Changing to Ativan

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Hi!  I am just wondering if some of you could share some of your experience and feedback.  I have been off Klonopin for 3 months today.  The time being off of it has been way harder than my taper which also was very, very difficult.  My doctor suggested reinstating a few weeks ago but after I posted a topic on these boards, the overwhelming feedback was - don't do it.  Now, my doc is recommending I try taking Ativan instead of the Klonopin.  I have never tried Ativan but I will not go back on Xanax and Valium makes me more anxious (strangely).  So, I guess Ativan is the only one really left.  Has anyone ever done anything like this?  My gut tells me this really is not a good idea but I am not sure.  My doc really has no idea about this kind of withdrawal.  She said most people don't have a tough time getting off these drugs, but I have been struggling so much.

[Guest [ba...]]

I went from klonopin to Ativan, but without the break.  Klonopin stopped working well for me, and my sleep doc gave me samples of a few meds to try.  Ativan worked the best for me of the meds I was given to try.  It never worked as well as klonopin did when I first started taking it.  I finally realized that these drugs were causing me more difficulties than they were alleviating, so I c/t'd Ativan (tomorrow will be 11 months!).

 

Since you're three months off, I would not recommend reinstating any benzos or z-drugs.  Doing so at this point could make it much harder to get off later on.  What sorts of symptoms are you currently experiencing?  I'm guessing that the symptoms must be bothering you a fair amount if you're considering reinstatement.

 

Personally, I'd be much more tempted to reinstate gabapentin to control withdrawal symptoms than to reinstate any benzos.  I had very little difficulty quitting gabapentin (a few people have had difficulties, but significantly fewer I think than have had trouble getting off benzos).

[[ca...]]

Thanks for sharing your experience.  I have intense symptoms.  The worse is the sleep issues.  I used to have intense adrenaline surges for months but now those have lessened some, but I do have insomnia too.  I got some more sleep last week but last night was another really rough night.  I still get shaky, bad nausea with some vomiting, brain fog, extreme fatigue, occasional dizziness and songs that get stuck in my head, overall flu feeling and terrible muscle pain and stiffness.  I do get depressed and some anxiety (although over all the extreme anxiety has lessened a fair amount).  Yes, it is really intense and it is all worse with the lack of sleep which is why on those nights especially I get desperate!  Neurontin did very little for my sleep.  It did very little for anything really.  However, I do agree with you in that I have stopped it twice and did not really have a problem either time - probably also because I didn't notice much benefit.  Thanks again for your advice.

[Guest [ba...]]

I didn't have a lot of nausea, but otherwise my symptoms (including poor sleep) were much like yours.  Sleep will return eventually, but it was my most difficult problem during withdrawal.  Gabapentin did not put me to sleep, but it extended my sleep.  Doxylamine succinate (Unisom) helped me to fall asleep, so the combination of D + G could usually buy me 3-5 hours of sleep.  In time, I dropped the gabapentin, then the doxy.  I still don't sleep great, but I can now fall asleep pretty quickly (on my own), and will usually get 5 hours.  If I take doxy now, I get 7-8 hours of sleep, but the doxy leave me feeling really groggy in the morning so I hardly ever take it.  I do pop 5 mg of melatonin 1-2 times a week if I'm having any difficulty falling asleep.  It helps me (usually). 

 

You dropped a lot of meds.  It's probably going to take a little longer before you're sleeping enough to be satisfied.  As for me - five hours doesn't sound like much, but it seems to be enough for me to function.  It does get better (slowly, sometimes).

[[ca...]]

Yeah - I agree.  I actually talked with a doctor a little earlier today who said the same thing.  It is likely I am dealing with so much because I dropped so many meds so quickly.  I hope I will still heal.  He said that all I can do at this point really is give it time.  I am praying that in time, I will be ok.  I am happy to hear you are sleeping better.  Thank it wonderful news and does give me hope.