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

[[La...]]

It's just my opinion, but drinking alcohol -- a substance that makes people dizzy due to its effects on GABA and the central nervous system -- doesn't make a lot of sense if one is already dizzy. I'm not sure about the effects of coffee one way or the other.

 

In my case, I'm not interested in alcohol and won't miss it. I realize I may be an anomaly, though.

[[Yo...]]

Count me as an anomaly. Only started drinking socially in Japan because the office parties almost demanded it. lol

 

Though lately I've been pretty restless, and been eyeing that dusty wine bottle, and the Tylenol PM.

[[La...]]

Hey Shook,

We can be in the Anomaly Club! (Actually, I know another anomaly, so perhaps there are more than I think.)

 

I could never handle more than half a glass of wine, anyway. Had I known at the time that alcohol and benzos both work on the GABA receptor, perhaps I would never have taken the first tablet. I would have considered that since I've always been a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, it was possible that I'd have the same reaction to benzos. I never knew the connection until I started doing research on all of this stuff a number of years ago.

[[Yo...]]

I spoke to a FB friend recently who said taking a benzo did nothing for her, except numb her face... I should ask her if she can handle her liquor well. That would be an interesting avenue to research. Does being a "lightweight" necessarily mean you're in for a bad withdrawal?

 

I do enjoy some cocktails, like Bloody Caesars... Didn't Dr. Ashton herself say it wouldn't be detrimental if one had the occasional drink?

[[La...]]

I think the question of alcohol use is highly personal. Everyone has to determine how much -- if any -- s/he is interested in having. I won't be having any more at all. Not worth the risk for me. But yes, I do think others who have successfully reached the end of benzo withdrawal have been able to have some alcohol and have been fine.

 

 

[[Yo...]]

2200! Where are you?

 

 

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/17000000/Scooby-Doo-Where-Are-You-What-a-Night-for-a-Knight-1-01-scooby-doo-17021611-1067-800.jpg

[Guest [...]]

2200! Where are you?

 

 

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/17000000/Scooby-Doo-Where-Are-You-What-a-Night-for-a-Knight-1-01-scooby-doo-17021611-1067-800.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Shook!Me and the Scoobs have been trying to solve the mystery of the endless flow of company that showed up all in one week here in town!Everybody decided to visit the relatives all at once,and it has been crazy busy and mighty stressful.It's hard to explain to everybody how you don't feel quite good enough to go do all the fun things they have planned all day.And you really can't explain it good enough for anybody to really understand it,so you just get to be the "party pooper" and the ''odd one" in the family.Oh goody for me!

 

 

My brother in law has a huge piece of ancient plywood covering his steps, going from his deck to the lower patio.He did that so his old dog can get down to the patio area and hang with the company.It works out just great for the dog,but not so good for people to go down it with nothing to hang on to!Oh,and the plywood is a good year old and getting quite old and wobbly.I keep thinking it's going to crack in the middle sometime while one of us is tottering down it.Theres's no way we can do it as well as his old dog with the four arthritic legs.

 

I don't know why,but I went down it while dizzy,and with nothing to hang on to.I am still proud of myself for that accomplishment,and will try it again soon because now I am feeling a little cocky.Everybody else did it with perfect balance,but I did it off balance and it felt like an olympic event to me.

 

 

Hey Shook,Wine and Tylenol PM equal goodbye Mr.Liver!

 

 

I love your( Care Bear) countdown!I like how you included Fabio and coconut cream pie in there!You almost make withdrawal seem like a fun adventure!

 

 

How are you doing today Shook?

 

Lapis,any break for you today?

 

Love you all dizzy gang!

[[La...]]

Hey 2200,

You get a gold medal for "Olympic Plank Walking In The Presence Of Those With Normal Balance"! Plus a Badge of Courage from The Great And Powerful Oz! So, I commend you on both of those achievements.

 

Thanks for filling us in your adventures. I was wondering where you were too, but I figured it had something to do with frogs, moles or turkeys. I think I got that wrong, but I had a nice time imagining what you and those animals might have gotten up to.

 

As for me, I had an adventure at the dentist a couple of days ago, and I still seem to be paying the price. I haven't slept much either. Today, I awoke at 2 a.m., and I didn't get much sleep after that. Plus I've got a big, honkin' ugly 8 that's making me exhausted, teary and unable to walk. Nope, I'm not in a good frame of mind. The world news isn't helping, so I've finally turned off the radio. Ugh. Blech. Ick.

 

I, too, am enjoying Shook's Care Bear Countdown, even though I don't know a darn thing about Care Bears. I'm just happy to see Shook's progress, as I'm a big fan. Personally, though, I think Winnie the Pooh is one of the best bears ever, and Paddington is also right up there, so I'm hoping they might get into the narrative somewhere.

 

And Scooby-Doo reminds me of the dog in The Jetsons, who calls George "Rorge". So, that's what I said when Shook put that picture up.

 

I think that's all the news fit to print. I'm too dizzy and mopey to say much more right now, so I'll leave it there and wish everyone a good night. Tomorrow's another day. And hopefully it will be better than this one!

 

[[Yo...]]

2200,

 

Looks like I rustled you out of a bush—or family gathering!

 

Give yourself huge props for joining in! It's hard to be social and even force a smile when you're feeling off. What sucks the hardest is everyone not understanding. But you can always come here for a shot of that! 

 

Yes, The Care Bear Countdown inches on... What mystery and adventure lies ahead? May need to call on you, Laps, and the Scoobs!

 

 

Lapis,

 

I agree. Any animated bear (don't forget Rupert!) is better than the Care Bears. But they didn't have a "countdown" theme song. lol

 

I think I'll be punching out earlier tonight too. Hope everyone has good dreams and wakes up to a better day!

 

 

 

Here's Rupert's theme music (puts a lump in my throat)...

 

[[La...]]

Thanks for the Rupert intro, Shook. Never met him before! But seeing him does make me ask that age-old philosophical question that dizzy people the world over ask -- namely, "Do bears need clothing?"

 

I'll leave you with that. Sweet Dreams to one and all! 

 

[[Yo...]]

Anthropomorphic ones who have body shame do. He's quite stylish though, isn't he?

 

On the other hand, Yogi just wore a necktie and hat. He must've been comfortable with himself.

 

 

Philosophical questions do make one sleepy....

 

[Guest [...]]

Hey 2200,

You get a gold medal for "Olympic Plank Walking In The Presence Of Those With Normal Balance"! Plus a Badge of Courage from The Great And Powerful Oz! So, I commend you on both of those achievements.

 

Thanks for filling us in your adventures. I was wondering where you were too, but I figured it had something to do with frogs, moles or turkeys. I think I got that wrong, but I had a nice time imagining what you and those animals might have gotten up to.

 

As for me, I had an adventure at the dentist a couple of days ago, and I still seem to be paying the price. I haven't slept much either. Today, I awoke at 2 a.m., and I didn't get much sleep after that. Plus I've got a big, honkin' ugly 8 that's making me exhausted, teary and unable to walk. Nope, I'm not in a good frame of mind. The world news isn't helping, so I've finally turned off the radio. Ugh. Blech. Ick.

 

I, too, am enjoying Shook's Care Bear Countdown, even though I don't know a darn thing about Care Bears. I'm just happy to see Shook's progress, as I'm a big fan. Personally, though, I think Winnie the Pooh is one of the best bears ever, and Paddington is also right up there, so I'm hoping they might get into the narrative somewhere.

 

And Scooby-Doo reminds me of the dog in The Jetsons, who calls George "Rorge". So, that's what I said when Shook put that picture up.

 

I think that's all the news fit to print. I'm too dizzy and mopey to say much more right now, so I'll leave it there and wish everyone a good night. Tomorrow's another day. And hopefully it will be better than this one!

 

 

 

 

Lapis,I love how you ended your post.''Tomorrow's another day"Reminds me of that great southern lady and optimist,Scarlett O'Hara!

 

I am so sorry about the rough time you are having Lapis.And a dental adventure is not fun,especially when dizzy and anxious.I think you are very brave to go and take care of your pearlys while feeling like the peedoodle has been kicked out of you!

 

I know someone who is so anxious when they go to the dentist,that they sadly take a benzo to get through the visit.

 

When I go,I just go and shake like a nervous chahuahua until it's over.

 

Are you all done with the dentist,or do you need to go back?

 

I wish I could say I had been off having fun with the frogs and turkeys,but no,it's been mostly relatives!And doing crazy things like walking the plank while dizzy,and not having an excuse for being that stupid, like I had too many spirited summer beverages with the family!

 

 

I think Pooh bear is awesome too!Though I'm kinda sick of the Charmin TV bears.I like the Care Bears,and well,we need the care they can offer us through Shook......Aww,sounds sappy,but hey cute,colorful,cuddly bears just get to us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest [...]]

Anthropomorphic ones who have body shame do. He's quite stylish though, isn't he?

 

On the other hand, Yogi just wore a necktie and hat. He must've been comfortable with himself.

 

 

Philosophical questions do make one sleepy....

 

 

:laugh:

[[La...]]

Shook,

I noticed that, except for Rupert, the other bears are only partly clothed. Winnie the Pooh only has his shirt on, and Paddington wears a raincoat, rubber boots and a hat. I ask you, "Where are the pants? Why are there no pants?"

 

It may be too early in the day for philosophical questions like that, so in the meantime, I'll reply to the lovely and talented 2200:

 

Helloooooo, dear 2200!

It's good to hear your updates, even if you're drunkenly walking the plank without actually being drunk. I admire your spunk! And I bet the frogs, turkeys and moles are applauding you from the sidelines.

 

As far as the dentist goes, no, the fun ain't over yet! I have a filling that's apparently about to explode in my mouth, so that has to be done, like, yesterday. I made the booking for a week-and-a-half from now, so that I can have a few days to recuperate. I also need a crown on a tooth close to the about-to-explode tooth, so it's good times for Lapis! Woohoo! Love it! That will have to be sometime in September. One thing at a time. I'm going to eat carefully (i.e. no roasted chickpeas or popcorn kernels) until everything is fixed up. The thought of a dental emergency does NOT turn my crank.

 

And yes, I know lots of people take benzos to help them get through dental appointments, but my drug of choice is deep breathing, which means oxygen. Oxygen is good. I like it. It helps me think, and breathe, and basically, stay alive. So, I'm going to get as much as I can when I have to face the nice dental drill. If I remember correctly, they might even offer a little CD player thingo to keep you distracted while the drilling is going on, so I'll ask about that.

 

Take care and stay in touch!

 

 

[[Yo...]]

Hmm. Pooh and Paddington are shaped like bears and tubby. Rupert has a slim, humanoid figure suitable for pants. Yogi's bottom-heavy elongated torso and short legs would just look ridiculous in pants. 

 

But there was a cost-saving method behind the seeming madness of clothing an animated bear:

 

Yogi was one of several Hanna-Barbera characters to have a collar. This allowed animators to keep his body static, redrawing only his head in each frame when he spoke — a method that reduced the number of drawings needed for a seven-minute cartoon from around 14,000 to around 2,000.

 

 

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/18700000/yogi-bear-yogi-bear-18746703-800-1204.jpg

[[La...]]

Oh, that's so cool, Shook! I miss the old animation! The Flintstones had a background that just repeated itself as the characters ran ahead.....as if we didn't notice. They underestimated us kids. We knew the score!

 

Anyway, it's fine if the bears are half-naked. They shouldn't be ashamed to walk around Cartoonville au naturel, right?

 

The only thing that really matters is that they shouldn't be dizzy. Clothing is optional. Balance isn't. 

[[Yo...]]

They should've been dizzy, running around that looping background and passing the same bookcase over and over. Hanna-Barbera made many memorable cartoons, but led the charge in cheapening the art of animation.

 

Ok, I have enough with being dizzy without having to talk about it.

 

Have a better one! 

[[so...]]

Shook,

 

In Heather Ashton's original manual, she says having a drink or two moderately is not a problem.  However, Baylissa Fredericks has stayed in contact with Heather Ashton over the years and has oftentimes brought up her statement about alcohol.  Heather Ashton agreed with Baylissa that the manual needed to be amended to state avoid alcohol.  Unfortunately, Dr. Ashton is not well enough to amend the manual.  I am in contact with several people who talk to Baylissa regularly and Baylissa has told them of her conversations with Heather Ashton about alcohol.  All of them say the same thing.

 

Many of the people on this forum are very cavalier about drinking alcohol.  Personally, I won't fool with anything that MAY POTENTIALLY extend the length of this process or make it more difficult than it already is.  I have been shot down on this forum so many times for my posts about alcohol, you'd think I would learn to keep my mouth shut.  I think I'm almost at that point now with this one last post.

 

Sofa

[[Yo...]]

Don't give up the good fight, Sofa. Some may shoot down your message, but others who read and don't post a reaction may heed your advice.

 

There are days when I'm tempted to take something that might attenuate the boatiness and anxiety. But for the reason you stated, I don't, and hopefully won't.

 

Thank you for posting, and please don't give up on spreading the word. A lot of members take Dr. Ashton's words as gospel, so if she's changed her stance on anything, it should be made known to everyone. Maybe you could write a warning and ask administration to pin it high on the board.

 

Take care,

Shook

[[La...]]

Hi Sofa,

I, too, appreciate your post on this topic. Obviously, my mind was made up on this issue ages ago, but I see why it can be such a big question mark for people around here.

 

Because alcohol often plays a role in social gatherings, it comes up a lot. If you go out to dinner or a party, you may be offered a drink, and you'll have to decide where you stand and what risks you're willing you're willing to take. (The same is not true of benzodiazepines....well, not usually!).

 

Worth taking a risk? In my books, no. Not if you've been relentlessly and brutally dizzy as a drunken sailor from your "as-prescribed" benzodiazepines.

 

To each his/her own, of course.

 

 

[Guest [...]]

Seriously,I don't mess with alcohol either.I don't like how it makes me feel,plus it gives me palps.

 

I think alcohol with dizziness is a pretty scary combo to try!

 

Hi Sofa!How are you getting along?Are the morning cortisol wake ups gone?I sure hope so!

[Guest [...]]

Happy Saturday everybody!I hope everyone is having a better time today.

 

Just wanted to let you know I wil be AWOL for awhile.Just too many things going on here with company,etc.Need to catch my breath and get some better rest in the down time.Take care,and I am thinking about you all!

[[Ir...]]

I've never been dizzy from alcohol actually. I would never touch it otherwise. I use to love a drink, but everything change after stopping the med. I started reacting differently to it then - it started making me very sleepy, and gave me palpitations. Then of course provoked my protracted withdrawal.

 

Can I ask, how long has everyone been suffering with the rocking/swaying boat? I'm in my 20th month. Do you's all feel it when walking? I've noticed it's worse indoors and barely noticeable outside. Laying down I'm fine, sitting at a table it's worse. It's worse when just out of a car and standing still.

[[so...]]

Shook,

 

I still have the cortisol mornings and the light head pulsing.

 

Sofa

[[La...]]

I've never been dizzy from alcohol actually. I would never touch it otherwise. I use to love a drink, but everything change after stopping the med. I started reacting differently to it then - it started making me very sleepy, and gave me palpitations. Then of course provoked my protracted withdrawal.

 

Can I ask, how long has everyone been suffering with the rocking/swaying boat? I'm in my 20th month. Do you's all feel it when walking? I've noticed it's worse indoors and barely noticeable outside. Laying down I'm fine, sitting at a table it's worse. It's worse when just out of a car and standing still.

 

IrishMonkey,

I know you've found various others online who are rocking and swaying too. Have you found anything that was helpful to your situation? I know you weren't on a benzo -- only an SSRI -- so are there others out there "in the same boat"? My dizziness is likely a combination of having taken both benzos and SSRIs. Mine's gone on a long time, and I'll just leave it at that. On bad days, like today, I'm dizzy in lying, sitting, standing and walking. On the better days, I can be okay in lying and sitting, and then feel it more in standing and walking.

 

I think the variations are as wide as the number of people dealing with this symptom. It's far from uniform. On the drinking question, I just think it's prudent to leave alcohol out for quite awhile. Why take the risk?