HELP! Am I rapid cycling or just a long wave?

I'm wondering if I'm rapid cycling or is this just another round of bad waves. Here's what's happening and I thank you in advance for your input.

I spent nearly 2 years bedridden because of my worst symptoms of dizziness, boatiness and strong pulling down sensation that makes me feel faint. These have completely robbed me of quality of life for a long time. The first episode of these hit me at the very end of my taper off Ambien. All of a sudden one morning ( 3 days after dropping my dose-which was measured properly) I woke feeling super weird like I was about to have a stroke or seizure. All of a sudden I started a VIOLENT spinning inside my brain. I collapsed! Couldn't even get up off the floor! The episode lasted about 10-15 seconds. The aftermath was my introduction to constant boatiness, dizziness and magnet pulling feeling. About 3 months ago, I finally turned a corner to the point that I started being able to tolerate being upright. This allowed me to once again enjoy the joys of simple things like sitting up for an hour to watch tv or take short walks outside and recently to ride in the car for short distances. OH THE LITTLE THINGS ARE SO BIG! I was doing well in making progress. Even drove a very short distance for the first time. I'm going through an extremely life altering personal matter and will be moving in a few days. About 3 days ago, all of a sudden I was hit with a violent spinning episode. Scared the crap out of me!!! I have not had this happen since acute phase. Every since this happened I've been rapid cycling or having many varying degrees of waves back to back. I'm not sure if I'm rapid cycling or is it just stress from my situation? How can you tell the difference?

I'm having many symptoms popping in and out changing intensity throughout the day. Since the spinning episode, my tense boatiness and intolerance of standing up is back! I'm absolutely devastated because I have to move in 5 days!!!!! How can I if I can't stand being upright or ride in the car? Everyone on here that knows me, know that I'm normally positive but this has thrown me for a huge loop! Somebody please help me to make sense about what is happening to me. Have anybody experience this? Please give me Suggestions comments etc

I know this was posted awhile ago but saw that no one responded to OP.

I am wondering the same thing myself with a rapid cycling of symptoms at three years off.

The symptoms are just normal symptoms though. They are acute like symptoms of rotating variety and intensity and some even new that I haven't had before.

It can come on for an hour or a few days and then morph into something else.

Wish there was more input from the community but maybe it's just not typical even for BB.

Wow yes nobody responded when I posted this. But I just rode it out. I seem to get rapid cycling every few weeks. The symptoms last less than an hour taking turns then stops. I then go back to my regular symptoms which are now milder than before…THANK GOD!

So rapid cycling seems to be very common especially after the year marker. It is hard to tell if it’s rapid cycling or simply milestone stuff. But either way, it settles back down. All part of the process. Yes they are acute like but not as bad and don’t last as long. Like a switch turned on the light powerfully and quickly eliminate the dark in a room. The switch is flipped when you’re done using it and the dark comes back. That’s how my rapid symptoms are….pop in hard and fast then poof ….gone!

Keep pressing on , Warrior! This is all par for the course. Don’t be fooled by the intensity. You have NOT lost what you gained. It only appears that way. Our brains simply found some area that needs a bit more repair and it went hard at work. 

Happy healing to you.

Thank you so much for responding. I often don't get many replies to my questions but maybe that's because I am more rare.

It seems unfathomable that these acute cycles are happening this far off and it's terrible.

Glad you are seeing improvements 

Yes it seems crazy but it is quite common this far out. No worries. You will be better soon. Big hugs!

One day at a time…..we will make it.

I'm over 3 years off too and having rapid cycling plus some new scary symptoms

Right now the mental symptoms seem to be a lot worse than previously

I'm hoping this is the last hurrah and I'll finally heal after this.

I had some long windows over the last 3 years. I thought a few times I was healed.

Now... back into a setback and not happy

I just think it takes a while sometimes and there is o rhyme or reason to any of it

Hello Linnie yes that’s correct. This is like a train on a track coming into the station. Sometimes the train rolls backwards. The good thing is that it doesn’t roll back too far and it’s temporary for sure. Congrats to you being 3 years off. From your brief description of those 3 years I’d say to you happily….

WELL DONE! You are at the end of this….and I am too. I just turned 22 months today. The way I look at it is this….

We have been in a long race. The finish line is right in front of us. This race has been filled with falling down, taking breaks, out of breath, etc….we are exhausted and frustrated. BUT, that ribbon to break through is right there! No stopping now! No just sitting dow saying “ I quit!” Nope! Not today! Not after getting this darn close! So, I’m grabbing you up and come on….you can make it! You just slipped a bit but you can’t stay down there. We have a little more ways to go yet. When we break through that finish line ribbon then we can fall on the ground and just have as much rest as we want. Healed!

Keep your sword 🗡 handy. Fight for that ribbon to break through. It’s right there! You’re not alone. And if I slip please grab me up too.

Hugs 🤗