Hidden pitfalls in food

[[Ta...]]

I went to a restaurant - a rare occurrence these days - and I ordered a "GF Veggie Benedict," thinking this would be the least harmful choice. Wow! I am in such misery now! All kinds of prickles and zaps and malaise! Trying to retrace my steps and see what went wrong. It had to be the "hollandaise sauce."

I keep trying to do "normal" things, a little bit at a time, but there are pitfalls! When you see a "sauce" on a menu it can contain just about anything! I am extremely sensitive since my Benzo injury, but it doesn't mean that I can't occasionally go out and enjoy eating amongst fellow humans (I have really missed this.) I can make my own "sauce," and bring it with me next time, along with "safer" things like lemon slices that don't bring on an adverse effect.

I've seen "vinegar" described as "bio-waste," and for me that's true. I'm just really sensitive to it now.  Lemon juice is high in histamine, but a small amount goes a long way, and doesn't trigger me at all.

Making these adjustments, and adhering to them carefully just enhances recovery for me. Accepting limitations has been a  freeing thing. Chances are that I won't be able to just eat whatever I want again, but for me that's okay. It's possible that going thru Benzo injury has some silver linings. Not to in any way negate the pain and suffering it causes.  But, going thru this journey has made me mindful and conscious of everything I do...and I'm grateful for that!

[[Br...]]

We often see members describe increased food sensitivities during withdrawal.  If you had a sweet dessert or alcohol at dinner that could also be a culprit.  I also wonder if the sensory stimulation of going to a restaurant may have been a challenge to your sensitized CNS.    We all have to learn the best ways to take care of ourselves during withdrawal and I'm glad you have a good sense of what foods to avoid.

[[Ta...]]

18 hours ago, [[B...] said:

We often see members describe increased food sensitivities during withdrawal.  If you had a sweet dessert or alcohol at dinner that could also be a culprit.  I also wonder if the sensory stimulation of going to a restaurant may have been a challenge to your sensitized CNS.    We all have to learn the best ways to take care of ourselves during withdrawal and I'm glad you have a good sense of what foods to avoid.

Going out into public places IS  overstimulating to me. Places where people are. Being outside alone in nature is therapeutic, however. This is a lonely road we're on.

[[ve...]]

I think it's not the food but the anxiety hitting the solar plexus, where the stomach resides, and the center of our physical willpower.

[Guest [...]]

Hi @[Ta...]

Although lemon is reasonably low histamine, it’s actually a histamine liberator (releases the body’s own stores of histamine into your system, as opposed to reacting to the histamine in the lemon. Vinegar is also considered to be a histamine liberator, and traditional hollandaise sauce contains apple cider vinegar. Very small amounts may be tolerated. 

Personally, I react to an endless list of foods, sauces and spices. 

I also deal with MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) which can become a very real issue when dealing with the potential long term intense stress associated with benzodiazepine withdrawal. 

However, it is manageable once we gain the knowledge to know what we can eat and what we need to avoid, and it’s great to see you keep your focus on the potential positives, as hidden or obscured as they appear to be at times. 

 

[[dj...]]

14 hours ago, [[v...] said:

I think it's not the food but the anxiety hitting the solar plexus, where the stomach resides, and the center of our physical willpower.

Oh it can definitely be the food.  I won’t say the foods here to freak people out, but some of the really high glutamate foods messed me up on multiple occasions.  

[[ns...]]

On 13/01/2024 at 04:01, [[T...] said:

I went to a restaurant - a rare occurrence these days - and I ordered a "GF Veggie Benedict," thinking this would be the least harmful choice. Wow! I am in such misery now! All kinds of prickles and zaps and malaise! Trying to retrace my steps and see what went wrong. It had to be the "hollandaise sauce."

I keep trying to do "normal" things, a little bit at a time, but there are pitfalls! When you see a "sauce" on a menu it can contain just about anything! I am extremely sensitive since my Benzo injury, but it doesn't mean that I can't occasionally go out and enjoy eating amongst fellow humans (I have really missed this.) I can make my own "sauce," and bring it with me next time, along with "safer" things like lemon slices that don't bring on an adverse effect.

I've seen "vinegar" described as "bio-waste," and for me that's true. I'm just really sensitive to it now.  Lemon juice is high in histamine, but a small amount goes a long way, and doesn't trigger me at all.

Making these adjustments, and adhering to them carefully just enhances recovery for me. Accepting limitations has been a  freeing thing. Chances are that I won't be able to just eat whatever I want again, but for me that's okay. It's possible that going thru Benzo injury has some silver linings. Not to in any way negate the pain and suffering it causes.  But, going thru this journey has made me mindful and conscious of everything I do...and I'm grateful for that!

It was the sauce for sure!

Glad to know your getting out and trying to do normal things. Yes be careful what u eat, how stimulated you get, but u know this! 

Great job! Sorry you had issue but you'll figure it out. Time is on your side, the best is yet to come!

 

[[ve...]]

7 hours ago, [[d...] said:

Oh it can definitely be the food.  I won’t say the foods here to freak people out, but some of the really high glutamate foods messed me up on multiple occasions.  

If anything, it's the food additive monosodium glutamate that people should avoid, as with any artificial additives.

Glutamate is the precursor to GABA and, like GABA in supplements, if doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier.

 

 

[[dj...]]

7 hours ago, [[v...] said:

If anything, it's the food additive monosodium glutamate that people should avoid, as with any artificial additives.

Glutamate is the precursor to GABA and, like GABA in supplements, if doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier.

Yep.  I avoid MSG like a plague and the stuff that is really high in glutamate, even if natural (soy sauce, fish sauces, umami, aged cheeses like parmesan).  I had hibachi once and wanted to die about 2-3 hours later.  Also had pad thai once and everything was inflamed.  The low to moderate glutamate stuff is ok in moderation.  
 

There are other additives similar to MSG that I avoid too.  This whole ordeal has really educated me to how much crap is put into our foods.  Even when all this is done I think I’m going to be a lot more mindful of what I eat.