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Hi,

 

I've been dizzy for close to 10 months now. It's not like vertigo but it feels like my balance is off or I'm falling backwards. It coincided with a 29 hr train ride and a bad cold or flu or something. I'm starting to think this is more Clonazepam withdrawal related. For anyone that's had to deal with dizziness as a withdrawal symptom, did you find anything that would help the dizziness slack off? Thanks.

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Yep, I've dealt with dizziness in taper. Common withdrawal symptom. Slowing down on taper helped.  Meclizine/Bonine helped me some, and it helps with most dizziness of any origin whether it's taper related, inner ear disturbance, cerebellar driven vertigo, etc. I'm in the US and can buy Bonine or Bonnie (not sure spelling) brand 25mg meclizine over the counter. Of course, check with your doc first, but it did help me and I did not get groggy from it. Hope this helps. ❤
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I have the feeling with dizziness that I' m being pulled backwards. Wish I knew of something that would help it go away. Quite scary and it makes me feel insecure.
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Sorry for the delayed response, I hardly get a chance to get to the computer. Thanks Fighterk, I will have to look for that product and see if it helps. I tried dramamine a little but I don't think enough to even scratch the surface. I only took a quarter tablet maybe twice. After witnessing what Clonazepam has done to me and how dependent my brain is on it, I am so scared to take anything. At least with you having tried it, I feel a little more comfortable to give it a go. I wish you and I luck Trochsetter!
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I am dizzy in two ways:  Balance/spinning head feeling, and passing out/seeing stars when I sit or stand up.  I have had the second issue since I was young, but it's a lot worse during my klonipin taper.  For this I try to get up slowly, and lie down flat to help my blood pressure normalize if I start to see stars.  The only thing that seems to improve both symptoms for me is exercise.  It's counterintuitive, but once I get my blood moving I feel a lot better (for all withdrawal symptoms really) until my body cools down again. 

 

Hang in there! 

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The class of drugs that we were all led to believe were mild are, among other nasty things, ototoxic. The vestibular impairment is reversible. I was on Xanax 14 years, crossed to Valium, tapering for a year and a half. My feeling of imbalance and even a few spinning or faint feelings are tolerance at first (started 2 years after 1st xanax) and then as I began tapering my floaty boaty dizzy imbalance came and stayed. Do not worry. Everything is healing. Walk more, do vestibular retraining, stay hydrated and keep stress at bay. I bought a reasonable walker because patterns and fluorescent lighting can really set me off. At first this was scary....and I found out that not only is there a Dizziness support group here in BB Land, but all literature points to that dizzy and even vertigo symptom being common. You are going to be ok. Stress brings panic and panic itself can foster dizziness.....hugs! Joy
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  • 2 weeks later...
Hi recallibratingnormal and Joyatlast51, I appreciate your input and it makes me feel a little better. I will definitely keep exercising and I wish you both the best in your journey and in life! Joyatlast51, I have heard of vestibular exercises before but can you tell me exactly what you are referring too? I copy you on the patterns, for some reason the pattern on my kitchen floor makes the dizziness worse, I don't get it. I will be glad when this is all over, ready to get back to a normal life!
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Hello. It is free and it is called balance retraining. https://balance.lifeguidehealth.org/player/play/balance?thiz=everyday-situations

 

There is no charge for this and it helps you track progress.  It progresses as your sure footedness builds. Exercising the vestibular system gives your brain a chance to compensate. But the magic thing, which is different for each of us, would be to match the amount of tapering with the rate of healing. That would ensure the least symptoms. Good luck, Benzo Warrior! We are going to make it! :smitten:

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Hi,

 

I've been dizzy for close to 10 months now. It's not like vertigo but it feels like my balance is off or I'm falling backwards. It coincided with a 29 hr train ride and a bad cold or flu or something. I'm starting to think this is more Clonazepam withdrawal related. For anyone that's had to deal with dizziness as a withdrawal symptom, did you find anything that would help the dizziness slack off? Thanks.

 

Well I just had bout of Vertigo this past Saturday until yesterday. Very violent dizziness. I want to blame the klonopins but I don't know. I'm also getting old and apparently crystallized rocks fall out of your ears with age. LOL.

What helped me was the Foster's Half-somersault maneuver. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=half-somersault+or+foster+maneuver

I was handed that dizzy medication (meclizine) by a doctor. I asked if it was habit forming, she said no. But then I looked it up and it said "can be abused because of it's sedating effects" so I didn't fill the script. I am so worried about meds now that I avoid Tylenol. (That's just me though)

Have you seen a doctor to rule out inner ear or sinus problems?

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How I got dizziness under control:

 

I was on 1 mg Clonazapam and 30 mg. Paxil for 12 yrs. due to dizziness and panic attacks. As I tried stopping the Clonazapam, I became very dizzy and fatigued until a doctor had me taper down the Paxil and started Zoloft. See my profile below.

 

As the Zoloft kicked in I started noticing my fatigue had lifted along with most of the dizziness. Asking the Doctor why, she said the dizziness was due to anxiety and the Zoloft is helping my anxiety.

 

Now, I’m down to only 5 mg a day of Valium. I never thought I would be able to have a day without that dizziness but with the Zoloft I am!

 

Hope my story helps somebody,

Mark

 

 

 

 

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I switched from Sandoz clonazepam to brand K last spring and never had dizziness from the Sandoz-but have had terrible bouts with the K for some reason. In terms of fluorescent lights...about 5 minutes into WalMart I feel like I am in acute withdrawal and ready to pass out...actually any store that has a lot of lighting...sucks cause I used to love to shop and now I dread it-like going into a minefield :-(
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Joyatlast 51, thank you so much for the training tool and support, I plan on checking it out immediately! Freshstart01, thank you for the youtube link! I will check it out as well. I'm willing to try it out. I know what you mean about not trusting any medications after benzos I try to avoid scripts and some OTC meds at all costs. I did see an ENT, he said he thinks it may be mal de debarquement due to the long train ride, but told me to wait a whole year before even considering a vestibular specialist. I really wish he would have just referred me to one, but it is not much longer until a years up. Mark1961 I'm really leery about meds, but I'm glad you told me about the zoloft so if these natural things fail, maybe it will be something I can check out. ddjohn3, I wish there was a way to make sure that they stick to a strict formula regiment! The clonazepam I started to taper on was yellow with a M symbol on, can't think of the name off hand, the company stopped making the drug and then I started getting these orange pills. My withdrawal symptoms got worse. I managed to call around and ask for the specific brand that I was using at various pharmacies and whichever one had it, I switched my prescription to them. I was able to get a few refills of the stuff I had less symptoms with and I hope I have enough to finish my taper. That may be an option for you if the other brand made you less dizzy.

For those of you that are no longer dizzy, I'm so glad! For those of you still suffering from dizziness, I hope we all get past it soon. I'm so appreciative of the feedback I have received here from all of you!

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sounds like you went from Sandoz to Accord. Like you-I was rarely dizzy on the Sandoz...it has been the new ones that have caused me problems. Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice-I am going to check them out too as I am having some bad dizziness too. Frustrating because if it wasn't for the dizziness I wouldn't feel too bad.
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