physical therapy is a good thing

[[Ma...]]

I have been so miserable--I was on clonazepam 2 mg per day for over 8 years--with the help of a really great doctor I started tapering in May--was off probably too soon by August----since July have had horrible vertigo 24/7 ever since then with no relief----life is not liveable---but through my various doctors, have seen a neurologist and had an mri and now with a really great physical therapist who deals with vertigo and balance----I am so better in so many ways--have lost tons of weight--but am not living a good life--except now with the PT I have some hope----and I don't know when the vertigo will stop but the PT is going to help me a lot---I know this is caused by what clonazepam did to my brain for over 8 years and now I need to heal---the PT is going at that in a really different way----I see it and understand it and it may save my life--there are some doctors out there who get it and I have some of them---consider neurologists and physical therapist--they can help us get to the other side.  By the way all doctors including a major neurologist tell me that if I had tapered more slowly there is no guarantee I would have been so sick.  She knows this and she says that once you body does not have the poison benzo it had for a long time---the brain and the body do not know what to do and so they sort of try to kill you--and they have tried to kill me, but not yet--ask for help from professionals--they are out there.

[[me...]]

Hi,

 

I'm glad you've found something that helps you, and it's true, there are no absolute guarantees in benzo withdrawal, just as there are none in life.  However, your body is not "trying to kill you."  In fact, the opposite is true, it's trying to heal and return to homeostasis -  though this can be an up and down process (see "what is happening in your brain," link below).  Very few doctors really know a lot about benzo withdrawal, other than the little they've read about it, which is very little in most cases.

 

 

 

[[be...]]

I am glad you found something that is working as well. :smitten:

[[...]]

I have been so miserable--I was on clonazepam 2 mg per day for over 8 years--with the help of a really great doctor I started tapering in May--was off probably too soon by August----since July have had horrible vertigo 24/7 ever since then with no relief----life is not liveable---but through my various doctors, have seen a neurologist and had an mri and now with a really great physical therapist who deals with vertigo and balance----I am so better in so many ways--have lost tons of weight--but am not living a good life--except now with the PT I have some hope----and I don't know when the vertigo will stop but the PT is going to help me a lot---I know this is caused by what clonazepam did to my brain for over 8 years and now I need to heal---the PT is going at that in a really different way----I see it and understand it and it may save my life--there are some doctors out there who get it and I have some of them---consider neurologists and physical therapist--they can help us get to the other side.  By the way all doctors including a major neurologist tell me that if I had tapered more slowly there is no guarantee I would have been so sick.  She knows this and she says that once you body does not have the poison benzo it had for a long time---the brain and the body do not know what to do and so they sort of try to kill you--and they have tried to kill me, but not yet--ask for help from professionals--they are out there.

It has completely messed up my balance too. I also have vertigo and can barely get around. I already had an inner ear Disease and this made it 3x worse. When I go back to my ear specialist I will hopefully start vestibular therapy and I hope it works for the both of us. Vertigo is very very debilitating. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

[[Gr...]]

I have an inner ear disease that causes dizziness too and found vestibular therapy helpful. My head feels a little wobbly on occassion, but it's infrequent now and mild.

[[Ma...]]

I have been seeing as well a really really good neurologist who totally understand all of this and is working with me----she has helped me understand this whole thing so much more although I am still feeling pretty bad--but for me, understanding it all helps me to try to get through it---it was this neurologist who prescribed the physical therapist who is also an expert in vertigo and dizziness and vestibular things--I am really lucky our insurance covers all of this pretty much completely---both of my doctors have told me that even if I had tapered more slowly there is no guarantee that my symptoms would be any better or easier because I had been on clonazepam for over 8 years--stupid and uniformed me---really really stupid---but here I am and thankfully the poison has been gone for almost 18 weeks so I really can begin to heal--and I am seeing that it is not just about my brain healing from being on a benzo drug---it is also readjusting and retraining my brain to work better and to work differently----

 

I have not had vertigo like some of you, really, ever before---so this is pretty horrible and I agree debilitating--almost making my life over---but I feel so lucky to have so many professionals who do understand and totally get what is happening---and they think I will heal---I wish everyone here luck and blessings to get you through---me, too.

[[La...]]

Hi Maricopa,

I'm a fan of physiotherapy (what we call it here in Canada) too! I'm curious to know what type of treatment you're getting and how it's helping you with your dizziness. I tried vestibular rehabilitation for my dizziness -- two long attempts of a few months each -- but didn't get any improvements. I'd love to know about yours. Please share!

 

By the way, we've got a Dizziness Group in the Support Group section of BB, and you're welcome to drop in and join us, if you're interested. In the meantime, perhaps I can share your experience with the others. I'm so glad to hear you're getting appropriate help. 

[[Ma...]]

I had seen one physical therapist who supposedly specializes in vertigo caused by inner ear stuff which she says is prewtty easily treatd---since I don't have that she said she could not help me--the neurologist I found prescribed this PT who works especially in vestibular and balance things--she said what I have it not easy to fix but she is working on it---I am way too visually dependent---I know that part of this is the withdrawal from clonazepam and what has done to my brain cells--and that takes more healing--but in the meantime she feels she can do things to help my brain re-adjust and heal itself as far as the vertigo goes---at first I was skeptical but I can see doing the exercises she gave me to do that it makes sense---I am still really dizzy 24/7 as I have been for over 6 months---but I am not nauseated and I am more easily distracted---at first I was desperate because she said this can take weeks if it is going to work and I said I don't have weeks now---this has been constant for over 6 months---

 

in any case I am doing things with my eyes and my head and looking at things---I am standing and closing my eyes and moving my head---I am seeing how this seems to be doing something and I am going to continue to see her for a number of weeks and keep doing these things at home and other stuff when I see her----I sort of feel better when I do these exercises and I am understanding what she is talking about with re-training my brain.  Since it makes sense to me now because she took the time to explain it I think it will make things better.  I am not describing this very well, but she has done this with people like me for over 10 years and she sees results and she also is responding to me and what I need at this point-----I am in my late 60'a and althought pretty  healthy otherwise as we know this has been hell and the worst thing I have ever experienced in my life---pretty much life-stopping but I am getting more hopeful.  One thing I do not have is patience---not at all--but it feels good to be doing something besides almost 2,000 crossword puzzles among other things. 

 

I am sleeping better and not sweating so much and I think part of it is healing over time and  another part this therapy.  We shall see---thanks everyone for being there

[[Ch...]]

Happy to see this update, Mari, and hoping the vertigo starts to lessen soon.

Challis 

[[La...]]

Yes, thanks so much for the detailed account, Maricopa. Very interesting to hear what you're doing. I wish you all the best with it.

[[Ma...]]

Hi MM,

 

That's very interesting, thank you so much for sharing. I am glad you're starting to feel better.

[[Ma...]]

Thanks for all of the support.  I have to admit that this is the hardest thing that I have ever done.  It is hard not to get really depressed on a daily basis---it often feels as though I am being punished for something that I didn't do to myself, that a supposedly fabulous and top psychiatrist did to me.  I often feel so totally hopeless--but each time that I find that there is something I can do to be proactive instead of sitting around waiting for things to happen to me----it gives me at least some sense of control over what my life can be. 

But as all of you know, boy is this really really hard.  If I had actually know 8 or 9 months ago how hopeless this would seem after all of this work and trying I don't think I would still be here---but here I am and I have to find the pony in all of the b.s.  It does take a lot of digging.