Doctor wont listen

[[Ta...]]

I am so stressed out. I have not even began my reduction of ativan .5 three times a day and i am already experiencing interdose withdrawal. And i even had bad tinnitus before i took the medication and after. I cant sleep. Im walking funny , i have crying episodes, depression, very agitated , jaw clenching short of breath , cold head, tingling everywhere and just about every other weird symptom and i havent even changed to diazapam yet. Im ready to blow my brains out. Fuck i cant even relax or work and now i got another year to get off this shit which i got put on after withdrawling from alchohol. My doctor wont listen to me about the ashton method. He thinks i can just start takingg the same dose of diazapam without doing a proper switch . Is that even safe. How will i cope when i actually start to withdrawal when im already experiencing interdose withdrawal. Im about ready to give up. I have so many problems and life is hell i just want a release and be able to relax forever

[Guest [...]]

I'm sorry you're suffering so...

Any chance you can find a new doctor?

Could you tell your doctor that, if he already willing to let you switch to Valium you would like to do so gradually and what the problem is for her/ him? If he will prescribe it anyway....?

 

Do you have enough Ativan to just do your own cross over, by any chance?

If you make a cross over plan, you can calculate how much Ativan you will still,need.

Then just take the new script for Valium and do it your way?

 

I would not usually recommend not listening to a doctor , really. But I know how awful Ativan interdose withdrawal is and how frustrating when the doctor doesn't want to hear about it.

It's torture.

 

I did a fairly rapid cross over, according to no the Ashton manual but Peart's.

It was quick and I didn't have enough Valium build up in my body to cover all the Ativan withdrawal xs, so I had to do a slight Valium updose and hold for a little longer before starting a taper.

 

But it can be done.

 

You would need 15 mgr of Valium for your cross over, btw , if you were doing the math.

 

Anyway, hope you find relief soon. It's very challenging, dealing with interdose.

My best,

Moo

[[Ta...]]

I do have some ativan left. Would it be possible if i went like this

.5 ativ.  5 diaZapam then . 5 ativan and then keep switching it in?  And how many days. Like will i survive if i drop out an ativan for a 5 mg diazap every couple days till im just on the diazapam. I dont know why. No one takes me seriously. And im trying so hard to hold it together. I cant do this much longer

[Guest [...]]

I do have some ativan left. Would it be possible if i went like this

.5 ativ.  5 diaZapam then . 5 ativan and then keep switching it in?  And how many days. Like will i survive if i drop out an ativan for a 5 mg diazap every couple days till im just on the diazapam. I dont know why. No one takes me seriously. And im trying so hard to hold it together. I cant do this much longer

 

Ideally you would substitute half of each dose with Valium.

So, taking 0.25 Ativan and 2.5 Valium for a while, then switch to 5 Valium and no Ativan. Dose by dose.

Valium needs time to build up in your body, and for most people that is around about 4 weeks to reach peak level.

If you switch too quick, you not only will mostl,likely feel the Ativan withdrawal but also thatbyoundont have enough Valium accumulated in your liver.

 

Ys, you will live... Of course you will!

This is about your GABA receptors having been pruned back by benzo use. They will regenerate but only with time.

So, if you go too quick, your receptors have not had enough time to " grow back" and you will feel that.

It's not YOU as in you yourself. It's physical. Your brain is trying to find a balance again and get it right.

 

How much Ativan do you have, to work with?

And what kind of Valium tablets do you have to work with?

 

People here will take you seriously. We have all been there. You're among people who get it.

Try not to worry. There is a way, somehow,okay?

 

Hugs,

Moo

[[Ta...]]

I dunno. I don't have 4 weeks that's for sure. he tried telling me that it doesn't matter. and only prescribed me 10 mg when I would need 15. I have a bunch of Ativan but it won't last 4 weeks. he thinks I can just switch over without any type of switching and he won't listen. in going to tell him this week it's not working and we have to do it this way . no one will listen and I am sick in bed already because my body is asking for more Ativan . I have .5 mg Ativan tablets and 5 mg diazapam

[[Tr...]]

Taikamiya44,

 

My doctor had me go directly from Ativan to Klonopin.  She stopped scripting me Ativan, I did have any pills left and I was intolerance wd.  Ativan was making me very sick. 

 

You could do a partial cross over.  Just remember takes time for Valium to build up in your system. 

 

I know how you are feel having been there myself.  There is a solution, and you will be ok. 

 

 

Hugs,

Try

[[Tr...]]

Also, try posting under substitution taper plans.  You may get more responses, as many others have been in your position.

 

Try

[Guest [...]]

Well, the Valium 5 mgr will be good for crossing over, since you would need 2.5 mgr to cross over if you can do it properly.

The 0.5 Ativan is great too, since you can split them in half.

Remember that you won't need a full dose of Ativan for long, in case you skipped that when calculating.

 

You could do a more rapid cross over, Peart style. But then still, you would be 5 mgr short.

Which is pretty much what I had to work with and I made it out, too.

But it wasn't pretty, I have to be honest.

I would try to get 5 mgr more, for sure.

It's " only" 0.5 mgr Ativan, which is so frustrating, because I found that most doctors had nor problem giving me Ativan, up to 4 mgr! But when I wanted to cross over they were skimpy with the Valium.

I hear you...

An example of what you could do:

 

                        Am dose.                        Midday.                          Pm dose

 

Day 1              0.5 Ativan.              0.25 Ativan + 2.5 Valium.          0.5 Ativan

 

 

Day 5.            0.5 Ativan.                        5  Valium.                      0.5 Ativan

 

Day 10            0.5 Ativan.                        5 Valium.                      0.25 Ativan + 2.5 Valium

 

Day 15          0.5 Ativan.                        5 Valium.                        5 Valium

 

Day 20          0.25 Ativan + 2.5 Valium.    5 Valium.                        5 Valium

 

Day 25          5 Valium.                            5 Valium.                        5 Valium

 

 

It's just an example. To see how it would work with splitting doses. I'm not saying this is a good time frame, per sé.

This is what I did. Only quicker. Which I don't recommend .

According to Ashton, you would take a week between changing doses.

 

 

According to Peart you would go quicker.

You would need about 40 -45 Ativan  I think, if I go over it quick, to pull this off.

Do you have that, still?

If not, you might need more Valium even.

It takes most people,around 4 weeks to accumulate enough valium in the liver, is what I see.

Then you hold for a couple,of weeks and then see if you feel about right to start a taper. Meaning functional.

The Valium is sedating for most and should wear off at around 10-14 days.

I felt like a total zombie. Which kind of freaked me out but looking back, it was much better than continuous interdose crazy train.

 

Look, I don't know if this helps. I just know I was in your shoes in the early spring.

Couldn't do a thing, went out of my mind nuts on the stuff.

And now I just did a 11 hours plane ride.

 

Just hoping to help.

Let me know what you need. ( other than a non- moron doctor and more Valium)

 

Best,moo

 

 

[[Ta...]]

I don't have enough to switch. my body already wants more Ativan and he won't see me till Friday. I am totally screwed he thinks I can just take the diazapam and quit the ativan and I'm already sick in the first place I am done with this I can't handle the stress anymore

[[Tr...]]

Tiakamiya44,

 

It will be ok.  I've been there.  He's ignorant about benzos, just like my PDoc. 

 

Moo came up with a cross over schedule, did you have an opportunity to look at it.  With the pills you do have.  Are you able to start any cross over?  The Valium might give you some relief, I'm not a doctor so I can say definitely it would work.

 

Do you have family or friends to help you during this time?

 

Try

[Guest [...]]

Any chance to see a different doctor?

 

I know it's stressful. It seems impossible to deal with but many have been there.

Even if you have to do a direct cross over, that's what's you got.

Or You might have to substitute a whole dose at a time if you have not enough Ativan.

 

Ate some point it will even out.

There are people here who were cut off of their meds at once but you still have Ativan and Valium to work with.

It won't be easy maybe but you can do this even though you might think right now you won't make it.

 

I'm so sorry you're suffering like this.

If things are too hard to figure out, please keep posting and people can help you out, here.

 

Please also,when you can, post on the Valium support thread. All Valium folks and cross overs and people have been through all sorts of cross overs, withdrawals , cold turkeys, and what not,

You surely will get support there .

We can help.

 

If you can to figure out how, let me know. I can copy a link to that board to this thread and people might post here?

Don't give up.

This is all temporary, even though it feels like it won't end and feel horrible.

 

Moo

 

Here is a link which takes you right to the Valium support thread

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=96753.0