Just starting

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I am joining this group for support.  I have been taking Ativan for 2 years.  My new doctor wants me to taper off.  I have taken 1m a day for 2 years.  Just last week I tapered to .75 and I am already surprisingly have some symptoms.  Feeling kind of scared.

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I understand your fear, we all deal with it. There is more than 1 way to finish your taperthese are the 3 major methods:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=9522.0

 

This link explains the mechanism of benzo's, and is a great place to start self educating.

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=66397.0

 

Feel free to print out anything you wish, and share it with your doctor. From there, you can formulate a plan, and, you are always free to change it up if it's not working. It can take some trial and error. What works best for me may not be what works best for you. Hopefully, your doctor will work with you.  By presenting information , the two of you can work together to finish your taper in a way that your comfortable with. We encourage working harmoniously with your physician, and being both your own advocate as well as a patient.

 

No matter what happens, you will get through it, and we are here for you.

 

Tapering is the safest, and most tolerable method for getting off of benzo's.

 

The max recommended cut is 5-10% every 2 weeks. Many of us have to go slower, depending on our medication and what we can handle. Here are the boards on tapering.

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=56.0

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=145.0

 

 

In the forums pertinent to your circumstances, you will find other buddies going through their own tapers. This is a good place to ask questions, and receive guidance.

 

Again, welcome to Benzo Buddies, you have come to a safe, confidential informative support group, and we are happy to have you as a member. You can do this, with knowledge and finding coping skills.

 

Please take some time to Create a Signature. This will help other members understand your history so they will be better able to support you. Go to the top of the page and select Profile, then choose Forum Profile, insert drug history/timelines into the text box and click Change Profile.

 

We look forward to reading more from you over the forthcoming days and weeks.

 

Take care,

BB Team

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I am joining this group for support.  I have been taking Ativan for 2 years.  My new doctor wants me to taper off.  I have taken 1m a day for 2 years.  Just last week I tapered to .75 and I am already surprisingly have some symptoms.  Feeling kind of scared.

 

Hi IAM3; welcome to BB. You reduced by 25%; that's more than twice as much as the 5-10% recommended cut. I'm not surprised you're already feeling it. Your symptoms shouldn't be quite as intense if you taper slowly. My symptoms were milder because I took 13 months to taper off 1.5mg. I would cut and hold until I felt as stable as possible. I usually held for 2-3 months at a time. Explore the tapering info here so you can try and figure out what will work for you. It varies from person to person. It's a good thing your doctor wants to help you; mine handed me 3 months worth of pills and didn't even say good luck.

 

This journey is definitely scary, but I can tell you, at almost 2 years out, I'm doing incredibly better than I was. I feel about 90% healed. Anxiety and heart palpitations are my only major consistent remaining symptoms. Almost all of the physical symptoms I had are gone. I couldn't even look people in the eye in the beginning. It's so devastating to our psyches.

 

Hang in there, read and post in the forum, master distracting yourself, accept that this will require your utmost patience and keep pushing forward no matter what! Lean on BB for help, info and support; these folks really get it. You can do this!