Benzo Belly While Still on a Benzo ?

[[...]]

Hi All,

            I don't know if this was answered already on all the pages of Benzo Belly. I've been on Alprazolam for 9 years. 1 1/2 MG at bedtime. I have not attempted a taper yet. Since March, I've had bouts of being bloated on and off after eating and not eating much. Since then, it has increased exponentially to virtually every day. I'll eat very small meals and will still bet bloated, and it will last for a couple of hours. It feels like an elastic band is around my solar plexus and no pain just uncomfortable. This past week, was pretty intense and today, went to the ER and bloodwork was fine. I'm due to see the Gastro Doc in a month which will probably be a waste of time.

So, my question is: Can you still get Benzo Belly just taking it as prescribed?

[[Ca...]]

I don't know but I have it and I have been tapering valium sllowly for over two years...I am down to 13.7

[[PE...]]

I think benzo belly is a effect of the enormous stress a withdrawal put the body in. Are you stressed out?

Peace.

[[...]]

Yes, very stressed out. Part of it is, I've been putting off tapering for a number of years and that adds to it.

I do know I go through interdosal withdrawal. The jitters and a lot of worry. I am putting together a tapering plan and am starting next Monday.

Carol Jean, congrats on your progress. Thanks for your replies.

[[Pi...]]

Yes.  I had benzo belly before withdrawal.  I just had a protruding belly, no other symptoms of benzo belly.  I am at month 23 since tapering.  Ten days ago I stopped eating as much out of the blue.  Hopefully my belly will go down because I am eating less carbs.

[[...]]

Congrats on your getting off this poison. I was on Alprazolam for a year when I realized I made a huge mistake getting on it. Got on in 2015. I don't want to go into my whole history, (it's in my profile.) I was my mom's caregiver, (Dementia) and got on it because I was woken up several times a night and the general stress. She passed in 2019 and then the pandemic hit so I had every excuse not to start. Now it's time.

Yes, less carbs I think is key and eating smaller portions. Again, thank God for this place where we can share ideas and experiences.

     

[[tw...]]

I had the same issue while on 0.5 mg of Clonazipam once a day.  I have been off Clonazipam for about 3 weeks now, and the gastro symptoms are even worse than when I was on it, which I expected.  I will be seeing a gastro in a couple of weeks.  I do not know if I should try to wait out the IBS symptoms and not take any new prescriptions for IBS for a period of time, so my body can adjust.  Or do I really have IBS, since I was diagnosed with it while on benzos?

[[Cr...]]

Hello @[tw...], welcome to BenzoBuddies!

A lot of members have GI issues as their prominent withdrawal symptom. But it is always wise to get other medical issues ruled out. Is IBS something that can be ruled out by tests or is it diagnosed strictly from symptoms of the patient?

[[tw...]]

I have not had any IBS tests yet other than for parasites, which were negative.  I would say the doctor diagnosed me mostly based on symptoms.  I guess I will see what the gastro has to say.   Thanks.

[[...]]

Yesterday, I went to the ER (again) because I ate virtually nothing. A small bowl of oatmeal.(breakfast) a banana (lunch) and an all beef hot dog on half a pita bread with a few potato chips.(dinner) About an hour later after dinner, at my navel area it felt like it was going to explode. Bloodwork was fine and they also did a CT scan with contrast. Intestines all ok and clear but I do have a small Hiatal Hernia. I asked the doctor about Interdosal Benzo withdrawal, and he never heard of it. There you go.

[[Ca...]]

The dinner sounds delicious but might have contributed to the escalation? You ate lightly but it was high carb. I have awful nausea and benzo belly so I feel your pain. I hate to see you getting a CAT scan with contrast. I am amazed you could sit thru the ER twice. You must have really felt scared.

GI could recommend a colonoscopy. Have you tried drinking plain ginger tea or plain peppermint tea wgen you have the intense pain? I always think it's caused by trapped gas.

[[...]]

Yeah, I think the dinner, even though light was the culprit. I've never been to the ER 2 days in a row and I'm 69.

If there's a positive from getting the CT scan, it showed no blockages or growths. Of course, they gave me scripts for Pepcid AC and Dicyclomine which is an antispasmodic. Don't want to get on either. I'll try the tea.

What has been helping release the gas is Activated Charcoal. Thanks for your encouragement and concern.