Will I Ever Recover From Benzo Belly? 

After twenty three years of Clonazepam, I detoxed last February. Eighteen days in the hospital. These last four months at home have been rough. I can finally sleep most of the night. Having some half days when I feel almost normal. The GI tract is still a nightmare at times. But I'm blessed. God brought me through this far, I'm believing he will continue. May he bless all, reading this.

Keep spreading the good word my man. The more people that speak up about this, the more people we can save from ever taking meds like this.

Thank you so much!!! ..from a woman of 69 been on benzos since 17 and living without benzos for almost 3 years now. It is so hard but also I feel that I am healing slowly very slowly and that is unbelievable.

you have no idea how much you are indeed helping people...thanks !

I’ve heard and read about benzo belly. This is a relief knowing that the actual symptoms I have 4 years out are identical to yours. I am grateful to you for posting this important information!

oh yes, I have the benzo belly it's getting better though. I need to start exercising and kick its butt. You are right Dan everything you are saying I can completely understand. I get shortness of breath especially after eating when I bend over to pick something up etc. I really appreciate how in depth you went on the process and how strong we are in order to go thru this. My life is changing for the better every day, ups downs, left right but overall, I am healing. I honestly can't believe how much better I am getting and how much more I have to look forward to. The more I am healing the more I can clearly see for how long I had been damaged. To be honest it is a miracle and if I can accomplish this than anything is possible in time. Thank you Dan!!! For anyone reading this it is possible to start healing. I am by no mean healed but compared to 8 months ago it is beyond comprehension. Bob Bobarino

There’s 0 positive stories about benzos. It’s really heartbreaking too because I’ve tried beta blockers tons of antidepressants,of ways of self medicating ,CBT, you name it. Then I try benzos and I felt like I got my life back and then I come to the internet to research benzos randomly and now I’m scared shitless about all these videos. I should of just stayed on opioids. People say opioids only are short periods of withdrawal not YEARS of torture. Sheesh. I’m screwed

Thanks Dan for addressing the benzo belly symptoms. This too has been one of my most persistent and frequent symptoms over the past 5 1/2 years. It is soooo painful and embarrassing!! Even though I'm 48 years old, and I have an IUD for birth control, I have to take a pregnancy test once a month or so because I don't have a menstrual period. My abdomen gets so distended and hard and have such weird fluttering sensations, spasms, pains that I'm often terrified that I'm pregnant! Terrified because I'm too old, have 3 grown children and too sick to raise a baby. Thankfully it's been negative but very distressing and anxiety inducing!

My benzo belly was one of the first symptoms to go away (4th month off) and I’d lost 71lbs in 90 days at one point. My experience is that Inner akathisia is really the last symptom to go. I still have outer stuff and pace 18-40hrs straight and sleep about 5hrs (at 3 years off). I was bedridden the last 6 months of my taper and a year after my jump in May of 2020. Now I pace until I drop. Hell on earth.

Hello. Thank you for sharing this information🙏🏼 I am experiencing a heap of symptoms after a very rapid taper 3yrs ago, the worst for me being a full body feeling of being constantly stuck in a fright. I would love to know everything that person who told you about the Vagus nerve & Benzos harming it knows. You were very fortunate to have someone tell you this. & it totally makes sense when looking at some of the symptoms. I’m in my late 50s & see 1 lovely Dr once a month who helps as best he can. But no one in my country seems to have knowledge of what taking Benzo & or rapid tapering, what harm is done. It’s hard to repair/heal yourself when you don’t know what exactly needs healing. Your info about the Vegas nerve is a good start, it’s the first time iv heard anyone express knowledge of what is causing some of the symptoms🙏🏼 Thank you & I hope you are continuing to Heal 🙂🙏🏼🇦🇺

That's strong man 💪 Accidently found your channel. Only tried benz a couple of times, never felt the vibe. But you seem like a genuine dude and I enjoy listening to you. You should keep up this good work, I think a lot of people will find motivation watching you! Good luck to you strong brother!

I'm 11 months off klon. and I still have no relief from the horrible gi issues- can't eat more than a few tablespoons of food per day. Wish it would get better soon. Thanks for your info- helps me know that I'm not alone in this.

thank you for sharing your experience! i was describing benzo belly to my son before i new anything about benzo withdrawal symptoms! my tummy still hurts! i force myself to eat cuz 😅m only 110lbs. and i can’t afford to lose weight. i’m proud of you! When we get our bellies back, can i celebrate with you? lol! 🎉😊

So good to hear. I had no idea what was wrong. Mine started while still on klonopin. I had x-rays, a pet scan, an endoscopy and colonoscopy because of the stomach issue along with severe weight loss. Last ditch effort I checked into rehab and since being off kpin I've gotten better. Been over a year and every wd symptom is gone besides some days I still have gurgling. Same here brother, coffee and tomato sauce were a no no. That's so wild man.

I am withdrawing now. I am sad for you. May the Lorrd heal you I am having trouble eating. Food is unappetizing. I actually feeli nauseous. I get full quickly. Trying to eat plenty based, drinking teas and water. Everything about this is very difficult. Thank you for sharing story. Your words are encouraging.

Amen I never knew about this horrible side effect until recently.. what a nightmare it's been, I wish I could go back in time and kick my own butt. But sadly anxiety issues run in my family mix that with PTSD it's very very uncomfortable I'm general but this whole GI tract nightmare and benzoz belly is by far dreadfully terrifying I pray no one has to feel this way

Thank you so much! I'm a 65 year old male 21 months off clonazepam after 41 years.

Great video Dan. I also have benzo belly but mine is a little different. I dont get the swelled up stomach. I just have the very slow motility. Some days I dont even eat because I am not hungry. I have watched all of your videos and appreciate everything you do. How long would you say it took before you started feeling normalish again. I am 15 months off and most of the really crazy symptoms have dissappeared but I seem to have plateaued with the insomnia and muscle tremors and benzo belly. The inosmnia and the muscle tremors keep me from being able to lead a life that has any semblance of normalcy. Thank you for all you do.

I've finally withdrawn from the benzos I've been taking steadily for 12 years. I am aware that I will probably have rebound symptoms for an indefinite period of time including the issue I had taken the benzos for in the first place. Hadn't heard of the benzo belly though. Just to be safe you should see your doctor to rule other issues out if you haven't already.

Your a very nice guy, i came off cigarettes 13 years ago, had a terrible hard time for 2 years, im addicted to caffine going to kick it to the kerb as it had robbed me of joy and sleep.

Try prebiotics and probiotics. I think they helped my indigestion and bloating.

Aw my word! Thank you for this. My tummy is swollen and I've been on valium for years 😢

My benzo belly has just passed finally. I took 10/20mg of Valium for 5 weeks then tapered off over 2 weeks. Then I had 2 weeks of acutes, 3 weeks of benzo belly. But the worst symptom I found was the nausea that came during week 2.

Thank you all for sharing, keep up! I am off benzos nearly 2 years now. I didnt know about benzo belly untill reaching your video and comments. I am building up ridiculous belly but mostly the internal belly pressure is huge, making discomfort, short breath, chest pain. The doctors and hospital here knows nearly anything about treatment and help in regards benzo withdrawal.. I have developed 2 abdominal hernias and abdominal muscle separation and need to lye down my abdominal on a flat surface to calm down the tension regularly during the day. I am looking to undergo operations for that but worried if that internal tension built up again hernias and abdominal muscles separation. Just trying to lose the extra 10 kgs weight I have and exercise. Keep strong and happy

Have you considered keto or carnivore? Fasting? This is likely due to certain bacteria building up/reacting to certain foods that you're sensitive to. It's likely that starving the bacteria with keto or carnivore or fasting would help you. It helped me.

excellent video again. Thank you

You,ve literally explained how I feel right now, with my stomach.

First time my gut shut down after my doctor cut me exactly in 50%.!🤬 It felt like somebody tearing my insides out from the inside. Got shot completely down ended up in the ER. Completely impacted no help 🤬

Thank you, finally found proof

Hi I just found you your station so glad to hear you positive thoughts. I’ll be watching your videos. I’ll tell you about me later. Keep the videos coming!♥️

Thank you 🙏🏻

I lost 80 lb because of it. I was never hungry but would get lightheaded from not eating. I pooped about once a week or longer. I forced myself to eat. I could not exercise because I felt so full and out of breath. Slowly it did get better. Two years after at time I almost feel normal and can do light amounts of exercising. B vitamins helped me a lot after about of a month of taking them. (very small amount or I am way too awake)

I don’t understand how the hell doctors prescribe these benzodiazepines month after month to the same person, when someone can become dependent on them within a single month if they take them daily. I’ve heard of people taking benzos for just a month, then taking a YEAR to taper off, then have symptoms for months/years after the taper. All from that initial first month!

I’ve had benzo belly for almost 6 years now. It’s crazy, same exactly how you explain. I actually got stem cell treatment so I’m hoping within next 18 months.

Onions are high in fructans so a sensitive gut will find them difficult to process. Tomatoes also high in fructose so hard on sensitive stomach. I have fructose malabsorption so onion, garlic, tomatoes and loads of fruit and veggies make bloat, pain, diarrhoea worse.

Wow… I have a hard distended belly, 2 years off benzos.. I was cut cold turkey after 8 years of heavy use. I’ve had no idea most of my health problems these last years are a result of my withdrawals. :(

...try to watch Peggy Shirmer-gut feelings and Barbara O'neill These wise women will help you to understand everything about food and healing😊

I've never had it, but if I did I would try diatomaceous earth, and or a water fast .

thankyou for sharing, I stumbled across your videos today and I am happy I did, please keep up the good work, I am 14 months benzo free and was wondering if you or anyone else reading suffered with tinnitus. Mine has been constant since the last benzo, will it ever just stop or go away. Anybody reading this please keep up the fight and stay strong.

Thank you so much for explaining this. I didn't know what it was but I've heard of it.

Thank you!🙏🏻

Hi Dan. Great video as always, I'm sure most if not all of the benzo community think your a hero for informing and trying to help people. Most people are/was lost at the start of this journey (including myself). I'm sorry to hear you are this far out and you have that symptom still. I can relate because i also am a man, and i can understand especially the visual difference it will cause us to feel. I think mine is nearly gone (29 months). I also found out that last week i am probably lactose intolerant. That certainly wasn't helping things as i was eating chocolate and milk most nights. Unfortunately the symptoms i do have left are disabling and I'm very much housebound. You say you are 7.5 years out and all symptoms apart from 1, did fade, can i ask at what time frame did they fade?

Interesting. Glad I don’t have to deal with that!

Thank you for this video. I’m going through a very rough time right now. Deep depression and despair. Waking up with sweats and burning panic. Then awake for the rest of the night. Been awake now for about 5 hours. I’m 70. Was on Klon ( low dose) for over 30 years. Came off nearly 30 months ago ( ct on .25).i never had benzo belly until 5 months off. Now it’s a major symptom. Distended and hard. Moving, shaking, feeling like it’s full of water. There is a constant pushing, swaying sensation that seems to pull my mind/ brain into a confused state. My insides feel very sore and hot. I have to get to the bathroom very quickly when I wake up to empty my bowels Trying to explain this to my family seems ridiculous, indescribable really. I really must address my diet but I feel a sense of overwhelm at the thought of doing that. Also I have no idea what foods or not make it worse. Back in January I was admitted to hospital with double pneumonia. I didn’t think I would survive it. I was on oxygen , steroids and a lot of oral and intravenous antibiotics for over a week. All the meds that would not have helped my recovery. The benzo belly seemed to quieten down at this time but that could have been the drugs. I recovered quite quickly from the infection but have had the worst month or so since then that I’ve ever known. Have watched a few of your videos over the last few days and will continue to do so.

Now I have body jerks as well,2 yeartaper Clonazepam.

I'm going through this and OMG it sucks 😢😢😢😢😢

Did you also got pain in your neck and upper back and get so stiff and painful? A sort of walking pain? Hugs from The Netherlands

Hai ,i'm from the Netherlands and 62 year . As a child 6 or 8 years young i had belly trouble.When i had it i found out then, that lay in house on the floor on my belly and that was the only thing that relaxed my belly .But when i was 14 i started using Amphetamine , shooting it in my veins. With 17 i was on Methadone, because i was fast already using Heroin.(cocaine end so on) I dont use Heroin for 25 years anymore but i still on the Methadone , and Morphine and Valium (diazepam ). I got al kinds of med's from my home doctor.Nathing worked til i used 1 time a Valium 10mg tablet. THAT WAS A WONDER.I could breathe agin without the feeling they put a belt just under my ribcage . i had when i was younger 7 or more detox cliniks . But what i wanted to say ,I wish you all the best and hope u all will do better as i did. My life is over.No drama , i;m dutch remember ;-) !!!

Did you feel fatigued and dizzy because of cramping and also did you feel pain just in the intestines and colon or also in the stomach?

I too am in a similar situation. Its 6 years off from alprazolam for me. Any medical or non medical help you got, could you explain please.

do you know if its a garuntee youll experience benzo belly when coming off benzos, i only used for like 2/3 months and never more then 4 mg a day, not even every day though, i kind of worried about stopping because i already have stomach issues and dont want to make them worse but i also dont want to make xanax and benzos a habit, any advice or knowledge very appreciated 🙌

Onions? Interesting. My nutritionist recommended Onions and garlic as they are pre-biotic and not usually in my diet.

Any thoughts on antibiotics?

Manuka honey has helped me with benzo belly

i have it right now and it's annoying af! i lost 25 pounds over the past 7 months finally in shape etc etc and i look like i ate ten pizzas after a small meal! the bloating and distended look is so frustrating. thank goodness baggy clothes are super in style i guess 🤷‍♂️

I've been off of Klonipin for three and a half years (after taking 1 mg twice daily for thirty years)and have had all these symptoms. Gurgling going on in there like I have never ever in my life(and I'm 61!)My stomach has almost forgotten how to move food along. I am taking magnesium citrate to try to move things along, but can drink a whole bottle over two days and nothing...Can go without having a bowel movement for almost two weeks sometimes without the mag. citrate, but even taking half a bottle daily won't work when I'm backed up. Watching what I'm eating but it doesn't seem to help. Lumps in my right lower abdomnen actually creating big raised moving lumps like when I was pregnant. Scary stuff. Had so much pain on a few occasions I thought I was passing a stone. Was sent for a CT scan and was told I was heavily constipated. I thought it was just normal to not have a BM for a week to ten days. Praying that tomorrow I can get some relief. Have also cut my caffeine intake in half and in half again, but still can;t give it up entirely. Almost no sugar either, almost no red meat, no white flour or enriched flour. Feeling better in one way brings troubles somewhere else. Internal vibrations so bad some days and almost not at all others, tinnitus, vertigo, brain fog, high blood pressure, weird sensations and random pains all over. It's always a new symptom to worry about. Thanks for sharing your experience. From inside my room where I spend most of my life now, I appreciate the online community so much!

Regular tea has more caffeine than coffee. How strange that it didn’t bother you.

Did the doctor really say you had a 50/50 chance of phycosis forever from coming off benzos? That must of been terrifying, for me it’s been 6 - 7 months since I been off. I think I was in the detox center when you posted your first video. Then three weeks later I searched benzo withdrawal recovery story on RU-vid and found your video which is my favorite one. I feel like coming off of benzos after a severe long term addiction causes brain damage similar to a TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury. But who knows the long term symptoms are very similar like anger, depression and sometimes even mania. I hope they find a better modern alternative to benzos and find out what benzos do to the brain and how they damage it because they don’t know much now.

Thank you brother. I was only taking xanax for a couple months and I went from 2 mgs down to 0.5 in an aggressive taper, and had gone through opiate withdrawal many times in my life I could take pain. I definitely had interdose symptoms but eventuality 0.25 knocked me out cold so my tolerance dropped. I switched to klonopin for a week at a low dose and now idk what I have. My stomach had been cramping due to stress and constipation but the days I cramped I was taking laxatives. Today i went no problem with no laxative, and I can eat with no issues like pain or anything. Idk if I'm going through withdrawal symptoms or if it's in my head because when I was taking xanax it was only at night once for sleep and not every single night there were times I'd go 3 or 4 days without issues. I also can sleep without taking them. I wake up a few times but I can fall asleep no issue. I just overthink and get Nervous a lot :((

look into Gaps and natasha campbell mcbride

Would you consider the mental part of withdrawal to be more difficult to manage than the physical GI symptoms?

What really helped me was to get off wheat and gluten... problem solved

Do you have any tips on what to eat? Right now I’ve cut out all fiber and am eating low fat which helps but the foods are just not healthy. When I do eat healthier, my symptoms are much worse and I start losing weight again. I don’t know what to do. Any kind of meat makes it worse as well.

Does the vagus nerve Itself ever heal

Intermittent fasting with high dose thiamine + cofactors (magnesium & potassium) and flavonoids like olive leaf and luteolin will heal your belly and get that vagus nerve up to par. Think in terms of vascular health.

Hallo lieber Dan,falls du das hier übersetzen kannst bei youtube wäre ich glücklich. Weißt du,ob man so einen Bauch auch vom Bedarfeinnahme bekommen kann ?Nehme ca 2-3 Xanax die woche . 🙏🙏🙏🙏😬

i feel dizzy and lightheaded all of the sudden end of the day like im gonna pass out. the only thing thats helped is taking probiotics but i still have to sleep on my left side and sitting up it sucks.

Symptoms also comes from Alcohol not only benzodiazepines !

Can eating eggs exaggerate withdrawal symptoms? , as my b12 levels are a bit low, and I am prescribed B12 supplements, but I know that it can increase the symptoms. What else we can take ? I am vegetarian.

Hi Dan, what do you think of a can anti histamine diet? Hugs from The Netherlands

Did you get treated for sibo sifo candida and parasites? Also do a Heavy Metal detox?

My left leg and had has nerve damage . Doesn't seem to improve. I ve weakness pain numbness. Iam 2years off now. Is this nerve danage permanent?? Dont even knoe if it heal now. I cant walk nor exercise. Am i disabled. No doctors find anything except nerve damage 😢

Great video. Im 38 months xanax free. My gut issues comes and goes & back. I understand your issues. How do you heal your vagus nerves naturally?

Omg, I have this!

Did you try eating less carbs and sugar? I've been tappering down from 3 mlgrms alprozalam for over a decade. I quit drinking in May, 5 months booze free. Been on Keto hardcore and Intermittent fasting 16 hrs a day for same amount of time, like 4 months. I've tappered successfully down to .25 mlgrs if that, per day for almost a month now so took about 2 months to get there from 3 whole pills a day, to just a half. No problems, no withdrawls. Sleep like a baby, waking up refreshed. Am I the only lucky one on Earth who has gotten this far this quickly with no issues? I do meditate about 40 mins a day for almost 10 years so maybe that helps? Not sure but I'm so sorry for what everyone is going through. Makes me wish I had never taken them, but they helped me get off cocaine, and cure my panic attacks, so that's good at least. Still the drug is evil. I've been stockpiling my meds just in case all hell breaks loose. I can't wind up in the pysche ward. Eff that. Any input is welcome. Thank you sir for your courage and the video. I love getting healthy and staying healthy. At my age, 50, I can't play stupid games anymore.

I have just finished my taper and am having serious benzo belly. I am experiencing serious acid reflux with it. Do you have acid reflux also?

Hello please I need your help with some answers, I just watched this video and was shocked because I've been taking lexotanil 3mg daily for 3 years I tapered from 2 pills to one and a half, now the thing is I've been having a very strange type of constipation since a year now and nooo doctor is giving me a solution they're all just telling me it's a lazy bowel, giving me laxatives that only work sometimes (which is even weirder)... And I've been thinking of quitting this benzo since a long time but scared of withdrawals, my question to u is u mentioned the slow motility at the beginning of the video, so it happens while taking the benzo u mean of after quitting it? Or both? 😢Please I need info and help because I'm tired of seeing so many docs and this case became way mysterious...Btw I even tried prokentics for the gut motility but they barely work

Well done Sir l am going through this benzo belly torture 9 months in

So was your vagus nerve damaged cause of the benzodiazepines or from withdrawing too fast?

I got that allso. I got everything BAD. My stomach feels like that. I stay constpated. I have to take laxative. NIGHTMARE

Brother can u plz tell me if u had severe back neck and leg pain. If so when did u have this n until when. I doubt if my spinal cord is damaged as my mri shows disc bulges in neck n back.

Would exercise help benzo belly? I have gained weight. I had cted almost a year back. I have been trying to exercise despite all the symptoms but its not working!

It all just sucks.

This sounds so scary. Does anyone get away with these awful symptoms. I'm bipolar and I've been on 2 mg lorazepam for about 13 yrs I've been doing a slow taper I've cut my dose to 1 mg so far. I'm 65 yrs old ,I don't think I could bear what you've been through and still going through.

Did you use probiotics? Hugs from The Netherlands

This shows up once in a while in terms of my stomach distending and looking like I’m in full term pregnancy. However, it goes down fast. Doesn’t always happen after I eat…can just blow up spontaneously. What does happen every morning is burping…non-stop burping for a couple hours straight. Now, before this, I very rarely burped. So, this is totally a new experience for me. And, they are huge burps. And, my stomach isn’t even distended when this happens…so where the heck is all the air coming from? I wake up waiting for it to start, and sometimes it will not happen. Most often, it will start up and it literally lasts for a couple of hours straight. Non-stop. Obviously, it’s for the same reason as benzo belly. Just would expect it to happen in conjunction with eating…but, no. It just shows up.