Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

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Luey, I saw on your signature that you were able to CT twice, but then experienced dependency after 6mg for a few months.  If you don't mind my asking, what caused the 6mg per day?  Did a doc put you back on it?  You're currently tapering from the 6mg starting point?

Hi Osprey,

 

Each time I was prescribed Ativan, it was for unbearable anxiety symptoms related to a severe episode of treatment-resistant, major depression disorder(a real biochemical illness, not a psychological or situational problem).  Originally 0.5mgs gave me significant short term relief while we sought other treatment. When the episode subsided I was able to just stop taking Ativan. My psych. nurse practitioner at the time was very conservative in prescribing and fully communicated the dangers of dependency and long-term use of benzodiazepines. 

 

Then I moved back to my home state. In two years I've experienced two depression episodes and needed the support of a new psych. nurse practitioner. Unfortunately the new psych. nurse practitioner does not believe benzos can be a problem despite clearly expressing my concerns.  (Also there are very limited choices of psych. providers here or I would switch to someone else).  Last year, while in the middle of another severe episode, she freely prescribed 6mg. a day while we tried to figure out a different treatment.  I took them for needed short-term relief for five months, knowing I might have to face the consequences later.

 

It seems I had developed a tolerance to lower amounts and needed higher amounts to get relief.  It is possible Ativan saved my life, so I try not to blame her 100%.  I started taking Lamictal and as soon as I started to feel better I started tapering the Ativan. Unfortunately I soon discovered I had developed a dependency this time because of undeniable and difficult withdrawal symptoms. In 10 months I have tapered from 6mgs. to 1.90mgs.  It has been quite the journey so far, but I am relieved to say in the last two months I have been feeling significantly better.  I attribute this to slowing down, micro-tapering and doing everything else I can to support my overall health. 

 

After experiencing worsening and reoccurring depression episodes, I face the possibility of needing treatment for depression (and the anxiety that comes with it) for the rest of my life.  But I am determined to get off the Ativan and find other treatments besides benzos if at all possible.

 

Your early awareness of the dangers of benzos and your determination to get off as safely and quickly as possible gives me hope. I hope the truth about benzos is spreading! It seems you are doing well by paying attention to your body and it sounds like you will find a good path to successfully taper the last 1/4mg. 

 

Best wishes and keep us posted.

 

Luey 

 

 

[[Os...]]

I really appreciate that background and the words of encouragement.  I’ve had a few episodes of severe anxiety / insomnia and each time a different doc prescribed Ativan and SSRIs.  Each time the situation passed (through actual resolution of the stressful situation) I would quickly taper from the meds.

 

This time, I was surprised that the new doc recommended I take Ativan for the foreseeable future. I started feeling worse after the first few weeks on Ativan, and I had a suspicion that the meds were changing me for the worse.  When I researched this med, I made the decision that the long term risk isn’t worth it.

 

It has been so helpful to read the Progress Blogs and Success Stories.  I learned through BB the importance of getting back to exercise.  When I first tried to CT Ativan, my heart started racing a few days into it, so I was scared to exercise.  But I’m still once I felt better, and learned that heart sensations were common during withdrawal, I started walking long distances, and resumed running too.

 

I’m really proud to say that today I ran a few miles and did weights at the gym.  Sweating, and drinking water makes me feel like I’m healing and working the Ativan out of my system.

 

I know tapering is hard, and cuts sometimes don’t feel good a few days after, but I keep feeling more like myself as my dosage decreases.  I do feel much better emotionally at this level than when I was at 1mg per day.

 

 

 

[[Ph...]]

Hi everyone!

 

I was originally prescribed Ativan in August at up to 1mg 2 times a day and had no idea what kind of beast it was. I found out later and immediately started to cut it down. I got it down to 0.175mg 3 times a day in September. However my psychiatrist prescribed me gabapentin to “help” stop Ativan at 300-1200mg a day as needed. I didn’t know what as needed meant so I sorta just took it whenever throughout the day. Before I knew it, I was at over 1000mg a day and having severe anxiety and other gabapentin related issues because I was just taking 100mg tabs whenever throughout the day. What does this have to do with my Ativan? Well, they stabilized my gabapentin at 200mg 4 times a day. But to curb the anxiety, my Ativan went up to 0.25mg 3 times a day. I was fairly stable for a couple weeks, but now I’ve began noticing that the Ativan isn’t working as well and anxiety and sickness creeping in before my next dosage. I’ve also began having insomnia and I wake up an hour or more before my morning Ativan dose.

 

So now I’m not sure what to do... obviously I want to get off of Ativan now that it’s not working as well. But I have so many questions...

 

Should I cross over to Valium so I can feel less anxious between dosages? Or should I start a direct taper? Should I ask my psychiatrist if I can take Ativan 4 times a day? If I do 4 times a day, should I do 0.25mg each dose or should I split 0.75mg into 4?

 

I also wonder why people prefer liquid taper over dry taper? If I do a dry taper, will a cheaper .001 scale work off of amazon? Or should I get a balanced lab scale?

 

Im really glad I found this forum. In the day before my account was approved, I learned so much going through everyone’s posts. I hope I can learn more and find my way out of this mess. I honestly feel really stupid ever accepting these CNS drugs.

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Hi, Phoenix, I can't answer all your questions, but I can tell you I took Ativan 3 times a day and did not have interdose withdrawals, and I tapered off it. I did cross over to Valium at one point, but what I didn't like about Valium is that when you tapered too fast it took too long to realize it and correct. But lots of people cross over and it works better for them. No need to feel stupid here; we're all in the same boat. As far as dry vs. wet, I guess just do whichever one makes the most sense for you and that your brain can compute.  Either one will get you there.  We're here if you need us.

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AF1, thank you so much for your reply! I will try to be active here when I begin my taper and I’m glad to not be alone.

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It’s good to be here and read the latest from everyone. I’m having a hard time already. I had a panic attack at work yesterday and used a .25 rescue dose mid-day. So now I’m back on my full dose and planning to restart the taper on Tuesday after this stretch of work.  :'(

 

Is there a place to post/talk about how crazy I feel on this drug? I know that this is the tapering thread and don’t want to bog down with non-tapering drug-related issues. Thanks

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PhoenixUp,

I hope you’re doing well today.  I noticed your question about a scale.  I ordered a digital scale on Amazon, and it wasn’t accurate enough.  So I’d recommend getting a good scale, or learning the 100ml liquid taper method.  Ativan pills are so small that it is different to cut them below 0.25mg.

 

My symptoms have been tolerable, other than two days when I first tapered that felt terribly anxious.  I’m down to .0125mg Ativan 2X per day.  Next step will be 0.125mg 1X per day, then jump.  I thought about CT to Valium, but my doc doesn’t believe that Benzo withdrawal after a few months of 1mg is a thing, so he won’t help.  He’ll prescribe more Ativan, but that’s not what I want, I want to quit taking something like this.

 

Main sys right now is ears ringing, I notice it when it is quiet.

[[Ph...]]

Osprey777, thank you for your reply. That’s very valuable information and I’ll take it into consideration!

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It’s good to be here and read the latest from everyone. I’m having a hard time already. I had a panic attack at work yesterday and used a .25 rescue dose mid-day. So now I’m back on my full dose and planning to restart the taper on Tuesday after this stretch of work.  :'(

 

Is there a place to post/talk about how crazy I feel on this drug? I know that this is the tapering thread and don’t want to bog down with non-tapering drug-related issues. Thanks

Hi Heartsonfire, 

 

So sorry to hear about your panic attack at work.  I've experienced a couple of panic attacks in the past and it was one of the scariest things I've ever gone through. My heart goes out to you. Do you have a supportive friend or family member to help you on the phone or in person? When it happened to me, and throughout this journey, support from a couple of friends has been life saving. I even had a friend sing to me on the phone like a mother would do to comfort a child.

 

Of course you can talk about your difficult experiences here.  I think most of us have used the word crazy to describe our experience. We are here to support each other through all of this. (If you ever want to connect with a larger group, the "withdrawal support" section is a possibility too.  Sometimes I've tried using the Search function to look for specific topics). I consider this my home base because I like the small group of people here. We help each other will all parts of this challenge, not just the taper logistics. Reading too many horror stories on the main forum can make me feel worse.

 

I am absolutely positive other's have taken a rescue dose.  I did it a couple of times in the early part of my taper when things were rough.  I think the important thing is to stabilize and hold like you are planning at least while you get through the next couple of days of work.  Stress, even good stress really exasperates my symptoms.  Then go very slooooooowly.

 

Panic is so hard on the body, I hope you are able to find time to rest.  Sending you a big hug, please keep us posted, I'll be looking for your updates.

 

Luey

 

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obviously I want to get off of Ativan now that it’s not working as well. But I have so many questions...

 

Should I cross over to Valium so I can feel less anxious between dosages? Or should I start a direct taper? Should I ask my psychiatrist if I can take Ativan 4 times a day? If I do 4 times a day, should I do 0.25mg each dose or should I split 0.75mg into 4?

 

I also wonder why people prefer liquid taper over dry taper? If I do a dry taper, will a cheaper .001 scale work off of amazon? Or should I get a balanced lab scale?

 

Im really glad I found this forum. In the day before my account was approved, I learned so much going through everyone’s posts. I hope I can learn more and find my way out of this mess. I honestly feel really stupid ever accepting these CNS drugs.

 

Welcome Phoenix,

 

Please don't feel stupid, all of us here are in the same boat. It's normal to have many questions getting started. It takes some time and experimentation to figure out your own best path.  I think the most important thing is to take it as slowly as you need to.

 

I'm tapering directly from Ativan and don't have personal experience trying to switch to Valium but a couple of others can tell you their experience.

 

I divide my doses 4 x daily (scheduled for every six hours), but I take more at night and don't wake myself up to take a dose. Often my morning doses are very close together.  I was originally dosing 3 x daily and moved my doses around to 4 x daily to prevent interdose withdrawals.  I very slowly moved my doses around by tiny amounts rather than shocking my system with an abrupt change.  Then I waited to make sure my body had adjusted.  I didn't increase my dose when I switched to 4x daily. 

 

I decided on daily liquid micro tapering (DLMT) because it seemed like the easiest way to make small accurate adjustments.  (I'm not sure what Osprey was referencing when she mentioned 100ml liquid) Let me know if you want to know formula I'm using. There are three of us on this thread using the same liquid solution. A couple people here are doing dry cutting/scale weighing.  Let us know if you want more info. about either of these. 

 

I don't ask/tell my psych provider my taper details because she thinks there's no problem with taking benzos or getting off them.  Is your doc. supportive and knowledgable about benzo dependency and safe withdrawal methods?

 

Best wishes and keep us posted,

 

Luey

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Luey

Really could use some advice . I am not good at the math part of all of this my daily drops are very tiny . I take 7 ml on my 10 ml dropper and 2.5 on my 1 ml dropper 3 x a day . When I do a drop it is always on my 1 ml dropper I have one that has 100 graduate marks on it . I usually only drop by 2 of those tiny lines per day just over one dose then the next day 2 tiny lines over next dose  and so on ... some days when I feel symptoms creep in I hold for a few days . This seems long and very tiresome . There seems to be no reason for symptoms sometimes they just come . Do you think I should just speed things up and see what happens ? So confused as to what to do . I hate this process , sorry for the negative today .

Hi to all the new people , thank you all for being here .

Lisa

 

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Hi Lisa, 

 

I can totally understand how frustrated you feel!  I am so sorry you are having a hard time.  You have been so patient and taking it very slowly.  I just looked on your signature to see the amount you tapered in the last month and it looks like you have lowered your amount by just under 3.5 percent in October.  That's a very conservative rate. I can understand why you are contemplating speeding up so it won't take forever.  You are at such a low dose, .21mg. 

 

I so very much wish I knew the right answer. Is insomnia still your main symptom? Would you ever consider trying a sleep aid? Even a low dose time release melatonin?  Or one of the over the counter aids I have read others try. I know you don't want to get in the habit of using another drug.

 

Have you been doing other things for your overall health like a low-inflammation diet and moderate exercise?

 

I guess some people would say to go slow, like the people on the long hold support group.  It's such a hard question because you see people who speeded up and ended up suffering after they got off.

 

It's strange how you had such a long window of two months and then were hit with symptoms again. I would think those two months would be a good  indicator of your brain healing. I wish you would have another long window that would make the idea of speeding up more reasonable.  You could try speeding up and see if your symptoms stay the same.  Remember how Sierra said, with Ativan you would know within a few days if your symptoms were getting worse.  I do think if you try to speed up, you should try it gradually rather than making an abrupt change.  That way you could easily slow down again. 

 

I don't usually hold if I have two or three days of symptoms, unless of course they are very severe.  I have a personal rule that as long as my symptoms don't last for more than a few days and as long as they don't get considerable worse I just keep lowering. That has been working for me.  I feel good again without holding.

 

Sorry I'm not being more helpful.  I wish I had a crystal ball. What do you think? I don't think anybody could tell you for sure.

 

This process gets old for sure.  Please write back and tell me what you think.

 

Big Hugs!

 

Luey

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for your response Luey

 

I guess its just me , I am tired of this running my life.

I find it hard to accept that .21 could be still hard to come off of.

Could you tell me how much  5 percent would be each month ? Would that be equal to 1 ml reduction in a month.?

Sorry I just cant do the math right now. And it makes me very nervouse to think of it.

It better than when I had to cut and weight but the hole process gives me anxiety at times.

Some days are better than others . Sleep was not bad last week but this week its been off and on.

Its nice to have someone who understands to speak with. Thank you,

Lisa

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Hi Lisa,

 

It's not just you- we are all tired of this running our lives!  I have to keep working on acceptance, acceptance, acceptance...

 

With the solution proportions you are using (0.5mg + 1ml vodka + 49ml water), if you reduced 5% every 24 days you would need to start cutting .04ml per day, double what you are currently doing.  If you made .04ml daily cuts it would take another 14 months to get to .05mgs, Ashton's suggested quit dose.

 

If you made .07ml daily cuts, you would be done in approximately 8 months. That would be 5% every 16 days.

 

Don't worry about the math Lisa, you can always get help with that.  The important thing is you know how to make your solution and measure out your daily doses.

 

Do you measure out your doses three times a day?  One of the things I learned from Builder is to put my total daily amount in a measuring cup. Then top the cup off with water. For each of your doses, drink 1/3 of the cup.  It has been working well for me to do the measuring once a day.  I was just wondering if this could make it easier?  It has for me, I do it at night before bedtime.

 

If I was able to increase my cuts without increasing my symptoms, I would do it.  I have also just had a couple of good months. It feels so good I don't want to rock the boat.  But if I continue to do well for a few more weeks, I will consider speeding up.  But gradually enough to not shock my system and cause a setback.

 

I'll be here cheering for you every step of the way!

 

Luey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Os...]]

Question for the Ativan Support Group...

 

I've been doing alright with a taper schedule that looks more like the generic medical advice...

 

https://www.smchealth.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/benzodiazepinetaper08-12-13.pdf

 

I'm down to 0.125mg morning & 0.125mg evening.  No sys other than some anxiety and ears ringing occasionally.

 

My question... have people been able to jump-off from my current daily dosage? 

 

Should I go to 0.125mg once per day, and see how I tolerate that before jumping?

 

It is hard to break a 0.5mg Ativan tablet into smaller pieces than quarters, so if I want to have a dosage amount lower than 0.125mg, I'll either need to CT to Valium or start a liquid taper for the remaining phase, dissolving the tablet in a 100ml syringe and then discarding the cut amount.

 

I know this is just friendly advice, what did you experience when you jumped from Ativan after taper?  Would you have done anything differently?

 

 

[[Co...]]

Good Morning Everyone,

 

So many new people!

 

Another week behind us. It was a bit of a tough one for me so I’m glad to be done with it!

 

Luey, how wonderful and supportive you are to everyone! We are truly blessed to have you on this thread!!

 

AF1 - Sorry it was scary out there. So glad you are still going to hang out here with us! Hope your symptoms are easing for you. How many days are up up to now?

 

Lisa - You are in my prayers as you are making new decisions with your taper. I know the  unknown can be very trying for us.

 

PB and Maggie - Hope you know we are thinking of you.

 

Heartsonfire - Try not to get discouraged about your set back. I really feel like tapering is a journey where we are constantly learning. Not only from our successes but also from our not so successful moments.

 

Osprey/Phoenix - Welcome! Glad you found us.

 

Did anyone have to adjust their dosages times for the time change?

 

Hoping everyone finds moments of peace and relaxation this week.

Committed

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I'm down to 0.125mg morning & 0.125mg evening.  No sys other than some anxiety and ears ringing occasionally.

My question... have people been able to jump-off from my current daily dosage? 

Should I go to 0.125mg once per day, and see how I tolerate that before jumping?

It is hard to break a 0.5mg Ativan tablet into smaller pieces than quarters, so if I want to have a dosage amount lower than 0.125mg, I'll either need to CT to Valium or start a liquid taper for the remaining phase, dissolving the tablet in a 100ml syringe and then discarding the cut amount.

Hi Osprey, It seems you are doing well with tapering. I hope the fact you did not take Ativan for very long will help you get off as quickly as possible.  I was able to jump from your current dose in the past without symptoms,  except for some nights of insomnia, when I had not developed a dependency. If it was me, I would try to go to 0.125mg once per day at the time of day I needed it the most.  I would then hold at that dosage for at least a couple of weeks and make sure I felt stable.  If I still felt well and mainly symptom free, I would stop at 1.25mg. (1/8 of a mg.). If I felt symptoms and needed to slow down I personally would not cross over to Valium but that's just me; I wouldn't want to take the time to cross over or risk not doing well with it. On Ashton's table of equivalencies .125mg of Ativan is equal to 1.25mg valium.  If you find you do need to taper in smaller amounts than .125, I can explain a different way of making a liquid solution where you would not discard anything. I hope that helps.  Keep up the good work.  I think you are going to be off soon! We're here to support you.

 

Luey

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Committed, I've been off for a little over 2 weeks now. 

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Another week behind us. It was a bit of a tough one for me so I’m glad to be done with it! Luey, how wonderful and supportive you are to everyone! We are truly blessed to have you on this thread!!

Hi Committed, I've been wondering about you.  I am sorry to hear you had a rough week. It further confirms my membership in the "Ativan Hater" club as PB calls us. It looks like you are making progress.  Do you continue tapering or hold when you have rough days?  Thank YOU for your kind words for me and everyone.  Obviously I need to spend less time on BBs!

PB and Maggie - Hope you know we are thinking of you.

Yes, PB and Maggie we are thinking of you and hoping to hear from you soon!  I think I might try to send Maggie a private msg. if we don't hear from her soon.

Committed,  I do so hope you have a better week. Sending hugs and good thoughts your way.

 

Luey 

[[Co...]]

AF1 - WOOT!! WOOT!! That is FANTASTIC!! Every week is a week closer to FREEDOM!!!

 

Luey - I think I speak for everyone when I say we are all grateful of the time you spend supporting and encouraging us here on BBs!!

    I try not to hold during the rough times if I can. But recently I have had to do 2 holds. One was my body telling me I could no longer taper at the pace I had been and I had to slow down by half. Sigh. The second hold was because of user error. I misdosed a couple of days and really made things interesting for myself. NOT my brightest moment. I look forward to the day when I will function at full mental capacity again!

    Be sure and let us know if you hear from Maggie.

 

Hugs to YOU!

Committed

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Thanks, Committed!  I've felt yucky today and yesterday. I'm wondering if the time change had anything to do with it. Anyone else (at least anyone affected by daylight savings time)?  Committed I can't tell you how many times I either forgot to take meds even for almost 2 days and also at least one time I double dosed myself on several meds.  BTW how are your father in law and your dad? 

[[te...]]

I am so confused Luey , yes that is the correct solution that I make . I make a new batch every day and dose 3 x a day

What are we supposed to be cutting per month ? If I am at .21 a day and would like to be done in no more than 6 months what should my goal cut per month be ?

Thanks lisa

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Hi Lisa,

 

Sorry to make you confused. I apologize as I gave you an incorrect information in my earlier reply. You reduced 3.4% in the last TWO months, not in one month.  You have been going at a snails pace, reducing by a minuscule amount each day.

What are we supposed to be cutting per month ? If I am at .21 a day and would like to be done in no more than 6 months what should my goal cut per month be ?

I would not worry about "what we are supposed to be cutting per month."  What is more important is how you feel.

 

If you wanted to be done in six months, you would need to drop by 9 of those tiny lines on your 1ml syringe from your total amount every day.  That is still a very tiny daily cut.

 

I don't want to confuse you with more calculations, percentages, etc., especially because I know math can stress you out.  But please let me know if you want more explanation or clarification.

 

I hope this helps. Please write back with questions and/or comments.

 

Luey

 

 

 

 

[[te...]]

Luey ,

Thank you for your response ,  9 of the tiny lines per day or 0.9 on my 1 ml syringe?

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Luey ,

Thank you for your response ,  9 of the tiny lines per day or 0.9 on my 1 ml syringe?

9 of the tiny lines on your 1 ml syringe.

 

I just sent Committed a pm to ask her to check my math just to be sure.