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

[[Bl...]]

Hey Blossom,

From your signature, it looks like you're still taking a bit of clonazepam. Did you ask about any interactions between the two medications you're taking? Also, are you supposed to follow up with him at a certain point?

Oh yes, I called him this morning to see if I could reduce the time of treatment because of my stomach issues, he said no. And well, follow up, not really, unless needed.

And yes I am still taking a little bit of clonazepam, he is a very straight up forward doctor. We discussed benzos and everything. So he does know, he told me there was a lot of exaggerated things about benzos and leaving them, to not believe everything is due to benzo withdrawal, he emphasized that preexisting conditions mess up a lot with everything, incluiding withdrawal, but it's not the withrawal itself (I don't know if that makes any sense?).

So I guess it doesn't interfere with the med (?), or maybe not a lot, don't know. But I am feeling good to be honest! much more better and no other weird symptoms. I kinda switched my mind a little bit ("go after the problem" and that's it) I learned to stop worrying too much about med interferences, side effects, etc. because that was consuming me big time. So let's see what happens, I'll keep you guys posted.

Lapis, what have doctors said about your dizziness?, and how long have you been with the problem?

Much love!

Blossom4

[[La...]]

Hey Blossom,

From your signature, it looks like you're still taking a bit of clonazepam. Did you ask about any interactions between the two medications you're taking? Also, are you supposed to follow up with him at a certain point?

Oh yes, I called him this morning to see if I could reduce the time of treatment because of my stomach issues, he said no. And well, follow up, not really, unless needed.

And yes I am still taking a little bit of clonazepam, he is a very straight up forward doctor. We discussed benzos and everything. So he does know, he told me there was a lot of exaggerated things about benzos and leaving them, to not believe everything is due to benzo withdrawal, he emphasized that preexisting conditions mess up a lot with everything, incluiding withdrawal, but it's not the withrawal itself (I don't know if that makes any sense?).

So I guess it doesn't interfere with the med (?), or maybe not a lot, don't know. But I am feeling good to be honest! much more better and no other weird symptoms. I kinda switched my mind a little bit ("go after the problem" and that's it) I learned to stop worrying too much about med interferences, side effects, etc. because that was consuming me big time. So let's see what happens, I'll keep you guys posted.

Lapis, what have doctors said about your dizziness?, and how long have you been with the problem?

Much love!

Blossom4

 

Hi Blossom,

Thanks for the update on what your doctor said. Interesting to hear. I would agree that not everything is from benzos, but it's also important to note that benzos are vestibular suppressants and interfere with proper balance. It's in all of the literature as a significant side effect risk, along with falls and fractures (i.e. caused by dizziness), so it can't be discounted. Anyway, I'm all for doing the proper checks to ensure that nothing else might be causing the problem.

 

In my case, I've been dizzy for quite some time...too long. I became dizzy while on the benzos (two different kinds at that point), plus an SNRI called Cymbalta. Eventually I was prescribed Prozac, because the doctor I was seeing thought I might be in withdrawal from Cymbalta. Big regret on that one.

 

That's a lot of medication -- all of which can cause dizziness. Suffice to say, I saw a lot of doctors to rule out any other thing (lots of testing done), and in the end, it turned out to be the benzos (plus, probably, the Cymbalta and Prozac). If it had been recognized earlier, I could have started my taper earlier, but unfortunately, it took too long to get to that point. I never would have started the Prozac had I understood the role of medications with regards to balance problems. I was already suspecting the medication was at the root of my problem when I came across BB posts on "boat-like" or "floaty-boaty" dizziness. Pages and pages and pages of them. It was astounding! All of the people were reporting the same symptoms I had, and they were all on benzos or coming off them. I printed out 100 pages of it, and brought it to the doctor to share it. I also have a book on antidepressant withdrawal, which refers to a similar type of dizziness that can be caused by SSRIs, like the ones I took. Again, I learned about it after-the-fact.

 

I tried the Betahistine, as I mentioned, but it didn't touch my symptoms. I also did a lot of vestibular rehabilitation exercises (two three-month courses of it, five times per day -- a lot), which also didn't affect my symptoms positively. I'm not interested in taking any other medications that carry a risk of dizziness and will continue to focus on staying mobile and hopeful (as much as I can under the circumstances -- it's been a really rough ride). I sustained a fracture as a result of the dizziness, so that was a huge setback on all levels. I'm still trying to get full mobility back in that foot, while the other one suffers too due to the effects of the fracture and imbalance.

 

 

 

 

[[La...]]

Ive had dizziness since my taper off ativan ended 4 months ago. Really more lightheadedness and sometimes the feeling you might have after stepping off a treadmill - the feeling you are moving when you're not. It subsided somewhat in the third month, but has recently resurfaced. Ive dropped down from 50 mg to 25 mg of Pristiq with no real withdrawal problems. I take melatonin at night to help me fall asleep. Ive recently cut down from 3mg to 1.5mg of melatonin. Im cutting the melatonin out to see if maybe its a cause.

My dizziness / lightheadedness is always worse in the morning and tends to subside by mid day and is virtually nonexistent after lunch.

Im hoping my dizziness is a benxo sfx that will slowly (or quickly) resolve itself the further I distance myself from jumping. Does anyone have any input or insight into my dizzy/lightheadedness? Thanks so much!

Also, Ive been reading through this group, but their are thousands of post to read. Everywhere else on BB it says everyone heals. Does that apply to us. How many that have posted here have comeback to say their dizziness has resolved over time?

Fp

 

Hi Fp,

First of all, yes, people come back to post that they're better, but others just leave. I'm sorry there's no tally or statistics on that, but that's the way BB works. People come and go as they please. Someone just dropped in two days ago to tell us he was better and likely getting off BB, so there's an example right there!

 

In your case, it would be tough for anyone to say what's causing your symptoms right now. You're coming off an SNRI, which can cause a withdrawal syndrome. And you've just come off benzos, which can cause a withdrawal syndrome. Dizziness is on the list of possible symptoms for both. I'm not sure about the melatonin, but it's not likely in the same league as the meds with regards to balance issues. SSRIs, SNRIs, benzos, antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, etc. -- all of the meds that affect neurotransmitters can affect balance, because there are many neurotransmitters involved in balance (e.g. GABA, serotonin, histamine, dopamine, glutamate, etc.).

 

Anyway, I'm glad you have times during the day when you are symptom-free. That's wonderful!  I tend to have an every-other-day pattern of symptoms, with no rhyme or reason. I've seen it with other BBs too. Rather strange, but that's the way it is!

 

Take care and hang in there!

 

 

[[Bl...]]

Hey Blossom,

From your signature, it looks like you're still taking a bit of clonazepam. Did you ask about any interactions between the two medications you're taking? Also, are you supposed to follow up with him at a certain point?

Oh yes, I called him this morning to see if I could reduce the time of treatment because of my stomach issues, he said no. And well, follow up, not really, unless needed.

And yes I am still taking a little bit of clonazepam, he is a very straight up forward doctor. We discussed benzos and everything. So he does know, he told me there was a lot of exaggerated things about benzos and leaving them, to not believe everything is due to benzo withdrawal, he emphasized that preexisting conditions mess up a lot with everything, incluiding withdrawal, but it's not the withrawal itself (I don't know if that makes any sense?).

So I guess it doesn't interfere with the med (?), or maybe not a lot, don't know. But I am feeling good to be honest! much more better and no other weird symptoms. I kinda switched my mind a little bit ("go after the problem" and that's it) I learned to stop worrying too much about med interferences, side effects, etc. because that was consuming me big time. So let's see what happens, I'll keep you guys posted.

Lapis, what have doctors said about your dizziness?, and how long have you been with the problem?

Much love!

Blossom4

 

Hi Blossom,

Thanks for the update on what your doctor said. Interesting to hear. I would agree that not everything is from benzos, but it's also important to note that benzos are vestibular suppressants and interfere with proper balance. It's in all of the literature as a significant side effect risk, along with falls and fractures (i.e. caused by dizziness), so it can't be discounted. Anyway, I'm all for doing the proper checks to ensure that nothing else might be causing the problem.

 

In my case, I've been dizzy for quite some time...too long. I became dizzy while on the benzos (two different kinds at that point), plus an SNRI called Cymbalta. Eventually I was prescribed Prozac, because the doctor I was seeing thought I might be in withdrawal from Cymbalta. Big regret on that one.

 

That's a lot of medication -- all of which can cause dizziness. Suffice to say, I saw a lot of doctors to rule out any other thing (lots of testing done), and in the end, it turned out to be the benzos (plus, probably, the Cymbalta and Prozac). If it had been recognized earlier, I could have started my taper earlier, but unfortunately, it took too long to get to that point. I never would have started the Prozac had I understood the role of medications with regards to balance problems. I was already suspecting the medication was at the root of my problem when I came across BB posts on "boat-like" or "floaty-boaty" dizziness. Pages and pages and pages of them. It was astounding! All of the people were reporting the same symptoms I had, and they were all on benzos or coming off them. I printed out 100 pages of it, and brought it to the doctor to share it. I also have a book on antidepressant withdrawal, which refers to a similar type of dizziness that can be caused by SSRIs, like the ones I took. Again, I learned about it after-the-fact.

 

I tried the Betahistine, as I mentioned, but it didn't touch my symptoms. I also did a lot of vestibular rehabilitation exercises (two three-month courses of it, five times per day -- a lot), which also didn't affect my symptoms positively. I'm not interested in taking any other medications that carry a risk of dizziness and will continue to focus on staying mobile and hopeful (as much as I can under the circumstances -- it's been a really rough ride). I sustained a fracture as a result of the dizziness, so that was a huge setback on all levels. I'm still trying to get full mobility back in that foot, while the other one suffers too due to the effects of the fracture and imbalance.

Lapis thanks for sharing your story, I definitely believe that your imbalance is being caused by benzos and the other medications. It's very sad to hear that people are suffering from the colateral effects of this medications, to be honest if I knew what benzos were going to cause me I wouldn't have touched a benzo.... I hope your dizziness improves soon, maybe I'm just being too positive about it. I've been very tired from all this I want to see the light.

Much love

Blossom4

[[La...]]

Thanks so much, Blossom. I think we're probably all in agreement that we would never have touched these meds had we known the risks. I had no idea. None at all.

 

By the way, every time I see your moniker, I start singing the James Taylor song, "Blossom". Love it so much!

[[Bl...]]

Thanks so much, Blossom. I think we're probably all in agreement that we would never have touched these meds had we known the risks. I had no idea. None at all.

 

By the way, every time I see your moniker, I start singing the James Taylor song, "Blossom". Love it so much!

haha! Blossom ( smile some sunshine down my way

I'm glad you like it!

I'll be around, take care Lapis.

Hope this thing goes away with the med, and doesn't come back. we'll see.

Stay positive!

much love

Blossom

[[La...]]

Yes, an oldie and a goodie by the enormously talented JT! I'll have to listen to it this evening, now that I have it on a loop in my head!

 

And yes, I, too, hope it goes away for you with the medication. Fingers crossed!

[[...]]

Ive had dizziness since my taper off ativan ended 4 months ago. Really more lightheadedness and sometimes the feeling you might have after stepping off a treadmill - the feeling you are moving when you're not. It subsided somewhat in the third month, but has recently resurfaced. Ive dropped down from 50 mg to 25 mg of Pristiq with no real withdrawal problems. I take melatonin at night to help me fall asleep. Ive recently cut down from 3mg to 1.5mg of melatonin. Im cutting the melatonin out to see if maybe its a cause.

My dizziness / lightheadedness is always worse in the morning and tends to subside by mid day and is virtually nonexistent after lunch.

Im hoping my dizziness is a benxo sfx that will slowly (or quickly) resolve itself the further I distance myself from jumping. Does anyone have any input or insight into my dizzy/lightheadedness? Thanks so much!

Also, Ive been reading through this group, but their are thousands of post to read. Everywhere else on BB it says everyone heals. Does that apply to us. How many that have posted here have comeback to say their dizziness has resolved over time?

Fp

 

I recently posted a caution on melatonin which is worth the read for everyone, and particularly so for those on SSRIs:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=218978.0

 

Just my two cents regarding your Pristiq taper, but if I were in your shoes, I think I'd be really slowing it down, especially as regards the "moving treadmill" sensation, I'd err on the side of caution.  It's not clear date-wise when exactly you halved your dose and whether or not that may be contributing to this symptom but, in any event, I think I'd probably hold tight for a while until I felt things start calming down a lot.  Your nervous system may not be that thrilled with two withdrawals in rapid succession.  I hear Pristiq can be a little tricky to get off of, have you checked out www.survivingantidepressants.org?

 

Hey to Lapis and all the other dizzies, hoping everyone's having as easy a day as possible.

[[La...]]

Hi abcd,

Thanks for sharing the info. Good to see you around these parts again! I hope you're hanging in there too.

[[Bi...]]

Yeah, the challenging thing is that everyone is different when it comes to these things, so no one can say for sure that this way or that way is best right now. I'd love to see studies on that, but I just think that genetics play a big role. Whether we can become un-dizzy while still taking a vestibular suppressant medication was the issue for me back when I found out how the meds were causing my dizziness. It didn't make any sense to me to taper too slowly because I wanted this stuff out of my body. Still, though, I did a fairly slow taper (8 months total, with a hold in the middle due to introduction of Prozac -- big boo-boo). Whether a microtaper would have had different results is anybody's guess.

 

This Vestibular Disorders website is saying that the brain cannot really normalize (in terms of dizziness, that is) while one is still taking these types of meds. In the benzo community, people say that the brain is healing as you drop the dose. Again, there's no objective test for that. Not everyone gets dizziness as a symptom, though, so some people can be fairly functional during a taper. Others, not. It's such a crap shoot! I know how frustrating it is not to have answers. I think we each have to figure out for ourselves which way makes sense and then take action. I wasn't on BB when I did my taper, so I just plowed on through with the help of the Ashton Manual.

 

Maybe you can read some of the Success Stories and see what others did. Those people are obviously out of the woods when they write their stories. They're an excellent resource for people who are in the trenches. They can provide ideas, information and that all-powerful resource, hope! Hope...it's absolutely necessary for this rocky ride...plus determination and a huge dollop of resilience.

 

Since I last posted I have had some up and downs. Worked from home a few days, had some other productive days. Today was extremely bad. Part of it was I forgot to take my amitriptyline I think. I swear it seems every decision I have made during this taper and this medication in general has made things worse. I don't want to hold longer than I need to but I also don't feel like I'm ready to cut. I wish there was a test that could tell us if we are healing still or if we have stalled. I would hope the vestibular system could slowly adjust as the dosage decreases. I could handle the lower grade dizzy/lightheadedness I had as I went down from 20 to 6.5. This is just miles beyond that and Impares normal functioning. I have an appointment with the mental health Dr in about two weeka except I'm seeing the nurse practitioner because my normal Dr is out on maternity. I'm curious what she has to say having been doing this a long time. I might ask about switching over to liquid. That would allow me to more easily micro taper if I want to go down that road. I'm just out of ideas and feel like I keep saying the same thing on here. I guess just mostly venting. I feel like the wife can only take me talking about how helpless I feel so much. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

[[La...]]

Yeah, the challenging thing is that everyone is different when it comes to these things, so no one can say for sure that this way or that way is best right now. I'd love to see studies on that, but I just think that genetics play a big role. Whether we can become un-dizzy while still taking a vestibular suppressant medication was the issue for me back when I found out how the meds were causing my dizziness. It didn't make any sense to me to taper too slowly because I wanted this stuff out of my body. Still, though, I did a fairly slow taper (8 months total, with a hold in the middle due to introduction of Prozac -- big boo-boo). Whether a microtaper would have had different results is anybody's guess.

 

This Vestibular Disorders website is saying that the brain cannot really normalize (in terms of dizziness, that is) while one is still taking these types of meds. In the benzo community, people say that the brain is healing as you drop the dose. Again, there's no objective test for that. Not everyone gets dizziness as a symptom, though, so some people can be fairly functional during a taper. Others, not. It's such a crap shoot! I know how frustrating it is not to have answers. I think we each have to figure out for ourselves which way makes sense and then take action. I wasn't on BB when I did my taper, so I just plowed on through with the help of the Ashton Manual.

 

Maybe you can read some of the Success Stories and see what others did. Those people are obviously out of the woods when they write their stories. They're an excellent resource for people who are in the trenches. They can provide ideas, information and that all-powerful resource, hope! Hope...it's absolutely necessary for this rocky ride...plus determination and a huge dollop of resilience.

 

Since I last posted I have had some up and downs. Worked from home a few days, had some other productive days. Today was extremely bad. Part of it was I forgot to take my amitriptyline I think. I swear it seems every decision I have made during this taper and this medication in general has made things worse. I don't want to hold longer than I need to but I also don't feel like I'm ready to cut. I wish there was a test that could tell us if we are healing still or if we have stalled. I would hope the vestibular system could slowly adjust as the dosage decreases. I could handle the lower grade dizzy/lightheadedness I had as I went down from 20 to 6.5. This is just miles beyond that and Impares normal functioning. I have an appointment with the mental health Dr in about two weeka except I'm seeing the nurse practitioner because my normal Dr is out on maternity. I'm curious what she has to say having been doing this a long time. I might ask about switching over to liquid. That would allow me to more easily micro taper if I want to go down that road. I'm just out of ideas and feel like I keep saying the same thing on here. I guess just mostly venting. I feel like the wife can only take me talking about how helpless I feel so much. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

 

Hi BigSky,

I realize you're struggling a lot and aren't quite sure how to proceed. Can I just ask for clarification on a couple of things, please? Your signature said that you tapered off amitriptyline last April, but then you've just said you might have forgotten to take it. Are you still on it? And how much diazepam are you taking?

 

So, I know you're looking for stabilization and less dizziness, but you might have to confront the idea that the medications you're still taking are known to cause dizziness. This side effect is listed in all descriptions of these medications, so there's no guarantee that you can keep taking the meds and not possibly be dizzy. I know it sucks. Believe me! I know. I really, really know. These meds can cause dizziness while you're taking them, and as well, they can cause dizziness during tapers and then for awhile afterward. It's a huge crap shoot, and that's just part of this whole thing.

 

I guess I just want to understand your thinking on this stuff, BigSky. I don't want to say the wrong thing or irritate you, but I do hope you'll reflect on what your next steps are and what's right for you to do. You can always choose to stay on the medication indefinitely, but I take it you've joined BB because you want support to get off it.

 

Take good care, BigSky. I'm sending good wishes your way.

[[Bl...]]

Yeah, the challenging thing is that everyone is different when it comes to these things, so no one can say for sure that this way or that way is best right now. I'd love to see studies on that, but I just think that genetics play a big role. Whether we can become un-dizzy while still taking a vestibular suppressant medication was the issue for me back when I found out how the meds were causing my dizziness. It didn't make any sense to me to taper too slowly because I wanted this stuff out of my body. Still, though, I did a fairly slow taper (8 months total, with a hold in the middle due to introduction of Prozac -- big boo-boo). Whether a microtaper would have had different results is anybody's guess.

 

This Vestibular Disorders website is saying that the brain cannot really normalize (in terms of dizziness, that is) while one is still taking these types of meds. In the benzo community, people say that the brain is healing as you drop the dose. Again, there's no objective test for that. Not everyone gets dizziness as a symptom, though, so some people can be fairly functional during a taper. Others, not. It's such a crap shoot! I know how frustrating it is not to have answers. I think we each have to figure out for ourselves which way makes sense and then take action. I wasn't on BB when I did my taper, so I just plowed on through with the help of the Ashton Manual.

 

Maybe you can read some of the Success Stories and see what others did. Those people are obviously out of the woods when they write their stories. They're an excellent resource for people who are in the trenches. They can provide ideas, information and that all-powerful resource, hope! Hope...it's absolutely necessary for this rocky ride...plus determination and a huge dollop of resilience.

 

Since I last posted I have had some up and downs. Worked from home a few days, had some other productive days. Today was extremely bad. Part of it was I forgot to take my amitriptyline I think. I swear it seems every decision I have made during this taper and this medication in general has made things worse. I don't want to hold longer than I need to but I also don't feel like I'm ready to cut. I wish there was a test that could tell us if we are healing still or if we have stalled. I would hope the vestibular system could slowly adjust as the dosage decreases. I could handle the lower grade dizzy/lightheadedness I had as I went down from 20 to 6.5. This is just miles beyond that and Impares normal functioning. I have an appointment with the mental health Dr in about two weeka except I'm seeing the nurse practitioner because my normal Dr is out on maternity. I'm curious what she has to say having been doing this a long time. I might ask about switching over to liquid. That would allow me to more easily micro taper if I want to go down that road. I'm just out of ideas and feel like I keep saying the same thing on here. I guess just mostly venting. I feel like the wife can only take me talking about how helpless I feel so much. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

 

Hi BigSky,

I realize you're struggling a lot and aren't quite sure how to proceed. Can I just ask for clarification on a couple of things, please? Your signature said that you tapered off amitriptyline last April, but then you've just said you might have forgotten to take it. Are you still on it? And how much diazepam are you taking?

 

So, I know you're looking for stabilization and less dizziness, but you might have to confront the idea that the medications you're still taking are known to cause dizziness. This side effect is listed in all descriptions of these medications, so there's no guarantee that you can keep taking the meds and not possibly be dizzy. I know it sucks. Believe me! I know. I really, really know. These meds can cause dizziness while you're taking them, and as well, they can cause dizziness during tapers and then for awhile afterward. It's a huge crap shoot, and that's just part of this whole thing.

 

I guess I just want to understand your thinking on this stuff, BigSky. I don't want to say the wrong thing or irritate you, but I do hope you'll reflect on what your next steps are and what's right for you to do. You can always choose to stay on the medication indefinitely, but I take it you've joined BB because you want support to get off it.

 

Take good care, BigSky. I'm sending good wishes your way.

 

Guys, I am sorry to hear that everyone is struggling I had a major depressive episode last night because of this. I am currently taking betihiastine  (for 15 days) the first two days worked marvelously, almost unbelievable, and I started to believe that maybe the dizizness was caused by something else, today I don’t feel that great (third) . I know that as long as keep taking the benzo this problem will remain.

I just hope it doesn’t get any worse as I go down my taper.

I started having suicidal thoughts yesterday, it was awful

Much love

Blossom

[[La...]]

Blossom, please hang in there!

 

The thing is....not everyone gets dizzy during this process. Some people do, some people don't. Some have it for awhile, and then it goes away. It's all par for the course, and that course is highly, highly unpredictable. It's crappy. There's no way around that fact.

 

In my journey, the thing I knew for sure once I learned that the dizziness I was experiencing was caused by the meds was that I had to get off them. I wasn't on BB at the time, so I just followed Ashton's guide and went from there -- step by step by step. I plowed through it and actually did okay. In my case, I think the complicating factor was the SSRIs. It added another layer into the mix -- a mix that was already complicated enough by having two different benzos.

 

Here on BB, there are other examples of tapers -- microtapers, liquid tapers, etc. I didn't even consider those options. It's worthwhile for people to check out the options and read Success Stories and see what might be best for them.

[[La...]]

Hi Blossom,

I just wanted to add that you're so, so close to being off the medication, if I'm reading your signature correctly. It says .125 mg of clonazepam right now. Is that still true? It's really, really close. Are you planning to get off it soon or to hold?

 

The Betahistine is an anti-histamine that can often help with Meniere's Disease. Is that what the doctor thinks you have, or did he not say? As per my pharmacist, betahistine can apparently be quite helpful for the thing it was indicated for. If it's not that, then it may not work.

[[La...]]

I've posted this one before, but I think it might be a good time to post it again. It's from the American Physical Therapy Association, and it looks at the effects of certain medications on dizziness. Check the link below for the list of different types of dizziness.

 

Vestibular Suppressants   

 

"For  the  first  few  days  of  a  vestibular  crisis,  Meclizine  and  other  vestibular        suppressants  can  be  helpful  to  control  severe  vertigo,  dizziness,  and  nausea.    However, chronic use is counterproductive to the central nervous system’s (CNS) compensation  process.  Vestibular  suppressants  decrease  the  CNS's  ability  to          compensate  for  vestibular  loss  and  can  prolong  recovery  time.1-4  Vestibular        suppressants  have  the  added  risk  of  producing  drowsiness,  cognitive  deficits,    difficulty  driving,  and  increasing  the  possibility  of  falls.5  The  recommendation  to  decrease  and  eliminate  vestibular  suppressants  has  been  well  documented  in  the  literature."

 

http://www.neuropt.org/docs/vsig-physician-fact-sheets/medications-and-dizziness.pdf?sfvrsn=b13f10b0_2

 

"Vestibular suppressants" are benzodiazepines, antihistamines and anticholinergics.

[[Bl...]]

Hello Lapis, thanks for your words of hope, I didn’t ask my dr why he was giving me the medication, he told me “it could have been stress” or maybe he didn’t want to say verbally that it was because of the benzos. I don’t really know....he’s been my family Dr for a while and I trust him a lot, so I didn’t ask questions...And yes I am on .125 and will hold until the vertigo treatment is done, then start the taper by 5%.weekly. It’s a long road...but it’s been longer.

The weird thing is that I didn’t have this before..I’ve been holding for 3 mo. And suddenly after a 3 week trip, I started to loose balance out of the blue. That’s what’s making my head crazy....why??? I was fine... I want to believe it’s part of the “healing” process....

Again thank you very much, and all this vestibular supressant stuff is interesting. Hmmm....I also noticed that my TMJ was giving me pain...I work in the dental field and this could be from that...maybe inflammation of the TMJ is pressing the ear canal. Today I went to a friend’s dental office and took myself a dental impression, tomorrow I will return and make a thick nightguard to see if it helps...

Any of you have been checked by a dentist?

Much love

Blossom

[[La...]]

Hi Blossom,

I remember that I did have a full examination at the dentist's office when I became dizzy, and nothing was found. I also had numerous vision checks (optometrist, opthalmologist, neuro-opthalmologist), as well as a number of ENTs, a neurologist, a physiatrist, a vestibular rehabilitation physiotherapist, two psychatrists...and I think that's it! It was the second psychiatrist who confirmed it, but I'd had a number of other things ruled out by that time. All the arrows pointed at the glaring issue of medication, which should likely have been considered much, much earlier, had anyone been looking carefully at what I was taking.

 

Alas...

 

Anyway, Blossom, you'll soon be off the medication. I do hope the dizziness is short-lived for you. Just stay as positive as you can and try to have faith in your body's ability to heal.

[[Fp...]]

Should I try dramamine / meclazine for dizziness or will it slow down my healing? Has anyone tried this with any success?

[[La...]]

Hi Fp1984,

If your dizziness is caused by benzos, then no, it's not likely to help. Dramamine is for motion sickness that's caused by motion, but it can't normalize the effects of the benzodiazepines on the vestibular system. If you take something like dramamine for more than a few days, it can interfere with your body's attempts to normalize the vestibular system. Anticholinergics, antihistamines and benzodiazepines are all classified as "vestibular suppressants" in the medical literature, and none of them are good for balance if taken for more than a few days for dizziness. I've posted a few links on this topic very recently, so have a look over the recent pages here on this thread.

[[Fp...]]

Thanks Lapis,

I take doxylamine succinate (an antihistamine) to help me fall asleep. I guess I should try to wean off this as well. Maybe eliminating the antihistamine for sleep will accelerate my healing. I only take 3/4 of a 25 mg tablet. Ive recently cut back from a whole tablet. I may try a half tablet tonite and work my way down.

Thanks for all your information. I hope I havent dkne any permanent damage.

Take care,

Fp

[[La...]]

No problem, Fp. Have a look at this info from the Vestibular Disorders website. I've posted it a number of times because it seems to be quite important for people around here -- dizzy people and those trying other meds for sleep. We have to be extremely careful with regards to other meds, since they all have side effects. It mentions the fact that anything that makes the brain "sleepy" can interfere with the process of compensation, whereby the brain tries to normalize.

 

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

 

Can Medication Help Me Feel Better?

 

The use of medication in treating vestibular disorders depends on whether the vestibular system dysfunction is in an initial or acute phase (lasting up to 5 days) or chronic phase (ongoing).

 

During the acute phase, and when other illnesses have been ruled out, medications that may be prescribed include vestibular suppressants to reduce motion sickness or anti-emetics to reduce nausea. Vestibular suppressants include three general drug classes: anticholinergics, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines. Examples of vestibular suppressants are meclizine and dimenhydrinate (antihistamine-anticholinergics) and lorazepam and diazepam (benzodiazepines).

 

Other medications that may be prescribed are steroids (e.g., prednisone), antiviral drugs (e.g., acyclovir), or antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin) if a middle ear infection is present. If nausea has been severe enough to cause excessive dehydration, intravenous fluids may be given.

 

During the chronic phase, symptoms must be actively experienced without interference in order for the brain to adjust, a process called vestibular compensation. Any medication that makes the brain sleepy, including all vestibular suppressants, can slow down or stop the process of compensation. Therefore, they are often not appropriate for long-term use. Physicians generally find that most patients who fail to compensate are either strictly avoiding certain movements, using vestibular suppressants daily, or both.

 

[[Fp...]]

Great information! Thank you so much! If I can taper Ativan, an antihistamine should be a cake walk!

[[La...]]

Great information! Thank you so much! If I can taper Ativan, an antihistamine should be a cake walk!

 

Yes, I hope so! Sounds like you're taking a small amount.

[[Bi...]]

Lapis,

 

I didn't want to quote the huge wall of text. I thought I had posted previously that yes I tapered off the amitriptyline fairly quickly around April may of last year. Thought I was in the clear then about 30-45 days after my last dose all hell broke loose. I went to the ent did all the scans and tests. Everything came back normal. I tried to tough it out but couldn't and thinking maybe it was just a too fast taper of the Valium catching up I finally gave in and went back to 8mgs from 6.5. 8 was where I had last been stable, I was working out 3-5 times a week and doing fairly well. After a couple weeks at the 8mgs things got a bit better. I wasn't doing as well as early in the year but I was able to go to work and do some things with the family. Then it stalled and no improvement. In December I decided well let me go back to when I was most stable which was at the 8mgs Valium and small dose of amitriptyline. So I started taking that again. About a month in I started having good days. Almost like it was before. Then that ended and it was severely downhill from there. I can't go in to work anymore, I can barely drive most of the time. It usually is best in the early afternoon and worse in the mornings. Thankfully I have been able to work from home but that isn't a long term solution at least not without some documentation from my dr. And even then I don't know how long they will let me do it. I can function workwise around 60-80% at homeon a decent day. I decided to try to see if cutting back on the amitriptyline would help any since it didn't seem to have fixed anything. So I have been going through that again. That is why I have been saying everything I do seems to be wrong or doesn't help. One would logically think going back to where you last felt decent would help. I guess my body is just different than it was after being off for so many months. I knew it was a long shot and not something I did because I wanted to. I felt like I was out of ideas. Holding at 8mgs for four months seemed to do nothing for me and I figured that was quite a while to give my brain time. Through this whole ordeal the dizziness has always been my main symptom. As I got lower in dose especially in say the last six months maybe more sensory input has become overwhelming as well. I know they all list it as a side effect but I never had the dizziness on Lorazepam, nor do I recall having it on clonopin. I am getting so desperate again that I have considered doing one of those genetic tests that I have seen brought up on here. Just to see if my genes could be saying something else might be better to do this on for one reason or another. On the bad days even taking one of my doses of Valium seems to do nothing. I'm on too high a dose to just jump and feel like that would surely put me out of commission for who knows how long. But the benzos just don't seem to be doing anything for me anymore.

 

I finally had a long and difficult conversation with the wife two nights ago. We had both been keeping things inside related to this ordeal.

 

I think part of the reason I struggle with so much is I have to have a schedule, I need to know when something is going to happen. I don't like guessing and I don't like surprises. That has just always been the way I am.

 

I have not updated my signature because during the time I have been taking it, it has been a Rollercoaster. I have been meaning to go back and calculate what kind of cuts I was making prior to my hold just because I am a numbers guy.

[[La...]]

Hi BigSky,

Thanks for explaining everything, and please know that everyone who is dealing with this symptom -- or any of the symptoms, for that matter -- wants to have clarity and logic and to be able to plan. But that's just it. We can't control the symptoms. There isn't necessarily any logic to why things are better or worse on a given day. I think the Ashton Manual addresses this to some degree, but the fact is that the medication can be problematic in any dose, and the best thing we can do is to get off it via a controlled taper and then allow the body to heal over time. For some, the time will be shorter, and for others, it will be longer. Again, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to who gets hit with worse symptoms.

 

If you're not able to work, then yes, it does make sense to have a good discussion with your doctor about it and see how s/he can support you. Do you have short- or long-term disability where you work?

 

I'm so, so sorry you're going through this. Like you, we're all wondering what the hell happened and how we can get our lives back to normal as soon as possible. It's really, really, REALLY hard to deal with all of this. Again, the best thing I can suggest is that you focus on the next steps to get you off the medication so that you can heal. Staying on the medication -- or increasing it -- doesn't seem to help.

 

I, too, was on the medication for quite awhile without any dizziness. But once it started, and once I had everything checked out, and once I finally understood that I didn't have a tumour or any other strange disease, I realized I had to get off the medication. I just couldn't see any other way to allow my brain to heal. It was a case of too much medication for too long.

 

What about you, BigSky? What do you think?