Histamine

[[mi...]]

Still clawing for answers on my gut. It’s not getting better. It hurts everywhere, in my back, lower and upper abdomen, intestines, colon, butt, trapped gas, visceral hypersensitivity, feelings of bugs crawling around inside me. It’s intolerable and I cry all day and can’t find relief. Sometimes it distends sometimes it does not. I have very little appetite going on a month. I have normal bowel movements without struggle every day. This doesn’t feel like a GI disorder, it feels like some sort of flareup.

Someone mentioned something about histamine and benzo withdrawal. I’ve been destabilized for the last couple of months due to multiple changes to brands/forms. Could that cause a histamine flare and if so can histamine have an effect on the GI, especially the nerves and sensitivity level. I feel like there is concrete inside my abdomen, it feels like it’s constant severe tension/spasms everywhere. This was not present before this flare. Please help with ideas. I’m frantic. If it’s histamine would something like Hydroxyzine maybe help?

[[Je...]]

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

Still clawing for answers on my gut. It’s not getting better. It hurts everywhere, in my back, lower and upper abdomen, intestines, colon, butt, trapped gas, visceral hypersensitivity, feelings of bugs crawling around inside me. It’s intolerable and I cry all day and can’t find relief. Sometimes it distends sometimes it does not. I have very little appetite going on a month. I have normal bowel movements without struggle every day. This doesn’t feel like a GI disorder, it feels like some sort of flareup.

Someone mentioned something about histamine and benzo withdrawal. I’ve been destabilized for the last couple of months due to multiple changes to brands/forms. Could that cause a histamine flare and if so can histamine have an effect on the GI, especially the nerves and sensitivity level. I feel like there is concrete inside my abdomen, it feels like it’s constant severe tension/spasms everywhere. This was not present before this flare. Please help with ideas. I’m frantic. If it’s histamine would something like Hydroxyzine maybe help?

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I've had some pretty awful gastrointestinal issues myself, although I'm doing much better now. I honestly don't know about histamine, but I do know our guts are full of GABA receptors and that benzos, of course, act on these receptors, so that may be part of the problem.

For me, though, I finally got relief by changing my diet. Drastically. I first restricted my intake to very simple, easily digested foods with low FODMAPS - (FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly. Some people experience digestive distress after eating them - I was one of them.) After I cut back, I gradually reintroduced foods to see which caused pain and which didn't. It took time, but it really helped me. I think there are threads on here that talk more about diet and nutrition - I've seen some good discussions. I wish I had more to offer. Everyone is different, though and what may help me might not help you, but it's maybe something to think about.

Oh, soaking in a warm bath, and using a heating pad on my abdomen and back helped, too. 

Jess

[[mi...]]

Ok, my gut is weird, it doesn't feel painful to touch, but it feels nervy and anything brushing up against it liek a seatbelt or tight shirt makes me go crazy. It is hypersensitized nerves, that's really what this is. Sensory nerves. I feel like the pain is massive, and i push on the areas and there is no pain when i do. It's real pain in my brain, and my gut feels touchy, but it doesn't hurt to push on. I can't figure this out. Definitely neuro signals out ofwhack. 

[[Je...]]

4 hours ago, [[m...] said:

Ok, my gut is weird, it doesn't feel painful to touch, but it feels nervy and anything brushing up against it liek a seatbelt or tight shirt makes me go crazy. It is hypersensitized nerves, that's really what this is. Sensory nerves. I feel like the pain is massive, and i push on the areas and there is no pain when i do. It's real pain in my brain, and my gut feels touchy, but it doesn't hurt to push on. I can't figure this out. Definitely neuro signals out ofwhack. 

Oh, I feel that, too. I mean I cannot STAND to have anything tight around my waist. I live in loose clothing - dresses as much as possible, which is tricky when it gets cold outside. But it truly can be awful. One other thing I have tried is magnesium citrate - the "Natural Calm" brand, I think it is. I honestly don't know if this is helping me or I just think it is, but magnesium is supposed to be calming. But, yes, I agree, our signals definitely get out of whack!

[[mi...]]

@[Je...] Where are you in your taper and how long have you been at it? Have you had GI symptoms the whole way down? I am at .163mg of K and started at .5mg about 2 years ago. I have had zero GI symptoms until i switched to liquid K and got hit in 24 hours. Back on pills for a month and gut still in horrendous pain. But I have normal easy bowel movements. So weird. I’m pissed. I want to press the reverse button and not have done the liquid. I’m afraid it won’t ever go away now.

[Guest [...]]

Hi @[mi...]

There could be one of a few things going on here, so bear with me while I try to explain my own thinking on gut related symptoms.

If you go to a doctor and they can’t find any reason for your gut problems, they will diagnose you with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which isn’t a diagnoses at all. It’s basically telling you exactly what you already know… your bowel is irritable, rather than actually telling you ‘why’ it is irritable, which would be a proper diagnoses. 

So my question is this… Is Benzo Belly a similar term to IBS. Non specific. 

Possible reasons for gut related issues

(1) Is it solely related to Gabba receptors in the digestive tract? Possibly! I imagine this is what we call benzo belly.  (2) Is it an inability to break down an overabundance of histamine in the digestive tract. Histamine intolerance. (3) Have mast cells in the digestive tract become destabilised through stress or any other factors, causing the release of the body’s own histamine production. Mast cell activation syndrome. (4) Has one’s high state of constant stress caused  digestion to become impaired, slowed, and allowed bacteria or candida to colonise in the small intestine. Sibo (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) Sifo (small intestinal fungal overgrowth).

Although there are multiple possibilities, I would be looking at 1, 2, and 3.

To rule out 3, sit or lay down and do 1hr of the resonant breathing technique. If after 1hr, your digestive symptoms (bloating etc) have considerably decreased or disappeared altogether, then you will know you have destabilised mast cells (MCAS). You would then continue practicing calming techniques on a daily basis to continually calm and gradually stabilise your mast cells. Breath work, Meditation, Yoga, and even light calm walking. 
 

If the mast cells in your digestive tract or anywhere else in your body are destabilised and easily activated, then you will most likely be susceptible to histamine and need to avoid high histamine foods, and I agree with Jessamy… try and eat easily digestible foods. Do a search on the net for lower histamine easily digestible foods. 

My feeling is that you are probably distended all the time, not just after eating histamine containing foods, so it may not be histamine intolerance on its own. I would be leaning towards 1 or 3, but, as I said, if your digestive tract mast cells are destabilised, consuming high histamine foods will trigger mast cell activation. 

If it’s 1, then I would just eat a diet of easily digestible foods and do the calming techniques above. 

WS 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[mi...]]

@[Wi...] Since my BMs are still totally normal I tend to think it’s more irritated nerves that are overexcitable and seizing up. It’s not that I’m having a tough time digesting food, it’s that there is so much tension in my stomach that I have an aversion to eating and if I eat certain things that expand it pushes against my gut and causes the nerves to go crazy. I am not distended all the time, sometimes I am, and it’s weird looking at other times I’m not. It kind of depends on how excitable the nerves get. It feels like it’s massively, huge, like the way I feel you would think I am six months pregnant but then I looked down and it doesn’t look all that bad. But then other times it’s huge. But then I’ll pass like a tiny bit of gas and the whole thing goes flat. Food doesn’t seem to trigger gas or distention, it can happen when I don’t eat and sometimes when I eat, it doesn’t happen at all. It’s very strange. I feel like I need something that turns the nerves off in my abdomen. I know they would typically prescribe something like amitriptyline, or Remeron for that, I took a Remeron a few years ago and I had a similar episode and it did quiet down the stomach nerves. It’s so weird I feel like I am severely constipated at the moment, but, like every other morning, I will wake up and have a normal bowel movement even though it feels every minute of the day like I’m backed up, I’m not, and it comes out fine. It’s all the brain sending me signals that there is pressure and urgency, and all this other stuff going on.  I do feel like it’s inflamed but I wouldn’t say it’s always massive. It just feels like there’s a megaphone in my stomach magnifying the effect of every single nerve. They call it visceral hypersensitivity if you look it up. It’s driving me mad. I told my wife and she was like akathisia of the gut. I wanna literally claw my insides out because they are driving me crazy and it’s like a direct connection to my brain. 

[Guest [...]]

Have you notice that it happens more so when you’re stressed or panicked? 

[[mi...]]

Well I’m on my couch right now and I’m not panicked and it feels like my insides are solid stone and I need to pass gas but can’t. It’s severe inner gut tension. I feel different muscles contract at different times. I always feel like there’s incredible pressure and they’re like it’s pushing on my spine or on my bladder or on my rectum. I very rarely get complete relief. Sometimes I do for like an hour but then it comes back. It’s really a massive hyper awareness of my G.I. processes and I’m obsessed with it but like I said it started overnight a month ago and I had nothing like this day before, or at any point in the last two years. That’s why I’m so concerned, Somethings just activated the nervous system of my gut and now everything is hyper reactive to everything . It definitely makes me anxious and when I am anxious, sometimes it gets worse but I have been in a pretty bad state for about six weeks prior to when they started and my stomach was not acting up at all. It wasn’t until the day after. I took the liquid formula that this started. Now when I did my last cut four days ago, I woke up at three in the morning with the cramping intensifying, as if I was in labor. It was the most insane thing I’ve ever felt. I will say I am severely destabilized right now and have tons of WD symptoms I can’t get to settle down. I started destabilizing when I switched brands but it got launched to another level when I switched to liquid of another brand. Everything went crazy then including my gut. What I don’t get is why I haven’t stabilized yet on the original brand three weeks ago. Still having dozens of symptoms and my gut is still in distressing pain. It honestly feels like nerves. But nerves affecting the muscles making them do the weirdest things. I cry and freak out about it ever day. 

[Guest [...]]

So, I guess the questions are these…

1) Are these gut issues a direct result of the liquid formula not agreeing with you.

2) Was it an accumulative effect of stress leading up to a change to liquid that finally gave way to an onset of symptoms… the timing of which just coincided with the change to liquid. 

‘I’m not aware of your medication history or taper, but do you think switching back could help alleviate these issues. Is switching back even an option? 

Just a reminder - when you have a chance, could you fill out your medication and taper history on your profile page. It really is important to receiving properly informed feedback. 
 

[[mi...]]

It’s been a month so I think it’s not the effects of the liquid any longer but I’m thinking either an accumulation of changes or the liquid hit my system really hard and pushed me over the edge gut wise as a lot of other physical symptoms went nuts at the same time. I’d that’s the case a good long hold should pull me out of WD and this should likely settle down right? I was able to try my original pill back and have been on it for 3 weeks but am struggling with adjustment symptoms getting back on it like tight muscles and other symptoms. I’m hoping it’s just temporary. This is scary, when your body doesn’t do what it’s supposed to. 

[Guest [...]]

Yes… I think you’re right to hold. Your symptoms should settle down over time. I would also add in any practices which help calm your system, because that’s the name of the game… calming your entire system. Time will do its thing… but, we can help it on its way. 

[[mi...]]

The fact that I didn’t have any of these symptoms before I destabilized from the brand changes means I have a good chance of them not sticking around once I stabilize right? I’m so afraid this is permanent. Like I flicked a switch on and now it’s here to stay. Especially since I never had this symptoms before as part of my taper 

[Guest [...]]

Yes… I think you have a good chance of stabilising, however, this is where having access to you history would give us a much clearer picture through which to provide that informed feedback. 

Please remember that FEAR is a legitimate withdrawal symptom on its own. The more you focus on those fearful thoughts of not stabilising, the more it affects your nervous system and increases your symptoms. Those fearful thoughts/emotions trigger stress hormones and stress will intensify symptoms. 

Based on the very limited medication and taper history you’ve provided, I do still think there’s a high probability that a hold will eventually alleviate your symptoms. 

[[mi...]]

Thank you so much!

[Guest [...]]

You’re very welcome 

[[Je...]]

13 hours ago, [[W...] said:

Hi @[mi...]

There could be one of a few things going on here, so bear with me while I try to explain my own thinking on gut related symptoms.

If you go to a doctor and they can’t find any reason for your gut problems, they will diagnose you with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which isn’t a diagnoses at all. It’s basically telling you exactly what you already know… your bowel is irritable, rather than actually telling you ‘why’ it is irritable, which would be a proper diagnoses. 

So my question is this… Is Benzo Belly a similar term to IBS. Non specific. 

Possible reasons for gut related issues

(1) Is it solely related to Gabba receptors in the digestive tract? Possibly! I imagine this is what we call benzo belly.  (2) Is it an inability to break down an overabundance of histamine in the digestive tract. Histamine intolerance. (3) Have mast cells in the digestive tract become destabilised through stress or any other factors, causing the release of the body’s own histamine production. Mast cell activation syndrome. (4) Has one’s high state of constant stress caused  digestion to become impaired, slowed, and allowed bacteria or candida to colonise in the small intestine. Sibo (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) Sifo (small intestinal fungal overgrowth).

Although there are multiple possibilities, I would be looking at 1, 2, and 3.

To rule out 3, sit or lay down and do 1hr of the resonant breathing technique. If after 1hr, your digestive symptoms (bloating etc) have considerably decreased or disappeared altogether, then you will know you have destabilised mast cells (MCAS). You would then continue practicing calming techniques on a daily basis to continually calm and gradually stabilise your mast cells. Breath work, Meditation, Yoga, and even light calm walking. 
 

If the mast cells in your digestive tract or anywhere else in your body are destabilised and easily activated, then you will most likely be susceptible to histamine and need to avoid high histamine foods, and I agree with Jessamy… try and eat easily digestible foods. Do a search on the net for lower histamine easily digestible foods. 

My feeling is that you are probably distended all the time, not just after eating histamine containing foods, so it may not be histamine intolerance on its own. I would be leaning towards 1 or 3, but, as I said, if your digestive tract mast cells are destabilised, consuming high histamine foods will trigger mast cell activation. 

If it’s 1, then I would just eat a diet of easily digestible foods and do the calming techniques above. 

WS 

@[Wi...] This is such a GREAT explanation! I meditate and practice a breathing technique I learned through biofeedback every day, and it really helps, but I didn't know WHY! 

@[mi...] I've been tapering for quite a while now - you can see it all on my profile - I'm at 0.125 mgs in the evening of clonazepam right now. I've had on-going gut issues but they have improved dramatically. I just have to watch what I eat. And as I mentioned to Winters sun, I meditate and practice mindful breathing every day. 

I really hope you feel better, because I know it can be really miserable!