PLease Help, Dizzy!

[[Fr...]]

I can't find anything in the Ashton Manual about dizziness. I was going to go grocery shopping this afternoon and know I can't go out. Is there anything to do besides lie down? I'm sorry that I started a new topic when there is a thread already about it but can seem to find any solution? Thank you anybody who can help. Bed for now.

 

Frannie

[[Pa...]]

Please don't be afraid, this is very common, here is a list from chapter 3.  I hope it passes for you soon, but if you're really worried, please see your Dr. 

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

      Excitability (jumpiness, restlessness)

      Insomnia, nightmares, other sleep disturbances

      Increased anxiety, panic attacks

      Agoraphobia, social phobia

      Perceptual distortions

      Depersonalisation, derealisation

      Hallucinations, misperceptions

      Depression

      Obsessions

      Paranoid thoughts

      Rage, aggression, irritability

      Poor memory and concentration

      Intrusive memories

      Craving (rare)

 

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

      Headache

      Pain/stiffness - (limbs, back, neck, teeth, jaw)

      Tingling, numbness, altered sensation - (limbs, face, trunk)

      Weakness ("jelly-legs")

      Fatigue, influenza-like symptoms

      Muscle twitches, jerks, tics, "electric shocks"

      Tremor

    Dizziness, light-headedness, poor balance

      Blurred/double vision, sore or dry eyes

      Tinnitus

      Hypersensitivity - (light, sound, touch, taste, smell)

      Gastrointestinal symptoms - (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,

      constipation, pain, distension, difficulty swallowing)

      Appetite/weight change

      Dry mouth, metallic taste, unusual smell

      Flushing/sweating/palpitations

      Overbreathing

      Urinary difficulties/menstrual difficulties

      Skin rashes, itching

      Fits (rare)

 

 

[[ar...]]

So sorry you are suffering.  I have had dizziness and balance issues since February when I went off the clonazepam.  I have had an MRI, blood tests, etc. and all have come back normal.  I was diagnosed with vestibular neuritis from an ENT the first of March so I don't really know if my balance issues are inner ear related or benzo related.  I have found nothing helps the dizziness, not even lying down.  If I lay down on one side and not move the dizziness subsides a bit but never really goes away.  This has been my worst symptom.  I hope yours goes away more quickly.  I have researched this topic endlessly and haven't found any solutions. Hang in there.  It certainly can't last forever, right?

[[Pe...]]

Join the dizzy club!  If you go through peoples progress reports you will see that this is a common complaint.  I am just over 16 weeks out from my last benzo and I still have trouble even standing most of the time due to dizziness.  Be aware that people will describe dizziness in many different ways.  I am starting to have periods where the dizziness seems to be letting up now.  I could not even imagine trying to drive a car or go walking through a store yet.  I am looking forward to the day when I can do my own grocery shopping again.  But at the same time I am counting my blessings that at this stage in the game I have someone to do my shopping for me.  I am truly blessed!

[[Fr...]]

Please don't be afraid, this is very common, here is a list from chapter 3.  I hope it passes for you soon, but if you're really worried, please see your Dr. 

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

      Excitability (jumpiness, restlessness)

      Insomnia, nightmares, other sleep disturbances

      Increased anxiety, panic attacks

      Agoraphobia, social phobia

      Perceptual distortions

      Depersonalisation, derealisation

      Hallucinations, misperceptions

      Depression

      Obsessions

      Paranoid thoughts

      Rage, aggression, irritability

      Poor memory and concentration

      Intrusive memories

      Craving (rare)

 

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

      Headache

      Pain/stiffness - (limbs, back, neck, teeth, jaw)

      Tingling, numbness, altered sensation - (limbs, face, trunk)

      Weakness ("jelly-legs")

      Fatigue, influenza-like symptoms

      Muscle twitches, jerks, tics, "electric shocks"

      Tremor

      Dizziness, light-headedness, poor balance

      Blurred/double vision, sore or dry eyes

      Tinnitus

      Hypersensitivity - (light, sound, touch, taste, smell)

      Gastrointestinal symptoms - (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,

      constipation, pain, distension, difficulty swallowing)

      Appetite/weight change

      Dry mouth, metallic taste, unusual smell

      Flushing/sweating/palpitations

      Overbreathing

      Urinary difficulties/menstrual difficulties

      Skin rashes, itching

      Fits (rare)

 

 

 

Thank you Pam, It seems like once I decided to give into it and go to bed it subsided some. I had a hot bath and made hubby stay in the house incase I feel in the tub. I'm okay lying down and now that I'm up, my head feels full so going back to bed and look at a book my daughter gave me. I'm always worried because I have a new house not decorated, just window shades up and nothing else. It revs up my symptoms. I'll have to give up on what others think, make no explanations and go on. You bet nobody is getting the tour because I have Avon boxes piled in my bedroom that I have to go through and will do it when I'm able. You have reassured me and I'm sure that it will go away. I have a bad headache since yesterday so going to take a Tylenol.  Thank you for being here for me. 

 

Frannie 

[[Fr...]]

Armsylnd & Perservance, thank you for posting. I'm sorry that you are suffering and thank you for posting. I think my sinuses are acting up because my head feels full so going to bed. Let the world roll on by, I'm getting better. I hope that you will feel better soon.

 

Frannie 

[[ve...]]

Wow.  I've not looked at that list in a while.  Let's see, I had 15 of them.   The worst by far was dizziness/vertigo.  It is what landed me in the ER and caused two mini panics post taper.  Fortunately at 18 months off valium, it's a thing of the past and will pass for you as well.  

 

I had a particular kind called BPV (benign positional vertigo).  It only occurs when you lie down on one particular side but not the other.  I was referred to a vestibular therapist and an otoneurologist.  First they want to give you an audiogram to rule out some kind of tumor.  Then they wanted to give me an expensive auditory ct scan which I refused.  I knew inituitively that the vertigo I experienced was caused by the cessation of the valium three weeks earlier even though the idiot ER doc said it was not possible to be related to that.  Don't they teach them in medical school that valium takes up to a month to process out of the body?  Apparently not.  

 

Anyway, the vestibular therapist gave me something called Brandt Daroff exercises to do (You can google it and try them out, see if it helps your dizziness. It basically involves a series of exercises getting up and sitting down, lying down on each side, eyes opened the closed....).  With BPV, lying down on the "good side" helped but the other side caused spinning. Actually, I never had vertigo while sitting or standing, only lying down on that one side.  Apparently a particle in the inner ear gets jarred loose and needs to fall back into place.  The exercises seem to help some, not for others.  After talking with my ENT and the otoneurologist, I elected to reinstate to 5mg valium.  The vertigo went away within days whereas I had been told by friends and friends of friends that it would take weeks, maybe even months to resolve.  I'm not suggesting reinstatement, only that it worked for me after my c/t nearly three years ago.  

 

Vertigo is qualitatively different from dizziness.  I've had both.  Vertigo is a spinning of the room, much like you've had too much to drink, can even result in falling over or down (happened to me but fortunately i was on the bed).

 

Dizziness or feeling off balance can be, for example,  after getting up from lying down and feeling faint (had that too).  Mine was both withdrawal related and later from elevated blood pressure, which also resulted in jelly legs.  There are all sorts of loverly symptoms one can get!

 

 The good news is that "this too shall pass".  Hang in there Frannie.  If you suspect you might have vertigo, it might be wise to see your ENT.  He/she can differentiate whether you have BPV and also if you want to rule out an auditory tumor, get an audiogram...  Interestingly, some middle ear diseases like Meniere's I believe is treated with valium or other benzodiazepenes.  It may be the tinnitus and/or the motion sickness.  So it did not surprise me that by going off the valium c/t that I ended up with a rebound vertigo for lack of a better term.  Anyway, dizziness at times is "normal" on this journey.  It does pass and sometimes can be lessened by watching your diet.  You might want to check your blood pressure.  Many drug stores like CVS or WalGreens have free machines you can use and you can also buy portable ones to have at home and check your Blood Pressure throughout the day.  My doctor wanted to put me on beta blockers but I was thru with medications and elected to change diet and exercise, which took care of the elevated BP within a week or two.

 

Hang in there buddies,

 

Vertigo

[[Fr...]]

Thank You Vertigo for the information and your encouraging post. I'm 10 days in to my last .5 mg cut, had a headache all day yesterday but did drive into the city. This started this afternoon but it was just when I was going to get ready to go for grocery shopping. I left when I went to bed but the headache is a biggy. I just took some Tylenol and hope that it will go away soon. You are very encouraging, I was frightened at first but since it left, know that it's s/x and when the time passes it will leave.  I'm going to lie low until then and stop worrying about what I can't do. My husband just made me a nice supper of left over veggies and broiled pork chops.

 

Frannie 

[[Pe...]]

Frannie, FYI, that full feeling in your head/sinuses acting up could also be a benzo w/d symptom.  I often feel like my head and sinus cavities are filled with pressure, and some times my ears are popping as if I were going through altitude changes on an airplane since stopping benzos.  Just thought you would like to know.

[[Fr...]]

Frannie, FYI, that full feeling in your head/sinuses acting up could also be a benzo w/d symptom.  I often feel like my head and sinus cavities are filled with pressure, and some times my ears are popping as if I were going through altitude changes on an airplane since stopping benzos.  Just thought you would like to know.

 

Thank You, I thought it might be a withdrawl symptom and feel much better today. I managed to go grocery shopping and hope to go out shopping in a bit.

 

Frannie

[[Fl...]]

Haven't had much in the way of dizziness but I have experienced head pressure and headaches so I can easily see how dizziness would be common.