by 1 mg every two weeks. It went fairly well, I think. In my case, I was taking an SSRI, so that added a complicating factor and likely made things worse. Anyway, I did it. It's done. I was glad to get those medications out of my system, since I knew they were causing me major grief.

 

I just wish I'd done it sooner.

 

Keep moving forward, Healing seeker. You're on the right track. I know it's scary, but you're in good company here on BB. Everyone's moving toward the same goal for the same reason. We need to heal, and it takes time. One step at a time.....

[[He...]]

Thank you  for your advice and your kindness.❤️

[[La...]]

You're very welcome, Healing seeker. Let us know how things go with the doc. 

[[He...]]

Ok. ❤️

[[Br...]]

Are there any dizziness recovery success stories? I have this when I walk since since a trial of Effexor followed by 2 weeks of klonopin .25 mg daily. I was also on nortriptyline for 4 months and it also has a vestibular suppressant.

[[Ko...]]

Hi Dizzy Buddies,

 

I'm still struggling with insomnia and my mother wants me to try a supplement called Power to Sleep.

I checked the ingredients and one is 200mg of Valerian exstract.  If I'm not mistaken, I think we are

supposed to avoid valerian. Are there other supplements we should avoid? Apparently, this stuff really

works and it's available on Amazon.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Korbe

[[La...]]

Hi Korbe,

Valerian, along with some other herbs, are on the list of Positive Allosteric Modulators for the GABA-A receptor, as are the benzodiazepines. So, while it may be effective, that effectiveness may be problematic for people who are trying to avoid the problems caused by benzos. I'm not sure how strong valerian is compared to the benzos, but if you're at all concerned, it might be best to avoid such things. What about melatonin or tryptophan or some other non-GABA-related thing?

 

Here's a wikipedia excerpt:

 

In pharmacology, GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators are positive allosteric modulator (PAM) molecules that increase the activity of the GABAA receptor protein in the vertebrate central nervous system.

 

GABA is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Upon binding, it triggers the GABAA receptor to open its chloride channel to allow chlorine ions into the neuron, making the cell hyperpolarized and less likely to fire. GABAA PAMs increase the effect of GABA by making the channel open more frequently or for longer periods. However, they have no effect if GABA or another agonist is not present.

 

Unlike GABAA receptor agonists, GABAA PAMs do not bind at the same active site as the γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter molecule: they affect the receptor by binding at a different site on the protein. This is called allosteric modulation.

 

In psychopharmacology, GABAA receptor PAMs used as drugs have mainly sedative and anxiolytic effects. Examples of GABAA PAMs include alcohol (ethanol), benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax), Z-drugs such as zolpidem (Ambien) and the barbiturate drugs.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GABAA_receptor_positive_allosteric_modulator

 

 

And this is from the University of Maryland:

 

Valerian

Overview

 

"Valerian has been used to ease insomnia, anxiety, and nervous restlessness since the second century A.D. It became popular in Europe in the 17th century. It has also been suggested to treat stomach cramps. Some research -- though not all -- suggests that valerian may help people with insomnia. Germany's Commission E approved valerian as an effective mild sedative and the United States Food and Drug Administration listed valerian as "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS)."

 

"Scientists aren't sure how valerian works, but they believe it increases the amount of a chemical called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA helps regulate nerve cells and has a calming effect on anxiety. Drugs such as alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium) also work by increasing the amount of GABA in the brain. Researchers think valerian may have a similar, but weaker effect."

 

http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/valerian

 

 

 

[[La...]]

Are there any dizziness recovery success stories? I have this when I walk since since a trial of Effexor followed by 2 weeks of klonopin .25 mg daily. I was also on nortriptyline for 4 months and it also has a vestibular suppressant.

 

Hi Brussellsprout,

We definitely know of people who were dizzy and are now no longer so. I'm not sure if there are dizziness-specific Success Stories, though. Dizziness is such a common withdrawal effect that there are many people who just put in on their list of "symptoms I had that are now gone". Lots of people don't even want to list their symptoms in their stories out of concern for others. There are two prominent people in the benzo community -- Baylissa Frederick and Don Killian -- who have written about their experiences. Both were dizzy, and both are well now. They've both got websites which feature videos and other useful pieces of info for people going through benzo withdrawal.

 

The ongoing challenge around here is that many people get better but do not come back to tell us about it. They just leave. Some write Success Stories, but others don't. We can never get the statistics that we want. However, by process of deduction, we can see that there have been more than 33,000 members pass through BenzoBuddies, and very few of those are still active around here. That likely means that most of those people are well and have moved on.

 

Hopefully that info puts a little perspective on things. So many medications can cause dizziness, so if you've been on a few of them, I'm not surprised that you have some dizziness. Like the other withdrawal symptoms, it, too, should go away. Hang in there!

[[Li...]]

Hi

Currently very dizzy/ lightheaded. I am beginning to panic! It seems worse today than usual!

Has anyone got better from this as time  has gone on?

I really need some hope please.

Thank you

Liz

[Guest [...]]

Hi Dizzy Buddies,

 

I'm still struggling with insomnia and my mother wants me to try a supplement called Power to Sleep.

I checked the ingredients and one is 200mg of Valerian exstract.  If I'm not mistaken, I think we are

supposed to avoid valerian. Are there other supplements we should avoid? Apparently, this stuff really

works and it's available on Amazon.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Korbe

 

 

Hi Korbe!I wanted to mention that I have had a lot of trial and error with Valerian in the past,but not in benzo withdrawal.I tried it for helping to relax and sleep due to panic attacks and anxiety,and I found it causes a draggy sleepy feeling the next day,a bit of depression,and it can slow your heart rate too much.Plus like Lapis said,it affects GABA,and I don't think it would be good to do that while healing from benzos right now.Using it could stir the pot too much and make you feel worse.I didn't like the way it made me feel at any dose.I also tried St.John's Wort and had very similar side effects.

 

 

Magnesium also made me feel worse too,unless I used epsom salt foot/bath soaks and only once a week.It made me sleepy,draggy made my heart palp,and made me feel down.It is a natural muscle relaxer,so it can slow your heart rate down like Valerian does.Everybody is different though,so someone else might not have a bad experience with magnesium.

 

 

I was really into herbs back then.I found with me,that I tend to have reactions to prescription drugs AND herbs.So I  usually skip them,and go for the external sleep helpers like sound machines,fans and making yourself as pooped as you can during the day so that sleep comes a little easier.Sleep does seem to improve as you heal,it did for me and some other BBs.

 

I hope this helps a little!I know not being able to sleep is so frustrating!It does seem to improve with time,I used to have panic attacks all night and a pounding heart,but it is getting so much better,and you will too! 

 

 

[[La...]]

Hi

Currently very dizzy/ lightheaded. I am beginning to panic! It seems worse today than usual!

Has anyone got better from this as time  has gone on?

I really need some hope please.

Thank you

Liz

 

Hi Liz and Welcome!

I just wrote a response on this topic to Brussellsprout immediately before your post, so you might want to have a look at it. I think I might have answered your question there. But just to reiterate, YES, people DO get better from this. It's a nasty symptom, that's for sure, but like the other withdrawal effects, it should go away too. Lots of people drop in and out of our Dizziness Group thread here, so unfortunately, we don't get to hear their good news.

 

Hang in there, and try not to panic! Keep breathing......

[[Li...]]

Hi Lapis2

Thank you for your reply 

Does the lightheadedness / dizziness get worse due to thinking that something more sinister is going on?

I feel myself panic sometimes. I try to control the feeling but it often just gets worse.

Thanks

Liz

[[La...]]

Hi Liz,

Well, it can definitely exacerbate it. If you can remember to breathe deeply and slowly, it can definitely help. When people panic, they generally breathe more shallowly, i.e. from the chest and not the diaphragm, and that can make a person feel lightheaded. Anxiety can also be caused by the physiological sensation of being dizzy . Being off-balance, ungrounded and feeling like one may fall at any minute is stressful, there's no doubt about it! So, anxiety a normal reaction.

 

For me, understanding what's going on can reduce some of the anxiety. That's why I tend to do research and look for answers to questions. The more we know, the less we wonder, "What's going on? What's happening to me?" At the beginning of this thread, I put up a number of links, so you may want to check those out. I keep doing research, and when I find things that I think may be of interest to people around here, I post them.

 

So, from my perspective, some of the anxiety is just part and parcel of physiological experience of being dizzy, and some of the anxiety is related to what we're thinking. That's the part where we can control it a bit. If you know Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and the cognitive distortions, it's along the same lines. Change the thinking and you'll change the feeling.

 

Does that make any sense?

[[Br...]]

Thank you lapis. I'm afraid my brain is stuck on this boat. The dizziness is unbearable.  I walk like I'm in a play house. My brain and body don't seem to know where things are. I feel like I'm floating, sinking, on a boat,, tipping falling, awful.  Do you know if anybody's dizziness was like that they were covered?