Ativan withdrawal- 0,5mg per day for a month

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Hello BenzoBuddies❤️

I’m glad I found such a beautiful place with the strongest people who go to the field everyday, alone and to fight a strong invisible enemy.Im proud of every person who read this and wish you all the strength, patience, courage to more forward ❤️ You are stronger than you think ❤️

Im here for an advice. I’m a female, 24 years old.I was prescribed to take one/half of the 1mg pill of Ativan(Lorazepam) 1/2 times a day for a duration of month to help with panic and anxiety attacks. 
 

As for my medication history, I never took any and didn’t have any kind of issue, specifically with mental health.But in the beginning of September I started to have anxiety and panic attacks which scared me (as I never had it before) and made me for to er about 3 times.They checked me, said that I’m just going through stress and need some rest.
I was following doctors advice, but there was no improvement and I was just so lost and didn’t know where to get help.

I decided to go to GP who prescribed me Ativan (the doses I mentioned in the beginning).She also told me that the medication is addictive, but I didn’t know what she meant by that as I’m myself a person who didn’t get addicted to alcohol, Nicotine so I assumed that it wouldn’t affect me…If I only could only change the past..

I started taking that medication about a pill every day, which is 1mg, then I was taking just a half a day and it was magical as my panic attacks and and vanished away.I’ve thought that I was recovering and finally getting back to my normal self. This was all going for 27 days until the next day I didn’t take the dose (somehow forgot about it) and in the next 24 hours I started to feel sweat, shaking, panic attack, blood pressure rising, crazy heat beat, akathisia, shortness of breath ,crying for mercy, and thoughts that my end is coming .I didn’t know what was happening to me until I realised that I don’t take the pill.So I took it and 20 min later I felt better and soon I felt calm again.At that time I realised that what’s I’m facing right now is an addiction which doctor warned me about.

I started research about the whole benzo thing, how it works, and man, the withdrawal side effects are something from a horror movie..

I really want to stop taking that drug and to manage my anxiety with healthier ways. As the research I did, there was information about wearing that drug off is a safer option when the person got into addiction and has bad withdrawal symptoms (I assume mine is the case as well).

I have 3 halfs of the pill left, and in 3 days I can go see a doctor for an advice, but really scared that I will be put on another drug.

What should I do in my case?Tape it down with halfing my current dose and so on or should I go cold turkey?

 

 

[[Co...]]

Hello @[...]. Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

It is possible, even after just 4 weeks of use, to develop dependency upon benzodiazepines, where you experience withdrawal effects. But dependency is not a binary thing where you are either dependent or not. Especially after shorter-term use, you might have developed developed some level of dependency. But you will likely develop deeper dependency the longer you take it.

It is also worth considering that whatever caused your panic attacks remains unresolved. It could be that what you experienced was not due to withdrawal, but the return of the anxiety. I've never suffered from anxiety attacks; others here are probably better paced to help you determine the cause of your anxiety/panic attacks during your recent, brief withdrawal.

Irrespective, you are right to be concerned about longer-term use of benzodiazepines because of their strong propensity to create dependency. It is also worth me mentioning that we typically become tolerant of the anxiolytic effects of benzodiazepines (our brain adapts to their presence and they stop working). For many people suffering from anxiety or panic, they do not notice this because they have actually adapted to or resolved the underlying cause of their anxiety; if they stop taking the medication, they are actually experiencing a withdrawal effect rather than a true return of their anxiety. This brings us full circle - it might well have been a withdrawal effect for you. Irrespective, it might foreshadow withdrawal for you further down the road.

Given your reaction to missing a dose, I would suggest a short taper over no more than a few weeks. But not so long as to dramatically risk deepening your dependency through protracted use of the medication. But before you start withdrawal, you should discuss your plan to withdraw with your doctor.

So that there is no misunderstanding, what is your daily dose now? Is it still 0.5mg/day? Using 1mg pills, you might be able to divide then into quarter-pills (0.25mg). This might be good enough for you to taper off over, maybe, a week or so. If not, perhaps your doctor will prescribe you with Ativan liquid, which would allow you to make smaller reductions to your dose. Or, talk with your pharmacist about an over-the-counter suspension medium to combine with your own crushed pills. But these are probably overkill after short-term use. It might be the case that you just need to grin and bare it with quarter pills for a few days, or a week or so.

I cannot be exact, because individuals and situations vary. Talk with your doctor. And if you intend to quit, I would suggest doing sooner rather than later because of the associated problems of dependency.

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Hello @[Co...], I appreciate your reply!!!

My anxiety started from stressful work which I did for a couple of years.Anxiety brought a high blood pressure which caused panic attacks (that’s a theory of how my story began).I was not able to control panic attacks and they were appearing nearly every day, so I went to ER because I’ve thought that I had a heart attack..In ER they told me that it’s all just due to stress and sent me home.I didn’t want to believe it as my heart had weird palpitations, also I was feeling dizzy, derealisation, headache, insomnia, sensations on my feet, shortage of breath.All these symptoms made me believe that I have some sort of physical issue rather than physiological, which is why I went to GP few times to receive heart reading, oxygen level, blood tests, urine test.All of the tests came normal except the blood pressure which was a bit high.After sometime of dealing with my symptoms and having no medication, I went to GP again where they prescribed me Ativan. It was prescribed to take 1mg(one pill) or .50mg(half of the pill) from one to two times a day for anxiety or panic attacks (take as needed), but I had it every day. I had a feeling of not taking a whole pill two times a day, but was taking half of the pill two times a day for about two weeks (1mg each day). Then I went to one half of the pill for a day for another week and a half.Yesterday I took 0.25mg in the morning and 0.25mg in the evening.Today I just took 0.25mg.

It was my mistake to take it everyday, but I cannot reverse it now and have to deal with consequences…

Also wanted to mention that taking that pill made me feel like a brand new person, so calm, so peaceful and specifically after two weeks of 1mg each day. Not taking a pill made me realise that all this good feeling, feeling of freedom from anxiety, panic attacks was not my achievement through healing, but an addictive drug that was covering my mental problem. 

Now that I know what I’m on, it scares me everyday, brings many negative thoughts and I feel like I’m never going to recover.I’m feeling embarrassed about sharing this experience as other people going through some tuff times getting off the benzos for years, but I have no support, no proper knowledge about benzo addictions, it’s withdrawal symptoms. When I skipped a day of not taking a pill, I literally was crawling on the floor, crying in muscle pain with having akathisia and the worst thoughts that my life is ending. My family is living in a different country, they cannot be with me right now, I have no friends and going through this alone makes it feel like hell.

If there could be any advise of how to cope with this, please share ❤️ I will be forever grateful 

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by [...]

[[Co...]]

Edited October 24, 2023 by [Co...]
Minor edits.

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@[Co...] Thank you Colin ❤️

I really don’t want to stretch out Ativan and don’t want to get more addicted to it.

If Is absolutely right that it’s hard to tell the difference between anxiety and the withdrawal.Before taking Ativan, my anxiety was without sweating, switching, akathisia which I assume are symptoms of the withdrawal or a come-back anxiety which I had in the beginning.

if I only knew the exact withdrawal symptoms for my case, then it would be easier for me to face them and deal with them. As I read the article, people have different experiences from coming off medications depending on doses, length of usage, life style, medical history, age.etc.Some of the withdrawal symptoms are severe and I’m so so worried that I could have them. I wish I could cut off the medication completely, under the supervision so there would be a support, but in my case I’m worried to do it (I’m anxious person my whole life) so cutting off slowly even though the week would be a better (safer) option for me.

*to mention, I never took a bigger dosage of Ativan , or more than 2 times per day.The maximum dose was 1mg per day (which was 0,5mg in the morning and 0,5mg in the evening)

and again, thank you for the time you take to read my case and to reply. It made me feel much safer and I can’t explain how much I appreciate it as it’s hard to get advice about such situations ❤️

[[An...]]

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Hello @[An...] ! Thank you for your time and reply 

So the first two weeks I was taking 0,5 mg two times a day, and the next two weeks I was taking 0,5 mg only once a day. Yesterday I took 0,25mg in the morning and 0,25mg in the evening. Today I just took 0,25mg.

Im in Australia and its night over here.That dose I took in the afternoon which was 0,25mg made me feel a bit worse but I could tolerate the feeling.

What can be the withdrawal symptoms in my case if I potentially cut off?

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16 minutes ago, [[A...] said:

I hope to use psychotherapy, daily meditation, and aerobic exercise to manage my anxiety disorder after I am off the drugs.

It is indeed very important for a recovery and achievement of a healthy feeling.Also walks are good and Yoga 

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@[An...]

Im was feeling anxiety, a bit of sweating, a bit of twitching, nearly had a panic attack but didn’t have it.Also had mood swings, negative thoughts but they were maybe for few hours.

Thank your advice ❤️ It gave me more courage for cutting off the medication 

I had a lot of overthinking about symptoms as well as doctors didnt give me any information about the withdrawal, so I had to do a research myself.

[[An...]]

Mary, I was your age when I 1st started having anxiety and panic attacks. I think it all started from job stress and ironically too much physical exercise. Exercise is a good tool to naturally counteract the effects of stress, but too much of the high-intensity exercise can actually be a stressor on the body. esp. when you don't allow enough rest and recovery time between sessions.

Are you under any unusual stress in your life at the moment?

 

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@[An...]

i have no stress in this period of time..The only stress i had was my job. I was working long hours and dealing with people..

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Mary said>>>

Quote

My anxiety started from stressful work which I did for a couple of years.Anxiety brought a high blood pressure which caused panic attacks (that’s a theory of how my story began).I was not able to control panic attacks and they were appearing nearly every day, so I went to ER because I’ve thought that I had a heart attack..In ER they told me that it’s all just due to stress and sent me home.I didn’t want to believe it as my heart had weird palpitations, also I was feeling dizzy, derealisation, headache, insomnia, sensations on my feet, shortage of breath.All these symptoms made me believe that I have some sort of physical issue rather than physiological, which is why I went to GP few times to receive heart reading, oxygen level, blood tests, urine test.All of the tests came normal except the blood pressure which was a bit high.

Wow, your story mirrors my own Mary. This is exactly what happened to me over 30 years ago. I thought for sure I had a heart problem. I even developed a cardiophobia. After a battery of tests, they told me the exact thing they are telling you now. The DX is probably correct. Severe anxiety and esp. the panic attacks feel just like what you feel when you are having a heart attack. It is an awful feeling. Benzos do work like magic when you begin to 1st take them but tolerance sets in quickly and over time, you start to need more and more to get the same effect. At some point during long-term therapy with benzos, no amount of the drug is enough anymore and you find yourself with a horrible addiction that is almost impossible to overcome. Ironically, the drug starts causing the same problems, except many times worse, than the original problem you started taking the drug to treat and also a myriad of other bizarre, horrid, hard-to-believe SXs you did not even have with your original panic and anxiety.

It is a very cruel painful irony. Nothing wrong with taking a benzo during a crisis as a one-off or very short-term use, but these drugs should never be used for long-term medical management except in the worst patients after full medical disclosure about all the potential risks that long-term management with benzos entails.

You are very fortunate to have found this forum early in your life and have made the decision to get off these drugs now before you end up like me and many others here who took these drugs for years and decades and are suffering horribly.

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@[An...]

Yes, that’s sounds exactly like my story..I had severe cardiophobia which developed from the beginning on panic attacks.I even booked an appointment with cardiologist to do 24 hour holter monitor to record my heart rate during that 24 hour period of time.

As for the benzo antidepressants, sometimes it may look like they is no other option to cope with anxiety, and I’m so sorry that you have to go through painful journey.I wish there would be a solution for people that would not bring such complications and horror. Reading your story and other’s, It is unbelievable what people have to deal with and how they find hope, strength , positivity to cope with addiction and its withdrawal.Going through years and keep fighting is a big bravery.

@[An...] and how is your journey going now?Please, you don’t have to share, but I wish you all the best in your healing as everything is possible ❤️ You are a very strong, brave person, a kind soul who help people with their battles even though you going through one for years.

Edited October 25, 2023 by [...]

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Hello @[An...]

How long were you taking Valium for?Jump off does sound like a risk and has to be done carefully.Thank you for sharing your experience ❤️ Wish you good luck in recovery journey and for you to go through tapering off smoothly and steady.You got it❤️ 

I just wanted to give an update on my situation.Its been 46 hours since my last does of Ativan.The first 24 hours were pretty tolerable, but the next upcoming hours (until now), my anxiety has increased, I started to have sweats on my feet and arms, also had few panic attacks, hangover headache,brain raps, a bit of dizziness, shaking and confusion.Should I keep tolerating this or have a 0.25mg of Ativan? I was prescribed Lorazepam, which has a different name for Ativan and after some research I found out that Lorazepam has a longer after life. But if I search information anywhere about lorazepam, it coming up as “Ativan (knows as Lorazepam)”.It is tricky..If the medication I was taking (Lorazepam) is the exact same thing as Ativan or it is a bit different 😕

To answer your question about my profile photo, it is a Guinea pig staring outside the window.When I saw that photo on the internet, it made me feel like me and that Guinea pig have the same mood “what is going on in my life and when it’s gonna get better? 

[[An...]]

Good Morning Mary,

Ah, the little Guinea pig is like so cute.  💖I could not tell what he was from the tiny profile picture.

I have been struggling with valium since 2009, long time I know. I feel very hopeful this time in riding it forever from my life. Thank you for the well wishes.

If I were in your shoes, I would keep trying to tolerate the SXs. I think they will abate if you are able to hold out long enough. Yes Ativan (brand name) is Lorazepam. I know panic attacks are horrible. How long do yours last when you have them?

At age 24, it is highly unlikely you have anything physical going on. The w/d SXs from the short-term Ativan should abate quickly. I know panic and anxiety can be a challenge to deal with naturally but it can be done with some hard work + you avoid the addiction/tolerance trap that that comes with long-term Benzo use for medical management. If you feel you just can't do it naturally and need meds, SSRIs are a better option but finding the right from from trial and error can be a little tricky sometimes.

Can you, do you exercise at all?

 

[[Co...]]

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@[An...] Good Morning ☀️

I really love your energy towards that ride.It is the only and only way to truly achieve recovery. Gonna keep going, keep trying, always ❤️ 

My panic attacks normally appear from afternoon to evening and last from 5 to 15 min. I used to have them many in September, then in between Ativan doses, few during yesterday and today (it is night at the moment where I am) 

I’m planning to start some light exercising from tomorrow/day and will see how it will go.I was advised to do walks instead of exercise because of the blood pressure…

I want to give and update about my situation.After 48 hours from my last dose, I had 3 panic attacks following each other in duration of 2 hours with all the following physical symptoms: sweating, shaking, fast heart beating, shortness of breath. All the negative thoughts started to cover my mind, but I was keep breathing : inhale, hold 4 seconds, slowly exhale.Breathing slowed down my racing heart and cleared my mind so I could concentrate more on dealing with panic and calm myself down saying to myself that it’s another panic attack that I went through so many times and I can do it again and again.Its is response of my body to withdrawal and I keep remembering it. I got up from lying on the floor, set on the chair next to an open window and kept doing a breathing technique. In about 20 min I calmed down completely. I was sitting on that chair probably for 2 hours and looking at the trees, clouds, listening to the birds.It was a present moment and my mind was only in that present moment without thinking about the future.At that period of time I felt complete peace, despite feeling physical discomfort from panic attacks. First time in 2 months I felt myself again and as completely healed. That brought me a big happiness, I was smiling.It made me so happy that I actually started to do some stretching and little exercise while I was feeling I could do it.Pure joy of a moment when you feel better than before. It brought me more strength to go through a withdrawal process, because I felt like that first time in two months, and I can feel the same again, even if I have to go through another days full of panic attacks, physical discomfort.Im just keeping imagining having more and more of those moments where I feel better and better, just have to keep going.

It’s been 6 hours and right now I have a hangover headache, feeling a little anxious and sweating, heavy on a chest and also heart palpitations (feeling of a heart skipping a beat).It is hard for me to tell if it’s withdrawal symptoms or my anxiety, but I will figure it out soon. 

It is also going to be my third day from the last dose and I still can tolerate the symptoms.Im just worried if they get worse from the upcoming days and how much worsen.If it’s stays the same way as now, i don’t feel a need for medicine. 

To mention, Ativan did make me lose quite a bit of hair and my hair is now just everywhere.But, for the last 24 hours my hair loss is less compare to the last week.

 

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@[Co...]

Thank you for the explanation! I had no idea what it was about drug half-life and brands and was never told about it before.

[[Co...]]

[[Wa...]]

One of my go tos during a panic attack has been cold water.  I'll do some breathing exercises first, then after I will splash cold water on my face, and then onto my neck 3-7 times.  The neck is the important part as it is directly linked to a part of the brain that can help relieve stress (Vagus Nerve)

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@[Wa...] 

 it’s so true!! I’m also taking cold showers and it helps a lot!Feels like it resets my mind and relaxes muscles.