Ok I’m confused

[[mi...]]

Ok guys I had a horrible gut reaction to liquid compounded K almost four weeks ago. Full fledged benzo belly almost overnight. I had zero benzo belly symptoms and could eat normally before this event. Within 24 hours of Ora Plus and pure K Powder. I’m back on my original Accord pills after making multiple changes over the last month which all failed miserably and falling into several withdrawal states due to brand changes (also tried milk home brew which failed).  I’ve been on Accord for two weeks now which was my original brand but my stomach won’t let up. I can only eat like three foods and I keep losing weight. I have completely normal bowel movements every day but the cramping and bloating and gas is so incredibly painful and so closely tied to my anxiety State. It feels like my insides are being squeezed and sometimes like I have a bowling ball up my butt or a volleyball inside me. Squeezes my bladder and prostate and sometimes makes it hard to pee when it’s bad. It’s like everything is overfiring in my gut and overreacting randomly in my entire GI and pelvic floor I understand people deal with benzo belly but I didn’t until two doses of liquid k and now I’m not even on the stuff. CNS is still definitely in overdrive too when I was stable before. Any ideas? Again I have normal BMs without effort, it’s all sensory pain and gas bloating pain. Puts me into horrible mental states. Is this just cns stress manifesting in the gut to do the shock to my system (multiple shocks with several brand/form changes) and should it settle back down or is this my new norm? Again I was symptom free in my gut before this.

[[Fa...]]

Hi there,

Did you say you had once had a gut reaction to a medication in the past that took a few months to clear for you?

[[mi...]]

Flagyl antibiotic set my gut off insane two years ago. It did settle in time I suppose. It just makes no sense that a liquid benzo could do this. Flagyl displaces gaba from their receptor. That makes sense. Liquid K, after I had already been on K pills makes zero sense as it’s the same med. One day I’m eating chicken wings at top golf with no problem with my family (granted I was struggling in other areas due to a recent brand change but gut was solid), and the next day the nerves and muscles in my gut went on high alert and haven’t stopped since. It is beyond distressing. If I lay on my back it causes cramps to push on my prostate, I can shift positions on the couch and it can trigger a cramp or spasm of trapped gas instantly and with severe pain. It’s like I am bracing to try to avoid causing a muscle or nerve to over fire and it’s a  losing battle. It does what it wants. Food doesn’t seem to make it better or worse as long as I eat bland. 

[[Fa...]]

I understand what you are saying.  However, it is still a possibility.

I ask because I started having gut issues during my taper.  I suspected something was wrong.  So, I did a SIBO test, and it was positive.  So, now I have had to work around that.  Prior to BW, I could eat anything.  And, my diet was good.  I don’t know how long I had the SIBO…but, going through this made it clear something was not quite right…and, it could have exacerbated it and brought it to my attention.  I still don’t know.

I guess I’m saying that if you feel something is going on more than just the liquid compound trial, you could look into it further.  I chose to go to a functional medicine practitioner.  But, you could still give it more time to see if it calms.  Or, it could literally be your GI going through stuff due to BW…’aka’ Benzo Belly.

I’m sorry you are in such discomfort.  I wanted to ask about the previous reaction to hear your thoughts…and, share my experience.  Just food for thought.  GI symptoms are not easy to figure out…and, I would really like to believe it is Benzo Belly and leave it at that.  It would be the simplest explanation.  And, I try to make logical sense out of so much, and I end up in circles.

 

 

[[Fa...]]

I feel like I’m not a writing clearly…I’m highly symptomatic.

My actual thoughts were that maybe your gut flora was already teetering from your previous reaction.  Maybe all it took was this to throw it off again.  And, with so many Gaba receptors in the gut, it could make sense that you are experiencing Benzo Belly due to BW.

 

 

[[or...]]

I think @[Fa...] hits the nail on the head, from what I've read about the benzo belly.  I do ask folks exactly what their food intake consists of because I believe in anti-inflammatory nutrition.  It's helped me with other issues, and I believe it's having a positive effect on any wd sxs as I was already on the Low-carb nutrition before I started tapering.

What I did get before, but not from wd's was a lot of stomach upset, bloating, acid reflux, esophageal spasms.  I haven't had any of those things for 2 year, or more, and none during my taper from 35 years of C (generic for K). I have been doing a slow taper for 5 months, so early days I realize.  If nothing else, I know there is at least one other thread about this, and you are not alone, denise PS I also, back when, used a little apple cider vinegar (yuk, I hear you) in water, or walking helped if I wasn't in too bad a shape.   I don't eat anything after my last meal of the day at 5 pm, so I have 3 hours in between my mean and bedtime.  I don't know if any of that may help you but I do believe we heal.

Here's one of my fave reads: https://benzobuddies.org/topic/223403-what-is-happening-in-your-brain/#comment-2944995

[[mi...]]

My bowel movements are totally normal. They look healthy every day in schedule. I had a Sibo test two years ago that was negative. I’m not saying it isn’t gut flora but it feels neurological not actually truly digestive if that makes sense. It was an instant one minute I’m fine with no symptoms, next day it’s 10/10. As soon as this reaction happened I also lost my sex drive instantly and lost 7 lbs in the next 7 days and had my heart rate and BP shoot way up. It was clearly a shock to my cns. It put me into a pretty intense withdrawal state. That’s why I think this is WD related which would make it benzo belly. I’m sure all tests would come back normal like they are for many. I’m just worried it won’t settle down even if I stabilize again. 

[[Fa...]]

1 minute ago, [[m...] said:

My bowel movements are totally normal. They look healthy every day in schedule. I had a Sibo test two years ago that was negative. I’m not saying it isn’t gut flora but it feels neurological not actually truly digestive if that makes sense. It was an instant one minute I’m fine with no symptoms, next day it’s 10/10. As soon as this reaction happened I also lost my sex drive instantly and lost 7 lbs in the next 7 days and had my heart rate and BP shoot way up. It was clearly a shock to my cns. It put me into a pretty intense withdrawal state. That’s why I think this is WD related which would make it benzo belly. I’m sure all tests would come back normal like they are for many. I’m just worried it won’t settle down even if I stabilize again. 

It does make sense.  And, it is all neurological when it comes right down to it…whether it’s one symptom or another.

Thing is, I don’t think you can answer if and when it will calm down.  You can do all you can to eat clean and easily digestible foods, low inflammatory, and hope for a good outcome as more time is between that compound and you.  I truly hope that is what happens for you @[mi...].

[[or...]]

Hi @[Fa...], I was just reading about the Microbiome & the Brain.  Very interesting but hesitate to overwhelm anyone with info I am hearing.  I am betting you are familiar with it.  I believe what is said about how the gut relies on the brain, and the brain relies on the gut. What do you think as I am only learning myself, so many amazing things I never knew thanks to people at BB Denise

[[Fa...]]

@[or...]   Yes, I am familiar with it now after finding out about the SIBO.  As they say, the gut is our second brain.

The SIBO also affected my ability to handle salicylates and histamine.  I had extreme food chemical reactions which added to my BW symptoms.  It was pretty nasty.  And, my diet is now limited, and I eat the same things every day.  You cannot treat SIBO while in BW.  You have to wait until you are off the drug and able to handle the protocol to get rid of it.  The protocol is strict and will cause weight loss.  I have lost 40lbs already, and so even if I wanted to attempt to get rid of it, I would not be in a position to for that reason alone.

It is an overwhelming topic.  And, benzos disrupt the gut with long time use...maybe even shorter term use...and, when I hear some bring the topic of having issues with their gut during this, I do often wonder if many people have SIBO but just do not know it.  Having said that, there is nothing you can do to treat it while coming off the drug...you simply have to manage it the best you can until you are in a position to treat it.

Warmly,

F 

[[or...]]

That's something I'll look into as I know nothing about it and I have a curious nature   I do find not much is recommended to help things along, get through wd sxs faster, and I do believe the biggest issue is not allowing our bodies to supply the healing of our GABA and Glutatmate Receptors.  If we use some of the things I think might help, all they do is interfere with our healing process, and set us back ending up worse off. 

I do believe in good nutrition that our bodies need in order to perform their healing, I think more doctors are figuring this out, I hope.  I'm a big fan of from Dr. David Unwin and wish I could figure out how to ask him to look into Benzo wd now to go along with the rest of the progress his Clinic in UK has made.

I study all that because of having T2 Diabetes and told my doc, nutrition only when he wanted to prescribe me another pill, he agreed and was, I think a bit shocked when I brought my A1c's down (I'm in remission), no pills. 

Thanks for you reply @[Fa...]