Second time around.

[[Te...]]

I successfully tapered and stopped a 3mg a day ativan use for over 20 year a couple of years ago. Tapered to .5mg the best I could and jumped off. Went through hell since I am a heart patient and I thought everything that was happening was heart related, even a tooth ache that there was nothing wrong with it. Got through it and then the doctor (VA) give me a prescription for .5mg ativan to use as needed. Thought O.K., I had quit smoking 30 years ago and carried a pack for a year after that for a mental crutch. Threw them away a year later unopened. Anyway, I carried them like  my nitro pills in my pocket for about a year and a half and a wire broke in my pacemaker causing all kinds of weird problems. I needed just one ativan for the axiety. Before the problem was diagnosed and corrected with a new pacemaker and wire lead, I had taken .5mg a day for a couple of months. You know the rest of the story. I had to bump up to .75mg to keep from having between dose withdrawals and this time the withdrawals included severe heart palpitations and at first I thought it was heart related, so after stress testing, and a bunch of anxiety, I connected the palps with the ativan tolerance and withdrawal. Tried to taper from the .75 mg and it just caused severe unrelenting palps and dizziness. Decided I could not do this anymore and proceeded to a valium change over to 7.5mg valium. Stopped the palps, but am now a coupled of days into it and feel like the devil. Achy muscles and joints and general malaise, but no palps. Don't feel real good on the valium as far as anxiety control is concerned, but is this spacey feeling to be expected  with valium. I guess I can tolerate it, but was expecting a little smoother transition from ativan to valium and then using the longer half life to make the taper more comfortable at about 1mg valium every two weeks or a 20 week taper.  I am 77 years old now with a bum ticker and I don't want to subject myself to any unnecessary stress from withdrawals. I was expecting the valium to feel about like the ativan did at stable doses and it hasn't happened yet, but like I said, I am only 48 hours into it.

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum!  We're glad to have you as a new member.  I'm sorry you've going through all this, and my heart goes out to you.  Valium is a very sedating, to some even depressing, benzo, and some don't like the way it feels.  But it has a longer half-life than most other benzos.  It's important to taper slowly, and you may want to taper even slower than suggested below to smooth out your symptoms.

 

You'll find plenty of information and support here.  Our members have gone through all aspects of withdrawal, and you're likely to see  people who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.  For those who are currently tapering, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even slower than that.  One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster than that.  Having some withdrawal symptoms is normal, especially near the end of a taper and for a month or so after discontinuing the medication.  The most common symptoms are anxiety and insomnia, but these are temporary and will go away in time.

 

Here are a few links you may find useful:

 

Withdrawal Support Board

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field.  She describes and explains withdrawal symptoms in Chapter III, and there is also a section with withdrawal/taper schedules.

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature.  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Again, welcome!

 

 

 

[[ja...]]

Hi Terry57, wow!!! I am so sorry you are back in it again. I just wanted to say I was off the benzo for 2 years and 10 months and doing well when I became very Ill in August of last year. Ill enough to be in the hospital unable to eat any solid foods, I am 58. I was given Remeron and Lorazapam. I didn't want to take the Lorazapam because I was afraid of w/d again but because I was so sick somehow I thought I could get by with taking a few. 80 pills and 4 months off and on use I realized I couldn't keep taking them. Today is day 42, 6 weeks of not taking the Lorazapam and I am back in w/d.

 

I will say for me the Remeron is helping me sleep and I believe helping with the w/d to some degree. At some point I will have to taper the Remeron and truthfully that scares me. However I know it is helping me and will not stop taking it for awhile. I never thought OI would be in this position again but sometimes things happen we have no control of.

 

I did just c/t the Lorazapam. I guess I thought I might dodge a bullet and be alright but I was wrong. I will not reinstate  because I feel it could make things worse for me and I am 6 weeks out and handling it.

 

I just want you to know you are not alone and you will get through this. I think we both learned a big lesson. I know I will never take a benzo again. Let me know if I can help in any way. All my best to you Terry.

 

Love Jackie :smitten: