Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[Kl...]]

Hi klondike!!! Thank you for responding!!! I am using a compounding pharmacy who has done my whole taper plan for me!!! He has compounded the ativan into cspsules mixed with arrowroot. There is a week pill wich is0.025 of ativan per cappsule and a strong pill wich is  0.10mg  then he did up the whole scheduale for me it is working fairly well.. I have anxiety and panic but i am learning to deal with it alot better.... Meditatio exercise!!!  man this is not fun!!! 19 more weeks and hopefully i will be done!!! How was the switch over to valum?? I have a atrong tendancy for depression so i am sscred to go that route...  I cant belive that all of these poor people are going thru this!!!!! Hope you are well!!

 

That compounding sounds great. It looks like you are at about 1.5mgs Ativan/day. I was at 0.75mgs/day of Ativan when I crossed to 7.5mgs/day Valium. I did not have to deal with depression much but I suspect that may be because of the low level I crossed at. When you get down to 1mg ATivan/day you may find you need to dose 4-6 times/day.....Folks just seen to have more trouble with interdose wd at the lower levels.  The antihistamines like benedryl really helped with my anxiety, nausea, and sleep. They are not physically addicting but you might want to talk to your doc first before using them...most are OTC.  My cross over to valium was very smooth even though I rushed it and I was very glad to be off Ativan.

[[be...]]

Well my "smooth" taper has come to an end at .625mg. I am dry cutting lorazepam pills and dosing .125mg 5 times a day. I have felt more or less great for the last few weeks except for the occasional bad few hours or maybe the better part of a day after a cut. Now that I'm about to cut to .5mg the "bumps" are starting to feel more like the symptoms before I stabilized. I'm too close to the end to change up this routine though.

I guess I'll hold here a few more days. I know some of you dry cut lorazepam. Did you have any particular difficulties toward the end? Just curious about your experiences if you feel like sharing. Thanks.

[[sa...]]

the lower the dose the bigger the cuts are, relatively.

Maybe you have to go slower. Try liquid titration... It might help.

 

[[po...]]

hey benzo down lately

 

I wonder if your dry cutting is starting to make it tricky at these lower doses as the variations become more obvious.  I switched to a compounded liquid formula a few months back to help stability, but theres also the option of home made liquid titration with water. 

 

One useful thing I learned is that when pills have a half score mark, they have an equal dose in each half.  Good to know I think.

 

poppins

[[su...]]

Hey all! I have been trying to get an answer to my question and even posted on a couple different boards but no help yet so maybe someone in this thread can help? I hope so! I just dropped my afternoon dose of .125 mg Ativan 10 days ago and the strangest thing has been happening the past few days...whenever I take my morning dose of .25mg ( which is my biggest dose of the day) about 4 hours after taking it I start feeling really anxious and panicky and sometimes racing obsessive thoughts pop up. I have to talk myself through it am say I'm ok this is nothing serious and then about an hour later it subsides an I'm fine. I'm fine all afternoon since I don't take anymore doses. My next dose I take is .125 mg at 5pm. The other night the evening dose did this to me about 3 hours after i took it and then went away too. What could be causing this?? Is the Ativan causing it? Is this what's called interdose withdrawal or what? I am wondering how soon is safe to make another small cut or not? Any help I appreciate greatly!

 

Julie

[[be...]]

That is exactly what is happening to me right now. Keep holding and those bouts of inter dose wds will lessen. That IS what you are experiencing. Mine are 4 hours after a dose like clockwork. The 4 hour mark is basically when you can feel the ativan LEAVING your system, and your body doesn't care for that feeling a'tall. I started dosing every 3 hours instead. Those intervals seem to work better for me. I am at .625 right now (.125 3 x a day).

 

You are lucky that you are able to realize what's happening to you and deal with it. I think a lot of people get hit with the inter dose withdrawal thing and don't know what is happening and it makes it all the scarier. Sometimes I'll brew a strong cup of chamomile tea for the onset and it helps a lot. But now I'm so used to the symptoms that they hardly bother me. I see them for what they are. You are doing fine.

[[su...]]

Thank you do much for your help! I was just assuming that is what is was called because I read something about it. I mean it seems like that is what it is seeing as how when I don't take any all afternoon I'm fine... Aside from some lightheadedness past few days also.... Does tapering down cause that too? Are you taking pills or liquid? I'm on pills and they are soo small to cut. I know my doses aren't exactly accurate but the best I can get. Today the symptoms weren't as bad as the past few days. So basically I should just stay at this dose for awhile?? It's been 10 days since I dropped noon dose. How long should you wait?

[[be...]]

- I am taking .5mg pills of lorazepam and cutting them into quarters. this gives me 4 doses of .125

 

-I start at 8 AM and take a quarter ever 3 hours after that. After the last dose at 5, I too don't get panicky. I think it's because at this point in the day, I've gotten enough activity and eaten enough food that I am naturally calmer. That and also the fact that this is what I've trained my body what to expect.

 

-I am going to try and drop .125mg every 10 days from here. Given what I know so far, I don't see that this should be a problem. If it is, I'll hold.

 

-I do expect to feel the cuts for sure, but so far these bumps in the road seem to last only a day or two and are manageable.

[[su...]]

well this morning I just separated my morning dose of .25mg to .125mg and so I will take the other .125 at about 11am....which is now....and then the other .125 mg at 4pm....I am hoping and praying this will help because yesterday I had a major panic attack hit me and it felt the worst ever in my life! Makes me very scared!  Is there anything that you can take to help with these withdrawal symptoms that isn't a prescription drug??

[[Ma...]]

Just wanted to say hydroxzyine might help, it is a precription drug, but a strong antihistmine.  It can help with anxiety and is non addicting.

 

also herbs.  I've been given a combo of herbs, loose herbs, scullcap, damiana and oat straw that I make a tea out of.    It was precribed by my holistic doc but you can get them at an herb store.

 

1 tsp each in a tea difusser makes about a teapot.

[[Kl...]]

Hey all! I have been trying to get an answer to my question and even posted on a couple different boards but no help yet so maybe someone in this thread can help? I hope so! I just dropped my afternoon dose of .125 mg Ativan 10 days ago and the strangest thing has been happening the past few days...whenever I take my morning dose of .25mg ( which is my biggest dose of the day) about 4 hours after taking it I start feeling really anxious and panicky and sometimes racing obsessive thoughts pop up. I have to talk myself through it am say I'm ok this is nothing serious and then about an hour later it subsides an I'm fine. I'm fine all afternoon since I don't take anymore doses. My next dose I take is .125 mg at 5pm. The other night the evening dose did this to me about 3 hours after i took it and then went away too. What could be causing this?? Is the Ativan causing it? Is this what's called interdose withdrawal or what? I am wondering how soon is safe to make another small cut or not? Any help I appreciate greatly!

 

Julie

 

Julie, I agree that you are getting interdose wd. Many people have trouble dry cutting ativan below 1mg/day. And do not drop that afternoon dose....Ativan has only a 6 hour half life and many people need to dose 4-6 times a day at the lower levels. You may need to try some other way of "cutting" than dry cutting. Titration or Compounding or Liquid. I suspect compounding or liquid is the easiest but keep to at least 4 doses/day. I don't have a lot of experience at the real low levels because I crossed from Ativan to Valium at 0.75mg Ativan/day. I was having horrible interdose wd trying to dry cut at that level. God bless.

[[be...]]

Wow. I have hit a terrible wall the last couple of days. I am dry cutting .5mg pills into quarters. I've been at .375 a day for 7 days. The last 2 have been awful. All of the symptoms at once : fatigue, nausea, no appetite, lethargic, scared, depressed anxious. Dammit. My symptoms have been totally manageable till now. Now I'm just shut down. I thought the worst was over. I thought this dose was so low that I wouldn't get wds this bad. Wtf is going on?

Totally confined to the bed.

Ugh. I hate this.

[[Ti...]]

Benzodown--Ativan is a beast.  You can see from my sig what is going on with me.  I even tried switching to Valium and it made things worse because the Ativan w/d was so bad.  The Valium did nothing to cover it.  I am stuck on the two drugs--terrified to keep crossing over.  So now I have just been tapering down on the Ativan.  I am such a small amount you would think I was done but I feel sick constantly.  My sx were manageable earlier in the taper but ever since the failed crossover I was hit with Benzo Flu and it left me with AWFUL fatigue and weakness-and lately some depression too (mostly b/c I always feel so damn sick).  It is unbelievable.  Sometimes I wonder if it's the Valium, but I really think it's the Ativan w/d.  I have been told many times that Ativan is the single toughest benzo to come off of and that there is no small dose.  .3 mg. Ativan is equal to 3 mg. of Valium.  Have you thought of getting a pharmacy compound so you can make smaller cuts?  I was only on this crap originally 7 weeks and now it's been 7 months due to bad advice from doctors.  I feel your pain.  This stuff is awful but we will make it through.  I have had days lately where I just have to lay in bed--and I have 2 little kids to take care of.  You must be sensitive to Ativan like me.  Also at first I was very wired and now it's the complete opposite--it's like my adrenal glands (adrenalin) has burned out or something.  Are you still able to exercise?  I get winded walking through the grocery store!  How are you sleeping?

 

Hugs,

Tina

[[Ma...]]

though a series of unfortunate events, I went from 1 to now 8 mgs ativan. 

 

I did stop in 2003 after having been on it for about 2 years, I was at a low dose then, about 1 or 1.5.  I quit it when I got pregnant, the doctor told me to just quit.  I did, but I had a lot of nausea and I lay around on the couch for months.  I was still fairly functional but I attributed it all (my symptoms) to the pregnancy.  Thinking back it probably was withdrawal, but I didn't know it.  After the pregnancy I did get back on the Ativan at a low dose, not as low as .25.  I wish to God I would never have gone back at that point.  I thought it was helping me in life, I was doing well.

 

Last fall a bad pdoc switch my 6 mgs a day of ativan to 6 mg Klonopin.  I don't know why she did that.  I was upset, very, but she doubled my dose!  Total overkill and I've been having a lot of problems with Klonopin, so my new doc switched me back to ativan.  That is how I am now at 8 mgs. 

 

I am pretty horrified but have realized I have to get off.

 

If you are having anxiety, I would suggest hydroxyzine.  It is non addicting and can help with panic.  I wish I was put on that drug to begin with, instead of benzos.

[[Ti...]]

I wish I was put on Hydoxyzine instead of Benzos as well.  My sentiments exactly!  There are lots of folks here who can help you with a taper plan.  Maybe put a post on the "Withdrawal" or "Tapering" boards.  Good luck!

[[Kl...]]

Benzodown--Ativan is a beast.  You can see from my sig what is going on with me.  I even tried switching to Valium and it made things worse because the Ativan w/d was so bad.  The Valium did nothing to cover it.  I am stuck on the two drugs--terrified to keep crossing over.  So now I have just been tapering down on the Ativan.  I am such a small amount you would think I was done but I feel sick constantly.  My sx were manageable earlier in the taper but ever since the failed crossover I was hit with Benzo Flu and it left me with AWFUL fatigue and weakness-and lately some depression too (mostly b/c I always feel so damn sick).  It is unbelievable.  Sometimes I wonder if it's the Valium, but I really think it's the Ativan w/d.  I have been told many times that Ativan is the single toughest benzo to come off of and that there is no small dose.  .3 mg. Ativan is equal to 3 mg. of Valium.  Have you thought of getting a pharmacy compound so you can make smaller cuts?  I was only on this crap originally 7 weeks and now it's been 7 months due to bad advice from doctors.  I feel your pain.  This stuff is awful but we will make it through.  I have had days lately where I just have to lay in bed--and I have 2 little kids to take care of.  You must be sensitive to Ativan like me.  Also at first I was very wired and now it's the complete opposite--it's like my adrenal glands (adrenalin) has burned out or something.  Are you still able to exercise?  I get winded walking through the grocery store!  How are you sleeping?

 

Hugs,

Tina

 

Hi Tina..just checking on you. Sorry that the Valium did not work. Have you tried the liquid Ativan?

 

You are at such a low dose.....Hydorxizine ( as marin mentioned) can help but my favorite antihistamine is benedryl. ...but they all help with nausea and anxiety and sleep but some make you feel more crummy later than others. And you can not use them all the time or they lose their effectiveness and you have to give them a rest for a few days. When nausea was the big wd sypmtom I used phenergan. Hang in there...praying for you and your two little ones.

[[be...]]

Its been 6 days straight of feeling awful after hitting a wall during my taper.

I've been seeing an addiction psychiatrist every two weeks and dry cutting from 2mg of Ativan.

Things were rough at first but more or less stabilized. And for about 3 weeks before this wall I felt really good. Minor bumps with each cut but totally manageable. The last cut was from .5mg to .375mg

Everything was good for 6 days and just before I was about to cut again I got slammed with all of it. Just like the beginning. I'm holding but I feel no sign that I'm stabilizing.

I'm going to ask him for liquid next time I see him. I just wonder if I should updose. Im spending most of the day in bed. Just looking for encouragement I guess. I'm very down about this and scared again. Scared that I will never be better, that my progress thus far has been an illusion, that I'll be dealing with this the rest of my life, that I've damaged my brain...

 

[[Ma...]]

I don't think you've damaged your brain, you have not been on this drug long.  Don't worry about that.  It will be ok.

[[jo...]]

Its been 6 days straight of feeling awful after hitting a wall during my taper.

I've been seeing an addiction psychiatrist every two weeks and dry cutting from 2mg of Ativan.

Things were rough at first but more or less stabilized. And for about 3 weeks before this wall I felt really good. Minor bumps with each cut but totally manageable. The last cut was from .5mg to .375mg

Everything was good for 6 days and just before I was about to cut again I got slammed with all of it. Just like the beginning. I'm holding but I feel no sign that I'm stabilizing.

I'm going to ask him for liquid next time I see him. I just wonder if I should updose. Im spending most of the day in bed. Just looking for encouragement I guess. I'm very down about this and scared again. Scared that I will never be better, that my progress thus far has been an illusion, that I'll be dealing with this the rest of my life, that I've damaged my brain...

 

i am also in the process of tappering off ativan currently.  I am concerned too.  So, are you feeling more manageable now or the same?

 

[[jo...]]

Benzodown--Ativan is a beast.  You can see from my sig what is going on with me.  I even tried switching to Valium and it made things worse because the Ativan w/d was so bad.  The Valium did nothing to cover it.  I am stuck on the two drugs--terrified to keep crossing over.  So now I have just been tapering down on the Ativan.  I am such a small amount you would think I was done but I feel sick constantly.  My sx were manageable earlier in the taper but ever since the failed crossover I was hit with Benzo Flu and it left me with AWFUL fatigue and weakness-and lately some depression too (mostly b/c I always feel so damn sick).  It is unbelievable.  Sometimes I wonder if it's the Valium, but I really think it's the Ativan w/d.  I have been told many times that Ativan is the single toughest benzo to come off of and that there is no small dose.  .3 mg. Ativan is equal to 3 mg. of Valium.  Have you thought of getting a pharmacy compound so you can make smaller cuts?  I was only on this crap originally 7 weeks and now it's been 7 months due to bad advice from doctors.  I feel your pain.  This stuff is awful but we will make it through.  I have had days lately where I just have to lay in bed--and I have 2 little kids to take care of.  You must be sensitive to Ativan like me.  Also at first I was very wired and now it's the complete opposite--it's like my adrenal glands (adrenalin) has burned out or something.  Are you still able to exercise?  I get winded walking through the grocery store!  How are you sleeping?

 

Hugs,

Tina

 

Hi Tina,

 

I am in the process of tappering ativan currently.  Wondering if you are stablized currently?  It will be a good reference for me when I reach to that point.......

[[Ma...]]

for the last two days I've cut down from 8 mgs to 7.5.  I guess it would be better to post the effects of this in a week or so.

[[Ti...]]

Joy-a lot of my sx are gone but I also added in Valium (failed to crossover completely since the Valium didn't cover the Ativan w/d).  So it ended up being more of an updose. Really regret it. Right now my main sx is overwheing fatigue and muscle weakness with some anxiety in the morning. I feel lightheaded quite often too and often have flu sx. Just go slow and you will be fine.

[[be...]]

joychencarl I've started feeling better. I should have taken the advice of many on here and gone to liquid ativan around 1mg. I believe the cuts get too hard to take after that. My feeling is that I'm close to the end but not there. And if i can make this smoother i am certainly going to try. i swear, when this is done i'm never looking back. this has been rough. but doable. hang in there. never push it when you feel good. go slow all the way. i think that is the key.

[[Ti...]]

Benzodown--so glad you are feeling better.  did the fatigue and all those other sx just lift for you?  I am still waiting and it's been 2 months!

[[La...]]

I'm new & I think this is the right thread for me. I refuse to go over to another benzo & tapering off that after being on the Ativan only about 7 weeks. This is much harder than I expected though!