PDA

View Full Version : Dotheipin and dizziness



Jules31
09-12-03, 10:49
As I've posted about before, I am getting lots of dizziness, nearly all day everyday. I either feel like the inside of my head suddenly whooshes round or as though I am swaying backwards and forwards or bobbing up and down.

I have been taking dothiepin for the last 14 months and I wonder whether that could be part of the problem. Has anyone else experienced similar problems with dothiepin or other medication

Jules

nomorepanic
09-12-03, 22:06
Hi Jules

Good to see you here again.

I too took Dothiepin and felt dizzy for what felt like years on end! If you have read "my story" on the web site then you will see that the dizziness was very hard for me and I too had it for so long.

I had my ears tested and saw a neurologist and all was clear so I had to accept it was the anxiety.

In the end I took myself off all drugs but continued to feel dizzy for a few years afterwards. Nowadays I only get it when I am stressed but I used to live with it all day and it eased in the evenings when I relaxed and had a few drinks.

Hope you feel better soon
x


Nicola

Jules31
10-12-03, 11:53
Hi Nicola

Thanks for your reply. This site is a great help.

I've just got a few questions for you about your dizziness. How exactly did it feel. Sometimes mine is like a sudden movement in my head but mainly it's a feeling of constant movement like being thrown around on a boat in high seas, or a feeling as though I'm swaying about whether I'm sitting, standing or lying down.

I find that the dizziness eases a little if I'm walking but it is especially better when I'm driving. I think the motion of the car must cancel it out.

I too used to find if I had a couple of glasses of wine that the symptoms would ease but now they don't.I'm hoping it's just because I now have a tolerance to that amount of alcohol.

I also find that if I take a tranquillizer sometimes that the symptoms will ease though sometimes they don't

I see you had lots of other symptoms too and I did in the start when I was having panic attacks. Luckily now my panic attacks seem to have eased up and dizziness is my main symptom. Did you ever get to the stage where it was the only remaining symptom for you. I even wake up with it and sometimes I feel as though the bed is moving up and down with it.

I'm currently trying to eat healthly, exercise and relax though none of seems to be helping particularly so far. Though it is early days. Did you ever find you where dizzy even though you knew you were relaxed. This is the hard thing for me to understand. Because I can have just done some relaxation exercises but then be dizzy immediately afterwards.

Sorry for so many questions but I feel like I've been on this boat for over 18 months and I desperately want to get off

Jules

worriedunsteady
10-12-03, 15:18
Hi Jules,

What you describe is how I feel to a T!! including layingdown in bed and feeling the motion - sometimes it feels like I am ice puck moving all around. Like you the movement can be in my head but is very noticeable when standing etc - its slightly more manageable when I move around - but then I feel unsteady - so you just cannot win with this.

I find that if I walk for too long the feeling is worse and even going up the stairs can make me feel an etra bob when I get to the top.

I can also feel sometimes quite unpleasant like I am on the verge of spinning (I don't) but its most unsettling.

I know how much you want this to stop.

Me too.

nomorepanic
10-12-03, 22:08
Hi jules

Well I was unsteady on my feet yeah and felt that the world was spinning but it varied in intensity - sometimes ok and others really bad.

I am trying to remember how bad but it was over a year ago now and I chose to forget - lol - but yeah it was bad and constant until I relaxed.

I felt it even sat at work and I would describe it as that drunk feeling without the alcohol.

Hope this helps


Nicola

Jules31
11-12-03, 16:08
Nicola

Did you have your dizziness for nearly all day everyday but at varying intensities.

Meg has said she has never heard of anyone having it for this long constantly. I sometimes get a few hours a day where it will ease up but not very often. I'm just looking for someone who is the same.

Also did you find that when you first practised relaxing that it didn't help but that your dizzies only went after some time.

Thanks

Julie

Jules31
11-12-03, 16:13
Sorry Nic forgot to ask

I read in your story that you saw a neurologist and had an EEG done. I've also had one but have not seen a neurologist. Was the EEG enough to rule out anything nasty. I assume it must have been. I just worry that you see lots of people talking about having MRIs done and I often wonder why if an EEG is enough to find something nasty.

Julie

nomorepanic
11-12-03, 22:10
I felt dizzy nearly all day but it subsided in the evenings (usually). I don't think it was every single day but was for most days of the week if that makes sense. It was made worse cos I was very stressed at work so that aggrevated it too!

The relaxation didn't cure the dizzinesss atall - it kinda went in time and then I stopped noticing. I certainly didn't wake up one day and it had stopped - it just got less and less.

Yeah the EEG was to make sure the dizziness was not caused by other medical problems. I never had an MRI scan. I am not sure what the two do differently to find any problems. I expect Meg will post a reply about that.

I hope you start to feel better soon :-)


Nicola

Meg
11-12-03, 22:29
EEG's measure electrical waves in traces on a page
MRI's shows density images.

Both detect abnormalities.

Meg

nomorepanic
11-12-03, 22:57
Thanks Meg

I take it that means that either one will do and you don't need both!

Nicola