UPDATE: Well, I didn't buy the cane. My PCP thought my Wellbutrin dose was pretty high, that it can cause this and I might want to talk to my shrink about it. He *had* bumped up my dose when I was in the hospital last month. I did talk to him and he agreed with my PCP and lowered my dose back to what it had been. The loss of balance has cleared up significantly, not entirely -- I still wobble when I walk.

I would be concerned about lowering the dose of one of my 'anti-crazy' meds, because I'm so susceptible to S.A.D. But the days are longer than the nights now, and getting longer still, so I'm happy to ride this donkey as far is it will take me and revisit the matter next equinox.

Glad you're getting a handle on the possible cause of your balance problems Jack ~ even without getting a cane! I've had dizzy problems for awhile now. So it was interesting when all the news came out about the change of name to SEID, there was something I read that said dizziness is one of the symptoms of this illness. The light bulb went off for me ~ that my dizziness wasn't medication related, it was something about having CFS/SEID ~ though perhaps in your case it's worse from the meds too.

Isn't it wonderful that there's so many ways to have the same symptoms? Then we end up with just dealing with the symptoms but not finding the root cause ~ very common with this illness that's for sure. I appreciate Jenna/jcpmoore's good attitudes about that ~ carry a cane and not worry about why ~

I remember a couple of years ago when I told my kidney specialist that I was having a lot of dizzy spells (before I had any idea that I have a diagnosable CFS/SEID illness). She said she didn't know what might be causing them and that it's almost impossible for doctors to figure out ~ I appreciated her honesty. However she gave me some good advice ~ get up very slowly and if I'm dizzy, sit down. Don't try to walk if I'm feeling dizzy as I can risk falling. So that's what I do ~ I take it slow.

Especially now that I found out that I have osteoporosis on top of everything else ~ I really don't want to fall! I'm also very careful in the shower. I've been meaning to get one of those grab bars to hold onto if I get dizzy while I'm standing there. My shower/tub has glass sliding doors so I can't put a shower seat in it. I'm glad several of you are using those as I think they are an important safety assist.

It's sounds like some of you have more severe balance issues than I do as I'm usually OK once I'm up walking around ~ I don't need a cane though I do lean on grocery carts for support. It's mostly when I'm getting up from laying down in my bed that the room starts to spin~

Great news, Jack!
Huelani--I have to face these things with a positive attitude or I'd have killed someone or something by now. ;) You're fortunate your doc was honest about the dizziness. I wish mine had been! A year of seeing specialists several times a month for no conclusion was more than I needed to deal with on top of CFS and Fibro. That's why I was so glad when my former doc moved over to my company care center so I could have her back. She's honest always.

Our final conclusion had been that it's probably my low blood pressure (it averaged about 101/65 at the time). Then a few months ago I read that it was a symptom of CFS--what? How did we not know this?!? That was my doc's clencher for adding CFS to the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia for me. Looking back, the symptom changes are so clear. hindsight and all that. :)

Yes, Huelani, it's just *terrific that there's so many ways to have the same symptoms . I think that's the best part of this whole disease, that it causes symptoms and in such variety! that so many other things can causes as well... lol.... *especially when it can be such a whack-a-mole pattern! :-)

Yes, I think in my case it's mostly the meds... so far. I'm sorry it's not so straightforward for you... Your kidney specialist sounds like a gem telling you the straight dope AND giving you some good, usable advice.

Oh goodie, I have osteoporosis too! My father liked to say, Well, that's life... just one damn thing after another. It's true, too, lol....

Yes, jcpmoore, you nailed it face these things with a positive attitude or kill something! I had a bit of an advantage w/r/t that going in, because I'd been going to AA for a while and the first thing that really made sense to me was the first line of the Serenity Prayer that says, Grant me the serenity to accept those things I cannot change... It was a huge relief for me to understand that the only things I COULD change were MY thoughts, MY words and MY actions... everything else was pretty much beyond my control. That included what people thought of me (if they thought of me at all because almost all of them *don't, lol). It was very freeing. So I got a lot of practice accepting things I couldn't change like being sick. I can learn about it, try different things and see what makes me feel better, but there wasn't any Off switch.