Salty foods and withdrawal symptoms

[[ro...]]

Hi All:

 

I am 35 days off my last valium dose.  I bought a bag of pretzels a few days ago and was eating lots of them.  I had noticed that when I ate too many pistachio nuts and other salted nuts, I would have a bad nite of insomnia and nite flushings. 

 

Last nite I couldn't sleep at all and had sweats/chills, intrusive and weird thoughts, burning arms, and nausetiousness in the a.m.  In other words, a very bad nite and into day. 

 

I'm wondering if too many salty foods can drive the withdrawals into overdrive.  I have'nt had this bad a nite since early March, after I got the DPT shot in the doc's office (I think the shot ingredients are preserved with sodium).  I tanked for several days after the shot.  Would love to hear from other BBs who have discovered that salty foods are a big NO NO during and post taper. 

 

Thanks and God speed your healing,

Rocko

[[le...]]

Hi Rocko,

 

I noticed that salt had an effect on my sleep long before benzos. To my husband's amazement I rarely use the salt shaker anymore.

 

It sounds like your post acute withdrawal is going pretty well Rocko. I still have a few more months until I step off of the V. My sleep has started to worsen so I'm slowing it down a bit hoping that things will improve a little.

 

Keep up the good work Rocko. 

 

Leslie 

[[St...]]

Hi rocko

 

Those sound like common wd symptoms to me, but salt will spike up your blood pressure and you can have symptoms from that too. I limited salt as much as I could during the first several months of wd, I think it helps a lot.

[[ro...]]

Hi Legos:

 

This has been one of the worst days since March 3rd for me.  The insomnia seemed to be getting better the last few weeks, and than after eating an entire bag of pretzels in a day or so, SLAM BAM.  Other horrible sxs came on during the insomnia too.  I couldn't nap this afternoon either.  So I'm putting a STOP to excess salty stuff ASAP.

 

Good for you that you are getting down there.  My sleep became even worse once I hit 1 mg.  This is the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life.  I can see how so many reinstate.

 

Hang in there Legos -- this will be a faded memory one day.  We'll rejoice together :yippee:

 

Star:

 

Thanks for the info on the salt -- hadn't thought about the BP issue.  I need to think before I insert something into my mouth.  I know I'm a long way from healed.

 

God bless,

Rocko

 

[[ro...]]

Hi All BBS:

 

I found this juicy little article on salt intake and thought it might be beneficial to share with BBS, pre, ongoing, and post tapering.  I am cutting out the salt to help my WD sxs.

 

Could cutting salt intake reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia? That is what a scientific report published in the 1940s suggests, although this observation has sadly long since been forgotten.

 

Low salt for mental health

 

Based on earlier observations that a low salt diet may improve conditions such as anxiety, irritability, depression, fatigue and migraine headache the findings of an investigation of a low salt diet for “insomnia and tension states” was published in the Journal of the American Association in 1945 (1). Patients with “pronounced insomnia, nervous tension, anxiety and increased emotional liability” were instructed to follow a low salt diet with striking results.

 

After just four to seven days of the low salt diet the “majority of patients began to exhibit a gradual decline in nervous tension, activity drive and restlessness, accompanied by an increased ability to fall asleep and general improvement in the character of sleep. It was noted that subjects “tended to retire at an earlier hour, usually falling asleep within ten to fifteen minutes and sleeping soundly until wakened at 6am.” Over a period of weeks the low salt diet also improved blood pressure, brain wave activity and concentration while reducing emotional reactivity and vivid dreaming.

 

Reducing salt in the modern world

 

While the link between dietary salt, mood disorders and insomnia needs to be explored further it is well known that there are clear benefits to reducing salt intake including improving cardiovascular health and reducing high blood pressure (2). High blood pressure is a common health problem in the industrialised world yet traditional cultures that have low dietary salt intakes (less than 3 grams daily) have been shown to be free of this disease. Modern salt intakes average over three times that of traditional cultures (over 10 grams daily), mostly from salt hidden in processed foods (3).

 

Rocko

[[St...]]

Thanks for posting that rocko, that's good info.

 

Ironically, today I had my first 'junk food' meal for breakfast since I ct'd, I read the label after I ate it and it said 1200 mg sodium! and I've felt like crap all day 

[[sa...]]

Thanks for posting that rocko, that's good info.

 

Ironically, today I had my first 'junk food' meal for breakfast since I ct'd, I read the label after I ate it and it said 1200 mg sodium! and I've felt like crap all day 

 

That is allot of good info about salt.  I don't eat allot of salty or sugary foods because they spike my symptoms.  Unfortunately I have low blood pressure and when I take it at the supermarket sometimes - well the last time it was 92/58 - so my doctor told me to get plenty of salt in my diet!

 

Anyway, I've had horrible PMS the past few days, and though I usually avoid total junk food I had a craving for at hot pastrami sandwhich with fries, Katsup and coleslaw.  I only ate 1/2 of everything but let me tell you I had the worst night's sleep with horrible nightmares all night.  I kept waking up, my heart pounding and falling back only to cycle this about 7 times.  I've had the worst day.

 

I was also thinking... Sometimes the salty foods we crave (basic junk food) have lots of other chemicals and preservatives in them - like Doritos (which I crave but gave up long ago), Sun Chips, Cheetos, etc. - some of which contain MSG too and we all know that MSG is a big no no for us.

 

So, that's my two cents and experience from last night and today.  Not worth it but for us Gals, we know that PMS cravings are hard to keep at bay sometimes - in my case it wasn't worth it.  Went to Whole Foods today to buy dinner - at least no chemicals!

 

Sara