Eating became a big issue - is anybody in a similar situation?

Is anyone having a hard time eating during the withdrawal? With all the extra moving stress, noise and not being able to get furniture my eating became very difficult...i had acid reflux and even trying to eat simple food, soups, mashed potatoes, fish...all clean, nothing fried...i am concerned with my food intake. I tried a kind of energy drink similar to ensure but got too much sugar and felt bloated. the energy drink had 400 calories, out of which 200 were fiber. I tried to drink 2 bottle per day, but thinking i should try only one...what is your experience with the food intake? I was in detox in december from 4mg ativan that i took for 3 months however got reinstated at 30mg oxazepam, which less than half of corresponding original dosage so I suffer a lot for the last 6 months. My appetite is gone but i force myself to eat something ...it's just too little. Please share with me your experience if you are in a similar situation. I need a lot of encouragement right now.

Wishing healing to all of us.

No one, please?

Dont lose faith.

 

I have something a little similar right now. My family are constantly saying I don't eat enough but at the moment no appetite. I eat small amounts ie grazing throughout the day and force it. I suck on anything like raisins and nut mix..and nibble through only nutritious things only. I know I don't eat enough but I have a fear of it now that too much food will be bad for me somehow.

 

This is temporary...you will feel better. Its just a phase. The acid reflux sounds horrid. I get it on odd occasions.

 

Someone else will come along with some more ideas. Oh and make sure you drink lots of water. You could also make smoothies if your up to it and just sip throughout the day.

 

I nibble on meridian walnut butter...it contains crushed walnuts..anything that's good for me

 

Shania

thanks Shania...you are always so nice and helpful...and yes, I am scared...this is me..when i have stress my appetite is very bad and now this is on top of the wd ....i was able to eat a bit better before this move...the stress made it much worse....i just had an ensure type drink of 400 calories, i had some milk with some cereals in the morning, soup with 2 dumplings and celery and carrot at noon, a slice of bread with a thin slice of chicken ham and some cottage cheese and this drink...praying to be able to eat some mashed potatoes for later...how many times a day do you eat now? did you lose weight?

forgot to mention that the acid reflux comes to me as as a funny taste...not really acid...but gas, burbing and if force too much food then i can get some food coming back to my throat, but this is rare...when i really eat too much...i was told years ago t hat my stomach is slugish and i have to eat small portions at a time, which i did and had no issue...after the detox, the appetite disepeared and when i started forcing more food I got this burbing and funny taste in my mouth

I have an awful taste in my mouth and taste like a gas is coming up from my stomach and into my mouth..not acid reflux but a gas

 

yes I lost around 14 pounds

 

it sounds like your eating isn't too bad from what you say. At least your eating something albeit a small amount.

 

Shania

i lost much more after the detox in december...all my clothes are loose now. I am afraid to go on the scale, but i can see myself in the mirror, it's terrible...hardly recognize this face...

 

where are you in the tapering? cannot understand it from your signature...it seems that you are benzo free?

Hi Zack I will pm you

 

shania

This is a common problem in withdrawal. Food may not taste or "feel" right, we may have nausea, reflux acid, any a ton of other things that make one eat less. It is very normal.

 

For me, taking benzos caused me to eat less, and I was already too thin. At the height of my addiction I got down to 85 lbs. I am 5'3" and looked awful. Felt awful too. And going cold turkey certainly did not help!

 

What I did was a bit odd and wont sound healthy to you at all, but it did help me. During that first, horrible year of recovering, the entire time I was on the computer during the day and evening, reading posts here and trying to help, I munched on Pearsons Peppermint Patties. Sometimes splurged on Yorks.  I ate bag after bag. I was sort of embarrassed about this and actually went to different stores to buy them, as if hiding an addiction!!!!! Well, I guess it sort of was. But this crazy diet did help me gain back weight and once I reached 105 lbs I felt safe. I am not suggesting YOU do this! What I would suggest is NOT thinking "Healthy Foods" right now. COMFORT foods is what will help you not only gain some weight, but give you some real pleasure in the middle of benzo misery.

You can always return to all that "healthy" foods later on, but right now you need calories and comfort!

i dont have trouble eating in itself, chewing, swallowing, etc, but man i feel pretty whacked out after lunch, its like the whole process of eating and digesting is intense for my body, im all whacky afterwards, and often during eating. it sends me into lala land, it sucks.

 

a natural dr thought it could be my vagas nerve, i took supplements at the beginning of all this for that, helped a little bit, but i still get "eating weirdness"

 

i think im just stupid sensitive and just the act of eating things is a big dealon my system and i feel it all.

 

that or im just a dorky lunatic who will perish alone in some corner of the world with no one ever figuring me out cause im not actually from this planet and the food doesnt agree with me....

i dont have trouble eating in itself, chewing, swallowing, etc, but man i feel pretty whacked out after lunch, its like the whole process of eating and digesting is intense for my body, im all whacky afterwards, and often during eating. it sends me into lala land, it sucks.

 

a natural dr thought it could be my vagas nerve, i took supplements at the beginning of all this for that, helped a little bit, but i still get "eating weirdness"

 

i think im just stupid sensitive and just the act of eating things is a big dealon my system and i feel it all.

 

that or im just a dorky lunatic who will perish alone in some corner of the world with no one ever figuring me out cause im not actually from this planet and the food doesnt agree with me....

 

Luke, you are NOT some dorky lunatic!!! That kind of feeling is very common in withdrawal. We think we are so different from others, we feel we are somehow LESS than others. And we are NOT. We are just people, suffering through something that most humans dont even know exists! I believe that that is, maybe, the hardest thing about withdrawal from benzos. The general public has NO IDEA of what we are going through. That leaves us feeling very, very lonely and isolated.

 

Eating "weirdness" is very common. Luke, I was AFRAID of vegetables for over a year! I saw them as somehow menacing. Weird, but true. The entire body is affected by benzo withdrawal. It is mainly the brain, but the brain controls and affects the ENTIRE body, including the GI tract. Very often people have gastric upset or even diarrhea during withdrawal. I personally had gut pain, so bad I became convinced I had cancer! Well  I didnt. I am just fine now.

 

Dont worry about your vagus nerve. That will take care of itself without any help. Your brain will heal, as long as you leave it alone and dont add any new chemicals or drugs into it. Healing takes time. Healing takes a lot of patience and the willingness to keep on trying no matter what.

east