This is not my story, but it is something that I found on the internet. This shows that benzodiazapines can have great success in treating MAV. I thought it is important to document this case demonstrating the efficacy of Xanax for MAV on this website and contribute to the great wealth of knowlege and experience here.
"(MAV) is Possibly a chemical embalance of the brain. It was constant and I learned to live in a nightmare world of mental torture. One day some 6 years after this began I met a guy who had the same symptoms as I did. He said a doctor put him on xanax and it changed his life. So I started seeing a shrink and finally convinced her to let me try it. Just hours after the first dose I began to feel like a human being again. I mean I literally felt the brain damage feeling begin to leave. Within 5 days I felt like a totally normal person again. I have no explination as to how someone could feel wacked out 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 6 years despiite exercise, vitamins, etc. then within hours of being on xanax could suddenly feel normal again. It was like a miracle. itās strange the things that can happen in the brain and how simply they can be fixed. I was perfectly fine for a long time after that, nearly 7 years, then I started smoking pot again for a short period of time. Big mistake. How stupid could I be? The symptoms returned and lasted 2 weeks then I recovered. And then they returned again and again over years lasting 2 weeks or longer.
Sometimes the symptoms were worse than they were in my teens, way worse. Since those days I feel fine, totally normal for as long as 3 to 9 months then I get sick again for reasons that are unknown. I havenāt used any drugs for more than 17 years either. Still on all kinds of vitamins, tai-chi, yoga, kung fu, aroebics, none of which helps me much when I am ill. Over the years I have had dozens of CT scans, MRIās, blood tests for everything under the sun, had my heart tested, etc. Always the results show a clean bill of health. tested even when I was so sick I had to be in the hospital. when I couldnāt even walk I was so weak, still all tests negative! Then two weeks later I feel totally normal like nothing ever happened."
I want to keep the Success Stories thread for individuals posting about their personal migraine success and winning formulas for beating MAV only. Thanks for posting this info on the benzos! They are a lifesaver for many here including me.
Yeah, benzos definitely help for me. For a while I only took Klonopin and I was able to function pretty well, it was a life-saver. Now I am on Celexa and with that I also take about 1.25mg of valium at night (1/4th of a 5mg pill). I would like to take more because it really helps my symptoms and gets me to relax and sleep, but I worry about addiction since I have been taking it a long time.
Long short, how long have you been on Celexa, is it working and at what dose?
Thanks
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Iāve been on it 4 months. I started at 5mg, then went up to 10mg, then 15mg, 20mg, and now on 30mg.
It started working after about 2-3 weeks. At first I had no relief, just side effects of headache, rush, jittery, tired, nauseous, etc. Gradually I noticed less ānoiseā in terms of false signals that I was moving. Gradually I felt more at ease, less fearful of falling, and my balance improved substantially to where I could stand on one foot with my eyes closed, work out, sleep better, etc. I was less fearful of falling or lilting, and when I did make a clumsy move it didnāt really bother me that much. The price I pay is reduced libido and ejaculatory delay (my poor wife!), and some buzzing in my ear, slight weight loss. I would say that I am 70% better from the Celexa. But I would like to get to 100% and I am not sure what to do going forward. I have heard that 40mg is the max dose of Celexa because at a higher dose you start to monkey with your heart rhythm. Switching is a pain in the butt, and there is no guarantee that another medicine will be better. For example, there was a couple weeks in there when I thought that Celexa gave me a rash and I switched to Lexapro (sister medicine of Celexa), and it made me very jumpy and nervous compared to the Celexa.
My fear is that the Celexa is not really repairing my dizziness but simply making me not give a damn whether I am dizzy or not.
I am at day 10 on Celexa, 7 days at 10 now day 4 moving up to 20mg, glad I am off work today cause itās making me tired and spacey and not sleeping wellā¦still waiting for the benefits to start! I have been on Verapamil for 6 weeks and I do think it helps the dizziness. When you moved from 20 to 30 did you have the same side effects as when you started?
Thanks for your help.
I was reluctant about the benzo (Librium) when my I visited my third neurologist (the one who ended up saving my life). She promised it would be okay to take every day; it has the longest half-life of the group and would be easy to stop if it didnāt help. I feel so much better that I donāt care if Iām dependent on it - b/c well, of course, I am along with the other drugs I take because now I live a normal life. I think my pharmacy stocks it just for me, so your doctor might look at you funny if you ask for it. Along with amitriptyline - ahhhh.
I am at day 10 on Celexa, 7 days at 10 now day 4 moving up to 20mg, glad I am off work today cause itās making me tired and spacey and not sleeping wellā¦still waiting for the benefits to start! I have been on Verapamil for 6 weeks and I do think it helps the dizziness. When you moved from 20 to 30 did you have the same side effects as when you started?
Thanks for your help.
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To answer your question, yes I got the same side effects every time I updosed, but it was less severe than the first couple weeks. So it was only a day or two or three before the higher dose seemed normal.
Since my dizzy spells last only 5 minutes or lessā¦im not sure if they are āreducingā the number & frequency of the dizzyness. all i know is dizzy = anxiety & xanex helps the anxiety.
I do know that when i was taking Nortriptylineā¦i had LESS dizzy spells but felt horrible as a personā¦very hard to explainā¦i felt numb.
