Extreme dizziness

[[du...]]

I have not begun tapering yet, but for every medication that I’ve ever been on that requires tapering, my primary symptom is dizziness. Weaning off the lyrica— dizzy. Past SSRIs— dizzy. Also any mental health disturbance— dizzy (anxiety, depression, panic).

 

It is so disruptive to my life. I have seen ENT and everything is normal. Does anyone else have dizziness as their primary symptom? When I’m dizzy, I can’t read with full comprehension, I’m incredibly inarticulate, I am forgetful. Does anyone have a remedy? Lying down helps me, but that’s not really practical most of the time. I’ve tried meclizine a few times. Doesn’t work as the cause is not my vestibular system (inner ear).

 

Know what does work? Benzos. 

[[Pa...]]

I wonder if the folks on the dizziness support thread would have some suggestions for you?  Its just a thread so you can just jump in with your question, no need to start a new topic.  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=128947.0

 

Are you dizzy now or are you just anticipating this will be the case?  Do you get nauseous as well?

 

Ain't it great how benzo's are the answer and the curse? 

[[ja...]]

Hi.  I have dizziness as my main symptom.  It is why an ENT prescribed Clonazepam for me.  You described the curse of my dizziness perfectly.  When I'm dizzy I am in a panic state.  A doctor explained that when I am dizzy, my body perceives it as a dangerous state and releases fight or flight (adrenal, cortisol) neurotransmitters so I can take action and make myself safe.  I can't think, my brain freezes and I get so nauseated I want to die.  The only thing is to lie down and stop moving everything, including my eyes.  Its impossible to live day in and day out like this. 

 

The only thing I found that will interfere with serious dizziness is really good ear buds and good music.  Go figure...Techno dance music is the best.  It changes the electrical activity in my brain - almost like it re-trains it.  I had to work carpentering last year during my taper and I would be blasting tunes while up and down ladders and hammering etc etc and it really almost fixed my vertigo.  Some days, I'd have to pull my ear buds out, for whatever reason,  and I'd be slammed by a wave of dizziness.  So music is my trick now if I have to chop wood, or hike uneven ground, or make beds, or even shop.......  Obviously I can't listen to loud music all day - but for a few hours its great.

 

I think we are in the minority, but dizziness is definitely listed as a benzo side-effect during withdrawal. 

 

I had head injuries, and Lyme disease, which both cause dizziness for different reasons.  One is injury to tissues and the other is bacterial inflammation damage.  Meclizine did not work for me either.  Clonazepam did for a few years - and then I had to keep upping my dose so I wouldn't feel god-awful. 

 

It was my choice to get off the drug because I didn't want to be dependent on a sedation drug as I enter old age.  As well, I felt like a junkie waiting for my dose time, and that scared me.  I was having much more severe breakthrough dizziness when I was steaming along on my full dose.    I think it was the pendulum swing of interdose withdrawal that was provoking really bad - floor dropping - dizziness.

 

I am nearly done with my Valium/Clonazepam crossover taper.  I am down to 1/20th the amount of benzo I was on daily.  Its been tough.  I have dizziness for part of most days.  Some days in this taper - it has gone away completely.  Those days keep me believing that I will heal!

 

Anyways - I have another few months to get off, and am giving myself some time to see if I can regain full function.  Sometimes I do believe in my brain's ability to heal.  I won't really know unless I try.  I can tell you that as I have weaned, my body has adjusted.  After bearing the brunt of each taper - usually two weeks - I stop sweating and shaking enough to know that my body can tolerate another cut.  I have had some windows - hours or days of blessed and amazing normalcy!  (Just not lately).

 

Let me know how it goes and good luck with finding something that helps. 

[[du...]]

Thanks, Pamster. Geez 692 pages. Anyway, yes I am dizzy now. I have been dizzy almost everyday since January 29th. I had a very distressing event take place that caused extreme anxiety (don't feel like getting into it), and have been dizzy ever since. No, I do not have any nausea with it, thank God. And yes, of course benzos are the answer and the curse! So frustrating.

 

Janice, that is interesting about the music! I'm going to try that.

 

I'll be back in 4 years when I finish reading that dizziness thread