When to expect withdraw symptoms after Lorazepam jump

[[Dr...]]

Hi all, 

I used to take 3x 1mg of Lorazepam per day, morning, afternoon and evening. I have tapered off the afternoon pill over 2 months and took my last pill on Monday. Can I still expect withdrawal symptoms the next couple of days or am I now through that phase? 

[[ns...]]

33 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

Hi all, 

I used to take 3x 1mg of Lorazepam per day, morning, afternoon and evening. I have tapered off the afternoon pill over 2 months and took my last pill on Monday. Can I still expect withdrawal symptoms the next couple of days or am I now through that phase? 

Have you had any  symptoms at allsince you jumped on Monday?

If not, your probably going to do fine which is awesome!

That was a pretty big jump!

Normally, a slow taper is recommended.

How long were you taking Lorazepam?

3mg is quite a bit but hopefully you'll sail right through. 

Ns

 

[[Dr...]]

47 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Have you had any  symptoms at allsince you jumped on Monday?

If not, your probably going to do fine which is awesome!

That was a pretty big jump!

Normally, a slow taper is recommended.

How long were you taking Lorazepam?

3mg is quite a bit but hopefully you'll sail right through. 

Ns

Hi Ns! 

I only jumped from 1mg in the afternoon. Still taking the morning and evening dose so have another 2x2 months to go, with time in between, so a total of 5 months for the next 2 doses. 

Since last Monday my 'biggest' complaints were tiredness. And I suffer from insomnia, but have been for months already. 

[[Dr...]]

1 hour ago, [[n...] said:

Have you had any  symptoms at allsince you jumped on Monday?

If not, your probably going to do fine which is awesome!

That was a pretty big jump!

Normally, a slow taper is recommended.

How long were you taking Lorazepam?

3mg is quite a bit but hopefully you'll sail right through. 

Ns

Oh, and I have only been on Lorazepam since mid November. 

It's not that I haven't had any health issues, because it's been far from pleasant, but all the issues were things I already had before tapering. 

[[ns...]]

47 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

Hi Ns! 

I only jumped from 1mg in the afternoon. Still taking the morning and evening dose so have another 2x2 months to go, with time in between, so a total of 5 months for the next 2 doses. 

Since last Monday my 'biggest' complaints were tiredness. And I suffer from insomnia, but have been for months already. 

Oh thats good to hear. 

If it were me, I would take as much h time as possible at taper. I went from 4mg last yr.

Cut 2mg in 2 months. Been tapering 6 months the other 2mg. Not slow enough. My symptoms are pretty bad. I jumped off of a tiny little dose 4x per day for 30 hrs and had to reinstate. I hope you will consider taking your time.

Ask for assistance with a taper schedule ok. You'll know soon enough at what pace you're able to cut each dose.

It's always best to take it slow. 

It's recommended to cut 5-10% per dose. Hold for awhile and wait until your stable for the next dose.

I hope you do well with your taper. Please consider the advice you receive here ok

Take care 

Ns

 

[[ns...]]

5 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

Oh, and I have only been on Lorazepam since mid November. 

It's not that I haven't had any health issues, because it's been far from pleasant, but all the issues were things I already had before tapering. 

Thata not a very  long time to be in it but it probably long enough to give you grief if you go too fast.  Please take your time ok. Take it from someone who knows. 

Ns

[[Dr...]]

14 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Thata not a very  long time to be in it but it probably long enough to give you grief if you go too fast.  Please take your time ok. Take it from someone who knows. 

Ns

Thanks for your feedback, concern and advice. It's much appreciated! I'm on a protocol that was made for me by the pharmacist in the Netherlands that is the expert on tapering. He works for the Rainbow Pharmacy and they are the experts in tapering. I can contact the pharmacist on his mobile anytime I have any concerns or am unsure. If it goes too fast, I can stabilise immediately with his help. 

I'm also working with a naturopath (orthomolecular therapist) that is specialised in tapering benzo's and teaches on this subject. 

So I'm hoping to be safe enough. 

[[Dr...]]

25 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Oh thats good to hear. 

If it were me, I would take as much h time as possible at taper. I went from 4mg last yr.

Cut 2mg in 2 months. Been tapering 6 months the other 2mg. Not slow enough. My symptoms are pretty bad. I jumped off of a tiny little dose 4x per day for 30 hrs and had to reinstate. I hope you will consider taking your time.

Ask for assistance with a taper schedule ok. You'll know soon enough at what pace you're able to cut each dose.

It's always best to take it slow. 

It's recommended to cut 5-10% per dose. Hold for awhile and wait until your stable for the next dose.

I hope you do well with your taper. Please consider the advice you receive here ok

Take care 

Ns

I'm not sure I understand. Do you taper all the doses at the same time? 

My protocol is:

Dose 1, 1st month from 1mg to 0.3mg and 2nd month from 0.3 to 0.05 and then jump 

Wait for at least 2 weeks till stable

Repeat with dose 2, till 0

Repeat with dose 3, till 0

[[ns...]]

Hi, you will need to start a new thread on tapering strategies ok, someone will be able to assist you there. 

Ns

[[Dr...]]

35 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Hi, you will need to start a new thread on tapering strategies ok, someone will be able to assist you there. 

Ns

I'm sorry, but I don't need a new tapering strategy or advice on different protocols. This one is working out very well so far and has been thoroughly researched and thought through. Was just wondering whether I can still expect withdrawal symptoms after having done my 1st jump on Monday. I have been fine the past few days since the jump and despite it not having been easy these past months, it's also been not too bad and I have even been able to work at least 5 hours a day. 

This might be a different experience than many others have had and I'm sorry to hear that your experience had been quite rough. But all I was asking was within which time frame I could expect withdrawal symptoms. 

Maybe there's other people that can respond to this thread and otherwise I'll just leave it and experience it for myself. 

[[Dr...]]

1 hour ago, [[D...] said:

I'm not sure I understand. Do you taper all the doses at the same time? 

My protocol is:

Dose 1, 1st month from 1mg to 0.3mg and 2nd month from 0.3 to 0.05 and then jump 

Wait for at least 2 weeks till stable

Repeat with dose 2, till 0

Repeat with dose 3, till 0

Off course the tapering from 1 to 0.3 and then to 0.05 is done hyperbolic with little steps in between and I'm on personalised tapering strips that the pharmacist prepares for me. Just so as to clarify. 

Edited March 22 by [Dr...]

[[ns...]]

Very well. I hope everything goes well for u. If you should find you need a tapering strategies, we're always here. 

Everyone is different and each has unique withdrawal experiences, so it's really impossible to determine what you should expect. Hopefully you'll breeze right thru it. I sincerely hope for you that you'll not experience any of what I've Bern thru with lorazapam withdrawal. 

Be well

Take care 

Ns

 

 

[[Br...]]

7 hours ago, [[D...] said:

Hi all, 

I used to take 3x 1mg of Lorazepam per day, morning, afternoon and evening. I have tapered off the afternoon pill over 2 months and took my last pill on Monday. Can I still expect withdrawal symptoms the next couple of days or am I now through that phase? 

Hell @[Dr...]-  One of the challenges of quitting benzos is that there's more healing that takes place after benzos are out of your system.  And with more healing, there are likely to be withdrawal symptoms.  So while withdrawal and recovery can vary a lot from one individual to another, I think it would be wise for you to prepare for the possibility that you will experience some symptoms.  I think it's important to bear in mind that withdrawal symptoms are a signal of healing that is going on behind the scenes.  If you can remind yourself of this so you don't feel discouraged.  

How long were you on lorazepam?  Had you ever started and stopped benzos prior to this?  Factors like this can affect how your withdrawal goes.

[[Ha...]]

6 hours ago, [[D...] said:

I'm sorry, but I don't need a new tapering strategy or advice on different protocols. This one is working out very well so far and has been thoroughly researched and thought through. Was just wondering whether I can still expect withdrawal symptoms after having done my 1st jump on Monday. I have been fine the past few days since the jump and despite it not having been easy these past months, it's also been not too bad and I have even been able to work at least 5 hours a day. 

This might be a different experience than many others have had and I'm sorry to hear that your experience had been quite rough. But all I was asking was within which time frame I could expect withdrawal symptoms. 

Maybe there's other people that can respond to this thread and otherwise I'll just leave it and experience it for myself. 

Hi Dragon. I was at the exact same dose as you for 40 years. Ativan as well. I've been tapering for the past 2 years, and I am almost off. At 1/4 or even less of an 0.5 milligram tab. I've had horrible W/D symptoms, but I didn't have anyone to advise me on the safest way. I was jumping 1/2 milligram every 2 months. Sounds like you are too. If you haven't had any W/D symptoms after 3 days, I think you're going to be in the clear. It was the halfway point for me that was rough. They normally start within 12 hours after the last dose. At least for me. Good luck with your taper!

Edited March 23 by [Ha...]

[[Dr...]]

6 hours ago, [[B...] said:

Hell @[Dr...]-  One of the challenges of quitting benzos is that there's more healing that takes place after benzos are out of your system.  And with more healing, there are likely to be withdrawal symptoms.  So while withdrawal and recovery can vary a lot from one individual to another, I think it would be wise for you to prepare for the possibility that you will experience some symptoms.  I think it's important to bear in mind that withdrawal symptoms are a signal of healing that is going on behind the scenes.  If you can remind yourself of this so you don't feel discouraged.  

How long were you on lorazepam?  Had you ever started and stopped benzos prior to this?  Factors like this can affect how your withdrawal goes.

Hi @[Br...], I was on Lorazepam from Mid November onwards and started tapering 2 months later, so from Mid January onwards. I wasn't on a benzo before and have still a total of 5 months to go to taper off the renaming 2 pills (morning and evening). 

[[Dr...]]

4 hours ago, [[H...] said:

Hi Dragon. I was at the exact same dose as you for 40 years. Ativan as well. I've been tapering for the past 2 years, and I am almost off. At 1/4 or even less of an 0.5 milligram tab. I've had horrible W/D symptoms, but I didn't have anyone to advise me on the safest way. I was jumping 1/2 milligram every 2 months. Sounds like you are too. If you haven't had any W/D symptoms after 3 days, I think you're going to be in the clear. It was the halfway point for me that was rough. They normally start within 12 hours after the last dose. At least for me. Good luck with your taper!

@[Ha...], thank you for your feedback ❤️

[[Br...]]

@[Dr...] Sorry I thought you meant you'd taken your last dose of lorazepam on Monday but you meant you took your last afternoon dose.  

I'm relieved actually - that would have been a very fast taper.  For future reference, here's what we generally advise for tapering: as you probably know already, we typically suggest making cuts of no more than 5-10% every 14 days or longer depending on symptoms.  We strongly recommend remaining flexible throughout the taper and slow down/make smaller cuts its needed.  

One of goals is to keep the blood serum levels of the benzo as consistent as possible - this can be a bit more challenging with benzos with a short half life like lorazepam.   So going forward in my opinion it would be best to taper by making equal reductions in your morning and night doses. 

[[Dr...]]

Dear all that responded to this thread: I do appreciate your concerns but to be honest i didnt ask for any advice on tapering strategies. I am on a tapering protocol that was made for me personally by the tapering expert in The Netherlands. He has helped thousands of people to safely taper, in The Netherlands and in wider Europe. I am trusting this expert and so far it has all gone well.

Your advice however is making me second guess everything and is giving me a fright and that is something i really dont need, especially because i was in a place of trust and all was going well enough. So this will my last post for the moment and i will either sign off from Benzobuddies or delete my account.

 

[[An...]]

On 22/03/2024 at 13:06, [[D...] said:

Hi all, 

I used to take 3x 1mg of Lorazepam per day, morning, afternoon and evening. I have tapered off the afternoon pill over 2 months and took my last pill on Monday. Can I still expect withdrawal symptoms the next couple of days or am I now through that phase? 

Wow, Ativan has such a short half-life. I am surprised you were not hit really hard on Wednesday. Today is Saturday. You may not get hit. You perhaps are over the acute phase. 🤞

How long were you on the Ativan?

 

[[An...]]

PS - I think I misunderstood. You are still on 2 mgs. You stopped your middle dose on Monday and are wondering when you might feel the impact. You still may not since it is now Saturday.

[[Ka...]]

9 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

Dear all that responded to this thread: I do appreciate your concerns but to be honest i didnt ask for any advice on tapering strategies. I am on a tapering protocol that was made for me personally by the tapering expert in The Netherlands. He has helped thousands of people to safely taper, in The Netherlands and in wider Europe. I am trusting this expert and so far it has all gone well.

Your advice however is making me second guess everything and is giving me a fright and that is something i really dont need, especially because i was in a place of trust and all was going well enough. So this will my last post for the moment and i will either sign off from Benzobuddies or delete my account.

Hello @[Dr...] I am interested in your taper plan & it seems very good. The Netherlands seem ahead in this respect & with the option for tapering strips.
If, so far, you find no noticeable WD symptoms then it seems your current plan is working & being hyperbolic is slow, sensible & steady. 
Tiredness can creep in that’s probably normal. 
I wish you well on the journey towards coming off lorazepam. There is a lot to share here if you’d like to stay. We are all at different stages & learning during the process. Take care. 

[[Br...]]

Hi @[Dr...]-  I'm sorry you felt inundated - you asked when you might experience withdrawal symptoms after your last cut.  Instead you were given a boatload of unsolicited tapering advice, including from me.  I'm sorry.   It's important that you do what you feel is the best approach.  I hope you know the input you got came from a good place and I hop you won't leave!  

[[Dr...]]

1 hour ago, [[K...] said:

Hello @[Dr...] I am interested in your taper plan & it seems very good. The Netherlands seem ahead in this respect & with the option for tapering strips.
If, so far, you find no noticeable WD symptoms then it seems your current plan is working & being hyperbolic is slow, sensible & steady. 
Tiredness can creep in that’s probably normal. 
I wish you well on the journey towards coming off lorazepam. There is a lot to share here if you’d like to stay. We are all at different stages & learning during the process. Take care. 

Hello Katrina, 

Here's my tapering schedule, per dose. So 2x28 days for the 1st dose, stabilise for 2 weeks (or longer if needed), then second dose and then 3rd dose. I'm partaking in academic research on tapering by filling out self monitoring forms. Everyone on tapering strips from the Rainbow pharmacy is asked to do the same (not compulsory) so a lot of information is gathered on people's tapering experiences. 

I know it seems strange but I never experienced issues with fluctuating amounts of Lorazepam in my blood. So it's not like I couldn't wait for the evening, to take my evening dose. And I don't feel like there's a gap in my afternoons now that I no longer take my afternoon dose. I've never craved a dose anyway. 

I'm not saying that the past 2 months have been a breeze, because they weren't, but I've been able to work at least 5 hours per day (not yet back to my usual 8 but that will come in time) and have been able to function more or less normally. Yes, I've been more emotional, more depressed, not feeling much like connecting to people like I used to, I've had bouts of anger, have insomnia, the occasional muscle pain and restlessness but never debilitating and never long. 

I can call the pharmacist at any given moment for advice. The way I'm tapering should assure (so far this has been true for me) that if anything goes 'wrong', it goes wrong gradually (symptoms will worsen over a couple of days) and there is time to take action and stabilise. This hasn't been necessary yet, but I know I'm in good hands when I do need to stabilise at some point in the future. 

No, I don't immediately trust all doctors, health care professionals and pharmacists, but the 2 months I was on Lorazepam before tapering, I spent half of that time researching and questioning everything and everyone. I'm well supported now and will continue on this protocol and will continue to be supported by an excellent orthomolecular therapist that gives me great advice on diet and supplements. 

Hope this helps, @[Ka...]

Lorazepam tapering 1mg 56 days.pdf

[[Dr...]]

20 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

Hi @[Dr...]-  I'm sorry you felt inundated - you asked when you might experience withdrawal symptoms after your last cut.  Instead you were given a boatload of unsolicited tapering advice, including from me.  I'm sorry.   It's important that you do what you feel is the best approach.  I hope you know the input you got came from a good place and I hop you won't leave!  

Thanks @[Br...]. I very much appreciate your reply. All the advice was feeding my anxiety while I was actually thinking I was doing reasonably well. I know everyone had the best intention though. 

[[Dr...]]

10 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

Hello Katrina, 

Here's my tapering schedule, per dose. So 2x28 days for the 1st dose, stabilise for 2 weeks (or longer if needed), then second dose and then 3rd dose. I'm partaking in academic research on tapering by filling out self monitoring forms. Everyone on tapering strips from the Rainbow pharmacy is asked to do the same (not compulsory) so a lot of information is gathered on people's tapering experiences. 

I know it seems strange but I never experienced issues with fluctuating amounts of Lorazepam in my blood. So it's not like I couldn't wait for the evening, to take my evening dose. And I don't feel like there's a gap in my afternoons now that I no longer take my afternoon dose. I've never craved a dose anyway. 

I'm not saying that the past 2 months have been a breeze, because they weren't, but I've been able to work at least 5 hours per day (not yet back to my usual 8 but that will come in time) and have been able to function more or less normally. Yes, I've been more emotional, more depressed, not feeling much like connecting to people like I used to, I've had bouts of anger, have insomnia, the occasional muscle pain and restlessness but never debilitating and never long. 

I can call the pharmacist at any given moment for advice. The way I'm tapering should assure (so far this has been true for me) that if anything goes 'wrong', it goes wrong gradually (symptoms will worsen over a couple of days) and there is time to take action and stabilise. This hasn't been necessary yet, but I know I'm in good hands when I do need to stabilise at some point in the future. 

No, I don't immediately trust all doctors, health care professionals and pharmacists, but the 2 months I was on Lorazepam before tapering, I spent half of that time researching and questioning everything and everyone. I'm well supported now and will continue on this protocol and will continue to be supported by an excellent orthomolecular therapist that gives me great advice on diet and supplements. 

Hope this helps, @[Ka...]

Lorazepam tapering 1mg 56 days.pdf 543.84 kB · 0 downloads

In the document it says: The effect/dag. This means the effect per day the tapering has on the receptors (occupancy) in your brain. 

Edited March 23 by [Dr...]