Dizzy - anyone get dizzy?

Last week I almost passed out in a shoe store while getting my winter boots - and no, it wasn't from the cost of the boots or from anxiety. Then, the next couple of mornings I woke up with awful vertigo - just could not stand without hanging on to the walls. Both situations passed, but had another short episode this morning.

My doctor who  has agreed to help me taper thinks it might be too fast a taper and too big a cut.

Does anyone else have this happen? Did anything help?

I am on day 6 with no Valium and everyday I am dizzy. I was dizzy while on valium too though when the level of valium was dropping in my system until I took the next dose.

 

Hanna,

This is happening for me too. I have low BP normally, so dizziness is something I already deal with on a regular basis (i.e., before tapering), but since coming off Lyrica, and since tapering from K, my BP has gone up slightly, but I've been getting dizzier for random reasons. I was watching TV the other night and something about the motion on the TV made it feel like the room was spinning.

 

How is your BP? Does it trend toward the low side? Drinking electrolyte-enhanced water helps and if your BP is low, increasing your salt intake will raise your BP. I've found that when I stand up and get dizzy, I just have to sit down or lower my head. I went through about a month of fainting spells prior to tapering and learned lots of techniques for not blacking out and fainting. You can also clench your fists and squeeze - this helps get oxygen/blood flowing to the brain.

 

I've had all the workups done on my heart and brain and there is nothing wrong with me physically that explains the dizziness (other than low BP), so I attribute this to just a combination of tapering and my BP. I've also lost a lot of weight, and that may explain some of it. Because I'm "healthy" my cardiologist said that the fainting itself wasn't a danger to my body, unless I whacked my head on something during a fall. So the key for me is to recognize the onset, sit down, and let the feeling pass.

 

IDK - it's a strange and unsettling symptom to have. I hope it improves for you now that you've stabilized.

Marie

I had dizziness my first two weeks off Klonopin.  What helped me was the simple exercise in the Ashton Manual for dizziness.  Stand on one leg with your eyes closed several times per day.  Then, switch.  Be close to a couch or bed in case you fall.  I felt it helped to "re-set my brain" so to speak.  Dr. Ashton explains it much better.  Let me know  if you can't find it in the manual and I will post.

 

One other thing.  Your signature mentioned you were taking .125 every other day.  I had thought about doing this, but several buddies warned me not to.  They felt it was like "teasing the brain"  and would make withdrawals worse.  Maybe this contributed or maybe not?  Everybody's different.  It's hard to know.

Thanks,

Quick note about signature - am back on regular dosing every day. Every other day DID NOT WORK for me. That is when the dizziness started. Will change signature!!!!!

 

My BP tends to be high and I thought it was the meds for BP changing effect while I am tapering, but that wasn't it. Electrolytes probably can't hurt. Will do exercises and be careful about what I am doing. Doesn't seem to be related to time of day, eating, time since dose, etc. so will try to keep an eye on it.

My dizziness is random too. I recommend the electrolyte water simply b/c staying hydrated can help with dizziness, but drinking plain water can flush out electrolytes that keep things balanced. I like the electrolyte water better than Gatorade, etc. since it doesn't have the extra sugar, which just ramps up my anxiety.

 

There is another member on here that is also tapering from K that has been having trouble with dizziness too. It seems to be one of those strange side effects that some of us get for some reason. Obviously, if you've ruled out any underlying condition which may be causing it, the best thing [for me] seems to be just to try and be safe when the dizzy spells happen. Lately, mine are now accompanied with feeling like I'm going to throw up [fun!] and hot flashes [great!], so I just sit down and try and let the feeling pass.

 

It is very agitating though. I'm glad you are on the regular dosing now. Are you holding that for awhile?

 

Best,

Marie

Hi Marie,

I had forgotten to mention the nausea and hot flashes that I was getting with the dizziness!!! Sounds like the same symptom that you have for sure. I am having nausea without the dizziness, too. I agree: lovely 

I agree about the staying safe. I do have a feeling before I get totally dizzy, so will pay better attention. I hope with holding at one dosage for awhile that I will have a chance to stabilize.

 

I will do the hydration - I think that is important anyway and I would guess that I am probably not hydrating properly right now.

 

I guess like many of us, I was trying to taper too quickly: was getting a bit cocky, because I was feeling okay..... My plan is to stay at this dosage for 3 more weeks. I think I need to go very slowly - was hoping for faster, but can't. I sound like so many of us here! So yes - stabilized with a compounding pharmacist making up the dosages, finally, so that is a relief.

Hannah, I had extreme vertigo and dizziness before I started tapering. I think sense I was a yo yo user, I was either withdrawing at the time, without noticing, or I was having tolerance w/d. It lasted for weeks. Dr. wrote it off as "anxiety and or inner ear" of course, and he didnt even look in my ears..., then I got benzo wise... You know what stopped my dizziness immediately? A half of klonopin. That's when I KNEW it was benzo related.

 

When I started back up on ativan then properly weened I never had this symptom again.

 

This is probably very normal with w/d. Hang in there. I remember mine would make me feel like I was being pulled to the right all the time when walking. And then I remember feeling as if I were sinking into the ground when walking at some points... my anxiety was sky high too b/c I had no idea what was wrong with me.

Hi Marie,

I had forgotten to mention the nausea and hot flashes that I was getting with the dizziness!!! Sounds like the same symptom that you have for sure. I am having nausea without the dizziness, too. I agree: lovely 

I agree about the staying safe. I do have a feeling before I get totally dizzy, so will pay better attention. I hope with holding at one dosage for awhile that I will have a chance to stabilize.

 

I will do the hydration - I think that is important anyway and I would guess that I am probably not hydrating properly right now.

 

I guess like many of us, I was trying to taper too quickly: was getting a bit cocky, because I was feeling okay..... My plan is to stay at this dosage for 3 more weeks. I think I need to go very slowly - was hoping for faster, but can't. I sound like so many of us here! So yes - stabilized with a compounding pharmacist making up the dosages, finally, so that is a relief.

 

Yes - I get the nausea without the dizziness too! All these side effects are a real riot!

 

Having gone through the dizziness and fainting stuff for awhile, I definitely know what the fainting "triggers" are, and once you figure out the signs, it will help to know "OK, I'm probably going to pass out now. I need to sit down." For me, I feel dizzy, but I also get this strange hot-flash-followed-by-cold-spell feeling, and that's the trigger that says "Sit your a## down immediately before you go unconscious." Sounds like you are picking up on those feelings too.

 

My problems are compounded by low BP, which doesn't help, but I think lately it is also the tapering/w/d. Seems quite common for a lot of people. Holding, stabilizing, and going on a slow taper sound like a safe plan.

 

Marie

Bummer. I responded to your post, cnotr, but logged out in the process!!

 

Wow - sounds like you had quite the problems during your withdrawal that shouldn't have been. I am so glad the dizziness went away - both for you and also for me - there is hope!!

When you say extreme vertigo - I know what you mean - hanging onto the walls with the world spinning. Ugh.

I am trying to stabilize at .5 k before going down again. This part is hard - I figure that I have had every sx in the book - then presto!!!      A new symptom. I have never had balance problems, so the veritgo was really awful.

 

Thanks for the support. I am hanging in.

HI Marie,

Oh yes, such fun!!      I agree in a tongue in cheek sort of way. I now know what someone with an inner ear virus must feel like - would rather not!

 

Good point about knowing the triggers - I definitely get the hot flash feeling. I started walking down the hall to get tea this morning and thought I should take off my sweater because it was getting hot. I almost went totally off balance walking back to a chair. The feeling passed and I cooled down.  Now I can say to myself: Remember that Marie said to herself: Sit your a## down and I will!

Just thought I would chime in about dizziness. I had vertigo about ten days after I stopped clon. then the dizziness started and didn't let up for 10 months.  It is just recently the dizziness and balance problems have finally subsided.  I still feel off balance but not nearly as bad.  I have had all the tests done and all showed normal.  I really think I tapered too fast but I wasn't willing to go back on the poison so I have suffered from this awful symptom for a very long time.  It's very annoying to say the least.  I also had low blood pressure where mine is usually high but it is now back to where it was. I have had cold hands and feet then hot flashes.  There are quite a few here who have had the dizziness so I guess it's pretty normal.  It does eventually go away.

Man, I am living in a serious state of dizziness, now.  I have had this problem on and off always in conjunction with things getting really bad symptom-wise.

 

On the whole, nothing gets rid of it instead of time, however I have found that very counter-intuitively gentle forward movement helps, such as walking or riding a bike or riding in a car (not sure that I'd recommend driving it, though).  I couldn't tell you why, but it is very for real for me and others, here, who have also mentioned it.  It provides a lot of relief, though mainly I just live with it.  It is honestly amazing what you can get used to and deal with when you have to (though knowing that it's just for a finite time and I will heal 100% makes it a lot easier).

 

Best wishes.

 

sweet g, funny you mentioned "motion" helping it. I remember driving I was fine! Also if I was a passenger as well, FINE! Walking... ehh... still felt off. Running, felt like I was being pulled to the right. But in a car for some reason I felt way better! Weird isnt it?

Thanks for letting me know how it is for you. I agree that the slow taper seems to be better. I was being a little silly and thought I could do more than 10% and it hit about 10 days later. I am so amazed to hear these stories - and how you have learned to cope with it. One of those times to try to remember that it is only happening because the benzos are leaving my brain. Glad to know it gets better for some.

The movement thing doesn't make a lot of sense. The only thing I can think is that the motion is seen by your eyes and felt by your inner ear - so maybe the stimulation of movement gets through to the brain. Oh, I think I will walk more and hope that helps. I still have a long way to go with my taper - so will use all ideas here to deal with this vertigo.

In the car I sometimes feel better, too.

I guess it's because one's sitting and focused.