close but how do I stop completely?

[Guest [ca...]]

I am 7 weeks into tapering off 1mg of Lorazazepam that I started taking 10 years ago at night for sleep and anxiety. After trying other things this was the only thing that helped. But now I'm very ready and determined to move past being dependent on these. My dr gave me trazadone to help me sleep better as I tapered and I'm down to 1/4 Lorazepam (2 weeks) and 1/4 of 50mg of Trazadone. It has been rough. Do I stop the Lorazepam now and stay on the Trazadone for awhile? I want to be done but I have a lot of things coming up and I'm already feeling a lot of anxiety during the day. I don't know if the anxiety is from tapering or my original anxiety and that scares me. Thoughts? Happy there is a site like this!

[[me...]]

Welcome to the forum!  We're glad to have you as a new member.

 

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!