Lorazepam taper is much longer than I anticipated

[[Jo...]]

I started tapering lorazepam Jan 2023 after being on 3mgs for 4 months.

I’m now on 0.44mgs per day, split into 3 times per day 

0.20mg - 10am

0.12mg - 4pm

0.12mg -  9pm

I’m so sick of cutting and weighing  the tablets and going through withdrawals every 2 weeks and really need some encouragement to get me through this please 🙏 thought I’d be off them by December 23 but now I’m thinking I won’t even be off by December 24 😔

Edited May 23 by [Jo...]

[[Jo...]]

I think once I get the 10am dose down to 0.12mg I’ll be alot happier as all doses will be even then.

[[Le...]]

thats a slow taper from relatively short use. Is there a health reason you were so cautious?  I dont know a lot about tapering but if that was your only use in your life then I am surprised about the long taper. lots of people do have extreme reactions come off even after that long and I am no way being critical. just curious. 

It would be very difficult to keep your life together if you sped things up though I bet. 

you have kept to the schedule which is very impressive and the end is near. December isnt that far away in normal days. in benzo wd days it seems like forever i bet.  

[[Jo...]]

@[Le...] Before I was put on lorazepam I was on Valium for 20 years but only when needed, I was ok till I started taking more Valium when covid hit 

[[Le...]]

2 minutes ago, [[J...] said:

@[Le...] Before I was put on lorazepam I was on Valium for 20 years but only when needed, I was ok till I started taking more Valium when covid hit 

gotcha. good you knew how to properly deal with the situation. 

i got extremely sedentary while on benzos and very sickly. can you build up your health any between reductions?  all health you maintain makes it much easier. 

[[Jo...]]

@[Le...] Before I was put on lorazepam I was on Valium for 20 years but only when needed, I was ok till I started taking more Valium when covid hit 

I’m trying to exercise and stop eating sweet things but it’s hard, always craving chocolate.

[[Le...]]

i had those cravings too. anxiety itself can spike blood sugar too. i got pretty good at controlling it with diet and now dont even like sweet things. try going high fiber and maybe low GI breakfast like oatmeal with nuts or berries. stabilizing that blood sugar sorts some of the cravings out too. 

[[Jo...]]

Yes I’ll try that coz it’s getting out of hand with having to eat something sweet every night, I’m ok during the day it’s night that gets me, wish I didn’t like sweet things lol, thanks so much for answering back 😊

[[Hu...]]

If you took diazepam instead, you would have minimal problems with scale/weighing. Why don't you do that?

[[Jo...]]

Yes I’ll try that coz it’s getting out of hand with having to eat something sweet every night, I’m ok during the day it’s night that gets me, wish I didn’t like sweet things lol, thanks so much for answering back 😊

 

@[Hu...] I’ve been through such a shocking withdrawal from lorazepam and just too scared now to switch over now to Valium

[[Hu...]]

2 minutes ago, [[J...] said:

 

😊

@[Hu...] I’ve been through such a shocking withdrawal from lorazepam and just too scared now to switch over now to Valium

Yes. But you stated you were using diazepam before, so you can handle it. And it's a lot more precise and forgiving than weighing lorazepam. So I don't really understand that. And you don't have to take 3 doses with diazepam. 

[[Jo...]]

I have an appnt with my pyche on Monday and will ask him what he thinks, these benzos have caused so much trauma to me, thanks for answering me back 

[[Le...]]

31 minutes ago, [[J...] said:

I have an appnt with my pyche on Monday and will ask him what he thinks, these benzos have caused so much trauma to me, thanks for answering me back 

I think that the trauma is often worse than the physical harms. 

[[El...]]

I am also on Lorazepam. Previously I was on Xanax (starting way back in 1989!). My new doctor switched me to 3 mg of Lorazepam in April 2023. I also dose 3/day. I am currently taking 0.55 mg (so behind you!) I was wandering how you are making your cuts? I was making sizeable cuts of about 5%, went down to 3% cuts, then 2% cuts. Each time it was taking a significant period of time to recover from each cut. I would basically become non-functional for 1-2 weeks after each cut. I switched to micro tapering in September 2023. And although it is taking longer than I would like, I now have very minor withdrawal symptoms. I am able to perform all my needed daily tasks, care for my young grandson when needed and exercise once again.  I now cut about 30% (each time from the previous dose ) for 10-12 consecutive days, then hold 2-3 days (just to let my CNS system “catch up” ). I “think” I will finish January-Feburary 2025. I guess I finally decided that a few more months of tapering with tolerable symptoms was preferable to a shorter taper with intolerable symptoms.

Wishing you well today!

 

Edited May 23 by [El...]
Correction

[[...]]

@[El...], did you mean 0.30 percent cuts? 

[[Hu...]]

[[El...]]

Sorry alI!  I meant 0.30%.  Forgot my decimal point!

[[Jo...]]

@[El...] I’m making 0.1% cuts every 2 weeks, I can function mostly and have gone back to work pt time but it’s hard with the dizziness and anxiety sometimes but I get through my 4hr shift and I’m so tired when I get home that I have a nap! I’m so grateful i got my job back after 2 years off. My 10am dose needs to catch up with the other doses and I’m working on that, it’s now at 0.20mg and once it’s down to 0.12mg my dosing will be more even throughout the day 

[[Cr...]]

Hi @[Jo...], I agree with @[Hu...] about a switch to Valium possibly solving some of your issues. But I understand the fear of not wanting to 'rock the boat' by making changes and possibly make things worse.

If you are at least functional then staying the course is fine. My only concern is that lorazepam isn't as easy to cut as Valium and has more issues with interdose withdrawal. That is why I believe your tapering progress has gone slower than it may have on other longer-acting benzos. 

Talk with your psyche and let us know what comes of it. 

[[Hu...]]

22 hours ago, [[J...] said:

@[El...] I’m making 0.1% cuts every 2 weeks, I can function mostly and have gone back to work pt time but it’s hard with the dizziness and anxiety sometimes but I get through my 4hr shift and I’m so tired when I get home that I have a nap! I’m so grateful i got my job back after 2 years off. My 10am dose needs to catch up with the other doses and I’m working on that, it’s now at 0.20mg and once it’s down to 0.12mg my dosing will be more even throughout the day 

So you are using .44 mg in total with 0.1% cuts every 2 weeks.

And those cuts are calculated compounded I suppose? 

By the time you are at .22 you've run into more and more tolerance and wished you choose the longer benzo and easier cuts. Just saying.

A wiser thing to do would be to just ask for 5mg diazepam in 2mg tablet form. Then just take 4mg whole and just dry cut half a 2mg tablet every day. Guaranteed more stability and quicker.

Edited May 25 by [Hu...]

[[je...]]

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

By the time you are at .22 you've run into more and more tolerance and wished you choose the longer benzo and easier cuts. Just saying.

Why do you say the symptoms are tolerance related and not normal withdrawal from reductions?

15 minutes ago, [[H...] said:

Guaranteed more stability and quicker.

I strongly disagree with making these type of statements. Nothing in benzo withdrawal is ever guaranteed.

[[Hu...]]

19 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

Why do you say the symptoms are tolerance related and not normal withdrawal from reductions?

I strongly disagree with making these type of statements. Nothing in benzo withdrawal is ever guaranteed.

So many people here bump into tolerance issues, before or during tapering.The goal is to taper as fast as possible in a symptom lead tempo. But 0.1% cuts will take him 880 weeks. If he said 1% every week, that would be reasonable.

"Guaranteed more stability and quicker." That is referring to easier dose measurements and having to do fewer doses per day.

Edited May 25 by [Hu...]

[[Jo...]]

Update :  I’m now down to 0.39mg of lorazepam. I made a mistake and said my cuts were 1% but that is not right, they were 10% cuts sorry!

I’m not going to switch over to Valium as I’m functioning ok and do not want to rock the boat now I’m getting lower.

I’m now cutting .02mg off my dose every week but this week only cut off 0.1mg as having a very stressful time with my sick elderly mum who’s in a nursing home now.

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 14:57 by [Jo...]

[[Si...]]

Ohyeah I had to adjust my expectations like 3-4 times during my taper. expect that it will happen again. 
keep up with the cutting and weighting. add some well earned distraction like watching a sitcom or a good movie. or just get a different view outside. 

You are doing good!
ps. Slow and steady wins the race. dont go too fast. You do want to win the race don't ya?

Edited Monday at 18:00 by [Si...]

[[Si...]]

3 hours ago, [[J...] said:

Update :  I’m now down to 0.39mg of lorazepam. I made a mistake and said my cuts were 1% but that is not right, they were 10% cuts sorry!

I’m not going to switch over to Valium as I’m functioning ok and do not want to rock the boat now I’m getting lower.

I’m now cutting .02mg off my dose every week but this week only cut off 0.1mg as having a very stressful time with my sick elderly mum who’s in a nursing home now.

Take care man, of yourself as well. allow yourself some slowing down time with the taper process when things out of your control are stressful.