ativan to valium help?

[[bl...]]

OK...

I have been taking ativan for about 4 years now....started at .5mg 2 times a day as needed....

now its 1mg 2 times a day as needed.. for about a year I have been taking 1.5mg(1.5pills) in the evenings a day....recently I have been

switching from 1.5mg to 2mg day to day...depending on the evening and how I feel...

Well I wanted to switch to something longer acting so the Doc gave me .5mg 2 times a day as needed valiums to replace the ativan..

So I have 60 .5mg valiums a month and about 25  1mg ativans left....

This is my third full day of just quiting the ativan and taking 1 .5 valium in the evening...

the first day I had minor anxiety and couldnt hardly get to sleep that night....

yesterday actually wasnt that bad, just couldnt get to sleep again last night, I eventually went to sleep but took awhile

Now today Ive had minor bouts with some anxiety, but not terrible....

My question is,

should I continue this way since its been three days, my ativan dose isnt that high, and its not debilitating?

OR should I use the ativan I have left and take alittle in the morning to help or what? If you think I should add ativan for alittle bit, I have only

25 1mg pills left..so could someone make a schedule with that??

Id appreciate any input anyone has!!!! 

 

Just a another thing, I quit a 4.5 year opiate binge cold turkey and had to go to the emergency room the second day,

and quit cymbalta cold turkey about 3 months ago, with some minor anxiety and bouts of rage, anger...but manged that, so maybe

I can handle this

Thanks and good day...

[[St...]]

OK...

I have been taking ativan for about 4 years now....started at .5mg 2 times a day as needed....

now its 1mg 2 times a day as needed.. for about a year I have been taking 1.5mg(1.5pills) in the evenings a day....recently I have been

switching from 1.5mg to 2mg day to day...depending on the evening and how I feel...

Well I wanted to switch to something longer acting so the Doc gave me .5mg 2 times a day as needed valiums to replace the ativan..

So I have 60 .5mg valiums a month and about 25  1mg ativans left....

This is my third full day of just quiting the ativan and taking 1 .5 valium in the evening...

the first day I had minor anxiety and couldnt hardly get to sleep that night....

yesterday actually wasnt that bad, just couldnt get to sleep again last night, I eventually went to sleep but took awhile

Now today Ive had minor bouts with some anxiety, but not terrible....

My question is,

should I continue this way since its been three days, my ativan dose isnt that high, and its not debilitating?

OR should I use the ativan I have left and take alittle in the morning to help or what? If you think I should add ativan for alittle bit, I have only

25 1mg pills left..so could someone make a schedule with that??

Id appreciate any input anyone has!!!!  

 

Just a another thing, I quit a 4.5 year opiate binge cold turkey and had to go to the emergency room the second day,

and quit cymbalta cold turkey about 3 months ago, with some minor anxiety and bouts of rage, anger...but manged that, so maybe

I can handle this

Thanks and good day...

 

The difference between Ativan and Valium is 1mg Ativan is about the equivalent of 10 mg Valium, and the half life of Valium is between 30 and 200 hours where Ativan is 10 to 20 hours. As a general guideline it's recommended to reduce by 10% every week or two depending on how you feel.

It looks like you dropped too much at once, you may want to go over this with your doctor and see how they can work this better for you.

 

Where you only taking the Ativan in the evening?

 

Here is a schedule of switching from Ativan to Valium - Schedule 3 in the chart;

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

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yes i was only taking ativan in the evenings, thats all..

 

im sorry for the confusion, but i am prescribed, 2mg valium 2 aday as needed.  I have took ONLY 1 valium in the evenings for the last three days....NO ativan....the feelings are that bad really...the anxiety/panic is the worse...but im not hungry at all, I didnt eat much at all today....I wanna just ride this out, like in my other thread tryong to get to sleep now has been a bia**H...thinking of 2mg of val at 4ish then 2mg around tenish at bed time...then maybe that 10 oclock one will help throughout the day till 4?  I dont know thats why im here to hear opinions and feedback!

 

thanks for your time!

[[St...]]

blkfoo that's a heck of a drop, I think you may experience some severe wd symptoms. You may want to increase the valium to compensate for that drop.

 

Just saying...

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I know its a drop...I didnt realize the equivelant of ativan to valium was  1 to 10....apparantly the doc dont either....Id like to stay at the valium dose to be honest....but I counted and I have 46 1/2, 1mg ativans left....and like I said i'd like to stay at 2 2mg valiums a day.... 

 

So could someone help me make a shedule with what I have?  maybe.5mg of ativan morning, 2mg valium evening (4ish) and .5 ativan and 2mg valium at bedtimish? For a week or so

 

then lower the ativan alittle for another week? Do I have to raise the valium, as I lower the ativan? 

 

Or i could ride this out....fourth day now....

 

btw getting to sleep last night was alittle better taking a 2mg valium before bed, but it was hell getting up this morning.....had a wild dream again too....LOL

 

thanks for anyones time!!

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feeling better today than yesterday....havent had any anxiety, only took 2mg val at dinner, and 2mg alittle before bed, 10ish, and feel not to bad today...no ativan still....Im still up in the air on if I should take just alittle in the mornings and alittle at night just to help, sleep, and through the day???

Im thinking,

.5 ativan morning,  2mg valium aorund 4ish,    .5mg ativan and 2mg valium at bedtime??

 

do this for a week or so, and drop the morning ativan to .25, leave the rest the same for a week or so,

then drop the morning altogether for a week or so then cut the night ativan to .25 for a week or so.....

 

 

so my thinking

 

morning                                            4ish                                              bedtime

.5mg ativan                                        2mg val.                                        .5mg ativan/2mg val.  (for one week,or as needed)

.25mg ativan                                      2mg val.                                        .5mg ativan/2mg val.  (for a week or so)

nothing                                              2mg val.                                        .5mg ativan/2mg val.    (same as above)

nothing                                              2mg val.                                        .25mg ativan/2mg val.  (same)

nothing                                              2mg val.                                          2mg val...........then ride the valiums for alittle bit, then taper?

 

this has got to be better for me than no ativan at all, like I have been doing?!  OR I can continue to ride this out, I am on the forth day of no ativan at all???

 

thanks again!

 

 

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well I actually went and worked out today...i have been working out every day (mon-fri) for the past 2-3 years.  went today and was a alittle weaker than normal, and felt like everyone was watching me LOL, never felt that way before....but felt good to go, cause I missed yesterday....

 

so idunno may ride this out...hard to judge...I havent been anxious today, kindof cloudy headed, like lazy, and my hunger is still gone...but its not to bad....

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Ok today is actually the start of day 6 of stopping 2mg of ativan a day for about 3.5 years....

 

took my last 2mg of ativan thursday june 9th at about 4:00pm...and started taking the 2mg x 2aday valiiums friday night june 10th..

 

today is better....lastnight I feel asleep easier...I dont sleep as soundly as before....id have to hope that the worst w/d was

days 2-4......cause i feel pretty good this morning....alittle grogy headed....but alert and in a fairly good mood at work, which is wierd

cause for along time ive been totally miserable at work.....hmmmmmm

also my wife says that im much better to be around already and I actually have got down in the floor and played with my 15 month old twins lastnight....I have be neglecting them for some time now...I know terrible.....but I was staying so angry and stressed....

I dont know, quiting ativan has been the best thing ive done so far!!!

 

quiting a benzo CT might not be for everyone, but its working for me so far

[[St...]]

I'm glad to see you're doing ok so far, I hope this continues. Please be aware though that symptoms can creep up on you even after a week. I was pretty ok right after I ct'd 4 mg xanax, but 2 weeks later I was a mess. I'm not saying this to scare you as many have been able to taper or get off fast but just as a precaution I felt I should share with you what I've learned.

 

Be well

 

Star

 

 

[[bl...]]

I'm glad to see you're doing ok so far, I hope this continues. Please be aware though that symptoms can creep up on you even after a week. I was pretty ok right after I ct'd 4 mg xanax, but 2 weeks later I was a mess. I'm not saying this to scare you as many have been able to taper or get off fast but just as a precaution I felt I should share with you what I've learned.

 

Be well

 

Star

 

 

 

No, thanks for the time to help me.....its been easier than I thought, BUT not to say its be easy.  The first few days were not fun.  But I think, my experience of going through w/d from opiates (which landed me in the emergency room, more on that in my introduction) and then c/t cymbalta a few months ago, got me mentally and physically prepared for this battle. 

 

Last night im not sure what was wrong, but I felt fairly good untill after supper.  My gut felt terrible, sickly feeling, which caused me to have some anxiety.  I later spend awhile in the rr LOL.  Im not sure what happened there, but I feel OK this morning....still alittle "foggy" headed, but all in all im not complaining, I know it could be very very worse.  I have noticed that I am weak, like puny feeling.  And im definately weak in the gym...definately cant lift the weight I was before I dropped ativan.  Isnt that mind blowing, that a anti-anxiety pill could breakdown a body physically?  crazzy

 

thanks for your time