Benzo belly is the common name for what people experience when they stop using Benzodiazepines, which are used to treat different mental health conditions. Withdrawal from benzodiazepines (‘benzos’) like Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, or Ativan can be dangerous and potentially life-threatening if not managed properly. The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper offers comprehensive addiction treatment for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring mental health conditions.

• Benzodiazepines can alter the natural function of gastrointestinal motility, leading to slower processing of food and waste, which contributes to the symptoms described above.
• Embrace the path to recovery and wellness with Villa Oasis – where healing begins, and hope is restored.
• These issues can disrupt the gut microbiome, leading to long-term digestive problems.
• The gut-brain axis relates to the connection between the emotional and cognitive areas in the brain to the digestive tract.

CRITICAL SAFETY WARNING: Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

The primary approach to alleviating benzo belly is gradual tapering and cessation of benzodiazepines. The goal is to minimize discomfort while safely reducing benzodiazepine use, thereby addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of benzo belly. When diagnosing benzo belly, clinicians must also consider the severity of psychiatric symptoms pre-treatment.

• As a result, you’re less likely to experience pain and cramps.
• The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
• However, the physical side effects of these medications can be significant and often debilitating.

Does Benzo Belly Go Away? Timeline and Recovery

Most people report that food and drinks are the main triggers for pain. Here are a few things you can do to manage the painful symptoms. It’s important to know that the discomfort can last for months, and you should have your heart set on quitting your benzo drug. Crucially, unsupervised withdrawal can also lead to life-threatening complications like seizures. They can help you manage your symptoms, so you don’t have to consume larger amounts of the drug to feel better. Some people report that drinking and eating usually worsen the pain.

Symptoms and Impact

Given the potential for long-lasting and distressing symptoms, it is crucial for individuals experiencing benzo Belly to seek professional medical advice. This dependency can result in a cycle of continued use to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can adversely affect the gut microbiome and lead to long-term digestive issues. Withdrawal symptoms often include gastrointestinal disturbances such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating. Treatment options include medication adjustment, dietary modifications, hydration, probiotics, exercise, stress management and medical evaluation if symptoms persist. Benzo belly refers to gastrointestinal issues that may arise as a side effect of benzodiazepine medications.

What’s “Benzo Belly”? Meet the Little-Known Withdrawal Symptom

In most cases, people believe that benzo belly symptoms are very close to the discomfort you feel when you eat something heavy. Some research suggests that the benzo belly is related to the brain-gut connection. After the withdrawal symptoms have worn off, some people will experience a late onset of withdrawal symptoms. They include withdrawal symptoms that can be severe enough to require medical attention.

What does benzodiazepine toxicity look like?

While managing the discomforting symptoms of ‘benzo belly’ is a critical aspect of the withdrawal process, individuals and healthcare providers alike seek effective and safe treatment alternatives to benzodiazepines. This approach helps the brain and body slowly adjust to the absence of benzodiazepines, minimizing withdrawal effects like benzo belly and other physical disturbances. When individuals reduce or discontinue their use, especially after long-term benzodiazepine use, they may experience “benzo belly” as part of the withdrawal symptoms. At Villa Oasis, our approach to treating “benzo belly” includes strategies to mitigate the impact of these symptoms on the overall recovery process. Our approach is comprehensive, targeting both the benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms and the overarching treatment for benzodiazepine addiction, thereby fostering a more holistic recovery journey.

These symptoms not only signify the body’s response to the cessation of benzodiazepine use but also reflect the complexities of physical dependence on these benzo belly substances. This imbalance often contributes to symptoms like bloating, cramping, and discomfort, commonly referred to as benzo belly. The journey through benzodiazepine withdrawal, especially during the acute withdrawal phase, can be challenging due to these gastrointestinal disturbances. Given the potential side effects of benzodiazepines, exploring alternatives can be beneficial.

This term refers to the gastrointestinal discomfort that can occur during withdrawal, often characterized by bloating, cramping, indigestion, and changes in bowel habits. At Villa Oasis, incorporating such alternatives into our treatment approach allows us to address the multifaceted challenges of recovery, ensuring a smoother, more comfortable transition toward healing. For instance, it’s been observed that for every 100 adult visits to an office-based doctor over the course of a year, 27 visits result in a prescription for a benzodiazepine. This understanding becomes even more important considering the prevalence of benzodiazepine prescriptions.

Our holistic approach extends beyond treating benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. Understanding these effects is vital for patients and healthcare providers alike, ensuring that the benefits of benzodiazepines are realized while minimizing adverse outcomes. The long-term use of benzodiazepines can lead to dependency and addiction, with users developing tolerance to the drugs’ effects, necessitating higher doses to achieve the same therapeutic benefit.

How long does benzo belly last?

Gabapentin, while not a benzodiazepine, is sometimes used off-label to help manage withdrawal symptoms, offering an alternative to those seeking relief without the use of benzodiazepines. Understanding how benzo withdrawal impacts the body—especially through symptoms like benzo belly—is essential for individuals preparing for recovery. This statistic highlights the widespread use of these drugs and underscores the potential for a significant number of individuals to experience “benzo belly” during withdrawal. This system of nerves and chemical messengers helps explain why emotional and mental stress can lead to physical symptoms in the gut—especially during benzodiazepine withdrawal. This disruption often results in the gastrointestinal symptoms collectively termed as “benzo belly.” These issues are not only physically troubling but also significantly impact the recovery process from benzodiazepine addiction.

Maintaining a strong physician-patient rapport throughout the tapering process is essential. They also take into account the potential impact of withdrawal on existing conditions. That means healthcare professionals rely on patient history and symptom presentation rather than specific laboratory tests. Benzo Belly is often accompanied by psychological symptoms that can be distressing and impact an individual’s mental well-being.

Long-Term Physical Effects

Psychological symptoms such as heightened anxiety, irritability, and difficulty sleeping are common during withdrawal. These medications should only be taken under medical supervision to avoid interfering with the withdrawal process. Abrupt cessation can lead to severe withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines, prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, and seizures, affect the brain by enhancing the calming effects of the neurotransmitter GABA.

An expert should know the timeline of withdrawal and can predict what you’ll need and when. Talk to a professional about a plan and get the correct medication for the side effects. Additionally, the same bacteria mentioned here are responsible for regulating gas in the GI tract, which may explain the unpredictable bloating that comes with benzo belly. Benzodiazepines work essentially by enhancing the brain’s reception of GABA. It’s trying to adjust to living without a substance that it has grown accustomed to, and the nerves that control gut function are affected, causing an abnormal reaction to the sudden influence of food or liquid.

What Exactly is Benzo Belly?

Common side effects during this period include ongoing gastrointestinal disturbances and irregular sleep patterns. Your recovery improves with proper medical care and lifestyle changes, and since symptoms can vary in severity, regular monitoring by medical specialists helps healing. Benzodiazepine medications such as Xanax often cause gastrointestinal disturbances and digestive health issues.

These drugs, commonly prescribed for anxiety, insomnia and other conditions, can disrupt normal digestive processes, leading to a range of digestive symptoms. It’s true that benzo belly, while common in the population of people in recovery from benzodiazepine use, is little-known and even less understood. Some people suffer with it for weeks, while others have complained that symptoms of benzo belly have persisted nine months to over a year after acute withdrawal has passed. This suggests that the presence of benzos can interrupt one degree of the interaction and communication involved in the brain-gut axis, which may have chaotic effects on overall gut function. There’s another link between the way benzos — and the process of removing them from your system — affect your brain and your gut.