babycat

First of all, hello!! I am not by any means new, but it has been quite some time since I posted so just thought I would start here. I have always loved the support here and always continue to lurk.
Anyway, for the last several years it is just on again off again sobriety. Right now I am actually in sobriety and it feels so good. I think it would be so much easier to stay sober if I did not have a fellow, fun loving alcoholic husband. I know it is ultimately my choice, but it does not make things easy.
Anyway, back to my question. So, I am actually not currently in withdrawal, as I have some time sober, this is just for my own curiousity because I have never seen anyone mention this symptom before.
So, does anyone get really bad vertigo in withdrawal? I don't have it any other time, but I cannot even watch or look at high places on tv on my computer. I absolutely have to look away or I feel like I am spinning and dizzy and falling down. I don't really get dizzy otherwise. Like mountains or skyscrapers. I hate heights but the dizziness only comes when detoxing. Oh, escalators too. Those are a nightmare because it is real and I have no choice but to use them sometimes, like when I get off the subway. (I need to change my location, I live in Los Angeles now, not MI lol)
Anyway, my withdrawals are never bad, more so annoying, but I was just wondering if this happens to anyone else?
Good to be back! I will try to post more.

Leftfield44

Yes. I had bad vertigo symptoms like you are describing. I think it was a combination of panic attacks, middle ear imbalance (this solves itself over a few weeks) and having hypoglycemia, which is more pronounced after quitting drinking.

The drinking is a "good" way to get a quick fix on the low blood sugar. Remove alcohol from the equation & a balanced diet with a lot of protein can help. Six smaller meals instead of two or three big ones.

I found that slow breathing helps. So does a hot bath. My vertigo symptoms lessened greatly after about 4 months.

babycat

Oh wow, 4 months! Mine goes away after a couple days. My withdrawal never lasts more than a day or 2. I think your explanation of how it happens makes a lot of sense. Interesting. I have tried to look it up before, vertigo and withdrawal and found nothing.

Leftfield44

Ah, if yours is only a few days after drinking, it is definitely acute withdrawal symptoms. For me, it was primarily panic attacks and low blood sugar and/or blood pressure. So, I had to work on not panicking and keeping my blood sugar & blood pressure even. And panicking messes with blood sugar & pressure. Alcohol used to kind of mute these issues. Remove the alcohol & the body needs time to adjust. Panic attacks can definitely feel like vertigo.

Dee74

I had bad vertigo symptoms in withdrawal too. It was related to BP for me.

D

daveglass1

I went to see friends in Germany and they wanted me to look up at tall buildings , churches etc - I couldnt and it was embarrassing. I havent tried it recently - must do so to see if it has become a learned process to create a sort of panic by doing so - or if the fear/anxiety has disappeared whilst not in some state of withdrawal.
Regards
Dave 🤠

MindfulMan

Same thing as Dee. Blood pressure fluctuations were linked to vertigo. Off and on for the first four months or so. Horrible balance issues as well.

It gets better.

Chuckling about you getting dizzy on LA subway escalators. Mass transit is still kind of a novelty here!

babycat

Yeah, the mass transit here is certainly nothing compared to new york and many other cities, it is still better than Detroit's lol! But I have waaaay too much anxiety to drive in LA. It sucks. Really holds me back a lot actually.