Need HELP with lorazepam taper plan, please!

[[Ro...]]

Hi slownsteady,

 

Wanted to share some good news.  Thanks to you and your good advice, I'm in a much better place than I was a month ago! I waited until I stabilized at 0.25 mg before I started tapering at 5% every 2 weeks. Taper began on October 1st and I'm thrilled to be down around 10% as of yesterday to 0.2215 mg. 4x a day dosing has been a godsend and I no longer have inter-dose withdrawal! I am so beyond grateful for that. Sleep continues to improve slowly but am getting 6-7 hours most nights which is so much better than before! Appetite is generally back but can be hit or miss on certain days, if it's been a tough day emotionally especially. I'm finding the key to managing life while tapering is to keep my general stress level as low as possible.

 

And having those foundational functional goals for daily living while tapering posted here at my computer and keeping my taper diary up to date is really helping me to track my progress and monitor for symptoms. So glad you suggested that also. Thank you!!! 

 

So, all in all, things are going pretty well, compared to where I was. I do have a few symptoms popping up, usually every 3rd day, so I'm going to stick to the 5% every 14 days for now and see if those iron themselves out over time. I figured it might be best to give it 2-3 months of tapering at this rate, see what my symptoms are (if any) and then potentially try a slightly faster rate but only if I'm relatively symptom-free and feeling good during month 2 and 3. I really, really want to have a relatively smooth ride down with with little to zero issues at the end. 

 

Really hope you are doing well also! You are in my thoughts. What a wild and woolly journey this is!

 

 

[[sl...]]

Hi RoadtoHealing,

Yay!! Thank you for this update! I'm really glad to hear that you were able to be so patient at 0.25mg and regain your functionality.

 

6-7 hours of sleep most nights sounds awesome! I suspect this will continue to improve. Sleep was a huge challenge for me over the last year and a half, and it just keeps getting easier.

 

I understand "hit or miss" appetite; life can be stressful, and I understand that digestion slows down or stops entirely when we're stressed. I think you do have the key in keeping your general stress level as low as possible.

 

I completely believe that you can have a "relatively smooth ride down" with your functionality goals, daily self-care and symptom monitoring, and a conservative taper rate. I also encourage buddies to learn self-soothing skills, ideally before they need them; things like journaling, calming breathing exercises, art, or whatever like this is accessible and appealing. There are some guided meditation apps that buddies like. I prefer to listen to calm music, meditate, take slow walks, and do developmental trauma psychotherapy.

 

It is a wild and woolly journey!  Thanks for being here with us; I hope you'll stick around and share what you're learning with other members. I believe we're all healing together. 

[[Ro...]]

Hi slownsteady,

 

I agree completely!  We're all healing together and I'm definitely planning to stick around to share what I've learned with others here. This forum has helped me so much and I'm eager to pay it forward as I continue on this journey and after I'm off too! 

 

It's been a bit of a rough day today which is making me realize I still need to add to my self-soothing skills repertoire. I like your ideas!!! Slow walks, long baths with a good book and meditation have been my go-to things so far but I would like to expand a bit to other things. Getting back into journaling could be really helpful on days like today.

 

I have an ERP plan I set-up to help me overcome my OCD also but I'm going to have to go really slow with it as it's hard and stressful. OCD is the main source of my anxiety and I've got to get a better handle on it so I can live the life I want now and after this experience. A richer, fuller, more open life awaits me on the other side of it. I just know it! Although it will be difficult, I have a feeling I will come out stronger in the end as I start conquering parts of it at a time. It's that future feeling of accomplishment and powerfulness that is my biggest motivator right now to work on it.

 

I have 1 year + 1.5 months left on my 5% every 14 days taper plan. It feels like an extra long time to come off 0.25 mg and quite daunting BUT I'm trying to find the positives today. So far I've come up with: 1) it'll give me time to work on the OCD stuff 2) enables me to have a (hopefully) pretty smooth taper at one of the slowest rates and eventually off without issues and 3) I *may* be able to speed up a bit later, depending on how I do symptom-wise in the months to come.

 

I should seek out success stories from others who did slow tapers also when I have these moments where it feels daunting like this."Don't cut faster than you can heal" is advice I've run across several times on this forum and it rings true. Especially when I remember how neurologically dysfunctional I was previously on the too fast psychiatrist-led taper from this summer. Yikes. I just need to keep the faith and have patience with the process. Hard, but do-able!

 

Anywho, this turned into kind of a ramble. Sorry. Just in a weird headspace today. But just gotta keep up the faith!!! Brighter days are ahead and I'll be better for them.

[[sl...]]

Hi RoadtoHealing,

A high functioning taper can take a seemingly long time! I'm really glad to hear you have life goals that you can explore while tapering. I suggest looking for ways to feel powerful and accomplished in small ways every day, today, tomorrow, the next day; putting my contentment off for a fantasy of a "better me" has only lead to disappointment.

 

You can do this! 

[[Ro...]]

Hi slownsteady,

 

Thnak you. Those are very wise words that I've taken to heart. Finding ways to feel powerful and accomplished in small ways in the here and now is indeed the way to look at and live life, especially at this juncture. I needed that reminder.  Like many, I get caught up in this idea of my 'future' self that's all.the.things and it's a LOT to strive for while trying to heal. Shame. Small milestones are better to focus on, especially now.

[[sl...]]

Hi slownsteady,

 

Thnak you. Those are very wise words that I've taken to heart. Finding ways to feel powerful and accomplished in small ways in the here and now is indeed the way to look at and live life, especially at this juncture. I needed that reminder.  Like many, I get caught up in this idea of my 'future' self that's all.the.things and it's a LOT to strive for while trying to heal. Shame. Small milestones are better to focus on, especially now.

 

You're welcome. I have great faith in your journey! 

[[Au...]]

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