Benzo Belly- what is it?

New to BB and not knowing many commonly used terms.

What is Benzo Belly? Is it real common? Is it normally in a certain

area of the abdomen? Would someone please characterize it. I may have

had it for years ...

Thank you, RickC

 

Hi RickC, Benzo Belly can be an upset system all the time with a nausea's feeling belly ...sore and tight ...the more common symptom is bloated and swollen ...big that looks like a pregnant one ...the belly at the bottom can be flabby or you might have the upper hard one that looks like an alien is in there ... tight painful for some ...hard to walk and off balance as it is so big ...it can be distorted looking and more at one side than another ...feels like it's pushing up and out all over  regardless of how much or little you eat, some have this with gas and noise .It does go but quicker for some ...hope you can relate ...Love Tass x

My benzo belly is a hypersensitive gastrointestinal system, because of the not healed Benzodiazepine receptors(the Most are in the belly) in there.

And because of that i have a belly, that Look like i will become a fat baby in the next days.

Sometime it look like, that i will become two fat babys.

my belly muscles are also often hard like a rock.

The Skin itches terrible.

Stomach cramps that make my heart reacing, breathing problems, stiff-spine-neck and left thorax side etc.

Water retention in the belly and around the gut. I think it comes for a block/congested lymphatic system.

I have also lymphfluid swelling in the upper legs.

The interessting thing is, when my stress become lesser the Fluid become lesser. I can see After a good sleep that my swelling is lesser and i think it is because that the lymphatic System relax and can flow again.

When i eat wrong food that stresses my hypersensitive belly system, It's like a shock for him, the blood and lymph Flow become Block/congested and all other systems in there can't and don't work right anymore(constipation etc.)

 

I don't have any pains or bloating.  What I do have is horrible acid reflux (GERD) which comes and goes. Can this be part of the benzo belly phenomenon ?

This was one of my worst symptoms in tolerance withdrawal, starting about 5 years before I tapered - pain, burning, extreme bloat, etc. I also got edema in my legs, badly.  I saw my GP who diagnosed me with "leaky gut" - not the right diagnosis, but it steered me in a direction that helped to relieve symptoms a bit (eliminating gluten, soy, and most processed foods from my diet).  This all changed when I started to taper and my GI symptoms could no longer be controlled through diet - and I tried, likely restricting my diet too much.  Anyway, the good news is IT GOES AWAY!  This was one of the first big symptoms (after anxiety) to resolve after coming off of Klonopin.  Once in a while it will pop up, but only for a short time, and only when I'm really stressed out.  Hugs, WR

 

 

Dairy/milk and carbs(bread) make my belly massiv worse. Sugar also a bit. Foods high in free glutamate or glutamic acid is also a Problem for the hypersensitive belly/gut.

Thank you all very much for the input.

Probably something I've had for years and

"chased rabbits" with all kinds of mis-diagnoses.

Eagerly awaiting brain healing and some relief.

Hang in there friends!

Rick

There are more GABA receptors in the stomach than anywhere else in the body. Millions of receptors, all healing at once. That's what causes benzo-belly. It goes away, don't worry. Help it heal by eating healthy 

I am trying to fact find about benzo belly right now also and posted the same question earlier in the week with only one reply.  I am 14 months out and have been feeling much better until last week when my stomach has become hugely distended and gurgly and discomfort if I eat carbs or processed foods.  I seem to have gone into a wave of some sort that brought on benzo belly ugh.

 

I am curious if anyone gets an ugency to pee with benzo belly?  This started the other day after a work event where I attempted to hold my stomach in all day.  The muscles got tweaked and are now overacting down there.

 

Anyway keep the info coming!

How long did your benzo belly last??  I'm going on seven days of extreme discomfort.  Er dr gave me bintyl.  He showed me an X-ray of my stomach.  You can actually see all the trapped gas near the top of my abdomen.  I need to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Did you do anything special to make it go away??

Pooky - Kefir worked good for my benzo belly. Other BB's told me about it. It is a drink that you buy at the store, kind of like thin yogurt with fruit flavor. All I needed was a mouthful in the morning and it helped a lot. I believe that it works like a probiotic with living organisms to help in digestion. Good luck! 

I just saw your response!  sorry...It took me awhile with my hijacked brain to figure out how to work the site.

shortly after my benzo belly things got WAY worse.  I lost my mind.  4 weeks out I reinstated last night because I have two little kids.  I went waaaay to fast the first time.  Now Im going to do a very slow micro taper. I read your signature. It looks like you reinstated and had good luck with your second taper.  How did it go??  how slow did you take it and how was the jump?  I just need some hope after what I just went through.

OMG! The nightmare is endless. I didn't know to attribute my symptoms too benzos.

Chew some caraway seeds during the day and 2-4 spoons of natural youghurt. It has helped my belly enormously 

I am in total agony right now...with totally distended belly and a lot of pain too!! It's been going on for 24 hours now, I'm on day 11 Xanax free....having some functional days, then days like today are totally non-functional.  I was so relieved to read everyone's posts about this Benzo Belly phenomenon I thought I was dying or needed to go to the ER first couple of times this happened.  I had it during my tapering process too and it's been awhile until Saturday morning when I woke up in such bad abdominal pain I couldn't even walk upright!

It's the worst...except for the intense 3 day long migraine I had a couple of weeks ago, oh and the horrid tinnitus, and then there's the extreme, bone crushing, fatigue, etc, etc, etc...lol! Its unbelieveable just how many symptoms this stuff and the lack thereof can cause!! Physically as well as mentally and emotionally!!

Anyway as far as the Benzo Belly...I have noticed when I stay away from unhealthy, processed foods, dairy esp cheese, too much grains even...that it helps! It seems for me at least that a high protein diet with fruits, veggies and sprouted grain bread works well, along with probiotics daily, no coffee or black tea, only green tea and herbal tea, lots of alkaline water, grape juice (welchs), warm lemon juice and water in the morning is really beneficial. Eating healthy, hydrating well and not missing my daily probiotics has kept the belly problems at bay for the most part.  Today's flare up I could definitely blame on my bad diet for the past couple of days due to running low on groceries we all know how daunting going to the grocery store can be...UGH!!

If anyone else has specifics on dealing with Benzo Belly I'd love to hear about them. Especially any remedies for the pain once it's already begun.....is there any way to get relief rather than waiting for it to pass?? Right now I'd give anything for a break from this pain and discomfort 

 

Yes I still need to put my Signature together..........hopefully later today!

I had this exact thing and did go to the ER because it was my first symptom and didn't know it was connected to benzo withdrawal.  mine lasted 2 weeks.  The er dr gave me a muscle relaxer because the muscles in my abdomen were tightening and there was a bunch of trapped gas in the upper abdomen.  I also started a probiotic and drank bone broth.  within days it was gone.  Ive read several times to get a probiotic with the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus.  These three things worked for me.  Its absolutely horrible I know.  But it will go away.  I know it doesn't feel that way when you have it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks pooky......I haven't been here for a couple of weeks due to jumping off my MsContin!

I've been free of Benzo Belly since that last post...... until yesterday... now I'm on day two of it again have had very little sleep for days now! Running out of groceries again so I ate a grilled cheese sandwich and *Boom* the next morning Benzo Belly!!! I'm getting so weak from not eating....ugh!

There are times I'm unsure if the tummy discomfort is because I've not eaten much or the Benzo Belly....probably both! 

I have kept up with good probiotics. Got some Peppermint Altoids they seem to help a bit!

I've also had my Gallbladder removed which doesn't help matters when it comes to certain foods......but as we know sometimes it's just soooo hard to even go to the market!

Bless us all on this difficult journey......peace and love!

Mine is a roiling sensation gas and a burning, prickling sensation in my gut. The distinction comes and goes. I ended up in the ER. Had tests. Everything looked normal. I remember the day it came on, April 8th of 2017. My last dose of klonopin was April 28th. It was horrible at first. I was convinced I was dying. I have had relief since then and am looking forward to more relief. On the upside, my diet is cleaner than its ever been. Mostly vegetables, grains, vegetables, kefir that I make, I can still do that with no prob. And organic. Our local Safeway carries organic I can afford. Yay!

Dairy/milk and carbs(bread) make my belly massiv worse. Sugar also a bit. Foods high in free glutamate or glutamic acid is also a Problem for the hypersensitive belly/gut.

 

 

This is correct. I switched to a paleo / candida / leaky gut type of diet and I have felt much better since.

Is a benzo belly also related to a z-drugs (affects the same gaba receptors as a benzo) ? I used zopiclone. I am constantly having the feeling that my belly is there. It is not painful but I sometimes relate it with anxiety feelings. I tried psyllium and also bi garde cultures, and figs too, but I still have it. Three days ago I stopped with zopiclone, so if it is benzo/z-drugs related, I hope this benzo belly will stop...

I have burning all throughout my belly area and at times it radiates into my back,  distention, gurgling all over the belly area, it has been my worst w/d symptom. I sit around with a tens machine, like right now, attached to my gut. It at least allows me to get out and do things. I was in the ER over it and had tests and everything came back normal. My nervous system Is having a field day.