Here I go again...!

[[mo...]]

Hi,

 

After years of off and on use of Benzos for Migraine Seizure disorder, I am once again (and I hope for good) on a cross-over substitution taper plan. I have been working with a great neurologist and a great GP Doc and we think we have found a better way to control my seizure migraines so hopefully this will be the LAST withdrawal I ever do! I am really fortunate that I have such good support for my taper (it took me quite a while to find it, too!), but as the cross-over substitution idea is new at the facility where I get my medical care now (I took them the info and they decided to look into it and help me give it a try), I just wanted to throw out the substitution taper plan numbers here and get any feedback that may be offered:

 

Start -- 1.5 - 2.5mg Lorazepam per day x 2+ years (= 15 - 25mg Diazepam)

Stage 1 -- 1.5mg Lorazepam x one month (= 15mg Diazepam)

*Stage 2 -- 1.25mg Lorazepam plus 2mg Diazepam x 2 weeks (=14.5mg Diazepam) *THIS IS WHERE I AM CURRENTLY

Stage 3 -- 1mg Lorazepam plus 4mg Diazepam x 2 weeks (=14mg Diazepam)

Stage 4 -- .75mg Lorazepam plus 6mg Diazepam x 2 weeks (=13.5mg Diazepam)

Stage 5 -- .5mg Lorazepam plus 8mg Diazepam x 2 weeks (=13mg Diazepam)

Stage 6 -- .25mg Lorazepam plus 10 mg Diazepam x 2 weeks (=12.5mg Diazepam)

Stage 7 -- 12mg Diazepam x 2 weeks

Stage 8 -- 11mg Diazepam x 2 weeks

Stage 9 -- 10mg Diazepam x 2 weeks

(continue with 1 mg dosage reduction every two weeks until I finish last Stage of 2 weeks at 1 mg Diazepam per day)

 

Except for the beginning (Stage 1), which was a bit tough because I had to quit using the extra Lorazepam PRN and stick to my maintenance dose of 1.5mg, which was a fairly big cut even though I was not taking the extra dosages every single day, this seems like a pretty slow and long taper. The first month I had a lot of symptoms, but that seems to have leveled out to fairly mild to moderate symptoms now. I am a bit concerned about reducing the dosage of Lorazepam WHILE crossing over to Diazepam in the first few stages, but the reduction is pretty low for each stage (only .5mg Diazepam) and it looks like some people do it that way successfully. I figure it will take me about 32 weeks to complete the taper, but I just HAVE to avoid any seizure like symptoms or protracted status migraineous episodes if I am going to do this successfully and move on to the other options for migraine management.

 

I completed a successful cross-over substitution taper withdrawal several years ago and after the first few weeks found it was tolerable, but this time I have been on higher doses for a longer time so I am a bit concerned...

 

Thanks for any input or suggestions!

 

Mo

 

[Guest [ba...]]

My only thought is that reducing by 1 mg per cut might end up being too fast.  A lot of people cut at roughly half that rate.  Listen to your body.  If you start feeling really slammed with the 1 mg cuts, consider smaller cuts.

[[mo...]]

Hi Badsocref,

 

Thank you for that advice. While my doc has been super supportive, which I really appreciate, I did read in my medical notes that he believes 2mg of Lorazepam for 2 years is "not very much" so that he expects that any symptoms I have may be more psychologically related than physically related, and while he is supportive of whatever speed I need to move at, I think he thinks I should be moving faster so having you mention that it's okay to slow down if I need to is very helpful!

 

Thx,

 

Mo