Apache

I'll look into that. Thanks.

Thank you. Benzo withdrawal symptoms can definitely be intense; go slow with your taper if you can. I should try checking my bp during one of these reactions.

Thank you for replying. I was actually under the impression that dysautonomia could present itself in different ways. I went to a bunch of different doctors when all this first started and none of them could tell me what was wrong. One even wanted to put me back on benzos, and at a higher dose. I had to figure out that I was in withdrawal on my own. I haven't been able to work for a few years now, and my medical insurance ran out a long time ago, so I can't go to anymore doctors.

I have been dealing with benzodiazepine withdrawal for several years now, and recently on the benzo withdrawal forum I belong to a topic was started about dysautonomia. It seems that a lot of people in benzo withdrawal are diagnosed with POTS; I myself was diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance when I first started experiencing withdrawal symptoms. That was a few years ago and I no longer seem to have problems with my blood pressure, but there has been one thing that will not go away; food and supplement sensitivities. I have only spoken to a few people on my forum that have the same reaction to food and supplements that I have, so it has often concerned me that it possibly isn't a symptoms of withdrawal, but something else instead. There aren't many foods that I can eat, and the ones that I can eat have to be rotated, and I can't tolerate any supplements at all, not even probiotics. The reaction I have to food and supplements isn't digestive in nature, but rather strange sensations in my head. I will get depersonalization, dizziness, head pressure that feels like I'm being pulled from the inside, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and I wake up the next day feeling like I have some type of hangover. I once got this reaction just from getting a drop of milk thistle tea on my finger. There are some foods that I can tolerate if they are processed. One that comes to mind is peanut butter. I can't eat peanuts or all natural peanut butter, but I can eat the more processed kind, such as Jiff or Peter Pan. I can't eat many vegetables at all, but there are a few in which the canned variety doesn't cause a problem, such as green beans. Fresh or frozen green beans will cause a reaction, but the canned ones don't. I know nobody can give actual medical advice, but if anyone can tell me if this sounds like a form of dysautonomia I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

That's typical of doctors. If they can't find a cause of something they blame it on anxiety, or they say it's imagined. Some of it is the fault of medical schools, some of it is doctors not further educating themselves, and some of it is the fact that many doctors are only in it for the money and status. I have had many doctors tell me that nothing is wrong with me. It's frustrating and it makes me angry that they should get paid by my insurance company when they have done nothing at all. In my opinion a good doctor would atleast do some investigating. Like lieze said, it's the autonomic dysfunction that causes things like you described, but anxiety can cause the dysfunction. Stress can do some very strange things to the body.

Depersonalization disorder?

I have been doing some skilled relaxation exercises for a couple of months and I'm beginning to notice a difference. I feel a bit more clear headed and my panicky/head pressure feeling that I get after eating is getting better. Maybe you should try this. There is a doctor named Walt Stoll who has written some books discussing how relaxation techniques can help to undo many health problems. He says that it releases stored stress from the hypothalamus gland. You can check out his website at askwaltstoll.com. Take a look at the message board and you can get some advice from the doctor himself, as well as other people who practice his advice. My method for relaxation is just to lie down with my eyes closed and do some deep breathing. I try to do it twice a day. This helps to bring the body into a truly relaxed state.

Here you go. http://www.panic411.org/#Dysautonomia My cardiologist diagnosed me, and my internist said it was most likely due to the stress I was/am under.

Actually, autonomic dysfunction can result from a high level of anxiety. This is what happened to me. I have depersonalization disorder and developed autonomic dysfunction from the constant worry and bracing.

I couldn't tolerate it. It made me spaced out and I couldn't do much besides sit in front of the television.

The only good way to test for non-celiac gluten sensitivity is through a stool test offered by a company called Enterolab. Do a google search.

I tested negetive, but a gluten free diet helps me as well. I did test positive for gluten sensitivity.

I keep thinking about trying choline, but I react badly to supplements so I don't know if I should.

Since choline is necessary for nerve signal transmission I was wondering if anybody takes it? Choline is also a precursor to acetylcholine, which also plays a role in the nervous system and regulates the speed of the digestive system. Has anybody had their acetylcholine levels checked?

I don't have a diagnosis yet, but I get that feeling sometimes. It's only for a split second, though.