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Healing my chronic muscle pain/inflammation thru antinflammatory diet


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Hello all

I’m over two years off of a xanax fast taper/cold turkey. My list of symptoms was long. I had the physical stuff—from tinnitus to muscle spasms to insane jaw tension/pain, the head stuff--from brain zaps and pressure to ear popping, and also the mental stuff--from mania to deep depression to cog fog. I had it all, I've healed from all of that and more,  and all has long since cleared up but I had one symptom that just wouldn’t let go—severe and near-disabling chronic muscle pain, tension, and inflammation, particularly in the neck, shoulders, mid/lower back, and hips. But basically my entire body was involved! I hurt to be touched anywhere and everywhere. I've finally found a solution, so I wanted to share my success here in hopes that it will benefit others.

 

Like many here, a fibro diagnosis has been thrown around by my doctors, but with my research I never felt like my symptoms matched with that condition. My areas of pain are pretty specific plus fibro is not an inflammatory condition and doesn’t usually respond to anti-inflammatory treatment unless there is something else going on, and I have responded pretty well to anti-inflammatory treatment—a short course of steroids gave good but temporary relief and one month on high dose naproxen gave me several months of relief from pain but the inflammation and tension just would not let up.

 

One doctor that I saw about a year ago mentioned polymyalgia rheumatica as a possible cause for my symptoms.  When I researched this condition and saw a diagram of the areas most affected by PMR (shoulders/hips) I had that a-ha moment and knew that this was most likely what I am dealing with, even if my brutal xanax withdrawal as the cause for onset and my age don’t make for a textbook diagnosis--this condition is rarely diagnosed in those under 50 (I’m in my 40s)  and is considered an illness associated with aging.  But it is  inflammatory condition, an arthritis of the muscles rather than the joints, with longterm steroid treatment with prednisone being the standard.

http://www.primehealthchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Polymyalgia-Rheumatica.jpg

 

Obviously given my benzo withdrawal history, as well as the awful side effects associated with longterm steroids, I was not ready to jump on this course of treatment.  I agonized for months over making that decision. Things were looking pretty grim for me as I have missed tons of work over the past year, my pain just continuing to worsen, and my ability to cope wearing very very thin. I was seriously considering that going on longterm disability was looking like my only option, as were the steroids. I began praying nightly for some insight on how to avoid going down the steroid/disability road.

 

Then sometime in mid September someone suggested that I try a vegan anti-inflammatory diet in hopes that it would help with my inflammation and pain. Here’s a link to the diet: [nobbc]http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2010/01/elimination-and-detoxification-diet-its.html[/nobbc]

I started it the very same day as a last ditch effort. I didn’t have much to lose. Started drinking green smoothies every morning, eating only whole unprocessed foods, heavy on the greens, and no animal products.  In just THREE WEEKS my pain and inflammation was 80% resolved. Guys, this was nothing short of a miracle. This was pain that strong pain meds and muscle relaxers did not touch, pain that began as my very first wd symptom back in 2009 when I first began reducing my dose.  I’ve felt for many months now that I’ve been healed from withdrawal but that my body was in some kind of systemic inflammatory response to the physicality of my withdrawal, injured to its core basically, with no way out and no amount of time was going to heal that.  I wondered if I would ever run and jump and play again...and now I can :yippee: And the coolest thing about it is that I am healing myself--without meds, without the help of a doctor. This diet is the answer to my prayers.

 

So now I have the diet. It’s a serious lifestyle change, but I can tell you it works for chronic inflammatory conditions among other things and I encourage anyone here dealing with the same issues I was to give it a go, for at least a month. You may find like me that the results are so rewarding that you want to stick with it for life. I have determined I have sensitivities to dairy, msg, soy, and possibly gluten. Any of these cause my pain to return and my face to puff up with swelling within 20 minutes to 24 hours.  But the only way I was able to determine these things was by going on a very restrictive elimination diet. I have lost 20 pounds since starting the diet, weight I gained my last years on xanax and during the time I was laid up with pain. My skin looks great, no more dark circles under my eyes.  :)  I’m now doing gentle yoga to get some of my strength back. Too much physical activity will cause a pain flare up but it is quickly managed within 2-3 days with diet and rest rather than the months on end of pain I experienced in the past.

 

I know another chronic issue here for many is insomnia, broken sleep, and rude awakenings at 3 am.  I dealt with all that, and it worsened as the months passed and fatigue set in. At 15 months on the dot my sleep came back and despite my ongoing pain issues I have continued to sleep well. I’ve seen a lot of people with the chronic sleep issues see a resolution between 15 an 24 months, so hang tight, it will return given enough time and without adding anything to the mix such as sleep meds, antihistamines, etc.—try your best not to get in the habit of taking such things daily as that will interfere with your body’s ability to learn how to sleep on its own.

 

I hope some of you will try the diet-- please post if you have success with it! Recovery from benzos is a long road, it feels like you will never heal and get back to normal, but you will and actually better than before.  :)  Strength and courage to you all. Have faith, your body will heal, but be very good to it and help it along wherever you can.

GG

PS>>I should also update on my tinnitus--it is GONE. Never thought I would see the end of that but slowly, surely, it went. When all is quiet now, I can hear silence again.

Edit: commercial link deactivated

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Thanks for posting this. I was juicing and doing a fairly strict diet but stopped. I'll return after reading this.

 

How do you ensure you have enough protein and b vitamins?

 

 

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Lots of brown rice and beans. ;)  Plus all veggies and fruits have protein, it's not hard to get enough. I feel what I'm getting is more than adequate, actually have never felt better about how I'm eating! I don't get that full bloated feeling like I did when I ate meat, but it's a different and good feeling. Your body adjusts. I have had  amazingly very few cravings for meat or even processed/junk food. Since I started eating this way I'm rarely ever hungry, I guess because so many of my nutrional needs are being met, without all the extra junk.

 

Apparently the liver stores enough b12 for several years before becoming deficient with a vegan diet, but I plan to take a supplement at some point and right now I'm using nutritional yeast fortified with b12 in my cooking. The elimination diet I posted allows some lean meats back in after 3-4 weeks, for those who choose not to continue vegan. From what I'm learning I feel it's even more important to avoid dairy. I don't plan to ever reintroduce that.

 

Thanks for posting.  :) I'm happy to answer any questions you have about how I did the elimination diet, and the subsititutions I made due to my own food preferences and what was available  in stores in my area.

 

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Congratulations to you greengirl.

 

A battle fought courageously and won!!!

 

Thanks so much for posting about your pain and your journey out of it.

 

YOu are amazing.  Love you dearly.  Zoe  :crazy::angel:

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What a great story.  Congratulations to you on your healing.  You're persistence and knowing that your body could heal itself is what impacted me most about your story.  Our bodies are amazing.  We just need to understand what they need and provide it.

Thanks for writing and posting the link.

All the best to you!

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Thank you, Hope! And yes, that's exactly what I want people to take from my story! ;) I've had many successes since my last dose, but healing the muscle pain has been by far the most trying.

 

Even tho I had a lot more symptoms the first year off, my second year was far harder because of the escalation in pain and the realization that no matter how long I waited, that symptom was simply not going to clear on its own without some kind of serious intervention. This is where I was able to put into play all I had learned my first year off, about how to depend on myself and to not expect my cure to come in the form of a pill.

 

In the end, I've learned a lot about myself, my strength, and believe it or not, I look at my entire withdrawal experience as the number one most important thing that has ever happened to me in my life--have I ever grown. This required taking full responsibility for myself, my sitatuion, my addiction, and making amends for how my years on xanax affected others in my life.  Acceptance of all this was key, as was releasing others from blame. Thankfully I was able to accept all this very early on in my wtihdrawal, and it made my full emotional healing possible and road to recovery a whole lot easier.

 

good luck to you and thanks for posting :) GG

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Wow -- you are AMAZING!!  I love reading what you've learned and that you could turn this experience around and see it as so positive!!!

 

I'm still not sure what I'm to learn from all of this, except stay away from medications!! 

I've prided myself on my healthy lifestyle -- never smoked, did any "drugs", not much of a drinker, exercise, eat as well as I know how to...  I'm still too early in the "healing" to really be able to think this all through.  I know that I am very grateful to have realized that it was the ativan causing my problems and the strength to get through the first month -- which was horrible.  I've really come far in the 7 weeks since I CTed.  I'm very hopeful that I will continue to be better and better each week.  I'm still experiencing GI sx and am foggy -- not able to really enjoy life.  But so much better than simply getting through the minutes/hours/days/nights that was my existence only a few weeks ago.  This process is so long -- I guess patience is my first lesson :)

 

Bless you for posting.  This BB is amazing.  I don't know where I'd be without it. 

 

XOX

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Hi Hope

Thanks for your nice response. Oh yeah, it's a good thing to be past the initial very acute stage--if you've got thru that part then you'll survive the rest of it, but be prepared for it to go back and forth for a while yet. Withdrawal is full of surprises, but it does end eventually!

 

Hard to say what this will all mean to you in the end. I can only speak from my own experience and what I have seen work for others--acceptance of the process is key, if you're open to that then it makes things a lot easier.

 

Once the dust settles  in the next few months you'll be better able to assess your situation and process things better. I've seen a of people come out this the better for their experience and very grateful for the lessons learned and  a new appreciation for themselves and the work they did to heal and regain their physical and mental health...and why not?  Any trauma provides great ground for learning and personal and emotional growth, if we're open to it. :)

 

GG

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Hello Greengirl,

 

I have been benzofree for just over 2 years and yet am still struggling greatly with pain issues.  So much of what you have said in your post here are common to my experience.  I was very active here at the forum for much of the past 2 years, and yet when I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in July of 2010 I had to start considering that something else might be going on with me and I became a little more afraid (cautious) about posting.  MRI's HAVE shown that I have inflammatory issues, and because I have psoriasis on my hands (and a little on my knees and elbows) the rheumatologist diagnosed the inflammation as PA.  I am not certain if he is right (there are no lab tests that can determine a PA diagnosis) but I cannot ignore the fact that I have active inflammation.

 

I do believe that the incredible stress on my body from the klonopin withdrawal (the nerve and muscle pain that lead to so many nights of no sleep for almost 2 years) has certainly exacerbated (if not caused) the inflammatory issues that I am now trying to fight.  Over the past 2 years, I have tried eating gluten and dairy free...but continually have "fallen off the wagon".  I have done enough reading to KNOW that diet has huge implications on inflammatory problems, and yet even knowing what I know I have found it difficult to put into practice.  I have felt a great deal of shame over not being able to fight and WIN over the powers of addiction to the things I KNOW are not good for me (sugar is my worst nemesis). 

 

I know that I am going to need help if I am going to be able to fight my issues by means of diet.  The standard medical approach to treating issues like PA is through drug therapy, and ALL of the drugs carry with them possible severe side effects.  I was told a year and a half ago that I should start Enbrel injections...and yet I knew at the time that my sensitive CNS would not be able to weather the powerful effects of the drug.  (I could not even use the steroid ointment that was prescribed for my psoriasis, as it made my withdrawal symptoms so much worse). I am now at a crucial point of decision, and what you have posted here (plus watching TED talk that Helpme123 posted of a doctor who was able to overcome the crippling effects of MS through changing what she ate) have given added impetus to continue to fight my food "addictions". 

 

This week I hope to be meeting with the woman behind this website:  http://www.yourhealingdiet.com/ .  I am fortunate that she is here in Austin, Texas and that she has answered my inquiry regarding a consultation.  I am feeling that time is running out for me, in terms of fighting the damage that has been/is being done to my body.  I am thankful that during this early morning when I could not fall asleep, I came to the forum and found your post here while looking for those encouraging "Success Stories" that we all so desperately need.  Thank you for taking the time to post.

 

~Leena :smitten:

 

 

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Hi Leena

I was hoping that by putting my story out there I would hear from others who are still dealing with similar problems with pain issues this far out from the last dose! I can definitely use some support myself for my pain issues and in following the diet, so I'm thrilled to hear from you and look forward to comparing notes on our pain symptoms and how it all developed for you -- timeline, areas of pain, what helps, etc.

 

I looked at the link you posted above, and it does sound like that dietician encourages the use of a plant-based diet similar to my own for  inflammatory conditions, including psoriasis/psoriatic arhtritis and other types of arthritis. Hopefully she will provide the support you need to get on the road to feeling better! :) It  helps to have someone in your corner! FOr me a commitment of 30 days was doable, and seeing results at just 3 weeks made it worth it and easier to stick with. I think the most important thing I read on that  website is that your diet doesn't require perfection to reap the benefits. ;)

 

I'm so glad you saw my post and responded. :smitten: I too had reached a crucial point of decision about my pain and how to go forward in treating it, and it's obvious that you and I have struggled similarly over the standard medical treatment protocols in terms of how such things as steroids, etc., could negatively affect our recoveries.

 

GG

 

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Thank you for posting yoursuccess story greengirl, this gives so many people so much hope. Incredible you are indeed!

 

Thank you Starbird :smitten:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Greengirl,

Thanks so much for posting this and responding to my other thread in regards to this inflammation process. This is great information.  All those problems and points of pain on the back and neck are exactly what I feel like I am having.  I actually had just started researching anti-inflammatory diets within the last week and got a book called the Anti-Inflammation Diet by Jessica Black.  I have not really started the diet yet but have started to incorporate some anti-inflammatory foods and have been currently on a no carb/very low carb diet for some time now.  I am getting ready to do an anti-inflammatory one full out soon though.  I am def. going to take a close look at the link you posted and will probs end up doing the actual diet you did since you had wonderful success from it. Its great to see you had all the same problems as me at some point and actually came out of it and are feeling okay now.  Its so hard to imagine that in my current state.  I feel like Im never gonna beat this. Been trying everything possible for so long and can't seem to make any progress!  Again, thanks for sharing this.  Hope you continue to feel good and heal. Hopefully I'll have some updates and positive results to share and add to this thread in a few months.

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You're very welcome, Andy! :) I'm glad to help and hope you have the same good results that I have seen. ANd more than anything, I hope that you can begin to mitigate some of the damage your wd has caused you long before I did at over 2 yrs out.

 

I'm also glad you are already making changes to your diet. I too phased into mine, and that definitely makes going into it a lot easier.  I spent about two weeks phasing things out of my diet, giving away the "bad" stuff that was still in my cabinets, and eating some carnivore meals for one last time.

 

I have had slip ups here and there, but I pay with pain, so I'm seeing that this is most likely going to be a lifelong change for me.  I'm pretty pissed that my drug use and withdrawal has caused it all, but what can you do, I'm just glad to have finally found something that helps.

 

Please keep me posted here. GG

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Hi Greengirl,

 

I am working on slowly changing my diet...I have already changed a few things (snack stuff) and am trying to cross over to much healthier eating. I too still have the muscle pain/stiffness, twitches in my body. This seems to be the last thing to go and just wants to keep hanging on to my body.

 

Thank you for all of your suggestions and support. It means a lot to know that you have come thru so much and are fully healed now, including your muscles!! Yippie for you my friend! Can't wait for the day that I can say the same. I know diet plays the most important part. I am trying hard to come on board and change my diet. I have to admit, it's very hard for me and I am struggling. I was raised in the south (country) and you know how we eat----Paula Deen all the way! However, I am really trying hard, as I do want this muscle stuff to be gone forever!

 

Stay in touch.....Hugs

 

SLynn

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Inflammatory Factor of FOods Tool:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/105/2

Enter the food and this site will show you its inflammation factor. THe lower the number, the more inflammatory. I entered lowfat yogurt, it's mildly inflammatory at  --71.

In contrast, sweet potato is moderately anti-inflammatory at 164.

 

For treating inflammation thru diet, I try to stay with the foods that have high positive IF's as best I can.

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Hi Leena, I hope all is well with you sweetie, just read a post you wrote saying that you had a MRI and it showed you had inflammation, can you tell me what MRI you had done, I had one on the Brain in June it was perfect , but I requested to my Dr for one on my Neck and back . thank you

 

Love Laura

xoxooxo

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Thank all of you  for the wonderful wealth of information!!! I saved all these links to my computer to read at my leisure.

Thank you so much,

S

 

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Dear Greengirl,

I have a lot of inflammatory arthritis issues. I read this thread the other day and looked at the website you recommended and bought 2 books and a vitamix blender today. So, as you can tell you inspired me. Any advice? I am hoping to ease into this with the morning smoothie. I was wondering if these drinks spiked your blood sugar at all and I was also wondering if you knew anything about Interstitial Cystitis which is an inflammatory bladder illness. I have this and have to be very careful about what I drink.

Thanks in advance. I was going to PM you but I figured we are all here to share our experiences. I am having a tired kind of day so I hope this makes sense.

 

I am so happy for your healing and success.

LOVE, :smitten:

Chrysanthemum

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HI Chrysanthemum

Thanks for your nice post!  I'm so glad you saw this thread and hope that the diet helps you! Actually I have IC myself but it has been in complete remission since I discontinued benzos. But I am very familiar with the IC diet, I used to follow it myself, and this one can easily be adapted for IC, mainly by avoiding whichever fruits and bevs may trigger bladder symtpoms, but you may find that it eventually calms your bladder enough that you can have some of those things that you would normally avoid.

 

Actually, no, I haven't felt any bllood sugar spikes--if anything, just the opposite, probably because my smoothies are very heavy on the greens and not a lot of fruit. I think this is one of the reasons I've had so few issues with hunger and cravings, because I'm not dealing with spikes and drops in my blood sugar since I'm not eating any simple carbs and processed foods (breads, english muffins, etc.). YOu might like more fruit in your smoothies to begin with, and then slowly increase the amount of greens and reduce the fruit as you adapt to the taste. Or add a couple of dates to make them sweeter. I make mine with a lot of liquid and not much frozen fruit so they turn out more juicelike and easier to drink than your typical fruit ice and milk based smoothie.  There are videos on youtube on how to use your vitamix and you can google for green smoothie recipes.

 

As for advice, it was easier for me to ease into the diet, by spending about two weeks phasing things out--first dairy, then meats, then processed foods and gluten, no big deal if it takes you more time than that.  .Also, if you fall off like I did and succumb to a craving by going thru the drivethru for a burger hhaha, just get back in the saddle and try to do better next time. THe longer I'm on the diet the easier I can manage the few cravings--now before I head out for fast food I always make another green smoothie and then I don't want a burger anymore.

 

I LOVE to cook, so used cooking (and eating) extravagent recipes as therapy to help with the cog fog and cope with other symptoms during my wd and recovery, but when I started this diet I kind of had to separate myself from the kitchen in a way, and came up with five or six different very healthy vegan gluten free recipes for meals that I use over and over again and can keep on call in the fridge--mainly pots of beans and a pot of brown rice--so I have a go to food that's very filling--which helps a lot especially during the first month of the diet when you're kind of confused and overwhelmed by what to eat. 

The only legumes in phase 1 of this diet are mung beans and lentils, but I don't like either, so I just continued with others that I do like and didn't seem to have a problem with--split peas, blackeye peas, pintos and red beans. I've chosen not to use processed soy products like tofu, etc., and that may be something you want to avoid b/c soy is often reported by IC patients to be a bladder trigger.  I find I'm getting adequate protein without using those products.

 

Hope this helps. I look forward to hearing from you ;)

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Here's a more direct link to the diet than the one I put in the first post in this thread:

http://www.wholelifenutrition.net/id16.html

and here's the list of phase 1 foods

http://www.wholelifenutrition.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/phase1.pdf

I never really did phases 2 or 3. After 1 month on Phase 1, I slowly started adding foods back in one at a time, waiting three days between each addition to see what my reaction was.

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