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

[[La...]]

Katsu I'm sorry you're having such distress. Unfortunately nobody can tell you if it will get worse or go away quickly. You'll just have to adjust to it as best as you can. Over time after you've finished taper, it will gradually improve. As Lapis said, the vestibular system was disrupted over and over. That will require time to repair. In the meantime please be careful not to fall or injury yourself.

As far as tapering, I would suggest you go to the tapering thread for information.

Please do the best you can to take care of yourself. Allow the time needed to heal without disrupting it. Feel better soon my friend! 

[[ju...]]

Hi again. Some folks suggest the Sea Bands for nausea and indirectly for Balance Problems. I remember the balance bands was trendy some years before. What do you think about that?

[[La...]]

Hi again. Some folks suggest the Sea Bands for nausea and indirectly for Balance Problems. I remember the balance bands was trendy some years before. What do you think about that?

 

Well, I doubt they're harmful, but I'd be really surprised if they could help with the type of balance issues most of us are dealing with.

[[La...]]

I agree with Lapis

[[Be...]]

Hey Everyone,

 

I’m so glad I found this thread - it’s been 10 full months since I jumped cold turkey (whoops - if only I had’ve known to Taper!) ive had balance issues & feeling of a full & sore left ear intermittently, I’ve also woken up with nystagmus at night which I panic about.  I took mostly 5mg of Valium (sometimes more sometimes less, sometimes none at all = I kindled my poor brain).  For 5 months - then on two doctors advice & my therapist I just stopped them - whoops. I’m in my 11th month since I jumped & at times I’ve clung on for dear life - the 10th month was the worst for some reason - worse than acute.  The benzo beast is such a mystery.  Here I am right now on a window - not completely symptom free but I’m happier & calmer & perhaps the end of the tunnel is near - fingers crossed.  I can eat a total of 5 things right now (boiled green vegetables) & I’m looking forward to being able to devour any food I want one day - oh the dream of it!

[[La...]]

Hi Bess,

Welcome! I'm so sorry you're dealing with dizziness symptoms too. Did you get things checked out by a doctor? The eye, ear and balance issues should definitely be checked to make sure they're not symptoms of something else, since lots of symptoms can be part of different types of illnesses.

 

Personally, I never had serious issues with food, so I can't weigh in at all on that one. I had some diarrhea, but I continued to eat my regular diet (more vegan meals than not, no meat or dairy, lots of vegs, legumes and fruit) and was okay. I guess that's another area that you should check in with your doctor about. Only eating five types of food is very restrictive and could be missing certain nutrients.

[[bo...]]

I'm having alot  of visual issues  blurry vision, poor focus, eye pain= muscles in the socket eyeball, and I'm off balance quit dizzy , weakness in my legs and when I have to wait in line or cross the street its difficult, is this all connected?

thxs

[[La...]]

Yes! It's all connected

[[Be...]]

Hi Bess,

Welcome! I'm so sorry you're dealing with dizziness symptoms too. Did you get things checked out by a doctor? The eye, ear and balance issues should definitely be checked to make sure they're not symptoms of something else, since lots of symptoms can be part of different types of illnesses.

 

Personally, I never had serious issues with food, so I can't weigh in at all on that one. I had some diarrhea, but I continued to eat my regular diet (more vegan meals than not, no meat or dairy, lots of vegs, legumes and fruit) and was okay. I guess that's another area that you should check in with your doctor about. Only eating five types of food is very restrictive and could be missing certain nutrients.

 

Thanks so much. I will do.  It’s all so complicated this bemzo beast & so hard to find doctors that understand benzo Stuff

[[La...]]

Welcome Bess and yes doctors are not educated on benzos but give them out like candy.

[[La...]]

Hi Bess,

Welcome! I'm so sorry you're dealing with dizziness symptoms too. Did you get things checked out by a doctor? The eye, ear and balance issues should definitely be checked to make sure they're not symptoms of something else, since lots of symptoms can be part of different types of illnesses.

 

Personally, I never had serious issues with food, so I can't weigh in at all on that one. I had some diarrhea, but I continued to eat my regular diet (more vegan meals than not, no meat or dairy, lots of vegs, legumes and fruit) and was okay. I guess that's another area that you should check in with your doctor about. Only eating five types of food is very restrictive and could be missing certain nutrients.

 

Thanks so much. I will do.  It’s all so complicated this bemzo beast & so hard to find doctors that understand benzo Stuff

 

Still, even if a doctor isn't "benzo-wise" (the term people around here use), you can still have your symptoms checked out to see if there's anything going on. Blurry vision, eye pain, ear pain, dizziness, etc., are all symptoms that may be associated with benzodiazepines and withdrawal from them, but they may be part of some other illnesses too. In my case, I saw ear specialists, eye specialists, a neurologist (among others), had a CAT scan and vestibular testing, etc., in order to rule things out. It can be dangerous to assume that everything is caused by benzodiazepines.

[[La...]]

Lapis. Hello dear! How are you doing?

[[La...]]

Lapis. Hello dear! How are you doing?

 

Hellooooo!

Well, it's been a pretty rough ride of late, but thank you for asking. Still having mostly bad days. Crying a lot. But I did get outside today, which is rather miraculous. We're having a bit of heat wave here in southern Ontario, and it was about 20 degrees Celsius today (-- about 68-70 farenheit). Highly unusual for November here.

[Guest [...]]

Lapis2

 

Where are you in Southern Ontario?

I'm in the GTA, Durham Region.

I have an appointment with Dr. Paula Harvey at Women's College Hospital in Feb. to be assessed for POTS?Dysautonomia

 

Have you found any good Drs around here?

 

Glad you got out today, I didn't manage to - but it looked lovely from my window.

 

WinnieDog

 

 

[[Be...]]

Hi Bess,

Welcome! I'm so sorry you're dealing with dizziness symptoms too. Did you get things checked out by a doctor? The eye, ear and balance issues should definitely be checked to make sure they're not symptoms of something else, since lots of symptoms can be part of different types of illnesses.

 

Personally, I never had serious issues with food, so I can't weigh in at all on that one. I had some diarrhea, but I continued to eat my regular diet (more vegan meals than not, no meat or dairy, lots of vegs, legumes and fruit) and was okay. I guess that's another area that you should check in with your doctor about. Only eating five types of food is very restrictive and could be missing certain nutrients.

 

Thanks so much. I will do.  It’s all so complicated this bemzo beast & so hard to find doctors that understand benzo Stuff

 

Still, even if a doctor isn't "benzo-wise" (the term people around here use), you can still have your symptoms checked out to see if there's anything going on. Blurry vision, eye pain, ear pain, dizziness, etc., are all symptoms that may be associated with benzodiazepines and withdrawal from them, but they may be part of some other illnesses too. In my case, I saw ear specialists, eye specialists, a neurologist (among others), had a CAT scan and vestibular testing, etc., in order to rule things out. It can be dangerous to assume that everything is caused by benzodiazepines.

 

Thanks so much & I will do. I really appreciate your help.

[[La...]]

Sorry Lapis for your tough time. I'm cheering you on to have better days. It's good that you went outside. I also push myself to go get some sun. I just made 5 months off. Seems I've shifted but not in a good way. Boatiness is less intense but is joined with strong pulling sensation. I'm having more waves too. I heard this isn't uncommon in 5 or 6 month. I hope it doesn't last because I can't do the little bit of progress that I just made only 2 weeks ago.

Hello to everyone

[[Me...]]

Lapis,

 

How far out are you? I’m so sorry you’re still struggling with the dizziness.....

 

 

Mine left awhile ago. I occasionally get dizzy for a few seconds now and then but for the most part it’s gone

Are you sure you don’t have something else causing it?

[[La...]]

Hi Meganz,

Yes, I've been off for a very long time, and I suspect that changing hormones (perimenopause) are playing a role in my continued symptoms. I know a woman who recently had a bad spell of dizziness, and she too is in the middle of perimenopause. Her doctor said her dizziness would likely go away when she hits menopause. She often gets the symptoms right around the time of her period (which is, of course, very unpredictable). I've certainly read a number of studies that point to the possible connection between changing hormones during perimenopause and rocky/floaty/boaty dizziness.

 

I think what's going on with me could be a combination of factors then, i.e. benzos, SSRI/SNRIs and changing hormones. I wouldn't want to try taking any sort of medication, though, since that could be a perilous journey.

 

Thanks very much for your good wishes. I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better. That's amazing!

[[Me...]]

Wow lapis,

 

 

I’m so sorry you have had to endure this.

Will be thinking of you and hoping you find relief soon.

[[La...]]

Wow lapis,

 

 

I’m so sorry you have had to endure this.

Will be thinking of you and hoping you find relief soon.

 

Yes, it's been absolutely brutal. Lots of tears shed. But thank you so much for thinking of me, Meganz. Much appreciated.

[[La...]]

Hi All,

Here's an excerpt from a paper about the Epley Maneuver, which is used for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. I know it comes up all the time, so I thought I'd share this excerpt and the link where you can find the full paper. There's also some interesting info about dizziness and diagnosing it.

 

 

Epley Maneuver

 

Excerpt

 

Whether one is a seasoned clinician or a developing medical student, dizziness can be difficult to diagnose and treat. It affects people of all age ranges with varying degrees of symptoms and severity. Additionally, dizziness can be difficult for patients to describe, as it can mean different things to different people. When a patient complains of “dizziness,” they could be describing vertigo, pre-syncope, balance issues, or giddiness. This difficulty in communication can result in frustration for both the patient and the physician; however, differentiating these symptoms is critical for the clinician to treat the patient effectively. One critical step for clinicians is to characterize dizziness as “central vs. peripheral.” Dizziness can account for approximately 5% of walk-in clinics and roughly 4% of emergency department visits. The differential diagnosis for dizziness encompasses numerous body systems, such as neurological, cardiovascular, or hematologic. Some studies have shown up to 15% of cases of dizziness in the ED are life-threatening. Therefore, it is important to perform a thorough history, and physical exam as the ultimate diagnosis can be benign or life-threatening. Symptoms and disease definitions are essential for professional communication between providers, whether they treat patients in the clinic, emergency department, or inpatient setting. The language utilized to describe terms such as ”dizziness” or ”vertigo” can often mean many different things based on one’s interpretations. Therefore, a committee was formed to promote the classification of vestibular disorders. Below are several definitions from the Committee for Classification of Vestibular Disorders to clarify these symptoms. The canalith repositioning maneuver (CRP) was coined by Dr. John Epley in response to the need for non-invasive treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Prior to the use of CRP, BPPV was often treated surgically. Following the diagnosis of BPPV, the Dix-Hallpike maneuver can localize the otolith. This manuscript will not detail how to perform the Dix-Hallpike maneuver; however, once the otolith is localized, the next step is to perform the CRP (Epley) maneuver. Of note, the endpoint of the Dix-Hallpike maneuver is the beginning of the Epley maneuver; thus, it is imperative to know how to perform both to be effective in diagnosing and treating BPPV correctly.

 

Full Paper:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563287/#article-18792.s1

[[La...]]

Thx Lapis. I've read this a couple of times. I wish they had a maneuver for feeling like you're being pulled down by a magnet

[[La...]]

I'm definitely with you on that one, LadyDen. I did a total of six months of vestibular rehabilitation (two three-month stints, with exercises five times per day), and it obviously didn't address my symptoms.

 

It's clear that the different types of dizziness require different types of cures. The challenge in getting the diagnosis right is obviously part of the problem. I've come across many, many abstracts that mention how hard it is to figure out the cause of people's dizziness, as well as the commonality of dizziness as a symptom that brings people to their doctors and emergency rooms.

[[La...]]

It's definitely hard to pinpoint. I've read that different types of dizziness is caused by different parts of the ear. And dizziness can be caused by a long list of other things like heart issues, blood pressure, medication, dehydration etc. The good thing is that we know the benzo or benzo-like medications did this to us. It's so terrible and debilitating that it makes you fear that it's permanent. Especially since small percentages are permanent. That Ambien did a hell of a number on my vestibular system. I'm trying to do all I can to help it compensate/heal but nothing is helping. But I'm doing the vestibular exercises anyway. Keeping head still with moving only the eyes up down side to side, putting objects far then near while focusing, walking and turning head to look around, shoulder circles, etc I'm looking forward to the day I wake up free from this boatiness and pulling down sensation. I've even read about ear strokes. You ever heard of that?

[[La...]]

Kirkhero, it really sounds like withdrawal to me. And since you've done some testing and had "normal" results, it's more likely that it's all down to those little pills that you and I and everyone here took for a little bit too long. 

 

I definitely get bad days where there's push-pull rocking, tinnitus and all the rest, so I can relate to everything you're saying.The way I get through it is by reminding myself that it HAS to end sometime. I just wish I knew when.

Lapis I know this was awhile back. When did the push pulling sensation go away? Did you have the boatiness with pulling? Did anything help during those times?