Vegetarian (Support Group)

Just wanted to make a support group for vegetarians to share their thoughts and experiences what it's like going through this withdrawal process whilst being a vegetarian. I have lots of anxious thoughts that being vegetarian I might be missing something that others get from meat and fish that could help heal my brain/nervous system. I'm guessing there might be others like me in that, so it would be nice to support each other.

 

I was vegan for years but given the intensity of this nightmare withdrawal process I ended up going vegetarian, as I just feel more stable eating eggs and dairy products again. I also found out whilst vegan, because I couldn't tolerate any supplements I ended up being deficient in B12, iron and vitamin D but after a year of eating eggs and dairy I am pleased to report all those nutrients are back in the normal range. FYI To achieve this I typically have to eat 2 eggs a day and 2 cups of milk a day.

 

I am still however in a really bad way, my worst symptoms at 4 years off are brain zaps, a burning sensation in my brain, and tingling and inner vibrations around my whole body. What's so alarming is that although these are classic withdrawal symptoms they are also symptoms commonly associated with nutrient deficiencies which in turn causes a lot of anxious thinking about whether I'm missing anything in my diet from being a vegetarian.

 

From my research the only nutrient that I can see that I might be missing out on as a vegetarian is DHA/EPA, I tried t supplement that once and it literally blew up my brain, so I won't be doing that again. But interestingly enough I know quite a few meat eaters who don't go anywhere near fish, and they seem to do just fine without getting DHA/EPA. FYI I've read a few studies that show that meat eaters who don't eat fish and vegetarians have EXACTLY the same levels of DHA/EPA. I found this somewhat reassuring.

 

I will admit that I have tried meat and fish on several occasions during this withdrawal process, just out of sheer desperation to feel well again. However, it seems after years of going without meat and fish my body and nervous system just can't tolerate it. Since starting the withdrawal process, my nervous system just seems to have a huge issue with CHANGE. Within a couple of hours I get very rev'd up, and that in turn heightens all my symptoms and then I just end up in a heap the next day. Has anyone else experienced this after trying to reintroduce meat and fish in their diet after being a vegetarian for a period of time?

 

Anyway, hopefully that's enough info to get this support group going.

 

Thanks for reading...

I went full vegan.

 

I just get a b12 shot every 3 months. I really don't think it has a negative effect on withdrawal!

I would like to be part of your support group.  Does your support group include those who are protracted??  I am 4 and 1/2 years off.  Just recently within the last few months have attempted to become vegan, however it is difficult at times.  I did notice something though.  I was plagued by irritation at the rectal area.  Since not eating beef, chicken, eggs,  I no longer have the irritation unless I ingest meat or eggs.  Had to swear off milk & cheese because I would get a histamine reaction from it. 

 

My digestive tract thanks me for being vegan if only my brain would understand it!

 

Sweet pea

I’m 4 years off as well... everyone welcome here 👍🏻

Hello everyone...I'm thinking about going to this diet after the holidays....I just feel terrible...and I know that I have  issues with certain foods but there must be more that I'm sensitive to im just having a really hard time figuring out which foods that trigger me...

Sweet pea....can I ask how do you react or know if it's histamine ....how does your body react to histamine foods?

 

Hugs

TM

 

Oooh TM is real clear to me.  If I am having a histamine reaction to something I am eating I almost immediately get a stuck feeling in me esophagus then have to expel whatever it is out the way it came along with mucus.  Sorry if this is graphic for some but that’s it.

 

Sweet pea

Sweet Pea..thanks for replying.....

 

Hugs

TM

 

Over the past year I've gone off the taste and texture of meat and am now mostly vegetarian, though I sometimes eat fish. I find a vegetarian diet easier to digest as I have IBS. I'm found that I don't miss meat. It's been a gradual process.

New here as of Jan. 1.  Tapering from 2 mg Lorazepam.  Have been WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED for one year.  Doing it for health reasons.  Glad you all are here.

 

Ghislaine😊

I have been mostly vegetarian since February. I don't feel that is impacting my health but I have had to stop all dairy because it makes me incredibly ill. Have been waking up with charley horses every night the last few weeks, finally googled it and see low calcium can cause this, so I just started supplementing and it is a little better. Also having a lot of eye twitches, think that can be the same thing. I actually love dairy but it causes horrible reactions, nausea, diarrhea, shaking so bad it's like I am having a seizure. I do try to eat meat a few times a week just to get in some amino acids that I know I am missing; I just never feel good when I do.

Be careful dropping dairy unless you are going to take a B12 supplement. When I dropped dairy my B12 score dropped to 75. Once I reintroduced it it went back up to 280. The body absorbs B12 much better from dairy than from eggs. Dairy is also much higher in B12 than eggs 🤓

Recently turned 4 years since my last Xanax and my nervous system is still completely raw, jumping at the slightest sound even. Starting to freak out that my vegetarian diet isn’t helping me heal the benzo damage. What makes the rest of you so confident that we can heal this mess as vegetarians? Advice neeeed

Be careful dropping dairy unless you are going to take a B12 supplement. When I dropped dairy my B12 score dropped to 75. Once I reintroduced it it went back up to 280. The body absorbs B12 much better from dairy than from eggs. Dairy is also much higher in B12 than eggs 🤓

 

so I guess I need to supplement B12 then? I honestly love dairy but it makes me incredibly sick now so there is no way that I can consume it i any form.

I've been a vegetarian close to 60 years now and have started to become concerned about my nervous symptoms being related to B12 deficiency. Took an iron supplement for 35 years and was beginning to think it wasn't working so I took an easily absorbed B12 tablet and have found it unnecessary to take the iron tablets now. I'm also looking at a B12 spray as I've heard that's supposed to be a very easily absorbed form of B12 as well.

Does anyone have any experience with the best way to take this. Thanks Liz

Have you been tested for B12 to find out if your deficient?

 

I have found on a vegetarian diet I don’t need to supplement with either B12 or Iron for my scores to be in a healthy range.

 

I get my iron from oats and spinach and I get my B12 from eggs and dairy.

 

I do worry that being vegetarian might be slowing down my healing from benzos, I’m over 4 years since my last Xanax and my nervous system is still completely wrecked. Haven’t found any success stories from vegetarians 🤷‍♂️

I have gradually been moving toward vegetable sources of protein. Just seem to prefer it, although I don't think of myself as moving toward becoming a vegetarian.

I'll be following comments here to see if there are nutritional things I need to consider as I eat less meat during my taper from Benzos.

hardcore strict vegan from jan 2018-feb 2019.

 

began craving shrimp and crawfish specifically. fought it for awhile then broke down and made gumbo with crawfish and shrimp. felt huge relief.

 

began craving salmon specifically. no white fish, just salmon. ate it for a few days and felt huge relief.

 

my body has wisdom, i trust it now and don't question it. like a pregnant woman craves certain foods because her body knows which ones have what she needs, my body tells me wich foods have whatever i'm needing at the moment.

 

seems to be iodine i'm needing recently as the color of the shrimp crawfish and salmon indicate.

 

tried some chocolate, maple syrup, ppancakes, white bisquits and white gravy. no go on the white gravy and flour. first pancake was ok. small amount of maple syrup,pure.

but 2nd pig out of 3 pancakes and more syrup, then the bisquits/gravy white flour mess...too much processed white flour and sugar in the pancakes for my system. face broke out. overdid the dairy fats in the chocolate too.

 

live n learn.

 

i ate a few eggs. no response good or bad in body. will add a few more in future.

 

but sugar is a huge no no for me, i knew it and disregarded it and got breakouts and a yeast infection YAY!!!!! lesson learned. back to just fructose in fruits/juice.  no more refined sugar.

 

also i got lazy with my H2O drinking and had subbed apple juice...lol too much fructose=too much sugar! DERP

 

basically, back to "vege/pesce/ovo-tarian" for me.  thats veggies, fruits, seeds, nuts, whole seeded bread, minimal fish/shellfish as i crave them, minimal eggs as i crave them, AND only very tiny amounts of dairy in whole butter as i need some fats for my 60% fat brain and myelin coated nervous system. no cheese and no milk aside from tiny traces in baking mixes. butterfat has had a beneficial effect on me, as has coconut oil and mct oil capsules to help everything keep moving 2-3 x daily. being in WD has made my system sluggish and conversely sped up sporadically so the fats help.

 

no corn, canola,sunflower, soybean oil...just olive or light olive oil and coconut oil.  no gmo's, no pesticides if we can find actual organic that isn't just called organic to raise the prices

 

i'm firm on no red meat no pig no lamb no chicken basically no meat except for fish/shellfish. i'm still firm on only cruelty-free grooming supplies, but i have given in on the bees. sigh. i know that's not cruelty-free technically, to use beeswax and honey, but sometimes for sore throat etc i use honey or agave nectar and my lips are always dry from meds so beeswax infused lip balms are a staple. i just finally gave in. the way i rationalize it is this: if it's medical, then i will defer to my pre-vegan ways. like as far as i know my meds are not vegan nor earth kind in any way. but i must take them for the time being. i hate it. i wish there was nother way, but that's where i'm at. so lipbalm is medical, a side effect of my meds. and honey for ther odd sore throat is medicine, and less cruel than cough syrups tested on animals and it has no dextromethophan in it!

 

i am a humanimal. i live on this planet. i eat as healthy and compassionately for the animals and environment as i can, but i also have to eat as healthy and compasionately as i can for my self. i'm as important as the bees. sadly i can't reverse colony collapse disorder. but i can keep my lips from cracking and bleeding, and i can keep my throat from being sore and keep from using store cough syrup that makes me sicker. i see it as a trade off. and i'm happy with it.

 

glad somebody started this group