Expert: Caroline West - 4/19/2011

Question
Hi Caroline. First, congratulations on your own victories regarding these toxic drugs.

I am suffering severe BWS. The main symptoms are stomach pains, bloating and nausea, with occasional bouts of sweating.

I went from Xanax to Valium, which is supposed to help. In the last few months I've been able to go from 40mg/day to 15mg, but that includes 5-6 beers a day and a little red pill the contents of which are a mystery.

I live in China, and the red pill is used for recovering heroin addicts. My best guess is that it is an anti-nausea medication of some kind, which I may actually be allergic to (I am 50 years old and was diagnosed as allergic to the anti-nausea medication "Compazine" (Prochlorperazine) when I was 2).

However, when I only take 1/2 - 1 pill a day it seems to relieve my nausea.

Any suggestions as to what can help with the severe stomach bloating and nausea? This is destroying my relationship as I am sick 24/7 and can do little. Thanks for any input, and I would be happy to donate some money if you send me a paypal email address.

Thanks for all the wonderful help you have given people.

Answer
Hello Dan. No PayPal donation is required thank you. This is a free service run by volunteers who are happy to donate some of their time to help others.

I think that you are going about all this in the totally wrong way. Why are you attempting to do something so difficult as coming off of Benzo's alone when there is professional help available? It's not ideal to say the least.

Xanax is a powerful drug and 40mg Diazepam (Valium) is a really high dose. And beers on top? not a good combination. Do me a favour;this 'mysterious' little red pill? Stop taking it,you have no idea what it is and it could even be responsible for the bloating and nausea. You should never take anything that you are not sure of what it is. In my days of using I would do stupid things like that but I am wiser now so definitely stop taking it.

If you won't go to see a Health Care professional who can help you,then do a much slower detox off of the Valium that what you are attempting at the moment. In treatment,a slow Detox would normally be a cut of about 2mg per week. So if you are insistent on doing it by yourself and you can get hold of the Valium,then cut it down slowly like that. BUT and it's a very big BUT,I am NOT a Doctor and from what you are saying to me regarding your symptoms,you need to go to the Emergency Room and/or see a Doctor as soon as possible to get checked over-taking along this red tablet as well. And if you are making everyone miserable at home by the condition that you are in,then do it for them instead. GET HELP. That's my final say on it.

Good Luck. Caroline.