u/yeezus8959

I’ve been reading posts here for months while I was in the thick of it, and now that I’m 95% recovered I finally want to give back the hope I desperately needed. If you’re feeling that constant boat-like dizziness, the “ground is moving, I’m about to faint or die” terror, and everyone thinks you’re crazy… this one’s for you.

Here’s my story.
I’ve smoked weed daily for years. Early 2024, fresh out of MBA, I was 63 kg. Moved to a new city for a desk job. Sedentary life + nonstop weed + junk food = 90 kg by early 2025. 28 kg in one year. By mid-2025 I was exhausted, lazy as fuck, and had switched to edibles every single day (I now believe this was a major trigger for my PPPD).

The nightmare hit mid-2025. Girlfriend dumped me (I was a mess, fair enough). Then at work my heart exploded — 170+ bpm on my Apple Watch. Felt like I was dying. Ignored it as “just the edibles.” Happened again the next day. After that, everything felt off. Random days I’d get hit with insane loopy dizziness — like I was about to faint or fall any second. Couldn’t walk without holding walls. Standing still felt dangerous. Heavy head, sweating, pure terror that I was going to collapse. It’s like being on a boat 24/7. The worst is walking when the ground feels unstable and your feet have zero grip. Impossible to describe unless you’re living it.

I ignored it and tried to push through, biggest mistake ever. One morning I woke up the same way and said “fuck this” and went to the gym. That session still gives me PTSD; I genuinely thought I was dying on the floor.
I felt suicidal from the constant fear. Booked a flight home to my parents, the scariest flight of my life. Saw two GPs, ENT, neurologist, and psychiatrist. First GP found severe deficiencies: B12 at 100 pg/ml and Vitamin D at 10. Gave oral supplements. No real help. I was in constant fight-or-flight, depressed, crying for days. Even my ex was worried about me even though she hated my guts. Came back to the city still in hell.
Decided to fight till my last breath. Saw another good GP. He recommended B12 injections instead of pills + other supplements, Ambien for sleep/anxiety. Two injections later my dizziness became unbearable — “wake-up” symptoms or whatever they’re called. Couldn’t get out of bed. Switched back to oral B12. He also tried Lexapro, one pill felt like cocaine, so I stopped immediately.

He suggested exposure therapy and I thought why not? I’m 27 and have bills to pay, quitting work wasn’t an option. So I worked full-time while feeling like I was dying every single day.

I spiraled after reading the CFS subreddit and convinced myself I’d be bedridden forever. Parents, sister, and even my ex thought I was going insane. Psychiatrist put me on propranolol (while continuing B12, D, zinc, etc.). Propranolol was the first thing that actually helped, it stopped the heart-rate spikes when I walked and felt dizzy.

Still bad after 3 months. Neurologist added tofisopam and clonazepam as SOS. Helped a little but I felt off on them. I had already quit weed completely by then.
I made a rule: 10,000 steps every single day no matter how dizzy I felt. Started with walks in my room (super dizzy but I had nothing to lose). After a month, no improvement. Then neighbourhood walks, some days better, most worse. Found Dr. John Saunders exercises on YouTube through my own research. Did those daily too (highly recommended)

The walks and the exercises slowly started reducing the dizziness, but bad days still felt like hell because of the PTSD from the previous months. I went back home for a few days and made the decision that changed everything: I was going to live my life exactly like before, no matter how I felt. Stopped tofisopam and clonazepam on my own. Stayed only on propranolol + supplements.

This was February 2026, after 4 months of consistent B12 and vitamins. I finally started feeling noticeably better. A month later I stopped the supplements. A month ago I stopped propranolol too.

Today I’m 95% recovered. I’ve lost over 10 kg, go to the gym every day, and can easily walk 10 km without dizziness. I still don’t know exactly what did it - the B12, propranolol, 10k steps, Dr. Saunders exercises, exposure through forced walking, or simply stopping caring and living normally. Probably a mix of everything.

To anyone still in the trenches:
It will go away. Be patient. See every doctor you can. Get your B12, D, and other levels checked properly. Try everything -supplements, medications your doctor prescribes, exposure, daily walks, whatever it takes. People will call you crazy. Ignore them. This constant dizziness feeling (without actually fainting or falling) is terrifying but harmless. Trust me, you will never fall no matter how intense it feels.

I’m here if you want to talk or have questions. You’ve got this. There really is light at the end of this dizzy tunnel. ❤️