I can't sleep unless I have .25mg of lorazepam

[[Ho...]]

Well, it took me a while to get down this low, but I think I'm dependant on the 0.25mg?

I've been going through a bad time since January.  A family Crisis. I ran out of pills, the doctor was away for almost a month?  I could not sleep at night for almost the whole  month.  Then doctor filled my prescription for another 3 months because of sleep deprivation?    While I don't use the full pill of 0.05, I am dependant on 1/2 of that, think that's  0.25 mg?  The other day I forgot to take my 1/2.  I could not fall asleep.    I finally did,  but it was like the other times i was off lorazepam, for an hour and would awake, at times with a real strain or with an nightmare and could not fall asleep again till morning like this last episode near morning? I realized I forgot to take my pill the night before.  I have to find a substitute because that is the only way I will be able to sleep at night and get off lorazepam. I have other issues as well that cause pain, and going through so much stress, so I need something to keep me sleeping.  At such a low dose, and I have taken it for many years, does it really hurt if I just stay on it already.  Funny, but the doctors try and put me on some other sedating addictive drugs that don't work with far more side effects? I don't understand the reasoning of that?  Oh to all who will tell me to try melatonin, it works  some,  but I wake up with bad headaches.    Maybe I just need to get rid of all my stress and health problems, then I can try again.to lower at a future date?

[[Th...]]

Unfortunately there isn't such a thing as a "low dose" when it comes to Benzos.  All Benzos down regulate GABA and as your body builds tolerance to the drug, more is needed to get the same effect.

 

Getting off of Benzos almost always involves having insomnia.  There is no way to get off without having insomnia that I am aware of?  Unless you want to take another Rx (non Benzo) drug for sleep such as Mirtazepine or Seroquel?

 

Asking to stay on a Benzo is like asking to keep taking rat poison because it's not killing you...IMO

 

I'd read this, it should answer most of your questions?  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=235100.0

[[tr...]]

How about using .25 as your "starting point" and beginning a slow taper from there? Maybe 5-10%, or less, at a time. I hear you loud and clear about docs wanting you off this dreaded drug that is so bad for you, and offering just heinous drugs in replacement, which don't help with sleep and cause a laundry list of side effects. And then more drugs to treat the side effects. And to what end? The drugs that are offered as replacements have not only side effects but they have withdrawal issues of their own. There are support groups for getting off all of them - gabapentin and lyrica, antidepressents, etc.

 

"Asking to stay on a benzo is like asking to keep taking rat poison because it's not killing you....IMO"

 

This is not helpful. The most important part of that sentence is IMO - it's an opinion. And it only causes increased distress. We are all different, we have different experiences with withdrawal symptoms and timelines. That needs to be respected. If you need to be on .25 now, and take it from there, that is your unique need, and you shouldn't be shamed for it.

 

I wish you the best.

[[An...]]

You are doing the best you can Hope. We are all here to respect and help each other in any way that we can. I know no one wants to be on these damn drugs but maybe the time is not right or may never be right for some ppl. Get down as low as you can and stay there for as long as you feel you have to. You will get no judgement from me. I wish everyone could get off this crap and recover, but I am a realist and realize this may not be in the cards for every single person who tries to come off this stuff after many years and decades of chronic usage. Be kind and gentle to yourself and keep doing the best that you can do.

You said>>>

Maybe I just need to get rid of all my stress and health problems, then I can try again.to lower at a future date?

 

I agree! The time may not be just right at this moment in your life.

 

 

[[Ho...]]

I have to go off, my doctor gave me a lot of flack the last time, that it's no good, so I know he won't repeat the medication.  I don't get it, I've been on several years, with out problems and with out taking more, and even cut down on my own, so why not just leave me there. .  He tried giving me another medication that turned me into a zombie, so why not just leave me on the one that worked.  But no matter, I am currently .25 cutting off slivers of f that, so I'm determined that I can do it, but if I can't I will be back here asking for help.  Even though I never has any problems with it, I've been taking it for a long time, so it's become a habit, and as you all know habits are sometimes hard to break.