Paul623

Hello. I am 38 and for years drank mainly wine. About 3 years ago I started to notice issues with balance disorders and lightheaded ness. I have had brain MRI and all looks fine, labs are fine, blood work is all fine. The doctors put me on klonopin which I am on a slow taper now. I have really slowed down over the last year drinking for weeks at a time then would have a few here and there. What is good is due to a Christian lifestyle now I do not crave alcohol like I use to. My question is this. Has anyone else suffered from being light headed, weird feelings in my head like a brain fog and when you walk ( while I have never fallen feel like I am going to lose balance). When I felt this way in the past and would drink when I had a few drinks it would take the edge off and the symptoms would go away. So sometimes I think my brain is searching for the alcohol. If others have this feeling how long does it take to get your mind right again. Thanks all

Midlifecrisis

Yes definitely felt that way coming of Valium and now alcohol. I would ask your doctor about it though to be safe

Paul623

Thx. How long did the feelings last? Did it just take time or did u do things to help out?

Midlifecrisis

This is ony my personal experience but I gave up the benzos about 7 weeks ago and the symptoms peaked around 2/3 weeks and only alcohol would fix them. They slowly got better after that but I gave up drinking just a week ago and they have come back though not quite as bad, or maybe I'm not so anxious about them now because I know what they are. The others took me by surprise because I didn't know anything about benzo withdrawal. I went cold turkey pretty much so I imagine tapering would be different and obviously make the process longer (but safer) I have learnt alot from lovely people on here (GG!). It literally felt like the ground was shaking and I would lose focus. Or that feeling of being on a high tower and it swaying in the breeze. Awful! They just naturally subsided after the benzos. I didn't really do anything to help myself apart from exercise and drink loads of water.

Maybe chat to the doc about whether or not he:/she thinks it's normal. It sounds like you haven't been drinking for quite awhile?

Midlifecrisis

But even when I was in recovery for many years (only relapsed this year) my brain was always foggy! I think alot of it is anxiety with me.

Dee74

Welcome to SR

Sometimes you have to push Drs into doing more tests - if this is the same kind of symptoms you've had for 3 years common sense suggests there's something that needs looking at?

add to that the benzo taper - I've not done it, but coming off benzoes can be tricky, by all accounts.

Why not check in with your Dr, Paul and share your concerns?

D

Paul623

As far as the drinking pre2012 it was almost daily for 5 or 6 years. No hard liquor just wine with dinner then kept filing the glass. No other drugs at all. In 2012 I would go 2 weeks without then 2 nights the back off for a couple weeks. Never longer than one mth but I am fully committed this time. I worry that I did permanent damage but brain MRI was fine so I need to accept what is and give it time. I take a quarter of one pill per day of benzo (not a large dose) but like I Said I think my brain is seeking the benzo and the wine sensation which is why when I would have a drink I would get the normal feeling back. So now it is just the feeling like I am walking on the boat, sometimes vision focus in and out.

Midlifecrisis

That's a good way to describe it! Walking on a boat! That's exactly how I felt / feel. Still check with your doc but of be willing to bet it's the benzo taper.

Paul623

Thx d. The doctors feel as though it is an inner ear vertigo issue since they have run all kinds of test. I keep reading u need to abstain for a while but I never have so hoping this time will be different

Windancer

Ive had those symptoms, along with INTENSE paranoia. I keep in close contact with my MD. I strongly suggest you do the same!
Beware of benzos....they work great, than can cause one hell of a tailspin when coming off (or that has been my experience).

Best of luck

Paul623

Windancer. How long did your balance issues persist

renaldo

I've had the lack of balance issues when discontinuing drinking. I think the body adjusts to alcohol and when you stop, it has to readjust in a number of ways including of course getting to sleep. I have a prescribed tranquilizer to help with that, but I hate the way it feel out of it and it really throws my balance off, so I don't use it.

Eliz181144

Midlife, Paul: I am so glad I am not the only one who gets these feelings. I also am doing a Valium taper and quit drinking wine. But the balance, almost vertigo feeling persists.

Midlifecrisis

I am glad I'm not alone also. I am not glad anyone else is feeling this way but, you know what I mean. It reassures me that it's not a brain tumour or something!

Midlifecrisis

How long have you been off the wine? And how quick is the taper?

Eliz181144

just closing in on day 7 off the wine and the taper has me down to 10 mgs of Valium. I used to take (at my high) 20-25mgs daily to beat back hangovers and sleep through them.

i hope to be off the valium in a month or so but who knows...kind of hard to imagine being on nothing.