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

[[La...]]

Okay, now it has all become clear.

 

On a dizziness-group-thread kinda note, I had to go to the dentist yesterday, which just happened to be one of my dizzier days (of course). Too much vibration for me. The coming and going, the sound and feeling of that drill in my mouth....well, let's just say, it wasn't a great day. I'm trying to recover. I need more dental work, but it will have to wait a little while. 

[[Yo...]]

The anticipation of another lovely dental procedure probably ramped up your dizziness! Did you happen to see the neighbor's doggie?

 

The only person who would like the dentist's drill is the masochist in Little Shop of Horrors...

 

Check out a young Jack Nicholson...

 

 

[[La...]]

Actually, I have an every-other-day kinda thing going on, and that dizzy day was right on schedule in terms of that.Sunday wasn't too bad, dizziness-wise, and today I'm also less dizzy. If the pattern continues as it has for ages now, then I'll probably have another 8 on my dizziness scale tomorrow. Of course, I always hope that the next day will be the BIG CHANGE day, and I'll finally have two better days in a row.

 

But I would say that the drill and the travelling ramped things up, so my night was pretty darn crappy.(Insert poo emoji here.) :'( :'( :'(

 

I'm a tad afraid of Jack, but I promise to check out the clip once I make my next attempt to stand and walk. Coming up momentarily.....

 

I will, of course, have to get those other fillings done at some point soon. Eating is a useful thing to do, and unless I keep my teeth functional, I'll be gumming my food for the rest of my life. Better learn to love that drill!

[[Yo...]]

It's so strange how your dizziness follows a predictable pattern like that.... Some members talk about having "toxic naps", where they feel worse afterwards. Does that happen to you?

 

If Jack scares you, there's a clip of Bill Murray in the 1986 remake. 

[[La...]]

I can't nap, Shook. I've never been able to nap. But I think I know what they're talking about, and it's a pretty unpleasant sensation.

 

As far as the pattern goes, I believe it's quite common. I just read another thread on it in the Withdrawal section. It's a kind of window/wave pattern, as far as I can tell. Having the less dizzy days give me hope, so I really appreciate them. I just wish I could have two better days in a row, since I think my muscles might finally get a bit of a break that way. I'm recuperating from yesterday today, and tomorrow, if I'm really dizzy, then I'll just have to switch into overdrive and push through it despite whatever pain I have. There's really no other way.

 

I watched the clip, but I turned the volume way down. It gave me the willies aka heebie-jeebies (not sure of the spelling).

[[La...]]

Hey Dizzy Buddies,

It's been pretty darn quiet around here lately, and I'm hoping that's a good thing. Maybe everyone's doing better! If anyone's around and up for a little banter back and forth, by all means, jump in! I'm in rough shape after a string of difficult outings over the past few weeks, plus a fire alarm on Friday night, which topped off a dizzy, painful day in a particularly scary way. No fire, but it sure wired me right up. I was already in bed and hoping for some sleep when it happened. I had to get up and get dressed quickly, call 911 and wonder what was happening. In the end, I guess it was a false alarm. But I'm still paying for it with foot and leg muscles that are on fire from all the adrenaline (dizziness + fire alarm = ouch). I hadn't recovered from the previous things, so it was an added insult to the injury already there. 

 

I'm sending good wishes to anyone who might be reading. Take care, Everyone! 

 

 

[[La...]]

Just doing a bit of reading and came across this study, which might be of interest to some:

 

"CranioSacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation: A New Treatment Intervention for Concussion Recovery"

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28874926 

 

 

[[Ko...]]

Hi Lapis,

 

Sorry about the fire alarm thing. Wow what a pain. It's hard enough for us to sleep and then to be awakened in the middle of the night, that's tough.

 

It has been quiet with our group. I always try to read it every other day or so, but I don't write much because I don't really have anything new to say. I'm still suffering with the same boatiness that's varies in degrees of seriousness from day to day. I'm just trying to do as much as I can with the way I am.  I am still suffering from burning/stinging shins. I think they might be getting a little better or I'm just adapting.

 

I'm going to fly to Utah for my mothers 90th birthday party.  I'm so glad I can now fly, although I do use wheel chair service, which really helps. I know I've gotten a lot better because I couldn't even think about flying my first two years. 

 

Thanks for keeping this support group going and all the studies you find for us to read. Hope we

will soon feel some improvement with this dizzy thing.

 

Korbe

[[La...]]

Good to hear from you, Korbe! I'm glad you're going to share that milestone with your mom. 90 is amazing! You've got good genes!

 

As it turns out, that fire alarm was way more problematic for me than I understood. I must have gotten up awkwardly with the fear and dizziness and the painful days I'd already been having, and I hurt my foot quite badly. It was extremely painful and swollen, and, on the weekend, I suspected something serious was going on. On Tuesday, I had an X-ray, and it confirmed a fracture. I'm pretty devastated. Obviously, bone density is a factor here too. I'm just trying to cope now. Suffice to say, I've had to start taking anti-inflammatories, which make me dizzier and upset my stomach. AHHHHH! Hayulp!  :'( :'( :'(

 

Time for healing.

 

Has anyone had to deal with a fracture recently? What did you take? I've tried to avoid adding anything to my regimen, but obviously, these are extraordinary circumstances.

[[La...]]

Here are a couple of studies I recently came across:

 

"Sensory overload and imbalance: Resting-state vestibular connectivity in PTSD and its dissociative subtype"

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28911803 

 

"Postural Control in Bilateral Vestibular Failure: Its Relation to Visual, Proprioceptive, Vestibular, and Cognitive Input"

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28919878 

 

 

[[Da...]]

Hi all.  I'm new to the forum (and withdrawal, relatively).  I definitely get the boat thing.  What makes it hard is my pretty crazy derealization/depersonalization.  Since I have a disconnected feeling from my body already, the boat thing makes it extra weird, and it seems to affect different parts of my body differently.  Anyone else get this?

 

Also, is there anyone who has had this and had it go away?  I noticed that you have had it for some time, Lapis.  I am very sorry to hear that.  I feel for you.  The prospect of having this symptom for years is a bit daunting, especially since it causes me a great deal of anxiety and makes many activities and relaxation exercises difficult.

 

I want to do the right things to make it better, but I have no idea what that might be.  I walk and/or run regularly, but not sure what else to do.

 

Thanks in advance for any answers or advice.

 

EDIT:  I wanted to add that I was prescribed Meclizine for this, but I don't really notice anything when I take it (I don't notice the effects of most medication except when I took klonopin, TBH).  Should I avoid taking it because it may reduce my vestibular system recalibrating?

[[La...]]

Hi Danimal,

Great name! I'm sorry to hear about your boatiness, but yes, it's quite common, and yes, the depersonalization/derealization often intertwines itself with this symptom, so you just feel floaty and not really connected to the world. My DP/DR went away ages ago, but I always knew it was separate from my balance issue.

 

A couple of things to note: Benzos can cause disequilibrium while you're on them and when you come off them. SSRIs can also be a factor when it comes to balance issues -- both during and after. I believe meclizine is prescribed for Meniere's, but if that's not what you have, then it's likely that the meclizine won't really address it. I'd follow up with the doctor or pharmacist on that one. I tried betahistine, but it didn't address my issue,so I stopped taking it after checking with the pharmacist.

 

Also, remember that we're all different, and for whatever wacky reason I've been dealing with this for so long, there's no reason to believe anyone else will experience the same thing. We're all different. Different genetics, different meds, different situations! Lots of BBs have dizziness for awhile, and then it goes away. I'm expecting mine to go away too -- sooner rather than later would be good -- but for now, it's still going on. I've just fractured my foot, so I'm taking NSAIDs, which, I can say, are playing a role in how I feel right now (dizziness, tinnitus, stomach issues). No choice, though. They're a necessary evil in order to manage and heal this thing.

 

If you can, Danimal, please try to stay as positive as you can about all of your symptoms going away. Check into the other meds you're on to see what the side effects are, and if you think they might be part of the problem, then it's may be a good idea to get off them too. But safety is the issue. Don't stop anything suddenly. Do some reading first and do it properly.

 

I hope that helps a bit, and I hope your boatiness is short-lived. Take care!

[[La...]]

Hi again Danimal,

I forgot to mention that it's definitely good to keep up whatever activity you're already doing, as long as it's safe, i.e. you're not falling, and it's not revving up your symptoms. Some people have to cut things down or modify them, e.g. use a stationary bike or treadmill rather than going outside, if you're feeling rocky. You can do sitting exercises rather than standing ones, if necessary. But strength, flexibility, cardio are all really important, so I'd keep it up, as long as you feel you can. 

[[Da...]]

Thanks, Lapis!  I really appreciate the info, advice, and support.  I'll try to keep positive and be safe about my activities.

[[...]]

Hi everyone, dizziness is one of my most important symptom. It comes with neck tightness, and brain fog usually...

Do someone have ever healed from this ?

I'm a short users and 3,5 months out of xanax and AD, but what the hell its very hard to live like this I wonder if I Will get a Life back, really... I seem to be really sensitive about equilibrium system

[[La...]]

Hi yong,

Yes, absolutely, people get better. Just read a few Success Stories! Like the other symptoms of benzo withdrawal, this, too, should resolve. The medications work in such a way that they interfere with the system of balance (vestibular system) by suppressing it. Long-term suppression of the vestibular system isn't a good thing, of course, which is one more reason why benzos shouldn't be prescribed for long periods of time. Many meds cause similar problems, though, so if you're still taking other things, look them up.

 

Check out the first few pages of this dizziness thread, since I put up some useful links there.

 

The challenge around here is that people come and go, so we often don't get to hear about people's symptoms clearing up. They're here for awhile, then perhaps they go back to their regular activities when they're better. It's good to read the Success Stories regularly so you can see how people do, indeed, get well.

 

 

[Guest [Le...]]

Hi Lapis, you're so right, people don't always come back once their symptoms resolve.

 

So here's an update from this Dizzy Bud: After a year of really unbearable dizziness of 8-9, things turned a couple of months ago, and I've been in a mostly 2-3 phase, totally tolerable. Then I had a few plunges back into full-blown misery, including this morning.

 

I got up to go to the bathroom and had to hold both walls of the hallway to get there, not fun.

 

But I'm not upset because I've been mostly really functional, and I expect these random setbacks now. I'm typing this from my iPhone, as I lie on the bed with my cute kitties. I've got great food in the fridge, and I'm going to cook it up today when the dizzies ease up (it was bad at 9am, but I'm not staggering now, at noon).

 

I never thought I'd be grateful to have mild dizziness as a baseline, but as every benzo survivor knows, it can be so much worse, so intolerable. I knew I was getting better when I stopped needing to use a cane, and a few weeks after that, I actually ran to catch a bus. It was a stumbling, clunky run, but still . . .

 

If I tried to run today I'd be flat on the floor, but at least I know that the crippling part is over. I literally could barely walk a block, so I'm not exaggerating.

 

That's the somewhat upbeat report from LeslieLand.

 

Lapis, I hope you're experiencing relief from your recent setback - it takes so little to knock our fragile nervous systems for a loop. Sending you, and all of our Dizzy Buds, lots of steady vibes, and love!

Leslie 

[[La...]]

Hi LeslieAsh,

Fantastic news that you had such a long run of low dizziness! And thanks for sharing it with us. It's so important to hear the good news. In its absence, it's easy to think that things are hopeless. Of course, I'm not pleased to hear about today's setback, but I'm crossing my fingers that it's short-lived. I hope you'll be running for the bus again tomorrow! 

 

Please do take care today, Leslie. Maybe you should keep the cane close by. From my recent experience, it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

Thanks for well wishes. This foot fracture has set me back miles (well, here in Canada, kilometres!). I'm having to give myself pep rallies every day just to get through it. Intensely painful and scary. 

[[Bu...]]

Hi Lapis,

 

So sorry to hear you have a fractured foot.  I really hope it heals well and you make a quick recovery.  Sending lots of healing wishes and hugs 

[[La...]]

Thank you, BurnedOut! Much appreciated. Healing well is the name of the game. I've had to do a lot of reading to figure out what will help with that (food, supplements, etc.). I'm hoping my body has some wisdom left when it comes to bone healing. Oh please, oh please, oh please!

[[Da...]]

I can totally relate to the neck tension thing, yong.  It makes me obsessed with it at times, and many times (usually when it's really bad... like right now) I am convinced it has something to do with my neck muscles at the base of my skull.  I feel like I can't move them properly or I'm using my jaw wrong and it is doing something bad to that area.  It also gives me a very strong sense that I need to somehow do something about it, but I don't know what to do.  Bah, very frustrating.

[[La...]]

Hi Danimal,

Do you do any neck stretches, e.g. ear to shoulder? You have to be gentle with yourself when it comes to neck stretching, but maybe it'll help a bit.

[[Da...]]

I definitely do.  Not sure if it's helping or not, but I don't think it's hurting.  So I'll continue to do it and just wait for healing.

[[Ki...]]

Hi Lapis

Heard u hurt your foot

Read one post.

How are u feelig now Hope better

I am not too well

Cant type much.  Moved states. Lot going on

Sending lots of hugs to u

[[La...]]

Hi Kirkhero,

Good to hear from you! I'm sorry that you're not doing too well, though. Hugs going out to you! Where did you move from and to? I hope it's a move towards something better for you and your family.

 

Thanks for the good wishes re: my foot. It's a brutal experience. It blew up like a balloon with the heatwave here yesterday, so I spent the evening lying down, feeling pretty scared about how this thing will heal. Today's a dizzier day than yesterday, so I'm going to need to rally every little bit of positive self-talk I can find to get through this one. And the temperatures are soaring once again. AC time!