Am I having benzo withdrawal?

[[de...]]

First of all Hello everyone, this is my first message. Thanks in advance.

Second, my English is not my native language and I do not master it perfectly, so I apologize for any spelling errors.

My psychiatrist prescribed lorazepam to help me sleep, 0.5 in the morning and 1 at night. I have never taken anxiolytics & antidepressants in my life until now.

I have been taking orfidal(lorazedpam)1mg in a bit strange way since it was for sleep, but I knew it was not a good medicine. I'll explain how I took it and how I left it and if you can give me your opinion.

I have been taking lorazepam 1mg for 109 days (a little more than 3 months), but in those 109 days, I have not taken it every day, that is, I have kept track and I have taken lorazepam 48 of those 109 days.

In addition, I have also controlled the amount I took per day being:
0.5mg= 33 days
0.75mg= 5 days
1 mg (one pill) = 7 days
1.5mg = 3 days.

The last day I took it was April 3rd. 

My way of reducing lorazepam was to take, for the last 11 days, 0.5 and 0.25 the last days. I don't know if I did the reduction correctly. These doses fall within the 48 days that you take lorazepam.

I have no physical withdrawal symptoms, only emotional ones of extreme anxiety which started on May 3, 1 month after completely stopping lorazepam.

10 days before completely stopping lorazepam, I began tapering off Duloxetine, which I had been taking for 56 days. I think I have reduced duloxetine too quickly from what I have been able to verify in other forums, since I have gone from 300 beads to 100 in a month.

 

I was reducing duloxetine 1 time every 10 days, and 12 days ago, I reduced 3 times during the same week, and that's when this horrible 24/7 feeling of anxiety and agony began.

I think I'm having duloxetine withdrawal. What is your opinion?

So many thanks in advance.

 

 

Edited May 13 by [de...]

[[Le...]]

the effect of reductions often happens way after you change the dose. it can be very confusing. also overlapping withdrawals is very confusing. maybe someone can suggest a way to stabilize this. 

[[Re...]]

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

I am glad you found us! 

Congratulations on stopping lorazepam, tremendous accomplishment!

Sometimes it does not take long time for these medications to cause some trouble, indeed. 

The general recommended reduction rate of a benzodiazepine is 5-10% of your previous dose every two or three weeks. I believe you have been tapering fast and feel the negative effects of these reductions. Moreover, tapering more than one psychiatric medication at a time is not recommended. 

It is I believe impossible to decide if you are having lorazepam or duloxetine withdrawal, I believe maybe both. Both can have very similar symptoms and could last for longer periods.

Do you have previous experience with a benzodiazepine or an antidepressant? Can you fulfill your daily duties in the state you are in?  Have you considered going back to a previous duloxetine dose and waiting to stabilize? 

(Edit : depending on your functionality and symptoms, considering a reinstatement of your lorazepam might be reasonable, too) 

Take care, 

RR