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Recommendations on diets while tapering valium and treating gastritis?


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I need recommendations on diets that don't make symptoms worse. I feel I don't even know the big no-no's while tapering or at wd.

 

I mean: canned tuna is ok? What about ginger tea or lemon balm tea? Hamburgers or pizza by the weekend revv the symptoms up?

 

What diet indeed made your life better symptom wise? I am even considering buying a book for this if that is the case.

 

I have gastritis and H. pylori which I am trying to treat now so this makes my choices even more limited.

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You've got a full plate of things to cope with. Seems there are common themes of aggravating dietary factors reported across the board. I can share what's worked for me and why. Each person is different for reasons of genetics, general health, etc. You'll have some trial and error. Make your own way.

 

Histamine tends to rise in WD for most people. There are low histamine diets galore if you search on the web. You can sort out any triggering foods. Best to avoid spicy as well as some cause histamine release.

 

A keto-diet has been used by Johns Hopkins for years as one treatment for epilepsy. Why? Keto diets have been proven to lower glutamate. High levels are found in neuro diseases that cause mechanical issues like tremoring, ataxia, seizures.  In WD, my experience has been a modified keto helps. For the carbs, use complex carbs as much as possible. BS is tricky in WD so no carbs doesn't seem beneficial.

 

No alcohol; no caffeine. Both can kick off the adrenals. Loved coffee- can't handle even a sip just now. Check the forum as some can tolerate a little of one or both, but in general, mammoth triggers.

 

Blood sugar tends to destabilize in WD as high glutamate affects the insulin cells of the pancreas. Add to it lack of appetite or Benzo belly, and it gets complicated quickly. BS is very important as if it drops, it will trigger adrenalin which sets off lots of symptoms like anxiety. Good rule of thumb is to put something in your mouth every couple of hours when you can. That may be one bite of protein with a teaspoon of rice.

I've found a mix of protein with complex carb seems to give a consistent result. Nibble a snack before bed as during the 3-4AM jitters, if hypoglycemic will get hit with a bigger wave. If food is difficult, a veg/fruit juice or smoothie w protein powder can save the day.

 

Again because of BS, sweets and high sugar items tend to be triggers for many. This includes fruit juices, dried fruits, or jellies. Low acid juice in limited quantities if low BS or wake in the middle of the night is OK. Honey in limited amounts as dissolves a bit slower. Stevia seems OK. No artificial sweeteners - the chemicals.

 

Soy is very high in estrogen-like compounds.  Tofu, soy milk, etc. should only be consumed in very small quantities even when you're well.  Estrogen competes at neuro-receptors and too much can trigger anxiety and depression. That's why some women get hit with terrible psych issues if complicated cycles, during menopause, and postpartum depression.

 

Thyroid gland tends to get a beating in WD. Soy can depress thyroid function. Sorry vegans; Japanese findings.    https://www.integrativehealthcare.org/mt/soy-and-hypothyroidism/. 

Since thyroid medicine has been the most prescribed medication in the US for several years, seems the problem is ubiquitous. #2 behind a hypertensive drug recently.

 

Orexin is a naturally occurring neuro-transmitter that has to do with wakefulness, arousal, and pleasure. It has been linked to addictions. Too much and you get insomnia; too little and you get narcolepsy. It raises during times of stress. Most people complain of insomnia with WD. This is from the narcolepsy web-site: if you scroll to the bottom it has ways to lower orexin.

https://www.narcolepsysupport.org/forums/topic/how-to-increase-orexin/

 

Avoid diet sodas as well as the aspartame is a trigger. It's neurotoxic and excitatory.  A shame that through concerted wrangling Rumsfeld got it approved by FDA, and it's ubiquitously hidden in foods. Read labels. Not either political party advocate- angry at unethical actions for money. You can look up the whole sorted story.

 

Regarding the H. pylori- It is known that it metabolizes L- arginine at an accelerated rate. L-arginine is an inhibitor of bad gut bugs, and as a supplement, it's pretty benign. Repopulating with good bacteria is always applicable. For the gastritis, the herbal slippery elm is a substance from tree bark/sap that is well known to coat irritated gut without side effects. Again, very benign. Additionally the tea wormwood has been used to kill offending parasites etc. Dr. Isabella Wentz runs a thyroid website that has excellent info on this.

 

Even though gastritis, may need some enzymes to digest properly. If you get lots of upper gas with food, indicates low acid as food is fermenting. Can use betaine to help break it down.  If the other end, may need pancreatic enzymes. Peppermint capsules can help break large gas bubbles in the colon into small ones. Reduces the odor of tailpipe emissions. The dog will thank you for removing the blame.  Moist heat externally to intestines increases blood flow and lessens cramping.  If constipation, can try small dose of magnesium or Mag citrate drink. Enemas with mild castle soap or very lightly salted water can loosen things without introducing another med. *Salt is to maintain electrolyte balance.

 

If you can tolerate good fats, they're your friends. Fats give calories which many need as off their feed. Ghee, real butter, olive oil, etc. Fats produce hormones which are generally disrupted by WD. They also provide some anti-inflammatory properties for the aches/pains or stiffness.

 

Last but not least, external sources.

Avoid plastic bottled water or drinks. Hard to believe, but one study claimed Americans consume the equivalent of a credit card sized amount of plastic weekly.  Anything in plastic bottles was found to be a "soup" of particles.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/06/12/plastic-youre-eating-credit-cards-worth-plastic-each-week/1437150001/.  Plastics disrupt hormones.

 

Sunscreens, beauty/hair products, lipsticks/lip balms, especially products for women, contain oxybenzone. It penetrates skin well. It is a known hormone disrupter and depresses the thyroid. 99% of sunscreens have it. Check all labels.  A study by CDC of >2000 Americans showed kids as young as 6yo had too much of it. Women had more than men. It's so bad it kills coral reefs and fish. It's banned in HI and other places as once in the water from swimmers, it doesn't break down.

https://time.com/4080985/sunscreen-coral-reefs/.  The lining in aluminum drink cans contains this too.

 

Lots of information to digest. You will see a fair amount of cross over between the different diet recommendations.  Be flexible as WD will have symptoms ebb and flow, so some things may be more helpful at times than others. Bottom line is eat fresh when you can and cook your own/get from a trusted source.  Know this is a bit lengthy, but wanted to cover all the bases.

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I don’t know about diet for gastritis.  I follow keto.  But I know about natural treatments for it, and I would recommend George’s Aloe Vera Liquid, Avilable from amazon.com.  It tastes like plain water and is so beneficial for any type of gastritis issues. 
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hohhot, thank you so much. Its a lot of info but I am already using it taking care of a bunch of stuff you enumerated and I will keep looking this post from time to time!
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Interesting, Cberg, I think I might add this supplement after the triple therapy for the H. pylori. Thanks!
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