Nighttime Urinary Frequency & Benzo Belly?

Hello,

Does anyone here find they need to pee too frequently at night? I notice this happens more when I have sleep anxiety. It starts when I first get into bed where I have to get up and pee every 15-20min before I actually sleep. After I fall asleep, I will still get up once or twice more within 6-7 hours to pee again. This only started happening when I went on benzos last Fall and even now after I've jumped. Of course, my anxious mind immediately starts to worry that it might be my prostate. But I thought I'd ask people here first to see if it's common in benzo withdrawal and/or just a part of anxiety.

Secondly, what exactly is benzo belly? Is it just irritable bowel? I have noticed I've had very busy intestines, gurgling and churning all day, gassy, and needing to run to the bathroom with runny stool a lot, mostly in the day.

I sometimes get both the frequent urination and irritable bowel at the same time. Is that a thing with benzo withdrawal?

I had the urinary frequency in the first month after I jumped. i only have it a couple times a month now - thank God.

I had to make dietary changes to fix my bowels, but I've read many ppl on here that benzos create bowel problems and digestive issues.

You're normal. Things usually settle with time:)

Hi Tina75,

WAs your urinary frequency issue at night or all day? Mine seems to only be at night, as soon as I lay down. That's also when my anxiety kicks in too.

Urinary frequency was at night - of course...most inconvenient time to have it:)

You may find the tie of day that you have anxiety can switch on you..like how you have it at night it may switch to mornings for example.

Cortisol/adrenaline is all messed up and has to re-regulate so that may be contributing to your anxiety. My "anxiety time" is mornings now - but far  far less than it used to be so things are better.

My sleep was messed up for months bc I was intolerance WD and didn't know it. The benzos were causing nightmares, sudden waking multiple times in night - so bad. Once I jumped I was still scared to go to bed at night bc I was scared of having another night of all that. I did have some full blown no sleep nights - but then realized I somehow functioned the next day. then the nightmares became less. As I started to see positive changes my nighttime anxiety became less.

Early on I used positive affirmation podcasts to settle down, or said them to myself as I laid down. I don't need it anymore (maybe the odd night). Melatonin helped too - but I no longer take it unless desperate. I still sprinkle aromatherapy scent on my pillows:)

Things are improving. You will too.

Another thought...

If the oil and mirtrazipine are helping great....but I found even cbd oil left me feeling " funny", and mirtrazipine last year started ok with me but then turned and made things worse.

not trying to add to your anxiety. Just keep those in mind in case those "might" be adding to your problems.

So interesting to read this. While on the benzo I had to wake up about 6 times a night. I even took more just so that I wouldn’t have to deal with the frequent urination. Of course mentioned it to my doctor and she never linked the two together. It was awful. I got no sleep and was exhausted.

Once I stopped the benzo I may get up once or twice.  So baffling that this medication I took that I put so much faith into was causing all the symptoms I thought it would help.