Lorazepam problems

[[Ko...]]

I was self-medicating with my father's stash - Lorazepam 2.5 mg pills because of my persisting anxiety and panic disorder. I upped to 5 mg (2 pills every morning) and was stable, happy person on that dose for almost 2 years. This is still my preferred dose. Then my father's stash ran out and I was forced to reach out to a psychiatrist of mine for help in June 2016.

 

We made a plan:

- 1+ 3/4 Lorazepam for 14 days;

- 1+1/2 Lorazepam for 14 days;

- 1+1/4 Lorazepam for 14 days;

- 1 Lorazepam for 6 weeks

 

Everything went good, the withdrawal were minor until I reached 2.5 mg (1 pill). Then I was hit by my baseline anxiety. Had a few public performances so I had to take rescue doses. I'm now again on 1+3/4 or something. I don't know from where to stabilize and continue my tapper. I had an appointment with my psych yesterday and he was visibly upset because of my jo-jo dosing.

 

He also prescribed me Seroquel 25 mg for sleeping (which is working great if needed). I am on Lexapro 20mg for 3 years and don't feel like it's working much except on lowering my libido.

 

Our plan from 1 pill down was:

- first week: 1 pill every day, on Wednesday only half of the pill

- second week: 1 pill every day, on Wednesday and Saturday only half

- third week: 1 pill every day, three times per week only half of the pill

etc.

 

Sadly I didn't come to that point yet.

 

I want to come down to 2.5 mg (1 pill) again because not long ago I was on that dose. My doc really tries to convince me not to take more than 1 pill. He tells me every time how dangerous these pills are to me. He tells me that I'm too good to be pill-junky. He really wants me to help. My next appointment with him is on the 28.02.

 

On our previous meeting (yesterday) he suggested to add 30 mg Cymbalta every afternoon and after 14 days remove 10 mg Lexapro and add 60 mg Cymbalta. I haven't yet decided if I will be going to take Cymbalta. SSRI + SNRI?

 

Thank you every one for reading!

[[pi...]]

Hello Konky,

 

Welcome to Benzo Buddies!  Using someone else's medication usually never has a good outcome. I'm glad you sought the help of a doctor.  We can help you plan and start a taper plan that will help to minimize withdrawal symptoms. However, if you have preexisting anxiety, it would be good to gather tools to deal with this issue that don't involve strong drugs that can cause dependency. Modalities like CBT, meditation, deep breathing and yoga can help.

 

The new taper plan set up by your doctor is not advisable.  For these types of drugs, it's important to keep a steady amount in the bloodstream to avoid confusing the central nervous system. A slow taper can help to make withdrawal manageable. In general, a reduction of no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days is suggested. I'll give you a link to the General Taper Plans for additional information.

 

I'll also give you a link to the Ashton Manual, it is an excellent resource about these types of drugs and how to withdraw. It was written by Dr. Heather Ashton, an expert in the field. You might consider printing out the pertinent pages of the manual and taking it to your next appointment.

 

I have to agree with your doctor. Benzos are really designed for short term use, say 2-3 weeks. After that they can create more problems and of course, dependency.  We'll be happy to support you during your taper and recovery. Please ask questions, we're here to help.

 

General Taper Plans 

 

The Ashton Manual

 

pianogirl