Short term, low dose Ativan - 16 weeks out, am I normal?

[[An...]]

Hi all, I took Ativan for 6 weeks then cold turkeyed and tapered with Ativan for 7 weeks. On the 19th of this month it will be 16 weeks since my last dose. I need to hear from other short term, low dose buddies that this is normal that I'm still experiencing withdrawal this far out. I can't help but worry that I'll be going through this for the rest of my life - Wikipedia has scared the heck out of me. Thank you to anyone who can share and tell me if I'm still ok, healing, and normal. 

[[So...]]

Hi Angelprint,

 

The first thing I'll tell you is that you are NORMAL and what you are experiencing is NORMAL.  Even though it REALLY sucks I can promise you that it's normal.  You WILL get better as time passes.  It's not easy but it does get better.  I'm still dealing with it. I've made special friends in here that support me every day.  You will too.

[Guest [Or...]]

3 weeks use. 19 weeks in withdrawal for me. Completely normal. It gets better. We are at the point where people start turning corners. I'm already doing stuff now that I couldn't before.

[[be...]]

3 weeks use, 4 week taper. I am in month 8 and still have symptoms (though I am living a pretty full life now). At 4 weeks out I was still in acute. Things really turned the corner for me at 20 weeks. And remember that your health fears are another part of what the drug does to your brain. It's ok to be afraid- just roll with it and keep telling yourself that the fear can't control you and that you will be healed soon. God bless!

[[Cl...]]

Angel-

 

I took ativan for less than 2 weeks- 10 days actually and at 4 months I was barely even out of acute. I'm almost 3 years and not healed- tho I am definitely better. I'm not saying at all that you will take this long but you're definitely not abnormal. Sorry you have to go through this

[[me...]]

Hi Angel...I took Xanax for three months at .25mg twice at day.  I'm completing my 13th week benzo free and still have significant sxs...insomnia, heart palps, blood pressure spikes, terrible tinnitus, and anxiety.  The sxs come and go and seem worse in the morning.  I am feeling better as other sxs have disappeared.  Hang in there!

[[We...]]

I was a short term Ativan user and still feeling it bad at a year out on days. I think I have read that this can go on for a long time. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.

[[An...]]

Wow thank you all so much and I'm so sorry that you are all still suffering with this. It does make me feel more normal but wow I cannot believe how long it can take to heal from it. My friend who is a doctor did make me really nervous when she asked me how I'm doing a couple of weeks ago and I told her I'm still going through waves of withdrawal. All she said was "hmmm." She told me that usually only happens to people who have been on a benzodiazepine for years. So I've been worried about why I wasn't all healed yet. Then Wikipedia scared the heck out of me with saying it typically takes 6-12 months to heal and that some have withdrawal syndrome for the rest of their lives although symptoms do gradually improve. I pray that for all of us our healing is right around the corner. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through...and I went through a rough, high risk pregnancy, and gave birth with no pain meds with a pitocin induction...I've also gone through 2 past surgeries and different types of pain and such throughout my life...but never anything like this. Love and lots of thanks to all of you for sharing. I'm so glad to know I'm not in this alone

[[An...]]

One of the sadest things is that I only got stuck taking the Ativan for six weeks because I was waiting to see a psychiatrist to advise me. My primary care prescribed it and got me started on it and my body became dependent while I waited for my appointment Oh and all of my symptoms that the psychiatrist said I needed celexa for (which almost killed me) were being caused by the ativan and ativan withdrawal.

[[hi...]]

yeah...I could relate to the short term use of benzos, my dose wasn't that low , however.

with the current benzo w/d ..diazepam is what im withdrawing from.

I was on 5 mg's for 2 months,..as prescribed,, then tapered off slow for 3 months.

as i'd like to think that w/d sxs' said "bon voyage" to me...I still get sx's even if I thought I had windows.

currently, it's getting better & better..the muscle aches & stiffness get to me the most 

it wasn't as chaotic as Ativan was smh. I think because it's a short-acting benzo ..& with that, definitely taper carefully

which i'm sure you already have but w/d is chaos, ( well , for me , it was.. ) . To answer, the question, yes it's normal. w/d frm benzos suck.

but I don't want you to get anxious over what I said lol, that whole chaotic w/d is only temporary...trust me

I even doubted it, myself..i thought I was gonna always have that chaos, but I was optimistic, & currently am with this benzo w/d

off diazepam. 

 

[[be...]]

Hi all, I took Ativan for 6 weeks then cold turkeyed and tapered with Ativan for 7 weeks. On the 19th of this month it will be 16 weeks since my last dose. I need to hear from other short term, low dose buddies that this is normal that I'm still experiencing withdrawal this far out. I can't help but worry that I'll be going through this for the rest of my life - Wikipedia has scared the heck out of me. Thank you to anyone who can share and tell me if I'm still ok, healing, and normal. 

 

What dose of Ativan were you put on when you did your reinstatement? Also, what symptoms are you having currently.  You will not have to go through this the rest of your life. There will be a time when this is all behind you. I went through a horrific cold turkey withdrawal from a very large dose of benzodiazepines. At one year out I am now completely healed. I would stay away from Dr. Google and Wikipedia.

[[Cl...]]

Wow thank you all so much and I'm so sorry that you are all still suffering with this. It does make me feel more normal but wow I cannot believe how long it can take to heal from it. My friend who is a doctor did make me really nervous when she asked me how I'm doing a couple of weeks ago and I told her I'm still going through waves of withdrawal. All she said was "hmmm." She told me that usually only happens to people who have been on a benzodiazepine for years. So I've been worried about why I wasn't all healed yet. Then Wikipedia scared the heck out of me with saying it typically takes 6-12 months to heal and that some have withdrawal syndrome for the rest of their lives although symptoms do gradually improve. I pray that for all of us our healing is right around the corner. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through...and I went through a rough, high risk pregnancy, and gave birth with no pain meds with a pitocin induction...I've also gone through 2 past surgeries and different types of pain and such throughout my life...but never anything like this. Love and lots of thanks to all of you for sharing. I'm so glad to know I'm not in this alone

 

Doctors just dont understand how this works so I find it best to just avoid them. Unless you have a separate medical problem that needs addressing you will find a lot more help here than with a doctor.

[[An...]]

Thank you both so much! Ok I will stay away from Wikipedia and Google as much as possible from here on out. Benzos-R-cruel, I sent you a PM. Thank you!

[[tr...]]

Hi all, I took Ativan for 6 weeks then cold turkeyed and tapered with Ativan for 7 weeks. On the 19th of this month it will be 16 weeks since my last dose. I need to hear from other short term, low dose buddies that this is normal that I'm still experiencing withdrawal this far out. I can't help but worry that I'll be going through this for the rest of my life - Wikipedia has scared the heck out of me. Thank you to anyone who can share and tell me if I'm still ok, healing, and normal. 

 

Hey, Angel; just wanted to see how you are doing these days?

[[An...]]

Hi Tre, thanks for asking! I'm now six months out. Was blessed to have a three day, three night window two weeks ago then a one day, one night window a week ago. I hadn't had a true window since November so it was incredible!!!! Then I came down with what appears to be the flu and am currently having a horrible time! Having a fever kicked up my symptoms and I've had some symptoms while sick that I haven't had in months. My baby is also sick so it's rough. I have no idea when (and sometimes still feel I will never heal) I'll be healed but I just keep trudging along. How about you? How are you doing?

[[tr...]]

A little disheartened.  I am on day 105...15 weeks out, had a screw-up with Tegretol, now I don't know what's benzo, what's Tegretol, what's real...or not!  Starting to get back to some sense of normal but I'm starting to think maybe there is something else wrong with me...I have another baby due in a month and a half and I pray to God that he relieves me of this burden before he arrives.  This is getting hard to handle. 

 

Tre 

[[...]]

Angelprint you are so so so normal. When i was where you are i hadnt even had a window. I told myself and everyone all day every day i'd never heal. As you know i'm still full of symptoms, but if i didnt have my other health problems i'd probably say there's a bigger improvement than how i feel every day. You've had windows, keep that as a reminder that your brain still remembers how to behave like it should, you're absolutely going to heal! Big hugs 

[[An...]]

Thank you so much as always Dvm 

 

Tre, I hope you have relief and are healed soon!! I will be praying for you!!! I can imagine how you feel especially with getting ready to welcome a baby!!! Oh my goodness!! I often wonder if I will ever be healed enough to consider having a second little one. I pray this whole withdrawal will be behind all of us so soon!! I know what you mean about worrying that something else is wrong wih you and wondering what symptom is from what med. when I was in cold turkey I took one 50 mg dose of seroquell to deal with the crazy insomnia that we didn't know was from cold turkey withdrawal (I was told to stop cold turkey by my doctor) and had almost every side effect you can have from it. I am normally dangerously sensitive to any kind of med but during cold turkey I literally almost died from side effects. So I remember all the side effects I had and some of the things that happened when I took seroquell still happen during my waves. It scares the heck out of me. I wonder if I will ever heal from all of it. I feel like I damaged myself so badly - my brain...ahh so scary. Anyway, I know what you mean and I'm thinking of you. Hope we are past this so soon!! 

[[Mo...]]

This thread makes me feel SO much better. I've been having all sorts of minor symptoms, but last night into today it's been dull pain on the left side of my face and down my left arm (OMG CARDIAC ISSUE!!!) Except I know deep down that it's really not. I, too, was very short term, and took twice as long as I was on Ativan to get off it, but I have such a hard time chalking up anything I'm feeling to withdrawal. I've had 3 EKGs since June, all normal. I'm so glad I jumped back on here to see if I could find anyone else going through this. And of course, I did! I hate that we're dealing with it, but it makes me feel better that it's not all in my head.

 

[[An...]]

Oh yes Mookie - I've found several other people who took a benzo short term and are still in withdrawal. It doesn't seem to matter how long you've taken these things! Glad it gave you some comfort 

[[Mo...]]

It does! I was all set to message my doctor, but then changed my mind. If this symptom comes back, then I'll message her. It's like I've had all the symptoms in one day! I'm hoping a better night's sleep will help. I was up most of the night with this, talking myself down, but then having sensations rush over me and freak me out all over again. 

 

Here's to better days...they're coming!

 

xo

Mookie

[[An...]]

I pray you're right!! I'm 6 months out!

[[Lo...]]

stay away from wiki. Anyone can post anything they want to. It may be true or false or exaggerated.