Posted by Lou Pilder on July 22, 2011, at 6:29:06
In reply to Re: Lou's response (friends vertigo), posted by Lamdage on July 22, 2011, at 2:41:15
> > > Hey guys..
> > >
> > > a good friend of mine takes clozapine, a strong antipsychotic, which she needs because on other meds shell become psychotic. (Schizophrenic)
> > >
> > > She has vertigo so bad that her life is affected severely. Shes anxious to go out alone because of this.
> > > A med change is out of the question right now..
> > >
> > > Oh she has a blood pressure of 60/90 which she says is natural for her but i believe it could make the issue worse.
> > >
> > > What do you think about it? Any meds or remedies to adress the vertigo? Help would be greatly appreciated, id like to see my friend get back her life!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Lamdage,
> > You wrote,[...takes clozapine...She has vertigo...help would be appreciated...].
> > >
> > In order to go further here, I would need to know:
> > A. Was the vertigo there before the clozapine?
> > B. If not,how long did she take the drug before the vertigo manifested itself?
> > C. Do you now the difference between vertigo and ataxia and has ataxia been ruled out?
> > D. If not, could you have a diagnosis made as to which it could be or something else?
> > E. Is there nausea and if so, how bad?
> >
> > Lou
>
> Hey Lou
>
> i will try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.
>
> A: The vertigo wasnt there before clozapine. Absolutely not in this life altering fashion, she could go to places alone etc.
>
> B: The vertigo manifested itself right away in full severity as she started the drug.
>
> C: I am not 100% sure about the difference between ataxia and vertigo.. I just googled it and although of course i cant rule it out with my lay knowledge, if id had to bet id say that thats not it. Is ataxia is this typical antipsychotic movement disorder with strange movements of the mouth and arms etc? In this case no she doesnt have that. She is moving normally to my eye. She has had that typical movement disorder on risperdal, thats why she changed.
>
> D: I can ask my friend to go with this question to her pdoc. But i dont think that pdoc will be of much help honestly. Im trying to get her to go to another doc, who is eager to banish the vertigo!
>
> E: There is nausea but i think that one is coming from "Kalinor" she takes for her heart. Its ingredients are potassium citrate and potassium hydrogencarbonate. But i can definitely ask her about this one next time i see her. But to give an answer right now, no i think nausea is not a "bad" problem.
>
> thanks,
>
> Ld
>
>
> Ld,
I have read your answers and I think that there could be such a severe problem here that going to a neurologist could be warrented.
You see, I have severe vertigo at times but it is from the ear mechinism. I have made a study of this and have read a lot about ataxia, which is different as it being from damage to the brain. The damage could be from a drug, for one drinking to drunkeness experiances ataxi and can't walk a straight line. That is recoverable from but ataxia from a psychotropic drug could be different. Ataxia is not the same as dyskinesia as you mentioned movements from Risperdol.
Now in my experiance with vertigo, extreme nausea went along with the dizyness. I could not drive a car of even stand up straight during the bouts of vertigo. It can be life-ruining if it can't be stopped. But vertigo and ataxia are different. If it is ataxia from the drug and the drug is continued, then that could lead to a different outcome than vertigo.
I think that the stakes are high here in the situation that you describe in that if it is neurological, it could be life-ruining if it is not stopped. A neurologist is my pick here to see, not a psychiatrist, and I would do so promptly.
Lou
>
poster:Lou Pilder
thread:991530
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110714/msgs/991576.html