please put your thinking caps on...i need help.

[[Ki...]]

I was not doing well last week on .4375 Ativan. I had been stuck at that dose for weeks. Then I switched to liquid on Tuesday. It seemed to work at first but today was horrific. I paced around my room all day in terror with my brain and nerves vibrating. I was so terrified. My family is supposed to go away for a week on Saturday and I'm a mess. I can't stay home alone. I'm too scared in this condition. My kids are very upset. What if I just go back on the pills for the week and updose to a stable level? I know this will set me back, but I don't see any other way. I don't have anyone who can stay with me.

[[Co...]]

What about updosing the liquid?

[[Co...]]

Kicking, you need to find a dose you're stable and functional at, if you're Tapering too fast then you need to slow down. You mention even the pills weren't working for you.

[[Ki...]]

I'm thinking I would updose the pills because I'm not sure how to accurately updose the liquid. I'm thinking I'll just go back up to .5 mg pills divided into four doses of .125 each and see if that stabilizes me. Is updosing really so bad if its a small amount for a week? I need to be functional. We will be in a house on vacation with two other families and their kids with lots of chaos. I've essentially been bed-bound for a week. I need to pull myself together, at least for now.

[[Ch...]]

I'm thinking I would updose the pills because I'm not sure how to accurately updose the liquid. I'm thinking I'll just go back up to .5 mg pills divided into four doses of .125 each and see if that stabilizes me. Is updosing really so bad if its a small amount for a week? I need to be functional. We will be in a house on vacation with two other families and their kids with lots of chaos. I've essentially been bed-bound for a week. I need to pull myself together, at least for now.

 

I'd do this if I were in this situation.  Hopefully that will be enough to stabilize you and then try again when you're ready.

[[Bi...]]

Sometimes we over taper and the body has a DELAYED KICK BACK.  I'd up taper until you feel better. Sometimes we just go too far. Letting your CNS rev up is not healthy.

 

When you feel like your in normal tolerance again then proceed down.

 

This just takes time and sometimes extra time is needed.

 

 

[[Ki...]]

Thanks Buddies. This whole process has become nightmarish pretty quickly. So glad you were here to help.

[[Co...]]

Sometimes we over taper and the body has a DELAYED KICK BACK.  I'd up taper until you feel better. Sometimes we just go too far. Letting your CNS rev up is not healthy.

 

When you feel like your in normal tolerance again then proceed down.

 

This just takes time and sometimes extra time is needed.

 

This is what happened to me. The last 2 months have not been pretty.

[[Co...]]

One thing I'm beginning to learn is that the pain and suffering is just not worth it. For us that are sensitive to this stuff the only way down is slowly.

 

I'm making my switch to liquid soon and I have no idea what to expect.

[[Ki...]]

The liquid did not work.  I spoke to a doctor today who used to specialize in getting people off benzos.  She said the liquid works really FAST and doesn't stay in your body long.  Since my body was used to the pills, it didn't like a different formulation.  I'm going back to the pills and staying at .5 mg for a while.  I've been through the wringer over the last few days with panic, terror, hypeventilation, nausea.  It was unreal.  My body and I need a break.  I got the name of two doctors who supposedly can help me do this.  I've left them messages.  The doctor I'm working with is trying, but I don't think he's knowledgeable.

[[Sl...]]

The liquid did not work.  I spoke to a doctor today who used to specialize in getting people off benzos.  She said the liquid works really FAST and doesn't stay in your body long.  Since my body was used to the pills, it didn't like a different formulation.  I'm going back to the pills and staying at .5 mg for a while.  I've been through the wringer over the last few days with panic, terror, hypeventilation, nausea.  It was unreal.  My body and I need a break.  I got the name of two doctors who supposedly can help me do this.  I've left them messages.  The doctor I'm working with is trying, but I don't think he's knowledgeable.

 

Hi Kickinit.  Glad to see you've got a doc to at least report your issues to.

 

In another post you said that the whole thing is "nightmarish."  My heart goes out to you, and I have

to say from my own similar experience a while back that most super negative reactions to what we're

doing on the taper can be attributed to going too fast or taking too large of cuts.. or both. 

 

As said above by birdman and challis, find your comfortable (or as close to that as is possible) dosing

scheme.  That might take  time but it'll be worth it.  I did it and ended up on a fine taper plan that

works well for me. 

 

It's done by 99% of the Benzo Buddies members;  find a way to not push it and

still work your way down to smaller and smaller doses.  Success is at the end of that road, as we see

in the "success stories" section here at BB.

 

You'll do it.  You're discovering important things as you experience the misery.. it is there to teach

you a better path to healing. 

 

- Slappy

[[Sl...]]

I'll probably have my account deleted for double posting, but hey, I'm on a mission. 

 

No, I was just thinking back to my Ativan days.  Yuck.  I found that it was so short-lived

for me that I began taking it every four hours.   

 

Man o man... and I still felt horrible.  So I went to my doc, a psyche doc, and was put on

clonazepam.

 

That was better because it's so strong, but I got no instruction on dosage so took it

every 4 hours also! 

 

 

I finally began reading around in places like this and stretched out the dosing time and

then tapering.

 

Anyway, this post is about the short effectiveness of Ativan, and hoping that you, Kicknit,

get on something that lasts longer like Valium as Dr. Ashton recommends, and then find

your comfortable dose then start a taper plan.

 

Hope it helps.. best to you... 

 

- Slappy

[[Ch...]]

Oh Slappy, that's not a double post, it's a double support.  Love it.

[[Ki...]]

Thanks Buddies! Love the name Slappy!

When I looked back over my notes I realized I dropped pretty quickly from .625 to .4375. I guess I got cocky, as I had made consistent drops all along and hadn't had anything unbearable. Don't get me wrong, I feel like a dish rag most of the time but after having Lyme Disease for two years, then breast cancer, dish rag is my middle name. I'm staying at .5 for a while. I have an appointment next week with yet another doc I found on one of the support websites. I talked to her today on the phone for a half hour. SHE IS THE REAL DEAL. She knows everything about benzos, tapering, substitutions, titration and this forum. Eureka. I have struck gold!

[[Sl...]]

I have an appointment next week with yet another doc I found on one of the support websites. I talked to her today on the phone for a half hour. SHE IS THE REAL DEAL. She knows everything about benzos, tapering, substitutions, titration and this forum. Eureka. I have struck gold!

 

Oh good.  That sounds great, KickinIt.