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

[[La...]]

That's right, Lapis. It's best NOT to take medication for dizziness because your brain needs to compensate. Medications disturbs this. Just be careful everyone when walking, getting up and daily activities while dizzy. Give your body the time and unmedicated space to compensate. Big hugs and happy healing!

[[La...]]

Yes, some people might still be on other medications that interfere with the vestibular system, e.g. most (all?) of the psychiatric medications. There's a huge list of medications that can affect balance.

[[un...]]

Hi everyone. I have been reading this forum (and especially this topic) for a month now and I finally decided to register. I have two questions regarding dizziness. I apologize if these questions have already been answered somewhere along the 721 pages of this topic.

 

I had to take temazepam (Tenox), which was after a few weeks changed to oxazepam (Opamox), for severe insomnia due to work-related exhaustion (ie. "burnout"). I took them from the end of august till the beginning of november. In june and july I also took zopiclone and tried mirtazapin for a few weeks. Eventually in the beginning of september I also started taking hydroxyzine (Atarax) 25-75 mg per night, and finally I was able to sleep. I started to taper down oxazepam in the middle of october from 2,5 x 15 mg and finally quit totally on november 3rd. A rather fast taper, some might say.

 

Mirtazapin made me feel dizzy in a weird way. It was hard to walk in a straight line. Those symptoms disappeared in a few weeks after I stopped taking it. Around that time I started Tenox and after less than two weeks changed to Opamox. Around that time I started to feel dizzy, but not in a "mirtazapin"-like pulling way. It was more like general instability, especially when making rapid turns etc. Funny thing was that when I took 7,5 mg oxazepam every 8 hours, the symptoms dissappeared.

 

It has now been about four weeks since I made the jump and stopped taking any benzos and 1,5 weeks since I stopped taking hydroxyzine. I still have that strange feeling with my equilibrium almost every day. Funny thing is that when I'm at work and have to concentrate, I don't feel anything strange. But as soon as I start to analyze how I feel (and especially my balance when walking), the symptoms tend to come back. At this point all the other symptoms are almost gone (insomnia, vivid "flashbacks" / memories, muscle jerks, intermittent tinnitus etc).

 

I started to wonder how long should I expect those mild dizziness-like feelings to continue? I also wonder if Atarax might also cause dizziness? I have been doing all kinds of balance traing at home and they have become so easy that I can do many moves even backwards. If I was to do all of those neurologic / balance tests at the doctors office, I would pass with flying colours. So objectively I don't have any real balance issues. It's just the dizziness-like feeling I still have left.

 

Has anyone else had similar symptoms? How long did they last? Thanks for reading and sorry for my English. It's not my native language.

 

 

 

[[ka...]]

I have been having a hard time tapering this past month. I am at 2.3mg/day .3mg 4pm 2.0mg at bedtime diazepam. I am tapering .015mg daily titration.  I have burning and nerve pain etc. My main concern is symptoms are head pressure, eye pain, stuffy nose, ear pain tinnitus, dizziness. Dizziness and nausea is unbearable.  My psychiatrist is recommending taking gabapentin for my sleep. That my symptoms might be relieved with additional sleep. I explained to my psychiatrist that taking gabapentin would disturb the vestibular compensation. I have two questions.  If I take gabapentin  short term will the disturbance be temporary or damaging long term.  Would the effect of taking gabapentin after completely finished tapering different than during still tapering.

Thank you I would appreciate any comments or opinions.

Ps my dizziness symptoms are neatness, pulling, push, undulating ground and vision focusing and nausea all waking hours.

[[La...]]

Hi everyone. I have been reading this forum (and especially this topic) for a month now and I finally decided to register. I have two questions regarding dizziness. I apologize if these questions have already been answered somewhere along the 721 pages of this topic.

 

I had to take temazepam (Tenox), which was after a few weeks changed to oxazepam (Opamox), for severe insomnia due to work-related exhaustion (ie. "burnout"). I took them from the end of august till the beginning of november. In june and july I also took zopiclone and tried mirtazapin for a few weeks. Eventually in the beginning of september I also started taking hydroxyzine (Atarax) 25-75 mg per night, and finally I was able to sleep. I started to taper down oxazepam in the middle of october from 2,5 x 15 mg and finally quit totally on november 3rd. A rather fast taper, some might say.

 

Mirtazapin made me feel dizzy in a weird way. It was hard to walk in a straight line. Those symptoms disappeared in a few weeks after I stopped taking it. Around that time I started Tenox and after less than two weeks changed to Opamox. Around that time I started to feel dizzy, but not in a "mirtazapin"-like pulling way. It was more like general instability, especially when making rapid turns etc. Funny thing was that when I took 7,5 mg oxazepam every 8 hours, the symptoms dissappeared.

 

It has now been about four weeks since I made the jump and stopped taking any benzos and 1,5 weeks since I stopped taking hydroxyzine. I still have that strange feeling with my equilibrium almost every day. Funny thing is that when I'm at work and have to concentrate, I don't feel anything strange. But as soon as I start to analyze how I feel (and especially my balance when walking), the symptoms tend to come back. At this point all the other symptoms are almost gone (insomnia, vivid "flashbacks" / memories, muscle jerks, intermittent tinnitus etc).

 

I started to wonder how long should I expect those mild dizziness-like feelings to continue? I also wonder if Atarax might also cause dizziness? I have been doing all kinds of balance traing at home and they have become so easy that I can do many moves even backwards. If I was to do all of those neurologic / balance tests at the doctors office, I would pass with flying colours. So objectively I don't have any real balance issues. It's just the dizziness-like feeling I still have left.

 

Has anyone else had similar symptoms? How long did they last? Thanks for reading and sorry for my English. It's not my native language.

 

Hi Unbreakablemedic,

First of all, there's absolutely no need to apologize for your English! It's excellent! Secondly, good for you to get off all of those medications. It does sound like you had quite a mixture of medications, which makes it very hard to know what's causing what. You took one thing, then that was changed to another, and then something else was added. It creates a bit of "chemical soup". From what I can tell, all of those medications could adversely affect balance, so that's something to keep in mind.

 

It's wonderful that you're able to work and to do all of those balance exercises. Great to hear! Can I ask you to clarify what you're feeling when you have those "dizziness-like feelings"? I think it's a difficult point, because the word "dizziness" is used to mean different sensations. A lot of us around here feel like we're on a boat...as if we're floating a bit, or being pushed and pulled by a current. Is that what you're experiencing? Some people feeling like they're spinning or like the room is spinning. That's usually called "vertigo", but I've certainly seen that term used for other sensations. It gets confusing!

 

Anyway, it's impossible to predict how long a person will continue to feel dizziness from these medications. We're all different and we have different health histories and genetics, etc. These things can play a role. The good news is that you weren't on the medications for too long, and you're already doing fairly well. So perhaps they'll fade away sooner rather than later. Just keep up the great work as far as exercises and movement.

 

All the best to you!

[[La...]]

I have been having a hard time tapering this past month. I am at 2.3mg/day .3mg 4pm 2.0mg at bedtime diazepam. I am tapering .015mg daily titration.  I have burning and nerve pain etc. My main concern is symptoms are head pressure, eye pain, stuffy nose, ear pain tinnitus, dizziness. Dizziness and nausea is unbearable.  My psychiatrist is recommending taking gabapentin for my sleep. That my symptoms might be relieved with additional sleep. I explained to my psychiatrist that taking gabapentin would disturb the vestibular compensation. I have two questions.  If I take gabapentin  short term will the disturbance be temporary or damaging long term.  Would the effect of taking gabapentin after completely finished tapering different than during still tapering.

Thank you I would appreciate any comments or opinions.

Ps my dizziness symptoms are neatness, pulling, push, undulating ground and vision focusing and nausea all waking hours.

 

Hi katsukatsu,

Did your doctor explain why s/he would put you on that particular drug for sleep? From what I can read, that's not what it's typically used for. It might be an "off-label" use of that medication. And,of course, it has its own list of side effects, including dizziness. So many medications list dizziness as a possible side effect.

 

I guess you have to decide if you can find a non-pharmaceutical way of dealing with your sleep problem, or if you want to take something for it. There will always be risks with medications. There's really no way around that. I doubt anyone can predict with any certainty whether the effects of it will be short-lived or not, but it's something you can talk to a pharmacist about, perhaps. And, of course, do research online to see what the effects are -- long and short-term.

[[ka...]]

The reason my psychiatrist chose gabapentin was we went through a list of ssri and none of them helped to ease anxiety level. When I was in detox March 2020 I was in such bad condition, gabapentin and updosing was only thing that helped me. Also as I started tapering again, gabapentin made the tapering easier.  After 3 months use I read in BB how sedative medication effects vestibular compensation. I will keep researching it.  Ginger tea no longer is effective for me.

Thank you for your response

[[La...]]

Katsu I agree with Lapis. Gabapentine is one of the drugs that Dr Ashton warns about. It has to be up dosed to get desired effect. Also it must be tapered as well. At this point ANY medication you take that produces sedation will disrupt vestibular system. The reason medications do this is more than likely they target the gaba receptors. That's why you become sleepy. I'm not going to tell you to take or not take something but it's not a good idea to introduce other medications to your delicate brain as advised by Dr Ashton. It's best to taper slowly as planned and allow the brain to heal.

Also, anyone tapering must realize, expect and accept that their sleeping abilities will not be ideal for awhile until it heals. Many become too overly afraid of not sleeping or getting enough sleep. This is understandable considering what we're going through in daily life. But this fear will feed anxiety. Anxiety will keep you from relaxing(awake). Being awake causes more anxiety. A vicious cycle. But if you accept not sleeping well then it makes it easier to relax and see what happens. Our bodies can survive from very little sleep.

As far as dizziness, if you're introducing other medications then it's high probability that you'll have much dizziness. As Lapis said, most of them has dizziness as a main side effect. Be careful not to get up too quickly. Speak with your doctor about whether other medications are necessary. Most of the time, they can make things worse which is why Dr Ashton said to try not to take anything.

[[Si...]]

Hi, I'm new to the site and I've only managed to read a few comments on this thread. Currently tapering off Diazepam.

But yeah, I suffer from horrible dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and a few of the other things in the original post.

They absolutely terrify me. Sometimes it'll just hit me so bad I have to just drop to my knees because if I I continue to walk i'd go flailing.

I don't leave the house much and those feelings are one of the reasons. I wouldn't wish it on anybody, although it's comforting to know there's others that have been through it if that makes sense.

 

Stay safe and take care folks ❤️

[[La...]]

Katsu I agree with Lapis. Gabapentine is one of the drugs that Dr Ashton warns about. It has to be up dosed to get desired effect. Also it must be tapered as well. At this point ANY medication you take that produces sedation will disrupt vestibular system. The reason medications do this is more than likely they target the gaba receptors. That's why you become sleepy. I'm not going to tell you to take or not take something but it's not a good idea to introduce other medications to your delicate brain as advised by Dr Ashton. It's best to taper slowly as planned and allow the brain to heal.

Also, anyone tapering must realize, expect and accept that their sleeping abilities will not be ideal for awhile until it heals. Many become too overly afraid of not sleeping or getting enough sleep. This is understandable considering what we're going through in daily life. But this fear will feed anxiety. Anxiety will keep you from relaxing(awake). Being awake causes more anxiety. A vicious cycle. But if you accept not sleeping well then it makes it easier to relax and see what happens. Our bodies can survive from very little sleep.

As far as dizziness, if you're introducing other medications then it's high probability that you'll have much dizziness. As Lapis said, most of them has dizziness as a main side effect. Be careful not to get up too quickly. Speak with your doctor about whether other medications are necessary. Most of the time, they can make things worse which is why Dr Ashton said to try not to take anything.

 

Just to add on to what LadyDen has written, there are other non-pharmaceutical things we can do to help with sleep, e.g. deep breathing, listening to music, not using our computers before bed, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, seeking out counselling to deal with anxiety and stress, etc. Some of these things are referred to as "sleep hygiene", and I'm sure there's lots on that topic to be found online.

 

 

[[un...]]

Can I ask you to clarify what you're feeling when you have those "dizziness-like feelings"? I think it's a difficult point, because the word "dizziness" is used to mean different sensations. A lot of us around here feel like we're on a boat...as if we're floating a bit, or being pushed and pulled by a current. Is that what you're experiencing? Some people feeling like they're spinning or like the room is spinning. That's usually called "vertigo", but I've certainly seen that term used for other sensations. It gets confusing!

 

Dear Lapis2,

 

thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement! Dizziness can indeed be a tricky feeling to describe accurately. In my case it's not vertigo, but I think the boat analogy is quite accurate! My symptoms are very mild now, just enough to get annoyed because of them. I tend to feel those pushing or pulling sensations when I do sudden movements with my head or body. It's also quite interesting that I don't feel these dizziness-like symptoms when I concentrate on something else, for example a very ill patient in a pre-hospital setting. Once the moment (and "adrenaline rush") has settled, I tend to start analyzing my own sensations and my symptoms emerge once again. Funny, isn't it?

 

Once again, thank you for your encouragement!

[[La...]]

Hello sillyboy sorry that you're experiencing sailing the high seas. Hopefully yours will dissipate soon. Be safe and don't underestimate it. Meditation helped me very much

[[La...]]

Hi, I'm new to the site and I've only managed to read a few comments on this thread. Currently tapering off Diazepam.

But yeah, I suffer from horrible dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and a few of the other things in the original post.

They absolutely terrify me. Sometimes it'll just hit me so bad I have to just drop to my knees because if I I continue to walk i'd go flailing.

I don't leave the house much and those feelings are one of the reasons. I wouldn't wish it on anybody, although it's comforting to know there's others that have been through it if that makes sense.

 

Stay safe and take care folks ❤️

 

Hi SillyBoy,

Yes, I'm really sorry you're "in the same boat" with the rest of us, but try to hang in there. If you need to use a cane or walker for stability, please do. It's better to do that than to fall. Try to pace yourself in terms of what you try to do during the day. And just take it one day at a time...

 

I, too, am hoping that this is short-lived for you. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know how long we might experience these symptoms, but it's great that you're getting off the medication.   

 

[[ka...]]

Thank you everyone, I guess I was paranoid, and trying to analyze myself and situations, the reason was 1. my psychiatric doctor has no experience with benzo tapering.  2.  My primary doctor doesn not involve himself with anything benzo.  3. Because Covid 19, no doctors in my insurance group will only do video or telephone consultations 15 ,minutes and only one symptom each call. I am changing my insurance so I can see any doctor I choose.

 

I think my symptoms are not that bad considering I have been taking benzo almost 40 years.  (1-2mg/day most of the 40 years) I do am able to walk up to 2 mi. every day.  I will try not to add any new meds if I can find a new doctor that will allow me not take any new meds. (most of the doctors here I have talked to here are suggesting psychiatric medicine to help anxiety)

 

I will 1. start changing my diet; less histamine foods, including diary products.  2. less glutamate foods.  Also I will try 4,7,8 breathing,ot If there is anything that my mind calms down.

 

I seeing a new doctor next week (1.5 hrs driving to get to his office) according to him he is treating benzo tapering 29 yrs. I wish he is good as he says.

 

Thank you again for responding to my questions and wish me luck finding new doctors.

[[La...]]

Yes, for sure, Katsu, I wish you the best of luck with the new doctor!

 

In your profile, I saw that you mentioned a drug that I'm not familiar with -- Kloniipham? Did you mean Klonopin or clonazepam? When you say 1-2 mg of that, then 2 mg is actually quite a bit. It's also strong and long-lasting (i.e. has a long half-life), which can be problematic.

 

Anyway, good for you to be moving ahead with your plan! I'm really hoping you get better help from this next doctor. It's really unfortunate that you've been encouraged to take more medication when there might be other, non-pharmaceutical options for dealing with your problem.

[[bo...]]

apart from the dizziness I have the pulling  pushing feeling, even when  I sleep and turn around feels like everything moves.. anyone relate?

[[bo...]]

apart from the dizziness I have the pulling  pushing feeling, even when  I sleep and turn around feels like everything moves.. anyone relate?

I guess not 

lol

[[La...]]

apart from the dizziness I have the pulling  pushing feeling, even when  I sleep and turn around feels like everything moves.. anyone relate?

I guess not 

lol

 

Hi bonty,

For me, there are days that are 8s and 9s out of 10, and on those days, I feel the disequilibrium whether I'm lying, sitting, standing or walking. If it's a 6 or a 7, then I don't feel it too badly in lying or sitting. Others may be different. My sensations aren't affected by turning over in bed, though. They're either there or not there. The motion isn't a trigger for me.

[[La...]]

apart from the dizziness I have the pulling  pushing feeling, even when  I sleep and turn around feels like everything moves.. anyone relate?

YEEEEZZZZ!!!!! That's me all day and night. But just like Lapis mine doesn't get worse by turning over in bed or turning my head to look at something. Walking around increases my boatiness and push pulling sensation. But I've made progress in my boatiness just the past few days. It has improved in intensity. Especially since I've started chair yoga.

[[bo...]]

apart from the dizziness I have the pulling  pushing feeling, even when  I sleep and turn around feels like everything moves.. anyone relate?

I guess not 

lol

 

Hi bonty,

For me, there are days that are 8s and 9s out of 10, and on those days, I feel the disequilibrium whether I'm lying, sitting, standing or walking. If it's a 6 or a 7, then I don't feel it too badly in lying or sitting. Others may be different. My sensations aren't affected by turning over in bed, though. They're either there or not there. The motion isn't a trigger for me.

My dizziness has come to the point of feeling that I'm under the influence of drugs... it also my vision that's  screwed up that comes and goes and passing out feeling  :'(

[[La...]]

apart from the dizziness I have the pulling  pushing feeling, even when  I sleep and turn around feels like everything moves.. anyone relate?

I guess not 

lol

 

Hi bonty,

For me, there are days that are 8s and 9s out of 10, and on those days, I feel the disequilibrium whether I'm lying, sitting, standing or walking. If it's a 6 or a 7, then I don't feel it too badly in lying or sitting. Others may be different. My sensations aren't affected by turning over in bed, though. They're either there or not there. The motion isn't a trigger for me.

My dizziness has come to the point of feeling that I'm under the influence of drugs... it also my vision that's  screwed up that comes and goes and passing out feeling  :'(

 

Have you had these things checked out medically? Have you seen an opthalmologist? Any blood pressure checks recently? The feeling of "passing out" is different than a vestibular issue, and may be caused by something else. I've fainted a number of times during the time that I've had this disequilibrium, and it was caused by low blood pressure every time. It wasn't the benzo withdrawal.

 

If you haven't done so, you might want to get the appropriate medical check-ups, just to make sure you're not missing something.

[[bo...]]

Yes Ty, I have to do a blood test, I have been to do eye dr.  he only found dryness... I find alot of people have these sxs... probably low blood pressure. I do what I have to do take electrolytes and drink,eat well still have these sxs especially in the morning

[[La...]]

Yes Ty, I have to do a blood test, I have been to do eye dr.  he only found dryness... I find alot of people have these sxs... probably low blood pressure. I do what I have to do take electrolytes and drink,eat well still have these sxs especially in the morning

 

Okay, that's good. My light-headedness and fainting weren't caused by the benzos at all. It really was pain from menstrual cramps and probably, blood loss. I also fainted at the dentist's office when he put a needle for freezing in my upper palate. Yikes! He gave me oxygen the rest of the time, and that really helped. It was a one-off, though. That's never happened before (or since).

[[bo...]]

Yes Ty, I have to do a blood test, I have been to do eye dr.  he only found dryness... I find alot of people have these sxs... probably low blood pressure. I do what I have to do take electrolytes and drink,eat well still have these sxs especially in the morning

 

Okay, that's good. My light-headedness and fainting weren't caused by the benzos at all. It really was pain from menstrual cramps and probably, blood loss. I also fainted at the dentist's office when he put a needle for freezing in my upper palate. Yikes! He gave me oxygen the rest of the time, and that really helped. It was a one-off, though. That's never happened before (or since).

so you had  low iron levels? I'm suppose to have my wisdom tooth out but I'm terrified... I think I have ataxia and have been nauseous today, but also have IBS.... and doing this alone

[[La...]]

Yes Ty, I have to do a blood test, I have been to do eye dr.  he only found dryness... I find alot of people have these sxs... probably low blood pressure. I do what I have to do take electrolytes and drink,eat well still have these sxs especially in the morning

 

Okay, that's good. My light-headedness and fainting weren't caused by the benzos at all. It really was pain from menstrual cramps and probably, blood loss. I also fainted at the dentist's office when he put a needle for freezing in my upper palate. Yikes! He gave me oxygen the rest of the time, and that really helped. It was a one-off, though. That's never happened before (or since).

so you had  low iron levels? I'm suppose to have my wisdom tooth out but I'm terrified... I think I have ataxia and have been nauseous today, but also have IBS.... and doing this alone

 

Well, I have had low red blood cell and hemoglobin levels, but I've been taking iron, and they've come up to almost-normal level.