In lorazepam hell

[[Da...]]

Hello,

 

I have joined benzobuddies for support. I've been on lorazepam for a year 1mg per day split into 0.5mg twice a day. This is prescribed for severe anxiety. I realised last July that I had become physically dependent on it with various physical symptoms but doctors wouldn't listen and kept pushing me to take extra lorazepam. I was on 1.5mg for about 4 months last year until dropping to 1mg last September.

I have severe interdose withdrawals. I'm trying to cross taper to diazepam but really struggling. The doctor done a straight switch and I was on 8mg diazepam last week for 4 days but I was so sedated I couldn't stand up and breathing was shallow. Now I've gone back to 0.5 lorazepam in morning and 2-4mg diazepam afternoon. I'm also waiting to see a neurologist but feel like some of my symptoms are lorazepam related. I'm also underweight and med sensitive so not sure if this is why I'm struggling with switching to diazepam.

I don't know how I could taper on lorazepam as the interdose withdrawal has been so awful but I'm struggling with the diazepam, it doesn't seem to agree with me.

[[ma...]]

Hello Dark-cat7    welcome to BenzoBuddies! 

 

I’m glad you found us, you’ll get the help and support you need here to successfully taper off your meds.  I’m sorry you’re having a tough time, slow it down if you need to.  You’ll get advice on the substitution taper board.  Withdrawal is not an easy process  but you will get through it and it’s going to be worth it.  BB is a great place for withdrawal advice and support.  Check out the resources, post questions for members to respond.

 

It’s generally suggested to taper between  5/10% every 10/14 days.  You can learn more about tapering on our taper plans board, and you will receive advice, support and encouragement from our members.

 

I recommend that you check out the Ashton Manual, you will find It is a valuable resource for learning about benzos and the effect these drugs have on our body, the manual lists  possible withdrawal symptoms with explanations. symptoms 

 

I'll leave you a few links to resources:

 

The Ashton Manual. 

Substitution taper

Colorado Consortium Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Guidelines

 

You might like to post to the Ativan support group

 

Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

 

If you would like to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it will help members give you relevant advice.  Go to the top of the page and select PROFILE then choose forum profile then insert drug history into the text box and remember to click change profile

 

Welcome aboard

Magrita

[[sp...]]

First time i switched over to valium i went for two days and said no way, i felt super wierd and was dizzy and was sooo tired i could barely walk as well. 2nd time i tried it a few months later (cause my interdose withdrawls were so bad from Xanax) it worked. What happens is after about 2 weeks your body gets use to it and the dizzyness goes away and the tiredness will also stop. You just have to give it time and your body time to get use to it i think might be the problem?

[[Da...]]

Thank you for the replies. Yes it seems like it could take a little while to stabilise on the diazepam first. The interdose withdrawals from lorazepam are no joke.

 

 

[[sp...]]

Thank you for the replies. Yes it seems like it could take a little while to stabilise on the diazepam first. The interdose withdrawals from lorazepam are no joke.

 

Yes, like you i basically had no choice......the xanax was turning on me and i was starting to freak out with anxiety all day every day.  There was no way for me to taper off of xanax i needed off of it NOW. its like i became allergic to it or something. Im glad i stuck with the V, i felt a thousand times better after that first few weeks and my body got use to it. Its not a walk in the park coming off it, but its no worse than any other benzo.

[[Nu...]]

I struggle with interdose withdrawals on the lorazepam too. If I wasn't so close to my jump off date, I'd switch to V but it's a bit different with my timeline.

 

Give it time -- lots going on with your CNS system and try to bear with it as best you can. Seems like Spitfire has experience here -- you can do it.

 

Are you functional? Does this impact your work life?

[[Da...]]

Hi, how have you managed by cutting doses like that?

I'm not really functioning well but I wasn't before I was prescribed it.

[[sp...]]

Hi, how have you managed by cutting doses like that?

I'm not really functioning well but I wasn't before I was prescribed it.

 

I went from 10MG down to 7MG without too much grief....it seems to hit me on day 8 or 9 which is really wierd....must be my age i have no idea why that long. Anyway so it was predictable. On day 9 id wake up with anxiety then depression would come on....sometimes it was really bad but only lasted a day. When i went down to 6MG the 8th day it was pretty bad and lasted for a few days this time. Anxiety, depression, feeling off, bad sleep.... so i started drinking all day to get through it...well that just makes things worse but symptoms almost get to be unmanageable. So, im holding at 6MG to give myself a break for a few weeks before going any further. Its been 11 days since when i cut down to 6MG, i need to sit here for about a month. Then ill try to go down to 5MG....see what happens.

[[Da...]]

I'm guessing the long half life of diazepam and it's subsequent metabolites might be the cause of you experiencing more symptoms at day 8 or 9. Have you thought about going down by 0.5mg instead of 1mg?

 

 

[[sp...]]

I'm guessing the long half life of diazepam and it's subsequent metabolites might be the cause of you experiencing more symptoms at day 8 or 9. Have you thought about going down by 0.5mg instead of 1mg?

 

Yes, i was hoping to not go that route, going to try it in a few weeks cutting to 5MG....if the results are the same and are really bad then ill start cutting 0.5 instead of 1MG.

[[Da...]]

Are you experiencing more anxiety now compared to before you went on Xanax?  Did switching to diazepam help the anxiety?

 

I'm getting really bad derealization and feeling off balance.

[[Th...]]

Dark cat- I am going through the same thing right now with Xanax, just recently became tolerant and having horrible interdose withdrawls and have been on about the same as you (.5mg everyday for a couple years) then in the last year and half went to .5mg twice a day)

I am talking to my doc Monday and hoping to try the switch to diazepam, I am not not confident my doc will but hopefully.

here with you to chat and vent anytime, it’s just awful feeling this way!

[[sp...]]

When i was on Xanax i wasnt tapering, the only reason im having anxiety now is after i cut down a milligram every 2 weeks but thats normal.  I was feeling horrible with terrible anxiety and mood swings and crying and freaking out, after i switched to valium after about 3 days all anxiety went completely away...and it stayed away and has never come back unless im tapering off it.

[[Da...]]

Hi Through the forest,

 

I'm so sorry you're going through the same. What symptoms are you getting from the interdose withdrawals? I'm not surprised as Xanax is another short acting benzo and I don't know why the doctors aren't aware of tolerance and interdose withdrawal. I've been getting support from a charity here in the UK. The lady I speak to seems to be the only one who knows about interdose withdrawals, the mental health team I'm under (who put me on the drug) don't know what I'm even talking about and say my anxiety is getting worse. I know it's the lorazepam making things worse as it's made me physically ill as well, like vertigo and confusion in-between doses.

I've also been experiencing the feeling that I don't recognise my house or surroundings, I have flashbacks of memories and feel like I'm in the memories. Confused thoughts. This seemed better when I was on the diazepam only but I was very sedated it was scary so I've had to go back to lorazepam to try crossing over more slowly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[sp...]]

If you switch right over to Valium with no cross over yeah youll feel dizzy, and so tired you literally cant even get off the couch sometimes. That goes away with a few weeks once your body and mind get use to it.

[[Th...]]

Hi Through the forest,

 

I'm so sorry you're going through the same. What symptoms are you getting from the interdose withdrawals? I'm not surprised as Xanax is another short acting benzo and I don't know why the doctors aren't aware of tolerance and interdose withdrawal. I've been getting support from a charity here in the UK. The lady I speak to seems to be the only one who knows about interdose withdrawals, the mental health team I'm under (who put me on the drug) don't know what I'm even talking about and say my anxiety is getting worse. I know it's the lorazepam making things worse as it's made me physically ill as well, like vertigo and confusion in-between doses.

I've also been experiencing the feeling that I don't recognise my house or surroundings, I have flashbacks of memories and feel like I'm in the memories. Confused thoughts. This seemed better when I was on the diazepam only but I was very sedated it was scary so I've had to go back to lorazepam to try crossing over more slowly.

 

thanks for sharing with me.

my interdose symptoms have been all the awful things I used to feel when my panic disorder was out of control years ago, which I’ve had a pretty good handle on for some time- major derealization/feeling not in reality, panic attacks, heart palpitation, shaky hands, sweating, bad sleep, hard to concentrate, I’m also having major loss of appetite and my IBS is flared up. I just feel so irritable and like I want to jump out of my skin. I feel crazy thinking about when is the best time to take my two daily doses, navigating it with if I have a workday then I need to take it before that. thinking about that 6 hour or so window of feeling only slightly ok, enough to function for a bit at work.

but having to think about this is making me cuckoo.

I hope you feel better soon and the med switch helps, I hope to do that.

please share more anytime, much appreciated

[[Da...]]

If you switch right over to Valium with no cross over yeah youll feel dizzy, and so tired you literally cant even get off the couch sometimes. That goes away with a few weeks once your body and mind get use to it.

 

I tried the straight switch but was too sedated as I take mirtazapine 7.5 at night as well so I'm going to have to do it slowly. I feel like you did Spitfire when you said you felt like you'd become almost allergic to the Xanax. That's how I feel about the lorazepam.

 

Through the forest, the wanting to jump out of your skin is exactly how I feel and I'm the same with dosing, having to time it for when I need to do things but it doesn't make me feel normal, just slightly less ill. I hope you manage to get on the diazepam also. I'm getting the severe derealisation also, it's one of the worst symptoms. Let us know how you get on trying to switch to diazepam