dizziness

I have been going through some issues with disautonomia/POTS which has been causing me to have lots of symptoms that really scare me. I went to a cardiologist who prescribed me a low dose beta blocker to bring my heart rate down. After a few days of taking the beta blocker i started to get really dizzy like rocking on a boat and feeling off balance to the point that i couldn’t leave my bed for a couple of days. I stopped taking the beta blocker this morning so it has been over 24 hours (it can take 72 hrs to fully leave your system) and i’ve felt much less dizzy with some left over lightheartedness when standing or moving too fast today. However, i just woke up after only sleeping for about 30 mins and felt the off balance feeling to a lesser extent and it sent me into a full blown panic attack. my brain keeps telling me the dizziness is going to get worse and i can imagine what that would be like in my head which just makes the dizziness and anxiety feel worse then what is really happening. I’m also afraid that for some reason the beta blocker is not the cause of my dizziness and i have some other cause that is going to make this last for a very long time rather than going away within a couple days. i really hate the feeling of being dizzy because it makes me feel out of control and im just constantly scanning if i feel dizzy now and misinterpreting normal sensations for feeling off balance. i was so scared the 2 days i felt real dizziness that my brain can’t seem to forget it.

LeadZeppelin

Date posted: Yesterday

That sounds terrifying and completely reasonable to be shaken by it, and it’s important to know that dizziness is a documented side effect of beta blockers and is also a common symptom of POTS, while anxiety and panic tend to amplify normal bodily sensations into something that feels catastrophic. If you stopped the beta blocker abruptly, it can take days to weeks for effects to fully settle and it’s a good idea to contact the prescriber to let them know and to discuss a safe plan rather than trying to manage it alone. In the meantime try grounding and slow paced breathing, label sensations as “anxiety” when they spike, and if you’re open to a longer term strategy discuss very gradual interoceptive exposure with a clinician so you can learn to tolerate these sensations safely rather than scanning for them.

Moeden

Date posted: 19h

I completely relate to this text. I too experience dizziness and lightheaded feelings. I’ve seen a cardiologist and a neurologist. The neurologist is the one that mentioned POTS to me and prescribed propranolol. My only advice is maybe the dose? Hopefully they started you low and then go from there. I was taking 20 mg a day but have been trying 10mg now. But it is so frustrating because having health ocd all I do is “check in” with myself to see how I’m feeling all the time. I’m hyper aware of every bodily sensation. So I guess all I’m saying is that you’re not alone. We are in the same “rocky boat”. lol. I always just remind myself that this too shall pass. I also challenge the thoughts with maybe or maybe not. I try to trust in the fact that I will know if something is truly wrong.

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