Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[Ki...]]

So Im down to .4375 mg of Ativan dry cutting. I have been at this dose for 3 and a half weeks. My symptoms seem to be getting worse. I had to call in sick yesterday, today and I took tomorrow off too. I dont know what's wrong. I have usually bounced back by now. Today the ax are AWFUL. Burning, tingling, overall body aches, weakness, heavy feeling, racing heart, can't get comfortable, extremely depressed and anxious. Should I keep holding? Cut? I can't stand this.

[[aw...]]

KI:

I think your severe sx may be due to the effects of the failed crossover to V and made worse by your unequal daily dosing. I would equalize the doses at 0.15 mg 3X/day, 8 hours apart. This is a small updose [less than 5%], which would probably be better than a cut at this point. Like Cosmicminds, your dose is really too small to measure accurately with a Gemini; I'd consider going to liquid. Best would be an Rx from your doc. I make my own 'cause my doc won't write for liquid.

 

Aweigh

[[Ki...]]

Kick - it could just be a wave, they can happen regardless of holding. That happened to me in March and I held for a month with no relief and then decided to go a head and cut and the relief I had from cutting was instantaneous. Saga had the same experience so hopefully she'll chime in too. I'm sorry you are suffering. After a three week hold I doubt you'll see any drastic improvement. Please let us know what you decide and how you're faring. Take care

[[Sa...]]

So Im down to .4375 mg of Ativan dry cutting. I have been at this dose for 3 and a half weeks. My symptoms seem to be getting worse. I had to call in sick yesterday, today and I took tomorrow off too. I dont know what's wrong. I have usually bounced back by now. Today the ax are AWFUL. Burning, tingling, overall body aches, weakness, heavy feeling, racing heart, can't get comfortable, extremely depressed and anxious. Should I keep holding? Cut? I can't stand this.

KickinIt , I'm sorry you're going through such a rough patch. Kiddo knows me too well! Cutting is EXACTLY what I'd do... It seems kinda crazy, but I always felt an uptick in sxs again, and that's when I cut.

 

This could simply be a random wave, and i had lots of them. If you're not comfortable cutting I'd hold a little longer but I don't believe in updosing. I did it and felt it confused my brain even more.

 

This is only my opinion and what I experienced myself. I held for 3 weeks in the middle of my taper , nothing seemed to work. The only relief I had was cutting. After I experienced that relief from cutting, I found whenever the bulk of the cut passed, say day 4 , I often experienced a slight uptick day 6 or 7. That's when I cut again....

 

Hope you get some relief soon

 

Saga

 

 

[[wa...]]

7-28    I cut 1/16 mg off morning  dose , felt pretty good . 8-3  Cut 1/16 off bedtime started feeling small w/d or flair on day 4,it has just got worse, always very bad in the early morning .This has been my worse early morning for a while, benzo flu, ears ringing, depression, fearful, anxiety. I hate waking up at 3-4 am how do other people handle this ? I could use some feed back on that. I just am freaking out. The fear and thoughts keep coming. Do I get out of bed? I was hoping by cutting such a low dose, I would do better. Guess we never know. It is hard when you have windows, then you get hit with a benzo bomb ! It sure messes with your mind. I know you have all been there.

Anyone who can help ,I would so appreciate it ! Thank you !

Sending lots of peace and hope and strength your way to all of you.

Warrior

 

[[Sa...]]

7-28    I cut 1/16 mg off morning  dose , felt pretty good . 8-3  Cut 1/16 off bedtime started feeling small w/d or flair on day 4,it has just got worse, always very bad in the early morning .This has been my worse early morning for a while, benzo flu, ears ringing, depression, fearful, anxiety. I hate waking up at 3-4 am how do other people handle this ? I could use some feed back on that. I just am freaking out. The fear and thoughts keep coming. Do I get out of bed? I was hoping by cutting such a low dose, I would do better. Guess we never know. It is hard when you have windows, then you get hit with a benzo bomb ! It sure messes with your mind. I know you have all been there.

Anyone who can help ,I would so appreciate it ! Thank you !

Sending lots of peace and hope and strength your way to all of you.

Warrior

 

 

Oh Warrior, I'm so sorry...it sounds like a wave...it's awful when we get hit with everything all at once...I honestly don't believe you've done anything wrong as far as cutting. I know they happen sometimes without rhyme or reason.

 

The early morning wake up I'd say sounds like a cortisol surge. I went through a period of time when this happened to me, I was unable to get back to sleep...it makes for a very long day...I just got up because it was an anxiety filled time. Sleep felt impossible. Eventually those would end for me, then periodically happen randomly...the best advice I have is simply to ride this out, try not to get upset when you go to sleep worrying if it will happen again. I know it was difficult for me to relax about my sleep when these happened. It actually made it worse, the worry.

 

The anxiety and fearfulness is classic though, a chemical kind of anxiety unlike any anxiety I've ever experienced. I still have this, it's something I believe I just need to cope with, and hopefully with time it will lessen. Everything you're experiencing is normal, I hope it calms down for you soon..

 

Saga

[[wa...]]

Thank you Saga for all the warm fuzzies ! It sure makes me feel so much better !  I don't know what a cortisol surge is ? Can I do anything to prevent it ? Is it about food we eat ? Could it be caused from prednisone I take?  I hate the thought of winter coming on its so dark in the morning. Ok stop it

[[wa...]]

wow hear I sent that and was not ready. Sorry Saga . I must tell myself to stop all these thoughts  ASAP ! What is the difference between a wave and D/W ?  What is sxs ? I hope that is what I read before. 

Fear is a waste of precious time !

Blessings coming your way to you Saga !

 

[[Sa...]]

Thank you Saga for all the warm fuzzies ! It sure makes me feel so much better !  I don't know what a cortisol surge is ? Can I do anything to prevent it ? Is it about food we eat ? Could it be caused from prednisone I take?  I hate the thought of winter coming on its so dark in the morning. Ok stop it

 

Warrior no worries! this is really hard! Sometimes you just need someone to tall you it's going to be alright...see, the cortisol surges the way I understand it are natural. I believe I have them at 4 o clock every day, but more often I hear about them in the early mornings.. I don't know if there is anything that can be done.

 

I don't believe the prednisone is helping with the anxiety, I know when I've needed to use it previously I was wired to the max..but obviously it's something you need to take for the liver I'm guessing, from looking at your sig.

 

All I would say is to try not to worry about waking every morning early. Anxiety does seems to fuel itself sometimes. The more we worry the worse it becomes...an endless loop...

 

Saga

 

Just saw your post...sxs means symptoms, a wave means to me a lot of sxs both mental and physical that worsen beyond your normal withdrawal. Not sure what D/W means...

[[wa...]]

Oh Saga it was suppose to be W/D = withdrawal  that a benzo brain today LOL !

Cortisol ,

[[wa...]]

Saga,  I better get off the computer.  Cortisol I think can be checked by a blood test. So I put a call into my doctor to see if I should have one . You are right,  last night I told my husband that I dread going to sleep for fear I will wake up early.

Stay Strong !

Have a great afternoon !

[[Om...]]

Thank you Saga for all the warm fuzzies ! It sure makes me feel so much better !  I don't know what a cortisol surge is ? Can I do anything to prevent it ? Is it about food we eat ? Could it be caused from prednisone I take?  I hate the thought of winter coming on its so dark in the morning. Ok stop it

 

Ive heard high doses of vitamin C will eliminate some cortisol

[[aw...]]

Cosmicminds and the entire thread:

 

I've just posted a simplified method of liquid titration. It's set up for a small (~ 0.005 mg) daily cut, but that configuration could easily be changed. You might want to have a look at it. Here's the link: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=113953.new#new

 

It's also linked at the end of my signature.

 

Wide windows and weak waves,

 

Aweigh

 

 

[[wa...]]

    Omnifarious  I appreciate your thought on vitamin C . I will check it out.

 

    Aweigh        I'm not on liquid yet. But I'm sure I will need to be later.  What a great job you did for all of us ! Thank you.

           

  This is an awesome site.  Everyone cares so much about everyone else , your  so willing to step up to plate to help . What a terrific bunch of people .

[[ju...]]

Hi Everyone. Just checking in. Wishing everyone well with their progress. Have a question if someone can assist ( I left a message for helpdesk but no one replied yet) I Went into my profile to try to update my signiture line with 2nd cut I've made in my taper , but it says there is a maximum of 750 characters , so I can't seem to add anything else. Any suggestions on how to expand this ? Thanks!

[[Al...]]

Hi Everyone. Just checking in. Wishing everyone well with their progress. Have a question if someone can assist ( I left a message for helpdesk but no one replied yet) I Went into my profile to try to update my signiture line with 2nd cut I've made in my taper , but it says there is a maximum of 750 characters , so I can't seem to add anything else. Any suggestions on how to expand this ? Thanks!

Judy66,

 

This happened to me as well. I just went in and took out all the side talk. Left only the notes on reductions.

There may be another way but that's what I did ant way.

 

Peace & Healing

 

 

ATU

[[Sh...]]

Hey All!

 

Had a few semi-good days....then this AM on walk i was taking to a neighbor and got hit with a surge and then an instant paranoia. I wanted to run away but held tight. Had some anxiety this morning on waking and wondered if it may have bee due to some Dark chocolate i had last night.

Then this afternoon i ate some dried mangos and dried pineapples that had some sugar on them. I was a bit tired and fell immediately to sleep only to be awakened 30 minutes later in acute w/d thinking i was dying. Ears ringing like crazy and full visual effects...and terror.

Took some rescue remedy drops and some calming cream and got a tiny bit of relief. Now starting the instant sweats.

 

Could sugar cause a wave or w/d's ?  Anyone else had sugar cause symptoms?

 

As i look back i am realizing...and my wife confirms that i have reacted a lot to sugar in regard to w/d sxs.

 

When i do check my blood sugar levels they are fine.

 

ideas?

 

Thanks

[[Ki...]]

Judy - I think 750 is the cap. I just had to adjust my signature and take things out. Just kept it neat and simple 

[[Ki...]]

Hi Mark - I've gone completely sugar free except for sugar found naturally in fruit. I am triggered by sugar for sure. My suggestion would be to cut it out for a week and see if you notice any improvements. I also have to steer clear of foods containing glutumate/glutamic acid as it revs me up as well. Benzo withdrawal is so boring. Hope you find relief quickly....let us know how your doing.

 

Take care 

[[Sh...]]

Hey Kiddo!

 

Thanks for the quick reply.  Yes i even get it from eating fruit like apples but when i get straight sugar it seems to be a tidal wave.  Looks like sugar free it is.

 

Funny i was noticing this last fall when i was first on these and only taking 20 or less a month. Before i knew i was dependent.

Maybe i have been dependent and having side effects long before i knew i had a problem with LZP

 

Nuts also seem to really throw me into visual disturbances like sugar

 

Too bad there isnt enough awareness into these issues that studies could be done to know what foods could trigger a wave or sxs.

 

And there is no doubt in my mind that potatoes can settle me down from w/d sxs

[[Sh...]]

ok looking at the glutamates especially MSG  a lot of them have bothered me for years before Benzos so it would make sense that it is worse on the LZP w/d

 

Curious if there is a thread anyone knows of that deals with Foods and supplements to watch for?

 

Thanks!

[[Sa...]]

Hey Kiddo!

 

Thanks for the quick reply.  Yes i even get it from eating fruit like apples but when i get straight sugar it seems to be a tidal wave.  Looks like sugar free it is.

 

Funny i was noticing this last fall when i was first on these and only taking 20 or less a month. Before i knew i was dependent.

Maybe i have been dependent and having side effects long before i knew i had a problem with LZP

 

Nuts also seem to really throw me into visual disturbances like sugar

 

Too bad there isnt enough awareness into these issues that studies could be done to know what foods could trigger a wave or sxs.

 

And there is no doubt in my mind that potatoes can settle me down from w/d sxs

 

The more I learned Mark, the more I realized just how much withdrawal I was experiencing all these years. it's interesting to connect the dots. I'm still realizing things after 8 months.

 

I don't eat any sugar either..no processed foods at all, I do however eat a lot of potatoes...I honestly haven't paid much mind to the glutamate connection since my diet is limited already. I have no doubt there is a connection however...I've just never had a violent reaction myself, nothing like you're describing.

 

By all means pay attention to whatever foods trigger this kind of response...just saw your new post...probably on the alternative medicine and supplement section there would be more info...

[[Sh...]]

Thanks Saga!

 

I have looked at that page i dont know how many times and never saw anything Consciously there...lol

 

now i have a new distraction for a while :-)

 

I agree about looking back. Maybe my Dr. was right that a lot of the symptoms i described as the BP meds was LZP.

I do  know that the BP meds made me so tired and zombie-ish and since getting off of them i do think better.

 

Also i attributed a lot to the Hashimotos that i am now wondering if it was LZP as it is now much more clear to me what LZP is causing than before i got off the BP meds. So complicated.

The only way i will really know the Hashimotos symptoms is to get off LZP i guess

 

Cheers and hope you are doing well!

[[Ki...]]

Hey Mark - I live on potatoes and nuts are terrible for me too. Nuts are actually very high in glutamate /glutamic acid. Basically I don't eat anything out of a can, package or box. I can occasionally tolerate rice and quinoa. Oats are terrible for me too. The excess glutumate for me is the real culprit. I don't need anymore of that....I get enough in w/d. LOL

 

There is a great website: whfoods.org

You can type in a food and it will give you the glutamic acid content. I try to eat less than 100g a day.

 

Hope that helps 

 

Let us know how cutting out sugar goes. I bet you'll notice a big difference.

[[Sh...]]

Hey Kiddo Thanks for the info!

 

I agree with you. I have been trying some steel cut irish oats but found they would effect me but not too much...but as you say i am not keen on adding anything to the glutamate fire!

 

Rice and quinoa also dont bother me at all

 

This really is interesting how we can have similar symptoms and triggers and then nothing close.

 

I am reading an interesting thread on Niacinimide/Niacin. Just read a research paper on a med student who got off Klonipin fast with no withdrawals using high doses of Niaminicide