[tmgrl4]

Hi, I am a 73 year old woman. I have had bipolar disorder most of my life , successfully in good control past 20 yearts, except for breakthroughs in high stress or physical Illinois periods. My psychiatrist treats me with low dose mirtazipine (REMERON) 15 mg and each night klonopin ( a regular dose, pretty much same range for 20 years) for sleep. If I lose sleep, I get into trouble. Cannot take any SSRIs or typical antidepressants because I get worse. Have had panic attacks and school phobia since age 5. Function life. BA, two advanced degrees and two major professions, so don't let my difficulties stop me from living.

I also developed vertigo/vestibular disorder in 1999, and it has come and gone since then, with one 8 year remission, but in 2011, I had a three month severe episode with daily vertigo, motion sickness (first time ever) . Have great otoneurologist and all tests over years show both central and peripheral components of my vestibular disorder, left side triggered with cervical components adding in in 2011, with that three month episode. Had Vestibular Therapy, two rounds then. It helped me that I am an SLP by profession so I had an understanding of what I was dealing with. In 2011, I took klonopin, during day, .5mg twice , PRN so I could eventually drive and go to PT and stay in life.

Then this past August 22, 2016, I tripped and flipped through air, landing on my head, /forehead and had huge goose-egg hematoma, scraped off right side of my face. In early days concern about losing sight in right eye and front teeth were resolved and both ok. I still have hematoma, that won't go down past size it is now..and it is exactly two weeks since concussion. I have no cognitive/language changes, had a normal neuro this past week and neuro gave me script for PT for balance .....yet again.

Right now, I have been home resting since first week, I was not alone, and had to visit at least 6 doctors to rule out other issues with eye and teeth and skin infections.

Thankfully, no headaches to write home about. I have taken no daytime klonopin since the fall, but yesterday, when I took a short drive to test out my driving and being out, I was ok driving short distance, but had all the vestibular symptoms, minus the vertigo, once I had to walk to and be in the two stores.

I was lightheaded, on edge of anxiety/panic, felt shaky, and couldn't wait to finish and get home. The day after my 24/7 company left, I was climbing my stairs at home, and was so short of breath, I had to sit down. Called cardio who knows me well, and he felt it was clearly, panic because I was now alone again.

So, today, with my reduced but not gone (size of walnut in shell) hematoma, I plan to take two more short drives. I think I will take the .5 mg. klonopin since I believe the feelings once I leave car are PCS/vestibular/anxiety/agoraphobia/panic issues and taking the klonopin when I go out first few times may be helpful. I am nowhere nearly as bad, brain and vestibular wise as I was in the three month episode in 2011. The neuro said it was a miracle that I had a normal neuro exam and only needed to deal with vestibular/balance once again. If I make it today, I will take a short trip to an AA meeting tomorrow (no alcohol for over 26 years and I don't smoke at all either)...then on Friday, a bit longer drive to get my hair colored and cut, at which time I think I will take .5 mg to get through that...I start Pt on September 14th, thinking that would give me some re-entry time. I am listening to my body. Fortunately, I can watch movies, read, and do some screen time and it doesn't affect me..I guess having had the vestibular disorder for so many yeare has taught me how to listen to what is going on. I had been in remission from all vestibular issues for past three years, so this isn't helping, but it could have been so much worse, since my head and face took whole impact on the concrete

No fractures, even on follow up CT five days after fall, since hematoma still so large...my whole face turned black and right eye was swollen shut.

So just looking for support. Anyone have hematoma that took longer than three weeks to go away? Also, any experience with klonopin, (.5) helping get out and drive and not have the agoraphobic/vestibular/anxiety issues while in stores???

Thanks.....Love this website, and have been reading a lot of posts and searched for as much as I can on the klonopin and hematoma issues.

My nighttime dose of klonopin has remained stable for about 20 years. I take 1 mg. four nights a week, and 1 and 1/4 mg three nights a week only increasing for periods when I lose too much sleep on this schedule. My monthly totals are under 40 mgs. for past three years, with my goal being to reduce to 1 mg. nightly. Psychiatrist has managed to keep me off mood stabilizers for all these years and what was once full blow bipolar disorder is now bipolar II with agitation /anxiety as my hypomanic symptoms