Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[Tr...]]

Saga,

 

I felt much better while tapering direct from Ativan.  Maybe it was all in my head but with each cut I was feeling better.  Not 100% but less crummy.  Thinking about reinstating the Ativan.  I was in tolerance with it but seemed to be going ok.    This direct c/o to K and no Ativan is not working for me.  I'm miserable.  Stomach burns, feel loads of anxiety and dp.

 

Try

[[Co...]]

Saga,

 

I felt much better while tapering direct from Ativan.  Maybe it was all in my head but with each cut I was feeling better.  Not 100% but less crummy.  Thinking about reinstating the Ativan.  I was in tolerance with it but seemed to be going ok.    This direct c/o to K and no Ativan is not working for me.  I'm miserable.  Stomach burns, feel loads of anxiety and dp.

 

Try

 

Why did you switch to K

[[Tr...]]

Cosmic,

 

She said I needed to be stable, I was in heavy tolerance with Ativan.  She would only offer K.  Nothing else. 

 

Try

[[Sa...]]

Saga,

 

I felt much better while tapering direct from Ativan.  Maybe it was all in my head but with each cut I was feeling better.  Not 100% but less crummy.  Thinking about reinstating the Ativan.  I was in tolerance with it but seemed to be going ok.    This direct c/o to K and no Ativan is not working for me.  I'm miserable.  Stomach burns, feel loads of anxiety and dp.

 

Try

 

Well, Try, I'm really sorry to hear you're struggling. It's only been a few days, if you did a direct cross I'm not surprised. You're having w/d from the Ativan, and the k isn't I your system long enough to cover.

 

You could wait it out, but it may get rough. Or, if you have enough Ativan to finish a taper, you could go back since it's early days, I believe. You're in a tough position. I'm sorry your dr doesn't know enough about a correct crossover. Ideally, they should be done in small steps over a period of time.

 

I don't know exactly how you feel, but I'm sure it's the Ativan leaving. This is my opinion. I wish you the best

[[Tr...]]

Thanks Saga.

 

Fingers crossed I will find a solution.

 

Try

[[Om...]]

Hey guys just checking in. Tomorrow is the 4th day of titration! I seem to be making progress, hopefully I can keep this up. Also I wanted to let you know Im praying for all of you. Hang in there!

 

On a separate note, after you hit a point where you have to hold, how long does it normally take before you level off and can start tapering again?

[[Co...]]

Hey guys just checking in. Tomorrow is the 4th day of titration! I seem to be making progress, hopefully I can keep this up. Also I wanted to let you know Im praying for all of you. Hang in there!

 

On a separate note, after you hit a point where you have to hold, how long does it normally take before you level off and can start tapering again?

 

Your body will answer that question for you. It could take a couple of days it could take up to a month or more.

 

When I reached half my dose the symptoms slammed me and kept on piling up. Took a month to get out. I was daily cutting

[[...]]

Hi!

I am fairly new to this site. i am really having a hard time with insomnia, GI issues, depression, tinnitus, etc. since i started the cut. The last 5 days i slept well and suddenly last night i couldn't sleep and today i feel so down and exhausted. And it is our wedding anniversary today and my loving husband has taken off to spend time with me. And all i can do is walk around like a zombie and crash on the sofa. But he is very understanding. Can anyone tell me how long to hold on to this dose. Please see my signature.

Also how do you do these micro cuts. I am in Germany and pharmacies don't compound anything for you. i got now from my doctor .5 mg Lorazepam pills, which are tiny and i am trying to break these into quarters for the .125 mg. dose.

I was given Lorazepam in April for acute insomnia and anxiety. I got Remeron in May, but i can take it only with Lorazepam to help me with sleep. The Remeron has also increased my depression.

Thank you for any advice.

 

How long have you been taking 1.5 a day?  Can we get a more detailed history of your use? Have you cut from 1.5 to 0.5? When Tapering you should "never"  use on alternate days.

 

 

One thing to note, if you have already hit tolerance for ativan you will begin to experience some degree of withdrawal once the drug has left your system, with Ativan, this could be anywhere from 4 to 6 hours Avg. The key is to split your doses 3 to 5 times a day,  to avoid Interdose withdrawal

 

Hi Cosmic,

Sorry for the late reply. i've had a rough week and it took a while to find out how to reply to posts.

 

i took 1.5 mg (.5 mg in the morning and 1 mg in the night) from 8th of April to 3rd of May, mainly for anxiety and insomnia. Started Mirtazapine or Remeron 23rd April first 7.5 mg (didn't help with sleep or anxiety) and then raised to 22.5 mg on 3rd May. After that i started cutting Lorazepam .5 for 3 weeks, .4 for 1 week, .25 for 2 weeks, .25 and none on alternate days for 2 weeks as per doctor advice but i got worse, so .25 and .125 on alternate days for 10 days, now started today .125 daily. I know it is too steep and haphazard. And i didn't know that you are not supposed to go up and down on your dose while tapering. But the doctor's advice was much steeper than this. Do you think i should spread the .125 mg to two doses a day? i don't know how to do this as the pills are really tiny. Right now i am breaking off a .5 mg pill into quarters and take one dose at 4:00 P.M.

 

Right now i have severe exhaustion during the day i think from Remeron and poor sleep. Thank you for replying.

 

[[Sa...]]

Hey guys just checking in. Tomorrow is the 4th day of titration! I seem to be making progress, hopefully I can keep this up. Also I wanted to let you know Im praying for all of you. Hang in there!

 

On a separate note, after you hit a point where you have to hold, how long does it normally take before you level off and can start tapering again?

Hi Omni, Do you mean before starting a new cut? The worst was over for me by day 4, things improved from there. It won't always be the same, Cosmics advice is bang on. Everyone is very different. I'm glad you're feeling well 

[[Sa...]]

Hi!

I am fairly new to this site. i am really having a hard time with insomnia, GI issues, depression, tinnitus, etc. since i started the cut. The last 5 days i slept well and suddenly last night i couldn't sleep and today i feel so down and exhausted. And it is our wedding anniversary today and my loving husband has taken off to spend time with me. And all i can do is walk around like a zombie and crash on the sofa. But he is very understanding. Can anyone tell me how long to hold on to this dose. Please see my signature.

Also how do you do these micro cuts. I am in Germany and pharmacies don't compound anything for you. i got now from my doctor .5 mg Lorazepam pills, which are tiny and i am trying to break these into quarters for the .125 mg. dose.

I was given Lorazepam in April for acute insomnia and anxiety. I got Remeron in May, but i can take it only with Lorazepam to help me with sleep. The Remeron has also increased my depression.

Thank you for any advice.

 

How long have you been taking 1.5 a day?  Can we get a more detailed history of your use? Have you cut from 1.5 to 0.5? When Tapering you should "never"  use on alternate days.

 

 

One thing to note, if you have already hit tolerance for ativan you will begin to experience some degree of withdrawal once the drug has left your system, with Ativan, this could be anywhere from 4 to 6 hours Avg. The key is to split your doses 3 to 5 times a day,  to avoid Interdose withdrawal

 

Hi Cosmic,

Sorry for the late reply. i've had a rough week and it took a while to find out how to reply to posts.

 

i took 1.5 mg (.5 mg in the morning and 1 mg in the night) from 8th of April to 3rd of May, mainly for anxiety and insomnia. Started Mirtazapine or Remeron 23rd April first 7.5 mg (didn't help with sleep or anxiety) and then raised to 22.5 mg on 3rd May. After that i started cutting Lorazepam .5 for 3 weeks, .4 for 1 week, .25 for 2 weeks, .25 and none on alternate days for 2 weeks as per doctor advice but i got worse, so .25 and .125 on alternate days for 10 days, now started today .125 daily. I know it is too steep and haphazard. And i didn't know that you are not supposed to go up and down on your dose while tapering. But the doctor's advice was much steeper than this. Do you think i should spread the .125 mg to two doses a day? i don't know how to do this as the pills are really tiny. Right now i am breaking off a .5 mg pill into quarters and take one dose at 4:00 P.M.

 

Right now i have severe exhaustion during the day i think from Remeron and poor sleep. Thank you for replying.

 

Dear HOpe,

 

I'm so sorry you've been on such a fast taper plan. Your Dr. Has no idea....your question was about dividing the .125 dose into 2. Yes, I would absolutely do this by taking the tiny.125 chunk, and literally crush the piece in half. That would give you .0625.

 

I hope you're able to find even a little relief dosing twice a day instead of once. I'm sure you're having a difficult time with sleep and exhaustion. I'm so sorry. You're on a very fast taper, and it will produce some discomfort. Take care

 

Saga

[[Co...]]

Hi!

I am fairly new to this site. i am really having a hard time with insomnia, GI issues, depression, tinnitus, etc. since i started the cut. The last 5 days i slept well and suddenly last night i couldn't sleep and today i feel so down and exhausted. And it is our wedding anniversary today and my loving husband has taken off to spend time with me. And all i can do is walk around like a zombie and crash on the sofa. But he is very understanding. Can anyone tell me how long to hold on to this dose. Please see my signature.

Also how do you do these micro cuts. I am in Germany and pharmacies don't compound anything for you. i got now from my doctor .5 mg Lorazepam pills, which are tiny and i am trying to break these into quarters for the .125 mg. dose.

I was given Lorazepam in April for acute insomnia and anxiety. I got Remeron in May, but i can take it only with Lorazepam to help me with sleep. The Remeron has also increased my depression.

Thank you for any advice.

 

How long have you been taking 1.5 a day?  Can we get a more detailed history of your use? Have you cut from 1.5 to 0.5? When Tapering you should "never"  use on alternate days.

 

 

One thing to note, if you have already hit tolerance for ativan you will begin to experience some degree of withdrawal once the drug has left your system, with Ativan, this could be anywhere from 4 to 6 hours Avg. The key is to split your doses 3 to 5 times a day,  to avoid Interdose withdrawal

 

Hi Cosmic,

Sorry for the late reply. i've had a rough week and it took a while to find out how to reply to posts.

 

i took 1.5 mg (.5 mg in the morning and 1 mg in the night) from 8th of April to 3rd of May, mainly for anxiety and insomnia. Started Mirtazapine or Remeron 23rd April first 7.5 mg (didn't help with sleep or anxiety) and then raised to 22.5 mg on 3rd May. After that i started cutting Lorazepam .5 for 3 weeks, .4 for 1 week, .25 for 2 weeks, .25 and none on alternate days for 2 weeks as per doctor advice but i got worse, so .25 and .125 on alternate days for 10 days, now started today .125 daily. I know it is too steep and haphazard. And i didn't know that you are not supposed to go up and down on your dose while tapering. But the doctor's advice was much steeper than this. Do you think i should spread the .125 mg to two doses a day? i don't know how to do this as the pills are really tiny. Right now i am breaking off a .5 mg pill into quarters and take one dose at 4:00 P.M.

 

Right now i have severe exhaustion during the day i think from Remeron and poor sleep. Thank you for replying.

 

You jumped from a dependency from 1.5mg to 0.5mg, that's a huge leap.

Generally speaking, you should divide your doses anywhere from 3 to 5 times a day to avoid Interdose symptoms.

 

I think jumping down to 0.125 may have been too quick, but if you do find some relief from splitting your doses then that's great. If you are still finding it difficult, bordering lines of unmanageable, you may have to up dose a little higher to see if that brings about relief. The key is finding what level of the drug is needed to find some form or stability. People here will also recommend getting a scale to accurately dose.

Ultimately it comes down to you. People on here will be more than willing to help and support you through this, but Tapering seriously is going to require several changes.

[[Ki...]]

Hello Ativaners - sorry about not being here to help support everyone, but I've been face down in the mud for almost a week. Tapering benzo's is no picnic. I'm feeling a little better so am trying to catch up on the thread.

 

Omni - so glad to hear that everything is going well with your titration and you are feeling relatively well. I usually feel my cuts the most on day 4. Daily titration is different though so you'll have to listen closely to your body. A pattern will likely emerge and then you'll know how to pace yourself 

 

Cosmic - how are you feeling, my friend?

 

H0Pe - I'm sorry you're struggling. The tapering advice you got from your doctor is not much better than a cold turkey. I'm sorry that he/she isn't more informed. Is your doc willing to prescribe Ativan longer for a proper taper? I'm thinking try and stabilize at .25 and taking .625mg 4x a day. Would he/she help you with that? It's hard to say if what you are feeling is from the start up of Remeron or withdrawal symptoms from Ativan or interdose from Ativan. I hope you find relief and if you have questions please keep asking 

 

Try - I'm sorry your cross over isn't having the desired results. It isn't too late to switch back. I think you need to make a decision and stick to it. I'm not sure what's better for you, only you know that. You said you were having severe tolerance withdrawal from the Ativan but now you're saying you were feeling better as you started to remove the Ativan so I'm not sure why you switched. Unfortunately, any taper is going to be uncomfortable so the key is learning the tricks to make it manageable. I really hope you can get everything figured out. Keep us posted 

 

Hi!

I am fairly new to this site. i am really having a hard time with insomnia, GI issues, depression, tinnitus, etc. since i started the cut. The last 5 days i slept well and suddenly last night i couldn't sleep and today i feel so down and exhausted. And it is our wedding anniversary today and my loving husband has taken off to spend time with me. And all i can do is walk around like a zombie and crash on the sofa. But he is very understanding. Can anyone tell me how long to hold on to this dose. Please see my signature.

Also how do you do these micro cuts. I am in Germany and pharmacies don't compound anything for you. i got now from my doctor .5 mg Lorazepam pills, which are tiny and i am trying to break these into quarters for the .125 mg. dose.

I was given Lorazepam in April for acute insomnia and anxiety. I got Remeron in May, but i can take it only with Lorazepam to help me with sleep. The Remeron has also increased my depression.

Thank you for any advice.

 

How long have you been taking 1.5 a day?  Can we get a more detailed history of your use? Have you cut from 1.5 to 0.5? When Tapering you should "never"  use on alternate days.

 

 

One thing to note, if you have already hit tolerance for ativan you will begin to experience some degree of withdrawal once the drug has left your system, with Ativan, this could be anywhere from 4 to 6 hours Avg. The key is to split your doses 3 to 5 times a day,  to avoid Interdose withdrawal

 

Hi Cosmic,

Sorry for the late reply. i've had a rough week and it took a while to find out how to reply to posts.

 

i took 1.5 mg (.5 mg in the morning and 1 mg in the night) from 8th of April to 3rd of May, mainly for anxiety and insomnia. Started Mirtazapine or Remeron 23rd April first 7.5 mg (didn't help with sleep or anxiety) and then raised to 22.5 mg on 3rd May. After that i started cutting Lorazepam .5 for 3 weeks, .4 for 1 week, .25 for 2 weeks, .25 and none on alternate days for 2 weeks as per doctor advice but i got worse, so .25 and .125 on alternate days for 10 days, now started today .125 daily. I know it is too steep and haphazard. And i didn't know that you are not supposed to go up and down on your dose while tapering. But the doctor's advice was much steeper than this. Do you think i should spread the .125 mg to two doses a day? i don't know how to do this as the pills are really tiny. Right now i am breaking off a .5 mg pill into quarters and take one dose at 4:00 P.M.

 

Right now i have severe exhaustion during the day i think from Remeron and poor sleep. Thank you for replying.

 

You jumped from a dependency from 1.5mg to 0.5mg, that's a huge leap.

Generally speaking, you should divide your doses anywhere from 3 to 5 times a day to avoid Interdose symptoms.

 

I think jumping down to 0.125 may have been too quick, but if you do find some relief from splitting your doses then that's great. If you are still finding it difficult, bordering lines of unmanageable, you may have to up dose a little higher to see if that brings about relief. The key is finding what level of the drug is needed to find some form or stability. People here will also recommend getting a scale to accurately dose.

Ultimately it comes down to you. People on here will be more than willing to help and support you through this, but Tapering seriously is going to require several changes.

- your tapering Math looks good, congrats on getting started 

[[ju...]]

Hi Kiddo, Glad to have you back. Hope you feel better soon. Keep the faith. You are in my prayers.

[[Ki...]]

Thanks Judy 

[[Tr...]]

Kiddo,

 

My psych decided to direct switch me to K.  She decided I wasn't stable enough on Ativan to taper.  I think she's trying to keep me on this junk.  She refused to write a script for Ativan refill.  And, she gave me a script for Effexor which  I refuse to take.

 

I was feeling better with my taper regardless of not being stable but I'm not the one who can write prescriptions.     

 

If I try to reinstate I'm probably going to have to up dose and I had gotten down to almost 1.50 from 2mg Ativan.

 

 

 

Try

[[Co...]]

Kiddo,

 

My psych decided to direct switch me to K.  She decided I wasn't stable enough on Ativan to taper.  I think she's trying to keep me on this junk.  She refused to write a script for Ativan refill.  And, she gave me a script for Effexor which  I refuse to take.

 

I was feeling better with my taper regardless of not being stable but I'm not the one who can write prescriptions.     

 

If I try to reinstate I'm probably going to have to up dose and I had gotten down to almost 1.50 from 2mg Ativan.

 

 

 

Try

 

This is your life and we'll being were talking about, find a new doc that will listen, asap

 

And FYI, K is generally known to be approx twice as potent as A. If you're dosing 1.5K, the equivalent is approx 3A.

 

Take that into consideration

 

 

I was in a similar situation. My doc stopped my supply suddenly. I had gone to see many docs and psychiatrists and was able to get my hands on 0.5 and 1mg tabs.

[[Ki...]]

Try - I wouldn't take no for answer either. Find a new pdoc as soon as possible if you wish to continue on Ativan. There is still enough time that you wouldn't have to updose to 2mg....you may just have to hold at 1.5mg for a couple weeks again. I hope you can switch back if you choose and, if not, then hopefully what you are feeling on Klonopin is just the start up symptoms and you'll level out soon.

[[Co...]]

Try - I wouldn't take no for answer either. Find a new pdoc as soon as possible if you wish to continue on Ativan. There is still enough time that you wouldn't have to updose to 2mg....you may just have to hold at 1.5mg for a couple weeks again. I hope you can switch back if you choose and, if not, then hopefully what you are feeling on Klonopin is just the start up symptoms and you'll level out soon.

 

Yes, and I'm going to repeat what I've said above, you are now taking equivalent to 3mg Ativan, doubling the dose you were currently on. You really need to take this into consideration.

[[Om...]]

I hope you are all feeling well! I just prepared my doses for tomorrow and decided I'd hop on here and check up with my fellow Ativaners.

 

Thanks for the responses Cosmic Kiddo and Saga! I know this may not be a smooth ride, but I'm hoping it wont be as rough as Im anticipating. I've got 2/3 of a bottle left plus 3 30 day refills but I don't have any guaranteed refills after that, that's why I'm tapering so fast. I'll slow down if I have to. Guess I'll go doctor shopping if I must. Hopefully I can get some refills so Ill be able to go at a comfortable pace.

 

Looks like Im going to hop off of here and do some light reading. I picked up some fantasy novels from Barnes and Nobles last week. The books are about 5 inches thick (936 pages roughly) and there are 4 books in the main section of the series. Im hoping they will keep me entertained for a while. Ill also be helping out with my sisters churchs vacation bible school all this week, so my schedule will be quite full. I feel much better when Ive got my mind/body busy anyhow.

 

Ill try and check in with you all tomorrow! Sweet dreams and God Bless 

 

[[Ki...]]

Sounds like you're setting yourself up for success, Omni    we are here for you, keep checking in. Have fun helping out with the vacation bible school....kids are the best and the distraction is key 

[[...]]

I hope you are all feeling well! I just prepared my doses for tomorrow and decided I'd hop on here and check up with my fellow Ativaners.

 

Thanks for the responses Cosmic Kiddo and Saga! I know this may not be a smooth ride, but I'm hoping it wont be as rough as Im anticipating. I've got 2/3 of a bottle left plus 3 30 day refills but I don't have any guaranteed refills after that, that's why I'm tapering so fast. I'll slow down if I have to. Guess I'll go doctor shopping if I must. Hopefully I can get some refills so Ill be able to go at a comfortable pace.

 

Looks like Im going to hop off of here and do some light reading. I picked up some fantasy novels from Barnes and Nobles last week. The books are about 5 inches thick (936 pages roughly) and there are 4 books in the main section of the series. Im hoping they will keep me entertained for a while. Ill also be helping out with my sisters churchs vacation bible school all this week, so my schedule will be quite full. I feel much better when Ive got my mind/body busy anyhow.

 

Ill try and check in with you all tomorrow! Sweet dreams and God Bless 

 

Best Wishes Omni. Distraction and keeping busy goes a long way towards healing. Wishing you a smooth ride. Our VBS starts beginning of August. I hope to help out too. Enjoy your reading. Right now i have vacation and the absence of structure to my day and distraction are working against my recovery.... So keep busy without being stressed out.

Hi Kiddo,

I think i am settling down with .125 mg a bit now although my sleep is still choppy and have shoulder pains and stiffness. So I'll continue with this for 2 weeks and see what happens.

Hi Cosmic,

Thank you for your input. I'll look into this Gemini scale which people here mention often.

Hi Saga,

I am planning to do just what you have suggested by crushing and dividing the .125 mg Lorazepam. Thank you.

 

On a positive note to all, although i have almost nil motivation right now, my GI issues are much better and the anxiety is much more manageable. The shoulder pain and neck stiffness are getting better. Now, if i could only sleep normally again.... But i am thankful for each every improvement, even if the next day turns out crappy

[[Co...]]

Man, I'm having great difficulty. I have to keep touching the walls and snapping the elastic band on my wrist because I feel like I'm losing touch with reality. The intrusive thoughts just won't let up and everything is just so dreamy lol. I feel like I don't exist. This is crazy.

[[Sa...]]

Man, I'm having great difficulty. I have to keep touching the walls and snapping the elastic band on my wrist because I feel like I'm losing touch with reality. The intrusive thoughts just won't let up and everything is just so dreamy lol. I feel like I don't exist. This is crazy.

 

I know, Cosmic, sometimes they just don't let up. Keep telling yourself you've been there and done that before, you know it's the drug. It's a very weird state sometimes, looking outside in or inside out. You're doing great it's a total mind game....

[[Ki...]]

H0pe - I'm so glad things are settling down a bit for you. That's great news. Please keep us posted on your progress....we are all in your corner 

 

Try -how is the crossover going? Is it getting any easier? I hope so, this is such a hard road and I hope you are getting some relief 

 

Omni - things still ok? 

 

Dready - you haven't checked in for awhile, are things going smoothly? 

 

Judy - how are you making out with your scale and cuts? I'm hoping you've got things down pat 

 

Warrior - we talk often, but wanted to let you know you're in my thoughts. 

 

Cosmic - My buddy....I know how hard it is, having just come out of an awful wave myself, I can say that the state you're in is temporary. I know you're scared. I know you feel helpless. Remind yourself that you can get through this. That you are stronger than Ativan. You know exactly what's causing the symptoms....so they don't need to scare you. This is part of healing. The only way out is through. Just hold your dose for a few days until you get some relief. PM me if you need too 

[[Co...]]

H0pe - I'm so glad things are settling down a bit for you. That's great news. Please keep us posted on your progress....we are all in your corner 

 

Try -how is the crossover going? Is it getting any easier? I hope so, this is such a hard road and I hope you are getting some relief 

 

Omni - things still ok? 

 

Dready - you haven't checked in for awhile, are things going smoothly? 

 

Judy - how are you making out with your scale and cuts? I'm hoping you've got things down pat 

 

Warrior - we talk often, but wanted to let you know you're in my thoughts. 

 

Cosmic - My buddy....I know how hard it is, having just come out of an awful wave myself, I can say that the state you're in is temporary. I know you're scared. I know you feel helpless. Remind yourself that you can get through this. That you are stronger than Ativan. You know exactly what's causing the symptoms....so they don't need to scare you. This is part of healing. The only way out is through. Just hold your dose for a few days until you get some relief. PM me if you need too 

 

Thanks kiddo. I'll be fine, I think. I refuse to believe my body is actually feeling 0.01 cuts. I'm still a little stunted with how this has hit me for so long out of the blue. Today was fine, i got a lot accomplished, and it hit me out of nowhere. Honestly I hate to say this but I think even moderate exercise is a catalyst to pretty harsh sxs.

 

I'm glad to hear you're out of that wave.