Benzo Belly? I need more information

Ok, so I'm new to the board, Hi, I'm Upanova.

 

I am having severe GI upset and gastro problems which started about a year and a half ago and which never really let up. They are driving me into spirals of panic and terror.

 

My belly bloats up like I'm pregnant (never have been so I look like a mess). I get a hard, tight stomach. I have terrible constipation each and every day and I eat prunes, and have to take Mag Citrate about every 3 months or so. Mira-Lax just bloats me up even worse. I have flatulence and can't eat anymore, due to the terror of food. I am living off applesauce, juices (fresh from veggies and fruits), yogurt, and puddings. I hate to eat solid foods now. I burp and belch like crazy! Constantly belching trying to get the gas out. My intestines will not move food through and it takes me 3-4 days to have a BM. I am so sick of feeling like this. I have changed my diet and I have tried cutting out the sugar and caffeine to no avail. Even eating low-fat, high protein does no good. I have these times when after I eat, I dry-heave and retch after movement. Like I had dinner, sat there watching TV for 20 minutes, then get up to go upstairs, and the coughing and retching starts. I never vomit up solid food, just sometimes water which I drink to try to calm the spasms down. After a few good retches I stop spasaming. The nausea sucks and is terrible on these times. Then I have a window of a few days free and then it's back again, sometimes worse, sometimes better.

 

Is this the dreaded Benzo Belly? I have 3 sizes of jeans in my closet and I never know which pair I will wear every day. I litterally can't take this anymore.

 

Last year I had an Upper and Lower GI Barium swallow, everything normals. All blood tests normal for liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and such. I even had a Colonoscopy in April 2010 to check out if I had a spastic colon. I have no problems with diharreah, just constipation from hell.  I have not had the Endoscope test yet for hernia, or the Gastric emptying tests. I don't want to do those tests if they just come back normal and this is all related to the Klonopin and tolerance withdrawals.

 

Help! 

 

Upanova

Hi,

 

Benzos can cause some pretty bad GI problems, but it is quite possible there is something else going on.

 

TC

It honestly doesn't sound like typical "benzo belly" to me, Upanova01.  Did any of the doctors mention the possibility of Irritable Bowel Syndrome or a food intolerance, such as to gluten?  I really feel for you but given the length of time this has plagued you and all the tests you've had, maybe it's time to get to a specialty clinic or hospital, like the Mayo Clinic, for a diagnosis. 

Hi,

It sounds like benzo belly to me with the bloating and looking like you are pregnant.  I have had this on and off for months.  Maybe it is something that just plagues women more.  I sympathize with the jean problem.  I just took my goal jeans back to the store as this benzo belly seems to have a mind of it's own.  I have tried to eliminate wheat products as this seems to flare it up a bit. As for the constipation problem I used sienna tea which is a natural laxative/softner and that seems to help a bit.  It's strange that even with a good diet and such that we would have these problems but welcome to the world of benzo withdrawl. Mine is getting better now the further I go out, but occassionally I have to wear bigger shirts to cover my benzo belly.  Hang in there.    Ginia

I have dealt with lots of G.I issues since my taper off of Klonopin, and over the past few months I have been dealing with bloating and constipation...not fun!  I think it would be a good idea if you had a scope and the gastric emptying test to rule out any possible issues.  I've had both tests (two scopes and the emptying test) and they really are no big deal at all, especially the emptying test.

 

Please let us know how you get on.

Hey sounds like benzobelly to me too.  Mine doesnt hurt anymore, but from being swollen for so long, i now have this big flabby hanging gut and its gross.  I still need to eat very small portions, and dont eat much in a day, simply no hunger at all.  I sympathize with the jeans thing.  I gave up and went to leggins.  Hope you feel better soon  STAR

I have the same symptoms as you.  I pretty much live on Boost and other liquids.  Solids just don't move through my GI tract.  I have gastroparesis which is paralysis of my stomach and intestines.  I got this from being on ativan.  You have to get a gastric emptying exam to get this diagnosed.  It has been hell living with this.  I haven't had an appetite in over a year.  I have to force myself to take Boost just so I won't starve.  I had a very healthy appetite and digestive tract pre benzo.  I've been off for nine months now and it shows no sign of improvement.

I had the EEG test, came out normal, of course. Next test will be the Gastric emptying test to see if I have gotten the gastropariesis. Sucks, very sad.

Symptoms wax and wane too. Can go a few weeks with not too much trouble, then get slammed. The costipation is easing though,thand God! Am moving stuff through. This happened once I was down from 0.5. Just freaked about the emptying test, this is the last gastro test I can have I think.

Hi Upanova. Sorry to hear that you were having stomach problems.  I just recently found out about benzo withdrawals.  I just thought I had HORRIBLE anxiety.. Was on benzos for over 20 years. Last week I started feeling discomfort in my liver area.  In my head I was dying from either liver cancer, or cirrhosis...  I self medicated my benzo withdrawals with booze for years. Paranoia big time! I even have a dr's appointment tomorrow for liver tests, and yesterday had a Hepatitis C test done (will find out about that Friday). 

 

Anyway, to get back to the point. Yesterday evening I did a liver flush. People take them for stomach problems just like you are describing.  I did this flush http://curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp I was pretty scared to do it. The discomfort in my right side was scaring me so I did it anyway. Today I feel great! 90 percent of the discomfort is gone! Benzo WD's seem less too! Just make sure that you won't be busy the next day, because you won't be able to stray far from the bathroom... Also make sure you are hydrated really well before you do the flush.  Just sayin   I literally couldn't sleep from the liver discomfort. Now "knock on wood" it has almost entirely disappeared. Maybe I'm not dying You should read their forums. You will find lots of threads about the stomach discomfort that you described.