Can Tolerance Withdrawal do this?

[[PE...]]

Hi All.

I have been going through a very rough patch lately and I was wondering if it could be due to Tolerance Withdrawal.

I have been having gastrointestinal issues on and off now for over a year or more. Mostly I've had loose bowel movements. Bloating, Stomach cramps, gas and I've lost the ability to eat some foods and my appetite is poor, I've lost a fair amount of weight. I have been waking in the night needing to have an urgent bowel movement which isn't normal for me. I have also been getting a shaking feeling all over my body, but mostly in my stomach and chest, it feels like my heart is shaking. I'm having extreme night terrors most nights and my sleep is very poor.

A bit of background. It has been a very difficult 12 months. I have lost a number of people close to me, family and friends. Also my daughter got married and due to my agoraphobia I was unable to attend the wedding which broke my heart and my daughter was very upset. She is now expecting my first Grandchild and I'm very anxious that I won't get to play much of a part in his life because I can't leave the house and I am ashamed of what I have become because of benzos, I don't want him to see me as the mess I am, I want to protect him from that.

I have seen many Doctors this years and have had many tests including a CT scan on my Pelvis and abdominal area and chest x-ray etc etc All the tests and examinations have come back as normal and the Doctors say it isn't the Benzos causing the issues, but it is my mental health.

I am at my wit's end, I am totally confused and stuck. Is this me having a mental breakdown or is this being caused by the Benzos? My old GP retired recently but he use to say that the benzos have damaged my central nervous system. Sadly, the new GP and every other Doctor I have seen don't agree or don't know about benzo issues. None of them have heard of the Ashton Manuel. Finally, my local support group lost their government grant and have now closed.

I would welcome any suggestions and opinions. Many thanks in advance.

Peter 

[[de...]]

I am so sorry you are going through a rough spot.    Are you currently tapering a benzo?   It sounds like you had a GP that understood BIND (Benzo Induced Neurological Dysfunction).  Most doctors do not understand the injury that these drugs can cause.   Your symptoms are most likely due to benzo withdrawal and the additional stress can intensify those symptoms.  All the symptoms you mentioned are very typical of benzo withdrawal.   Please remember that this is your benzo brain trying to recalibrate.  I have found when I am going through a rough spot it is really important for me to practice my coping skills.   When I wake up in the night with anxiety, I will do some breathing exercise.   That usually calms me down and helps me get back to sleep.   Poor sleep is a hallmark of withdrawal.  I would say it is almost universal amongst those of us who are, or have, withdrawn from benzos.  

Please don't beat yourself up about events in which you have been unable to participate.    I know how hard this can be.   I have had to miss many family events and it has been really hard feeling like I have disappointed the people I love.   I have had to learn to be kind to myself.      

It would be helpful to know a little more about your story, so we can help you specifically.  As you know, you will receive lots of support here.   Hopefully others will respond.     

[[Ho...]]

Hi Peter,

Decatur is so right on all counts! I'm so sorry you lost your GP; he sounds like someone with a wealth of experience and wisdom. It's incredibly hard to find a medical professional who is versed in the damage Benzodiazepines do.

As Decatur said, it would be helpful to know where your benzodiazepine use is currently. Are you still taking one? Tolerance withdrawal seems to take place when the amount of benzos you're taking no longer work well, and an updose is required to reach some benefit. However, if you've stopped taking any benzodiazepines, and are in recovery mode, you might be going through a wave.

I'm sorry for your losses, on top of everything! We look forward to hearing your specifics Peter!

Warmly,

HCHC

 

[[tr...]]

Hi @[PE...], I’m sorry you are having these issues and the drs have not been able to help you. Have any of your drs recommend the FODMOD diet? It’s the diet recommended by Gastroenterologist for issues you are describing. Google it and read up on it, hopefully you will get some relief. Maybe take something like Prilosec to calm your stomach down while you get all this under control. We often have to diagnose ourselves and then tell the drs what we need.  Best of luck to you. 
 

Tropicalsoul

[Guest [...]]

Hi @[PE...]

I remembered talking to you in September of last year, so I went back and had a look at that post. You’ve been suffering for quite some time, and the sense I get is that you are stuck… not completely sold one way or the other over whether this is all benzodiazepine withdrawal or an underlying mental health issue seperate from the medication. I assure you that most (if not all) of your symptoms are as a direct result of the medication. It sounds like you are in tolerance, and the only way forward is for you to taper off the medication as sensibly as possible. 

It’s very difficult to give any guidance without knowing your current circumstances

1) What benzodiazepine are you taking?

2) What is your total dose per day?

3) Have you begun tapering, or have you been holding the same dose for some time? 

I know you must be very distressed, given the intense symptoms you are experiencing, but I feel that the worst thing you can do here is to continue standing still… hoping doctors will find an answer or that these symptoms will just disappear on their own. It’s the medication causing these symptoms, and unfortunately they just will not have a chance to resolve until you have removed the medication from your system completely. 

We can help guide you through the tapering process and provide encouragement and support along the way. 

If you could just answer those questions above… it will provide a starting point from which we can help you formulate a plan. 
 

WS

[[he...]]

Absolutely this could all be caused by the benzo. I believe that's exactly what is happening. The only way to resolve these things is to do a slow taper off the benzo and allow your CNS to heal. I'm sorry you're dealing with troubling symptoms. That's exactly what happened to me very quickly after starting clonazepam. It wasn't until four months down the road that I recognized something was wrong and suspected the drug.

[[Tr...]]

Tolerance looked like that for me too. Lots of gut issues, sensitive to foods, nervousness and new anxiety. I was even diagnosed with IBS. Functional medicine helped with gut things, eliminating gluten helped a lot, tapering off helped too. 
I would put money on it being the benzo.

 

 

[[PE...]]

Hello All

Sorry for the late reply, I've not been doing very well. I have been finding it difficult to reply due to my Benzo brain. Sorry in advance for spelling and grammar errors, Dyslexic and Benzos don't mix well.

In answer to your questions about my benzo history. I thought it was in my profile, apologies.

1. I was prescribed Diazepam in July 1998 for Panic Attacks. I had many issues in my life at that time that all came at once. A newborn child, my relationship with my partner was complex. Threat of redundancy and my beloved Grandfather was dying. I broke. Panic attacks started. Saw GP given Diazepam and told to take whatever dose I wanted whenever I felt I needed them. Became very unwell very quickly on the Benzos. Asked the GP if it was the drugs or me? Was told Benzo was harmless and it was me having a breakdown. Developed lots of new symptoms. Mostly extreme anxiety and for the first time in my life agoraphobia. Plus many more. All due to my mental health and not the Benzos according to the Doctors. I lost everything! By December 1999 I was sectioned. Told the Doctor at the mental health unit what had happened and she was very upset with my treatment. She put me on a daily dose of 18mg. By Feb 1999 I was discharged. I felt mostly well, went to a new job. Did extremely well, seemed to be cured. By September 2000 started to fill on edge again. By February 2001 totally crushed again. Told it was me and not the drugs. Lost everything, again!

2. Stopped believing the Doctors. Luckily by chance found a local Benzos support group. They told me what the Benzos were doing to me and that it wasn't me! Start my first taper failed at 1.5mg, I was in total collapse. Not able to see my daughter. Very long story short. I have failed 6 times to withdraw. In hindsight stupidly decided to stay on 18mg so I could be with my daughter. Fast forward to 2014 sectioned again as I was unable to cope. Unable to see my daughter since due to my shame and guilt at what I have become. Wanted always to protect her from seeing me in a Benzos state. It was the wrong decision. Our relationship now strained.

3. Present. On 18mg Diazepam and have many issues with my physical and mental health. In the main Doctors kind but with regards to Benzos useless. Local Benzo support group lost its government funding and folded last month. I live alone. Family main support network but worn out by my years of Benzo issues. As I said many health issues, lots of tests. All results clear of any organic causes. Back to it being my mental health. Feel absolutely stuck and defeated by the Benzos. Scared to taper again. I think it will kill me, I'm to old to take it. Then again I'm currently in a living hell on them. No life, just exist.

Sorry for the waffle and self pity. That's be today. On 18mg Diazepam to scared to withdraw having tried many times. No help from medics Doctors on offer. I live in hell everyday. The Doctors still think the symptoms I have aren't due to my Beno dependency.

Thank you all for your kindness by Benzo family.

Best regards 

Peter