Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[La...]]

Hello lavender,

        Just wanted to know, what symptoms were you having that made the dr's diagnose you fibromyalgia in the first place?

Many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia are similar or identical to the withdrawl symptoms from the benzos. However, I was also having chronic muscle pain, exhaustion, severe stiffness in the morning, & the clincher - Dr's identified 16 of the 18 fibro "tender spot"s & jeez, those really hurt even when lightly pressed.

My benzo withdrawal symptoms decreased or disappeared as my taper progressed but the fibro symptoms have stayed with me at varying intensities.

 

@ Scaredstiff - Isn't it scary how such a low dose for a short time can issues? Read my Blog & my Progress log

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=54998.0

for my withdrawl details. Remember everyone is different though & I can't tolerate SSRI's either, but have a  friend that does fine with Zoloft. Good Luck with your withdrawl! 

 

@ Tina - Thanks! Hugs (gentle...lol) are always good. I'm hoping for the best

 

@ Aweigh -very personal decision on whether to cross over but I'm still glad I tapered off directly only because the Ativan itself was causing massive problems. If you can tolerate it it seems the slower tapers are better.

 

[[Ma...]]

Scared stiff:  10 years or so ago I was on 1 mg.  I got pregnant and the doctor told me to just quit.  I had been on the 1 mg for a year or more.

 

When I think back on it, I may have been having some with drawal symptoms.  I had terrible nausea, but I had had terrible nausea with my 2 former pregnancies.  I did lay on the couch for about three months because of the nausea.

 

I believed the doc who said i could just go off it.  I totally trusted him, did not know about withdrawal.  I functioned pretty well, had no extreme symtoms at all.  Since then I have learned that getting off the first time is many times easier than subsequent times.  But there are always people who have extreme sensitivity to it.  I wish I had never gone back on obviously.

 

I'm not saying you will have no withdrawal, but it is a possibility.

[[Ma...]]

Aweigh, I met a guy on here who was up to 8 mgs A.  He said back in 2005, he started cutting .5 a month.  He said he had withdrawal for 1 or 2 weeks a month doing that.  He was just doing it one his own.

 

He said he could not get below 2 mgs.  He said he resigned himself to that until he found out about ashton and the valium crossover.  He then switched to valium and took a year to get off the 20 mgs.  He is off for 4 or 5 months now and doing pretty well and working and functioning.  He sounds like a pretty energetic guy that never let this stop him doing anything he wanted to do like skiing.

 

It is SO dependent on a person's body chemistry, how they react, how they heal.  Everyone truly is different.  It even seems to depend on what your mind believes to a certain extent.

 

I'm having trouble with depression, espeically since being put on the ridiculously high dose.  I think I was having some trouble with it at 2.5, but then my doc may it worse by upping the dose to extreme levels.  Ugh!

 

However I do think valium does cause worse depression for some reason as a lot of people mention that.

[[aw...]]

M33:

Yeah, there are a lot of variables. I shy away from schedules that are not % based, that are the same amount each cut. Your % rdxn goes up at each cut--sounds like a recipe for trouble. That's interesting about your friend hitting a wall at 2 mg of A and using V to get over that wall. Do you think 1 mg A = 10 mg V? For me, it's more like 1:7 or so. I take 6 mg A/day and I think 60 mg V would put me right on the floor.

Just got tix for Dylan and Mark Knopfler. Yahoo! 

 

Aweigh

[[Ma...]]

I'm not a medical expert but I would think 1 mg A does = 10 V.  I would err on the side of caution because I was taken down in dose during a crossover and it did put me into a withdrawal state.  However, I am glad I wasn't switched to 12 mg A.  Yes I did suffer for a while but not horrendously.

 

Mark Knopler yay

[[aw...]]

I'm not a medical expert but I would think 1 mg A does = 10 V.  I would err on the side of caution because I was taken down in dose during a crossover and it did put me into a withdrawal state.  However, I am glad I wasn't switched to 12 mg A.  Yes I did suffer for a while but not horrendously.

 

Mark Knopler yay

 

By erring on the side of caution, do you mean on the side of a higher dose to avoid the possibility of under-dosing the transition, thus bringing on w/d? Wait, that's mostly what you said in your post.  Man, I can see why everyone wants to be benzo-free yesterday! And that's a trap. We took a long time to get here...

 

Aweigh

[[aw...]]

Hi, buds:

 

Well, this morning answered my question as to whether just changing the dose schedule with no actual dose amount change could cause w/d. For me, the answer is oh, yes indeed. Bad sleep the last 2 nights, then this morning I woke up in depression. It's always worse in the morning, so somewhat better now but still...I feel like my icon looks. 200 years ago this would have been dx as 'loss of faith' and handled as a spiritual crisis. The really dangerous part of depression is the hopelessness, the way that you somehow 'just know' it's not going to get better, it's gonna get worse.

 

I figure what's going on is that my body notices the 17% rdxn in my serum level at 5:00 AM and doesn't like it. Body is like a little kid, it doesn't know about 'later you'll get the missing amount'. That's like a mother saying "I'm too busy right now, I'll love you later".

 

So, what do y'all think of this and what would you do about it? I knew you were gonna say that! 

 

Aweigh

[[co...]]

I switched from 3 doses of Ativan 1.25 a day to 4 doses and I did feel a difference. Some days it was much better as there is less of a gap between the evening 6 or 7pm dose and the morning, however I do feel it is up and down and it is takingy body longer to stabilize on this last cut then the previous one as it is still adjusting to the 4 doses in addition to the cut. My impression was on this board that 4 doses is the right number to minimize inter dose withdrawl. Never the less it is an adjustment and every change I have made has affected me both in amount of doses and cuts. I am glad I switched to 4 doses as I think it is better especially as one goes down. So

I think you are on the right track to spread your doses.

 

 

[[Ma...]]

Aweigh, when do you take the 5 mgs, before bed?

 

Just wonder how you wound up taking it all at once, as its usually prescribed as "take one tab 3x a day" or something like that.

[[co...]]

I have question regarding an ongoing symptom. I seem to be waking up every morning with muscle spasams in my right hip, glutes and stiffness in my right leg. This is my weakest part oft body due to a former car accident in 1972, however it has never been this way consistently. No matter how much I stretch or do bodywork and it improves, it seems like every morning I wake up and it is tight all over again. It seems to get worse in my sleep as the last dose wears off.

 

I have been assuming this is benzo withdrawal. Does anyone else have morning stiffness and tightness in certain areas? Because of my structural challenges, that area has become chronically tight. Any recommendations?

 

Also, on this last cut, I felt better on my 8th day, but today on my 11th day I feel much worse, very anxious, chilled and tired with increased gi symptoms. I may be fighting a cold. If so, do withdrawal symptoms get worse when sick? Perhaps this last cut and changing to 4 doses from 3 is just taking longer to stabilize. My next cut on Wed will be 6% for 2 weeks so I am hoping to have less symptoms.

 

Any feedback on the muscle and withdrawal symptoms would be appreciated.

[[Mu...]]

Aweigh,

 

  You may be sensitive to a change of dosing schedule so small cuts and less time between doses will probably help. Probably wouldn't hurt to stay at a certain dose for a couple weeks but that all depends on how you feel. I've heard some people say its a little more difficult when getting in the smaller doses and others say its not. Try to stay positive my friend even though it can be hard at times, we'll all make it through this.

[[aw...]]

Mairin33: I was taking 6 mg at bedtime, as prescribed for insomnia. Yes, most Ativan Rxx are dosed at 3 X day, for anxiety. My doc was ignorant. I'm now at 5 mg hs (doctor speak for bedtime) and 1 mg split during the day. This change does produced some w/d, so I'll hold for a week or more then move another 0.5 mg 'out of the darkness'. When I've been stable at 2 mg 3 X day for 2 weeks, I'll start the actual reduction. Maybe some Valium, maybe not.

 

Concerned: 4 doses/day = better results suggests MT, no? On the muscle spasms, do you have a really good bed? Do you sleep on your right side? My tightness and stiffness comes from arthritis, but I think benzo w/d can make it worse as benzos are muscle relaxants, especially Valium. If the pain has a locus (small, well defined area that is very sensitive to pressure), you might ask your doc about bursitis. If it is due to last dose wearing off, get up at 4:00 and take a dose. If that solves your problem, question answered. Maybe your next cut is on Wed. only if you want it to be. I would not cut if I were feeling sick.

 

MM: Thanks. In general, I think smaller cuts and more time holding is my path. Sounds like MT, hunh?

 

Aweigh 

[[Mu...]]

Yes micro taper all the way  but seriously I think maybe cutting small doses and holding for a few days will help tremendously, I can't really say for 100% certainty but the sunburn feeling I've had seems to have gone away for the most part so, oh and I completely forgot to take my night dose last night but I didn't have any problems from not taking it so another cut will be coming up soon for me

[[aw...]]

Yes micro taper all the way  but seriously I think maybe cutting small doses and holding for a few days will help tremendously, I can't really say for 100% certainty but the sunburn feeling I've had seems to have gone away for the most part so, oh and I completely forgot to take my night dose last night but I didn't have any problems from not taking it so another cut will be coming up soon for me

If I had w/d sx that went away when I took a single dose of 25% more than usual, I'd wonder if I were under medicated. Also, problems from missing a dose might not appear right away. Then again, they might not appear at all! Never a dull moment in benzo-bozo land.

 

Aweigh

[[Kl...]]

I have question regarding an ongoing symptom. I seem to be waking up every morning with muscle spasams in my right hip, glutes and stiffness in my right leg. This is my weakest part oft body due to a former car accident in 1972, however it has never been this way consistently. No matter how much I stretch or do bodywork and it improves, it seems like every morning I wake up and it is tight all over again. It seems to get worse in my sleep as the last dose wears off.

 

I have been assuming this is benzo withdrawal. Does anyone else have morning stiffness and tightness in certain areas? Because of my structural challenges, that area has become chronically tight. Any recommendations?

 

Also, on this last cut, I felt better on my 8th day, but today on my 11th day I feel much worse, very anxious, chilled and tired with increased gi symptoms. I may be fighting a cold. If so, do withdrawal symptoms get worse when sick? Perhaps this last cut and changing to 4 doses from 3 is just taking longer to stabilize. My next cut on Wed will be 6% for 2 weeks so I am hoping to have less symptoms.

 

Any feedback on the muscle and withdrawal symptoms would be appreciated.

 

HI Concerned. One very common w/d is muscle cramping....I had it in my left foot. A number of folks on BB have found magnesium to help reduce it...I took 400 mg tablets and it worked. Some like to use Epsom Salts bath (and add lavendar) and absorb  it through the skin. Watch out for Magnesium in Oil capsule form....it is a laxative. Any way...I found that if I took magnesium at least every other day I did not get bad cramps. I hope this helps. God bless.

[[co...]]

Thank you for all the replies to my questions.

 

Regarding Magnesium, which kind do you take? I take 400mg tablets of magnesium citrate and it also seems to help keep my bowls moving, more then they used to and at times perhaps too much.

 

In my case, that area is prone to contract during stress as it is already my weakest area. I  a side sleeper and i have my bed tilted by 3 inches to prevent acid reflux so perhaps all of these things in addition to benzo withdrawal contribute to morning stiffness and tightening of those back muscles....

It may also be magnified by Gi stress at night.

 

I was advised repeatedly to take 4 doses rather then 3 doses whenever i had interpose withdrawal. I think it is better for me on 4 doses as I can spread them out more evenly through the day and night. My last dose is somewhere between 11 and midnight.

 

 

[[aw...]]

concerned:

All inorganic Mg compounds (Mg sufate, citrate, etc.) are laxitives and shouldn't be taken every day. For occasional use, they do whatever they'll do quickly. I think there are organically bound (not the same as 'organic', man) Mg supplements that don't pull water into your colon like Epsom Salts and Mg citrate do. Mg is not absorbed through the skin.

I don't really 'believe in' Mg as an aid for muscle pain, but it is involved in muscle energy metabolism and several people on this board say it works for them, so...no idea about dose, you could start with twice the RDA.

If you dose > 2X day, it's a good idea to have your doses ready in a pill holder. Studies have shown that pt. complience goes way down after 2 X day dosing. I could never keep my meds straight without two of them, one for AM one for PM. And I still miss doses.

 

Aweigh

[[co...]]

Thanks, I will look into a different kind of magnesium. Actually I have been taking the full dose of 2 pills of magnesium at night before bed. I will try not to take it and see if that helps.

[[co...]]

I also wanted to know at what number is it suggested to jump off from. Is 0.15 la day low enough or do people wait and go lower before they stop completely? In September i will be at about 1mg and after that i plan to continue cutting at 6-7% every 10 days, give or take. By the end of this year, unless i slow down further i should be at approximately at 0.15. Can i jump then or is it advised to go down even further? 

[[Ho...]]

Concerned (and all my BBs), I am jumping today!!!

 

This last weeks have been rough with lots of s/x, but I have got to get this poison out of my system....and the only way my body is going to be on a consistent regime of "stuff" is to get this 6 hr 1/2 life poison out.....so I'm going for it.   

 

I'm very worried that I won't feel better, but I'm doing my best to keep myself distracted each day with movies, the kids, and doing what I can around the house.  Please pray that with no more Ativan, my health will return....I'm hoping and praying I'm just in for a few weeks of feeling punky, and then I'll turn the corner.  I'd like to hope it's sooner!!!

 

Cheers!!!

[[co...]]

I see you are jumping at 0.1. Best of luck to you! Keep us posted on your progress as it will be good feedback to hear how that goes. Wishing you well, Concerned

[[be...]]

Awesome Hoosier! Good luck. I'm sure I will be manageable. Please keep us posted. I've still got a couple months. I'm coming down slow from .29mg at present. But I'm doing pretty well.

 

 

BDL

[[co...]]

BDL,

How is the liquid ativan taper going at 3% every 3 days? Do you feel it? Are you dong  a 1% cut daily or 3% at a time and holding for 3 days? How does this compare with what you were doing before?

 

i am going to begin a new cut on Wed at 6% for 2 weeks at a time to see how i do on lower cuts and then i will try 7% fro 2 weeks. In September when i hit 1.02 mg, i will try 6 or 7% every 10 days in equally compounded 4 X a day capsules. Do you think that amount is slow enough and will be manageable? i know it will take me another 6 months from that point on however i would prefer to be as symptom free as possible as i am working full time during this process.

 

I am still experimenting with the right approach for me and i may switch to liquid as i get lower. i considered crossing over to Valium however i think that will make me way to sleepy so i am sticking with ativan.

[[Ma...]]

KD, thanks for the advice on the Magnesium helping muscle cramps.  I was taking the Mag. Citrate and it needs to be taken in small doses because yes it is a laxative.  I was reading that your body will use what it needs and if there is excess it will act as a laxative.

But I didn't know it could help muscle cramps glad to know that.

 

I've always been an epsom salt bath fan and I will try that with lavendar, sounds soothing.

 

Aweigh:  2 x a day or no compliance   I don't think that applies to w/ding from benzos.

[[La...]]

Concerned (and all my BBs), I am jumping today!!!

 

This last weeks have been rough with lots of s/x, but I have got to get this poison out of my system....and the only way my body is going to be on a consistent regime of "stuff" is to get this 6 hr 1/2 life poison out.....so I'm going for it.   

 

I'm very worried that I won't feel better, but I'm doing my best to keep myself distracted each day with movies, the kids, and doing what I can around the house.  Please pray that with no more Ativan, my health will return....I'm hoping and praying I'm just in for a few weeks of feeling punky, and then I'll turn the corner.  I'd like to hope it's sooner!!!

 

Cheers!!!

 

Good Luck Hoosierfans!