Extra dose affect taper?

[[Ja...]]

Hi everyone,

I’m on week 3 of my Ativan taper, sitting at .20mg, before bed. It’s going ok, good days and bad days but yesterday morning I did take an extra .20mg after a night with almost no sleep so I could grab a couple hours and be functional. 
 

How much does that affect everything if I need to do once in awhile? I’m a single mom of a kiddo with special needs, so a few times a month we have tough nights.

I feel pretty awful today and not sure if it’s because of that or just hormones.

Appreciate any insight. 

[[Br...]]

Hello @[Ja...] - I'm sorry you had a rough night.  It's so hard to function without enough sleep. It's hard to know the cause of your feeling bad today.  It sounds like you it could be due to a number of stressors you're dealing with.  

I wouldn't worry about taking a one time "rescue dose".  But in my opinion it would be best to avoid doing this often - I think doing it often could cause problems with your taper by sending confusing messages to your CNS.  A big part of tapering and withdrawal is learning and practicing ways to cope without reaching for a pill.

Here is a great thread with tips for coping with Insomnia

Here's a page about Insomnia/Sleep disturbances - if you scroll down to the bottom of the page there are some coping tips.

 

[[je...]]

@[Ja...] I have no idea how difficult it must be to do a taper and provide for a child with special needs. I’m sure you are doing an amazing job. 

I can understand the need for rescue doses but I agree with @[Br...] that it’s not recommended.