Unsteady on my feet

[Mongea]

Looking for anyone else who has experienced severe vertigo/dizziness... the past five days have been awful. I’m very unsteady on my feet and feel wobbly when I’m driving or going to stores. I’ve been on Zoloft for over 3 months and 150 for about 6 weeks. My psychiatrist is recommending going down to 125 again. I’m also now weaned off of Ativan since Friday. It feels like no one understands what I’m feeling....Everything is spacey and wobbly, making it hard to keep my balance. Is this anxiety?!

[Krn210]

I have been there. It felt like I was walking up hill all the time, and like I HAD to hold on to something to keep from falling over. I would just sit on the couch most days waiting for bedtime because that was the only time I felt somewhat normal. The good news...it passed. So there is hope.

[Mongea in reply to Krn210]

Ugh. It’s awful. How long did yours hang around?

[Krn210 in reply to Mongea]

In the moment it felt like it was forever. It was a good 3-4 months. I finally got to the point that I was like whatever just fall over and it slowly faded.

[Mongea in reply to Krn210]

Wow-3 to 4 months! Did you take any meds?

[Krn210 in reply to Mongea]

No. I was in a weird place and was so afraid of anything. Especially meds. With you being on meds, I bet it will leave you sooner than it did me.

[Mongea in reply to Krn210]

I’m also very scared of taking meds. I keep telling myself it’s just side effects of the Zoloft or anxiety but then I start thinking something else could be wrong. Such a vicious cycle.

[Krn210 in reply to Mongea]

One of anxieties perks...always telling us it is something more.

[JAYnLA]

I'm taking a bit less ativan (from 1mg a day to ¾ mg a day) and my balance issues are off the charts. It's a real challenge for me. I don't know if they're related - I've sent a note to my psychiatrist and haven't heard back yet.

[Mongea in reply to JAYnLA]

My psychiatrist is adamant that it has nothing to do with the Ativan but I’m not buying it. Seems too coincidental that I finished my last pill Friday and then it started.

[Mongea in reply to JAYnLA]

Good for you on the reduction!!

[Kkimm]

Hi Mongea

It seems hard to understand why your shrink suggested cutting your dose of Zoloft at the same time as when you had only just weaned off Ativan. Particularly when you have been doing well on the higher dose of 150 until you had a life trauma with your husband and cut your Ativan further. They are the experts and I am not a clinician but from what others have said on this and other websites, even with a small original dose of Ativan the withdrawal effects can be profound and long lasting. I have read posts from people who had this and other severe reactions to cutting down Ativan that they go back on a small maintenance dose of Ativan. One who did this and subsequently stayed well for years without increasing was on this wrbsite. Perhaps you could private message them , let me know if you want me to try to find them . I understand to do that might be really disappointing when you worked very hard to get off Ativan and could be exactly the right or the wrong thing to do. In all events you would need to discuss it with your clinician.

However perhaps more importantly is the decision to cut back the Zoloft. It could ofcourse be right, so difficult to say and I would welcome the comments of others on this but in my experience of antidepressants sudden severe dizziness which goes on for days, is more likely due to be an increase in anxiety or a condition like vertigo than a sudden side effect when you have been on the high dose of the antidepressant for the time you have. I do have the side effect of dizziness on mine after 22 months but it is very fleeting of a few seconds only and usually only after excercise or as a result of hunger or tiredness. I got it very slightly more after a dose increase but only on the first day or so and again very fleeting and after excercise.

Regards

Kim

[Mongea in reply to Kkimm]

I think her thought process is that the dizziness and vertigo started after I went up to 150 last month. I agree with you on so many levels- I have had some triggers and heightened anxiety. However, this dizziness never lets up where as before it would come and go. Maybe it’s vertigo? If so I’ll need to investigate home remedies.

[Slimfemmie]

I have been off Ativan for 4.5 years and still have bouts of vertigo and being unsteady on my feet. Didn't have this before Ativan. Not trying to scare you, just letting you know my experience. It most definitely be the Ativan since you are just newly off the med.

[Shaymocha111]

Me too

[Hidden]

I cut my Zoloft in half and the next day ... wooooooooof. I was SO dizzy!!!!

[Jpsurf760]

Yes I have been struggling with this for 8 months. I recently was diagnosed with vestibular migraine, but I know anxiety is the main trigger for my unbalanced feeling