Please help!! Excruciating stomachpain!

My husband has a long story. You can read it on my page. But he was receantly on ativan for about 5months. During that time he was tapering. Took last dose of .625mg dec 13th 2018. He has lost food over the past year. Meaning started eating gluten free and organic hormone free meats. To just veggies then to rice and veggies and smoothies. Then to raw baby carrots, jimica, rutabagas, eggplant, rye bread, dried papaya. Then he had to go back to just raw baby carrots because with each change in diet his stomach was on fire and feels like hes being stabbed over and over. Hes had testing done from gi doctors. Couple different bacteria tests including h pylori. Negative. No hiatal hernia, no ulcers. he has to sleep sitting up. Hes on dexilant which is for an over production of stomach acid. Nexium, licorice root and pepZinGI. Hes currently eating popped lotus seeds, millet, puffed millet and some plain air popped popcorn. There seems to be a connection that I have come across so I'm gonna relay and see if anybody else has heard or went through this. It seems to be histamine levels play apart. Every time it seems if he eats a high or moderate level of a histamine food his face will get red itchy dry patches on his face, then it starts to burn his stomach intensely which then relays to his brain and boom... panic from hell. Right now as I write this hes telling me he doesn't want to tell me goodbye but he doesn't want to do this anymore. Hes lost about 40lbs within 5-6 months. He weighs 130lbs at 5'8 I am 5"4 and outweigh him by 10lbs. Now hes in almost a rage yelling at god. I need help we have 2 small children that need him and he needs to know that it's going to get better soon. I keep telling him it is but once you hear it fromthe same person over and over it doesn't help anymore.. please god let some else have a same story that can give me a good word for him. Hes in desperation. He has an account on here maybe you have read his first story. His name is Tyder777. I'll keep checking in please help.

Little bit of an update he took an enzyme and it seems to have helped a bit.

Hello,

 

I attempted to look for your husbands history, but couldn't find it under the name you gave us, is there another?  I wanted to help you try to figure out his stomach issues but I don't have any experience with what he's going through.  His diet sounds very restricted, can he eat anything else?

 

Has he had all of the tests to rule out any medical issues besides benzo withdrawal?  I'm glad the enzyme helped.

 

Pamster

My husband has a long story. You can read it on my page. But he was receantly on ativan for about 5months. During that time he was tapering. Took last dose of .625mg dec 13th 2018. He has lost food over the past year. Meaning started eating gluten free and organic hormone free meats. To just veggies then to rice and veggies and smoothies. Then to raw baby carrots, jimica, rutabagas, eggplant, rye bread, dried papaya. Then he had to go back to just raw baby carrots because with each change in diet his stomach was on fire and feels like hes being stabbed over and over. Hes had testing done from gi doctors. Couple different bacteria tests including h pylori. Negative. No hiatal hernia, no ulcers. he has to sleep sitting up. Hes on dexilant which is for an over production of stomach acid. Nexium, licorice root and pepZinGI. Hes currently eating popped lotus seeds, millet, puffed millet and some plain air popped popcorn. There seems to be a connection that I have come across so I'm gonna relay and see if anybody else has heard or went through this. It seems to be histamine levels play apart. Every time it seems if he eats a high or moderate level of a histamine food his face will get red itchy dry patches on his face, then it starts to burn his stomach intensely which then relays to his brain and boom... panic from hell. Right now as I write this hes telling me he doesn't want to tell me goodbye but he doesn't want to do this anymore. Hes lost about 40lbs within 5-6 months. He weighs 130lbs at 5'8 I am 5"4 and outweigh him by 10lbs. Now hes in almost a rage yelling at god. I need help we have 2 small children that need him and he needs to know that it's going to get better soon. I keep telling him it is but once you hear it fromthe same person over and over it doesn't help anymore.. please god let some else have a same story that can give me a good word for him. Hes in desperation. He has an account on here maybe you have read his first story. His name is Tyder777. I'll keep checking in please help.

Hi..

I also had serious GI problems, but in my case it stemmed from opiates, -benzos and Lyrica/gabapentin seemed to contribute or compound the problem in much the same way..

 

I have come a long way, but it has been so slow and these GI issues have dictated my rather slow tapering, esp. at very low dose of each med..

Im not saying to reinstate him, thats a much bigger conversation.. More, Im saying it could take quite some time, but from my experience (which is a bit different it seems), healing DOES happen...

 

One of the biggest things was I had to really listen to my body, and it was lots if little things that added up over time to help... -lots of trial and error, I guess..

 

In a nut shell, my upper GI peristalsis went spastic and the internal sphincters locked up, so this may differ to your hubby... Sadly there is much more written about opiates than benzos, so I had to mix n match, or improvise a bit at times..

 

I do remember eating tons of raw organic carrots for months on end at one point, so that is interesting that you noted that too.. I also feel there is a histamine reaction/response, esp after a larger evening meal...

I try to eat healthy and balanced, but with a mind towards foods that wont “compact”, so bread, rice, and the like are out for me... Pawpaw seems to help, and possibly things like coconut water, avocados, etc, but that might be a try n see thing, and depend on stool consistency and motility...

 

The main thing is that there is hope... At my worst, I had a 36day transit time (by radiological markers) and their intention was to remove my large bowel and “bag” me..

I now generally have 1-2 good BMs/day, though it does depend on my tapering reductions still in these final stages of getting med free...

 

Sorry no definitive answers, its too individual, but as im sure you know, -a healthy gut makes for a healthy mind...

My best wishes to both of you, and im happy to try and help where possible...

 

I’ve had serious problems in my digestive system, all due to taper. Had horrible hyperacidity and still have.

GI issues here too. Zinc carnosine helped a lot. Still have some issues though. My stomach pain felt like something gnawing or like a deep burning but f’n painful ache in the upper and mid left of the stomach. Also had mid back pain that would go towards the left and down towards the flank like on top of the kidney area. I started a pancreatic cancer thread over it as I wrapped up my taper. ThoughtI was done for. I still fear it. It’s like pure dark energy in your stomach.

Fightthegoodfight, i hope your husband feels better soon,  and you're doing a wonderful job supporting him, I've been having a lot of GI issues through this whole journey too and let me clarify so your husband has been eating this really clean diet with lots of raw vegetables right? When his stomach hurts so much does he ever try to just eat something simple like oatmeal or crackers or chicken noodle soup? does it make his stomach feel better at all? I've noticed that when I try to eat too healthy, with too many vegetables then my stomach really protests so I have to eat these simple foods(  like I mentioned above).It does sound like your husband just has a benzo belly right now(  of course make sure you get it all checked and it sounds like you already have). I remember that no matter what I did for the first 12-13 months after my very quick taper I would still hurt really badly and lose weight all the time. I'm no expert of course,  just speaking from my experience and I'm definitely not healed still but my benzo belly is now gone finally, it just takes time. I'm definitely feeling better now at 19 months off, I am also gaining weight back, for the first year all I was doing was losing it and was dangerously thin, so please tell your husband to not give up, it takes time..I wish you continued healing and lots of patience and strength.

I forgot to mention that please do not make any big changes overnight from one food to another overnight, that will really cause a lot of distress.If he's eating millet right now and you want to introduce something new even chicken noodle soup please make sure you go very slowly. Everything stresses out the body during this ordeal, any big changes do..

He hasn't eaten meat or any animal products in a long time.. when he does its bad... extreme panic anxiety, eyes are bugged out hes running through the house screaming when the food "does not work". He has explained it to better understand in less words that it's like the food puts him in a window..hes normal for that time that the food will agree with him. I have racked my brain digging and studying as to what it could be that his body doesn't like. Carbs, sugar, fats, protien, preservatives, colorings, ect.. any input would be greatly appreciated.

I’m sorry he’s having this struggle and hope he is being evaluated by his doctor who should refer him to a specialist.  None of us here are going to be able to know what’s going on.