Dry Throat and Swallowing Issues - How to Proceed with Taper

[[Wa...]]

I’ve been dealing with some swallowing issues. My mouth has been really dry and I think that is causing a lot of my problems

I recently cut from .14mg K to .125mg. The last day of my hold at .14mg during the evening I had a bit of trouble swallowing. I don’t haven’t developed a new symptom late in a hold yet. So I didn’t think much of it at the time as I was able to eat dinner, but my late night tea was hard to get down

The next morning I was able to eat food before I dosed, so I went ahead and cut. That night eating dinner was tough. The next 2 days I could not get down full meals, just yogurt, fruit, protein bars. I decided to updose to .14. I have been there for 8 days now. I still am having some issues with swallowing. I can usually eat breakfast, but dinners get tough

I’m a little worried that things haven’t resolved themselves. From what I’ve read this is pretty common in w/d, but can also be a side effect. Also my seasonal allergies might be starting to kick in, I’m wondering if that could be a cause of my dry mouth and swallowing issues

I’m just wondering how I should proceed. Hold? Does this ever correct itself until you are off entirely? I’ve been trying to drink a lot of water and adjust a few things out of my diet but it seems to be somewhat random day to day

Edited February 23 by [Wa...]

[[...]]

I got problems with swallowing for weeks now. Its a little different than your Situation. I got food in my mouth, chew, but can't swallow. No Reflex. And that makes me panicing. 

[[Wa...]]

[[...]]

4 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

Ich habe gesehen, dass Sie in Ihrer Krankengeschichte die Dosis auf 30 mg erhöht haben. Hat das überhaupt gegen das Schlucken geholfen?

Yes. I can drink again. And eat with a lot of concentration. But its not fixed

[[or...]]

I have the swallowing issue as well, and mine is either a lot of mucus coming down from my sinuses that kind of gags me at times, or it feels like I unexpectedly can't swallow a drink or food, like someone mentioned a panicky feeling.  I have a prevalent tremor, especially my whole head, which includes my jaw and most likely my throat functioning properly. Lots of dry mouth as well, and a dry cough.  Seems like it would be a wet cough since the phlegm in my throat.  I has improved so much though through my taper.

I used to do a lot of sinus irrigation but no longer feel it's so necessary as when I was really struggling with the PND.  I have zero Acid Reflux since changing my diet, and when I used to eat something to late and not wait at least 3 hours before I try to go to bed.

Mine is getting better with time, and I'm tapering from 1mg Clonazepam, into taper about a year (come March). I love your username @[Wa...] because a warm/hot bath in Espom Salts with a little Essential Oil of Eucalyptus and Peppermint and helped me with my allergy issue (PND), oregonlady

[[Wa...]]

9 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

I have the swallowing issue as well, and mine is either a lot of mucus coming down from my sinuses that kind of gags me at times, or it feels like I unexpectedly can't swallow a drink or food, like someone mentioned a panicky feeling.  I have a prevalent tremor, especially my whole head, which includes my jaw and most likely my throat functioning properly. Lots of dry mouth as well, and a dry cough.  Seems like it would be a wet cough since the phlegm in my throat.  I has improved so much though through my taper.

I used to do a lot of sinus irrigation but no longer feel it's so necessary as when I was really struggling with the PND.  I have zero Acid Reflux since changing my diet, and when I used to eat something to late and not wait at least 3 hours before I try to go to bed.

Mine is getting better with time, and I'm tapering from 1mg Clonazepam, into taper about a year (come March). I love your username @[Wa...] because a warm/hot bath in Espom Salts with a little Essential Oil of Eucalyptus and Peppermint and helped me with my allergy issue (PND), oregonlady

I’m glad to hear it’s improved @[or...]. This is one of the more difficult symptoms I have had. Then you build anxiety around it and it just gets worse. I think my best bet is to just slow my taper here a bit towards the end.

Interested to hear what type of diet changes you made?

And yes, a warm bath with some epsom salt has been my go to the past few months

[[or...]]

23 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

I’m glad to hear it’s improved @[or...]. This is one of the more difficult symptoms I have had. Then you build anxiety around it and it just gets worse. I think my best bet is to just slow my taper here a bit towards the end.

Interested to hear what type of diet changes you made?

And yes, a warm bath with some epsom salt has been my go to the past few months

I dropped the carbs down below 50g a day (started Keto) and eventually was only eating under 20 carbs.  This was before getting well ready to be rid of the C benzo.  This was all because I got T2 Diabetes, and searched for alternatives to drugs.  After my learning I was addicted (learned after finding BB I was in Tolerance Wd)to my clonazepam, I wasn't about to take another drug for T2, I was scared, bigtime by the diagnosis.  I found a forum full of folks from UK/US and got with them. They are my other support group

I really believe I could never be doing as good as I am if it weren't for my nutritional changes that I'd made about 3 years before BB, and my learning to taper. I still eat some dairy which dropping it had no effect on my allergy, or possible histamine issues.  But they've still gotten better since tapering.  I read a lot, but mostly, I try things myself because I know every one of us is different. So I'm kind of my own test-subject, trial and error.  But it's better than being someone else's I always say now, oregonlady, yes, those baths help me relax, and sleep, especially when my wd sxs ramp up a bit

I lost 30 lbs of ugly fat too and never gained it back! I'm at my best weight again but exercise regular, easy stuff

Edited February 23 by [or...]

[[or...]]

I just read that Spinach is High in Histamine!!  And I eat a cup every morning with my eggs and sausage I left it out today and am going to see if my itch gets better.  I had actually read this before but wasn't willing to drop my Spinach, I so hope this might be the ticket and maybe you can try some foods as well, I just googled "can spinach cause itching, and hives and they can be a histamine intolerance!

[[Wa...]]

18 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

I just read that Spinach is High in Histamine!!  And I eat a cup every morning with my eggs and sausage I left it out today and am going to see if my itch gets better.  I had actually read this before but wasn't willing to drop my Spinach, I so hope this might be the ticket and maybe you can try some foods as well, I just googled "can spinach cause itching, and hives and they can be a histamine intolerance!

That’s unfortunate, spinach has been one of my staples the past few months. I hope cleaning up my diet helps a bit. Feels like this symptom came out of nowhere. But I have been sensitive to supplements and certain foods during the latter parts of my taper

[[or...]]

18 minutes ago, [[W...] said:

That’s unfortunate, spinach has been one of my staples the past few months. I hope cleaning up my diet helps a bit. Feels like this symptom came out of nowhere. But I have been sensitive to supplements and certain foods during the latter parts of my taper

Very, but I'm looking more since your topic so thank you.  I LOVE spinach, and my cheese, but I found a link you might like to look at too, I haven't fully scoped it out, but I'm hoping I might get some help as well I already feel I had to give up so much when I got T2, but it's all been worth it.  I truly balk and getting rid of other foods though, so don't know if I can handle it or not, Denise, well, oregonlady, I wish I could change my username, I don't even live in Oregon any longer

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-low-histamine-diet

PS I did find cheeses that aren't aged as long that might help me, and you if you love your cheese: I do Mozzarella now, but Feta, Burrata, and Mascarpone were mentioned.  Never heard of last 2

Edited February 23 by [or...]

[[Wa...]]

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

Very, but I'm looking more since your topic so thank you.  I LOVE spinach, and my cheese, but I found a link you might like to look at too, I haven't fully scoped it out, but I'm hoping I might get some help as well I already feel I had to give up so much when I got T2, but it's all been worth it.  I truly balk and getting rid of other foods though, so don't know if I can handle it or not, Denise, well, oregonlady, I wish I could change my username, I don't even live in Oregon any longer

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-low-histamine-diet

PS I did find cheeses that aren't aged as long that might help me, and you if you love your cheese: I do Mozzarella now, but Feta, Burrata, and Mascarpone were mentioned.  Never heard of last 2

I gave it a quick look. Apparently everything I like to eat is high histamine 😂

[[Wa...]]

Anyone have any advice on how I should proceed with taper? I’m on day 10 of my updose back to .14mg and it seems to come and go. I forced down dinner the past 2 nights, but this am could barely eat breakfast.
 

Is it wise to hold here? I’ve been using and tapering for 4 months total. I was hoping to taper off at .125mg, .0975mg, then .0625mg. I had no real symptoms the last cut until this happened. Wondering if it is some sort of tolerance w/d, tapering too fast, or a side effect. Just pretty confused and frustrated at this point

[[ti...]]

My two cents @[Wa...] (and please take with grain of salt, I am nowhere near as experienced with advising on this as admins, etc.), if you say this is your most major symptom (reading through here not sure what your other ones are), if I were you I would adapt to this issue by utilizing liquid diet / soft solid foods (or whatever means you research as effective), and proceed at the rate you have been going. It is not guaranteed this will go away during or even immediately after taper (for a time), but it will eventually go away with healing once your brain gets back to normal off the drug (which it will in time). I have learned to accept this with my insomnia (which is pretty darn bad), and some very annoying somatic issues which are also potentially being exacerbated by SSRI withdrawal and (hopefully not too much) by the SSRI I am currently on. I made the mistake of holding for too long at .25mg because I was focused on the insomnia issue and thought things were bad enough without continuing to proceed with tapering, and other unpleasant side effects/possible withdrawal symptoms have cropped up in part due to this. The longer you are on K, the greater the chances addiction/dependence develop, which could cause additional unpleasant symptoms and potentially longer taper/recovery period. 

[[Wa...]]

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

My two cents @[Wa...] (and please take with grain of salt, I am nowhere near as experienced with advising on this as admins, etc.), if you say this is your most major symptom (reading through here not sure what your other ones are), if I were you I would adapt to this issue by utilizing liquid diet / soft solid foods (or whatever means you research as effective), and proceed at the rate you have been going. It is not guaranteed this will go away during or even immediately after taper (for a time), but it will eventually go away with healing once your brain gets back to normal off the drug (which it will in time). I have learned to accept this with my insomnia (which is pretty darn bad), and some very annoying somatic issues which are also potentially being exacerbated by SSRI withdrawal and (hopefully not too much) by the SSRI I am currently on. I made the mistake of holding for too long at .25mg because I was focused on the insomnia issue and thought things were bad enough without continuing to proceed with tapering, and other unpleasant side effects/possible withdrawal symptoms have cropped up in part due to this. The longer you are on K, the greater the chances addiction/dependence develop, which could cause additional unpleasant symptoms and potentially longer taper/recovery period. 

Yeah these were a lot of my thoughts as well. Even after the updose my swallowing is still only so so, not to where it was when I was first at this level. And it’s been about 12 days since the updose. Also I feel a lot more anxiety coming back since I got to these lower doses. I wonder if that is affecting it at all