Dizziness, vertigo, light-headedness, rocking or swaying sensations

[squirrel]

thank you for this info. Why on earth did balance doc prescribe these pills its his job to know what they do and if it is gonna interfere with physio. Oh boy I really give up on doctors!!!!!!!!!!!

[Punarbhava]

thank you for this info. Why on earth did balance doc prescribe these pills its his job to know what they do and if it is gonna interfere with physio. Oh boy I really give up on doctors!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

They prescribe to alleviate symptoms. This is how they are trained.

 

 

They also know LITTLE about ALL drugs (not just psychotropics). BTW, if a doctor knows nothing about psychotropics then she/he will be prone to prescribing drugs to alleviate psyche drug WD symptoms NOT realizing that such drugs compromised and complicate the integrity to heal from psyche drug WD.

 

Any drug that reduces psyche drug WD symptoms is a drug that is targeting or sharing similar receptor sites.

 

 

Doctors get their info. from pharma reps and many of them don't even read the black box warnings (fine print).

 

 

I don't trust any doctors. Not because there are not some conscientious ones out there but rather, because their knowledge base is EXTREMELY LIMITED. Hence, they can and do cause unintentional harm......... GREAT HARM and when they do, out of their own ignorance, they then label a patient with a psychiatric disorder not realizing that their prescribing practices have made a bad situation even worse.

 

 

I find it quite scary. I will never feel safe in their hands ever again.

 

 

The worse part is that many of them are too damn patriarchal and arrogant to even admit to their own ignorance, even when they are presented with medical and biological facts.

 

BTW, you are right! They SHOULD KNOW but the fact is they don't know, yet they pretend to know it all.

 

I wish you the best with the physical therapy. Hope this provides some relief.

 

 

Punar

[squirrel]

thank you. I go for my assessment on wednesday i really hope it works as there is nowhere left to turn.

[Soso]

Very interesting, when I went to my chinese doctor she told me that my kidneys are very week that's why I have ear problems.

[squirrel]

is there any treatment for that?

[squirrel]

Evidence suggests that selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors may be more effective in treating labyrinthitis. They act by relieving anxiety symptoms and may stimulate new neural growth within the inner ear,[citation needed] allowing more rapid vestibular compensation to occur. Trials have shown that SSRIs do in fact affect the vestibular system in a direct manner and can decrease dizziness.

 

My point here is if they can decrease it when you take them it stands to reason it would increase it when you stop.

So why does the doc look at me as if I am an alien when I suggest this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Soso]

You should find a good Chinese doctor

[ajay]

...because you don't work for big pharma, so how could you know what's going on?

 

It really bugs me when doctor's won't listen. I thought this was more common in the US, where doctors are more demigods than those called to the healing profession. sigh.

[Nadia]

Yeah, most of the time they just look at you like you're a hypochondriac. If I was a doctor I'd be asking all sorts of questions, taking notes, searching for clues.

[squirrel]

I seem to be stuck in a rut of anxiety, dizziness and despair.I don't know how to help myself. I cannot go out alone because I feel so bad its hard enough to go out with someone with me,been out today to local shops felt dire.Was holding on to my mums arm had dp & dr was anxious and dizzy. I try so hard to tell myself its just symptoms but nothing changes.nothing is getting easier and my resolve is wearing so thin.

[Ucfgemini]

I am in the same boat as you so its hard for me to give you advice. Every day is a new challenge... I talked to my therapist and my acupuncture therapist and both recommend MEDITATION!! I have been making a conscious effort to take several deep breaths from my stomach when I feel anxiety, depressing or obsessive thoughts coming on. So far so good. I know at times it can seem overwhelming and it is. I am only three weeks into withdrawal, but the first week was the worse as far as physical symptoms- the dizziness and feeling like I would pass out every time I turned my head. Antihistamines REALLY helped me. I only took one a day for a few days and then didn't need it anymore. Advil Allergy & Sinus worked great for me. They also make these wrist bands for motion sickness that my mom swears by. You can get them at the drug store by the motion sickness meds.

[squirrel]

monday.............. I suffered half a day of intense inner restlessness and anxiety, hot & cold sweats and an extremely foggy head

 

Tuesday..............The same inner restlessness lasted all day and evening it felt like all the nerves on the inside were jangling out of control and I could not be still to read or watch tv

 

Wednesday.........The intense restlessness had gone only to be replaced by the most frightening balance problem. I felt as I stood still that the room was shaking from side to side and found it exremely difficult to walk around.

 

Thursday.............Again no restlessness or anxiety but my balance was worse than previous day not only was the room moving again but on standing it felt like the floor was undulating quite strongly under my feet again it was so very difficult to find my balance.

 

Friday ..................within a couple of hours of getting up this crushing fatigue came over me I was unable to do the simplest of tasks and just lay on my bed all day.Later in the evening the tiredness left me but my balance was off again like i was bouncing when I walked or when I sat down.

this is very frightening and I don't know what to do.

[angie007]

Hi Ruth,

 

It sounds like you have had an awful week im so sorry, ive had the dizzyness, but this is something else,although i have heard others talk about undulating floor movements etc, sounds to me like its related though and likely to do with a vestibular problem from wd thats upset the balance mechanism in your body.

Hope it passes soon for you, sounds truly awful, hope others chime in to help you through hun.

[Nadia]

I'm afraid I can't be of much help, other than to mention I have had dizziness of all sorts over the past few months. Lately I mostly don't feel dizzy, but when I do it is more drastic, making me lose my balance and fall or trip. I try not to think about it too much... perhaps it is just another expression of anxiety?

 

I sometimes think that when anxiety does not present itself openly it finds other routes... perhaps that is why your anxiety was replaced by dizziness. Or perhaps it is an after-effect, like the devastation a tornado leaves in its path.

 

Whatever it is that is happening to you, I hope it goes quickly!!!

[stan]

hi,

 

in your case,

i would try to walk slowly half an hour outdoor with someone (or alone), and see if i have relief in the second half an hour walk

[poodlebell]

Hi Squirell

 

You had a good night and had a drink and what is happening to you now is what happens to me. Not the drink, but if I do more, or eat different things then I have a bad time and it lasts for days, it does pass but hell while you are going through it.

 

Seems our bodies cant take us doing anything different.

 

poodlebell

[squirrel]

I found this on a benzo forum and its exactly whats happening to me!

 

QUESTION............

 

What's bugging me now is a scary sort of dizziness. It isn't vertigo. Instead, I feel like I'm rocking on a boat constantly. Either that or it sometimes feels like the floor beneath me is moving. It's a constant and non-stop thing and it is unnerving to say the least.

 

ANSWER..........

The floor moving/boat sensation is called a perceptual disturbance and I can tell you 100% it is caused by the drugs. Many experience it in acute withdrawal and others have it last longer.

cant find any more info on perceptual disturbance though.

[angie007]

Hi Ruth,

 

Glad you found this, it may help you to know that its normal in wd, it

is just as i told you perceptual disturbance.

[Nadia]

I had this after going on a boat... it's what sparked it... it lasted months. Then it sort of started going away and then I got a different kind of dizziness. Now I randomly throughout the day get dizzy. The world seems to be moving in a fast sweeping sensation, almost always to the left. Sometimes I fall over because of it.

 

What's interesting to me is how varied my dizziness has been... it changes and mutates over time. I'm finally (or at least temporarily, I have to be careful about claiming success for anything or it comes back to bite me) at a point where it is not constant, at least! I even had a few days a couple of weeks ago where it was completely gone.

 

Of all my symptoms, I think this is the one I worry about least, because though it is annoying, at least it is not painfully hideous. I'm lucky it's not strong enough not to allow me to walk. I just can't drive most days...

[Baxter]

I get a sense of the floor retreating, and I sway, feeling that I am falling. It comes and goes and seems most noticable when I am trying to go down stairs.

[wdtony]

I also get this "unbalanced" feeling as if I am going to fall down and I sometimes do fall but not usually. It is not dizzyness or vertigo (I have both from time to time) but it is equally distressing to me. The intensity varies and sometimes I have trouble with spacial changes such as going outside, into a dark room, from sitting to standing or lying to positioning myself upright.

 

Mostly it feels like my brain cannot exactly grasp the surroundings and it seems to be attempting to adjust constantly. I also get a head pressure with this sometimes. This unbalanced sensation goes along with other perceptual problems which, in concert, make me feel as if I am not in reality. As of yet, I have always recovered from these bouts. But they always make return visits without warning and they have not improved (such as intensity lowering). I notice this sensation more when I am exhausted or lacking in sleep.

[angie007]

So have been suffering with dizziness for some time now and after the last prescription for an antipsychotic which i have him back at an appointment i had today,

he checked me over and prescribed the antihistamine CINNARIZINE at 15mg tablets, he says the dizzyness will increase the anxiety too, which has been largely out of control today, im a little scared to take these to be honest remembering what DR Healy said about an antihistamine effectively putting us back on an ssri, so is there anyone here that can shed some light,

or maybe u have used this???? as my doctor is adamant i should use it and it will NOT ramp up any wd symptoms from paxil.

 

Who do i listen to, im so confused, he has diagnosed an inner ear imbalance, havent i heard that before somewhere from ex paxil users lol.

Needing advice please help.

[Punarbhava]

So have been suffering with dizziness for some time now and after the last prescription for an antipsychotic which i have him back at an appointment i had today,

he checked me over and prescribed the antihistamine CINNARIZINE at 15mg tablets, he says the dizzyness will increase the anxiety too, which has been largely out of control today, im a little scared to take these to be honest remembering what DR Healy said about an antihistamine effectively putting us back on an ssri, so is there anyone here that can shed some light,

or maybe u have used this???? as my doctor is adamant i should use it and it will NOT ramp up any wd symptoms from paxil.

 

Who do i listen to, im so confused, he has diagnosed an inner ear imbalance, havent i heard that before somewhere from ex paxil users lol.

Needing advice please help.

 

Hi Angie.........

 

Yes, you likely do have an inner ear imbalance as many of us do during psyche drug WD.

 

Yes, dizziness will increase anxiety and anxiety will create dizziness however, what your doctor doesn't seem to understand is the following:

 

Psychotropic drugs, along with many other drugs, are known to cause ototoxicity and when this occurs vestibular problems, such as you are experiencing, can arise.

 

Psyche drug WD cause vestibular imbalances due to what is mentioned above. It takes time for the CNS and vestibular system to self-correct.

 

Any drug that works for vestibular problems will also have a negative rebound effect once you cease the drug. Yes, antihistamines work on the vestibular system however, you will likely pay a price once you stop the drug. Whatever you try to suppress now, with a drug, will rebound later.

 

So many people incur vestibular problems during psyche drug WD. I had so many symptoms on the list it wasn't even funny Angie however, over the course of time, as I recovered, all symptoms remitted.

 

Please believe Dr. Healey on this matter. He knows what he's talking about. Anthistamines do target psyche drug receptors. Antipsychotic meds are, in essence, very powerful antihistamines. In fact, anthistamines were among the first drugs used to treat depression, schizophrenia etc. I have a paper on that subject.

 

You mentioned the doctor prescribing an antipsychotic? Please don't even consider taking such, even for a short period of time.

 

I wish I could write more but I really need to get off-line but you are RIGHT to be concerned and good for you for questioning your doctor.

 

Just allow your CNS and vestibular system to naturally correct, on it's own, over the course of time. BTW you may not even be able to tolerate regular doses of antihistamines but may need to take a much smaller dose when in WD.

 

Some people get paraxodical reactions from a standard doses. Thus, instead of decreasing anxiety and dizziness etc. it can cause the opposite.

 

Geez......these doctors really make me incredibly angry. They continually destroy people's lives all the while claiming that they should be trusted. They know so little it's not even funny.

 

 

Please read the links I have provided below and BTW, your doctor should read these reports since, he/she needs to become more educated about the subject IMHO.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/277-drugs-that-damage-your-ears/

 

 

http://www.vestibula.../medication.php

 

The use of medication in treating vestibular disorders depends on whether the vestibular system dysfunction is in an initial or acute phase (lasting up to 5 days) or chronic phase (ongoing). During the acute phase, and when other illnesses have been ruled out, medications that may be prescribed include vestibular suppressants to reduce motion sickness or anti-emetics to reduce nausea.

 

Vestibular suppressants include three general drug classes: anticholinergics, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines. Examples of vestibular suppressants are meclizine and dimenhydinate (antihistamine-anticholinergics) and lorazepam and diazepam (benzodiazepines).

 

Other medications that may be prescribed are steroids (e.g., prednisone), antiviral drugs (e.g., acyclovir), or antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin) if a middle ear infection is present. If nausea has been severe enough to cause excessive dehydration, intravenous fluids may be given.

 

Symptoms must be actively experienced without interference in order for the brain to adjust, a process called vestibular compensation. Any medication that makes the brain sleepy, including all vestibular suppressants, can slow down or stop the process of compensation. Therefore, they are often not appropriate for long-term use. Physicians generally find that most patients who fail to compensate are either strictly avoiding certain movements, using vestibular suppressants daily, or both.

 

VEDA medical advisor Timothy C. Hain, MD, has detailed information about the most commonly prescribed medications that can be a helpful starting point for talking to a physician about the available options.

[stan]

for me,

 

someone who have never taken psymeds can have inner ear classic diseases which doctors cure sometime

but for us, it is a lack of receptors all over the body, chemical changes, any doctor can say what it is,it is a mix of dysregulations, we are disrupted, hormones are wrong, we are in chemical alteration; nothing to do with classic diseases

people who improved very much said there is only time , and we cannot speed healing

i suffer too from these, i am unable to really describe , it is ataxia and dizziness and light akathisia and terror and.. it is an abnormal symptoms from poison

[angie007]

Thank you Pun, for your enlightening post as always, and i will be printing off those papers to give to my doctor,

who was adamant that my inner ear was in no way anything to do with paxil wd lol, how ignorent and ill informed.

I know what is causing this and hard as it is, i am not looking for a magic pill to fix it.

Yes he has prescribed, but that does not mean i have to be gullible enough to take it.

being naive and gullible is what got me into this mess in the first place.

 

Stan;- totally agree my friend, and im right there with you, ataxia, dizzyness, anxiety bordering on akathesia, TERROR AND FEAR,

i have come to know these horrendous symptoms so well unfortunately.

I am trying so hard to sit with these symptoms and just " let them be", trying not to fear that fear, this is a new routine for me

that i have tried to incorporate into my day, as my old " fear the fear" and panic just wasnt working and was spiralling out of

control.

The new method is HARD, but im trying to relax into it, as what i was doing didnt work, so now i am trying to change tack to see

if there can be improvements in how i feel, and praying very hard for us all, that eventually all of this will go away.

[angie007]

Sorry Stan, typo, my post should read NO ataxia, but can associate with other symptoms you have.

[Goldy]

I have had this symptom pretty much constantly for many years now. I also have derealization/depersonalization, so it can be hard to separate the surrealness and detachment that goes with being lightheaded with dp/dr. The feeling, and fear I was about to faint has kept me in the house numerous times over the years. And it's not just anxiety because I have genuinely fainted several times. How do others cope with lightheadedness? And did you find out what caused it for you?

[Shanti]

Have you checked to see if you have low blood pressure? I'm sure the doc would check that if you told him/her. I had trouble with light headedness and I did some grounding meditations to help me. I always felt it had to do with my spiritual work and so grounding helped. I don't want to get too into spirituality cause this isn't the forum for that. My blood pressure does tend to be low and at times I drink coffee to raise it, but can't do that while in w/d as caffeine is really bad for my nerves. Here's a link for herbal remedies. Ginger looks good and I know I can handle that well with w/d syndrome.

[Goldy]

Thanks Shanti. I took ginger constantly for months to treat nausea, but stopped because it had bad side effects. Strangely, I've never been confirmed to have low blood pressure.

[LoveMissesG]

I'm lightheaded damn near ALL of the time. In fact, I try & avoid picking up things or reaching up to get things from high places because it throws me off balance. A lot of my agoraphobic tendencies are related to feeling off balance in public. In your case it could be related to the medication or it could be other things: blood pressure, your eyes not working together--this is part of my problem, vestibular issues etc.

[niknash]

I was wondering if anyone has ever had this done. It is to test your vestibular system. I have had horrific dizziness since stopping Lexparo in August (prob started about 1.5 months after I stopped completely). I literally cannot go into any stores, it happens when I am at home if i walk around and it stays for hours sometimes...it is almost every day...rare that I get a day without it at all.

 

When i went to my acupuncturist during the 1st few months of withdrawal, she told me she had someone have a test done where they put water in her ears (which is what this is) and she was even more dizzy ever since...I am so scared to make this any worse than it is...but it is debilitating at the moment....HELP!! I need to know if anyone else has had this done?

[Altostrata]

If the dizziness started up as a withdrawal symptom, it is unlikely the test will show anything wrong.

 

Many, many people with withdrawal symptoms have had all kinds of tests. Results are rarely meaningful. Autonomic dysfunction doesn't show up on any known test.

[EFXRob]

Dont know how useful it is for really strong dizzyness...but since my aborted 25% drop off Effexor, I have taken strongly to ginger everything...ie tea, candies, and ginger beer (with no added sugar)..

 

Although I think I am out of WD.. I still have a swaying gait...and continue to drink ginger tea... which really does help.

 

Regards

 

Rob

[ajnjj]

I did the ENG test. It came out negative for inner ear disorder. It was very uncomfortable. I am wondering how you did??? I also use fresh ginger for tea and it helps a little with dizziness especially with nasusea. I have very bad dizziness and balance issues.

[niknash]

I did the ENG test. It came out negative for inner ear disorder. It was very uncomfortable. I am wondering how you did??? I also use fresh ginger for tea and it helps a little with dizziness especially with nasusea. I have very bad dizziness and balance issues.

 

The test went ok but the part when they blew the cold air in my ears to make me get dizzy was horrendous......I yelled for the woman to stop because I was getting extreme vertigo and nauseous. Thankfully that horrible vertigo lasted only for a few minutes and I felt "off" for a few hours after the test but it went away.

 

The test made me realize that what I have is not a regular lightheadedness, dizziness or vertigo but a very distinct w/d dizziness that had something to do with my eyes...very hard to explain. I am interested in the results, they said it would take 5 days so i should be hearing back this week.

[ajnjj]

I think I understand about the eyes and dizziness. My eyes have been really screwed up and I seem to have a lot of perception issues, like depth , or even things look crooked , also glazing lights or flashing,

I also feel "slanted," like I'm walking completely crooked. It's nuts. Let me know about test results, I'm curious! God bless....