Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[Ho...]]

Thanks, Willow.  Keep on truckin' girl....yesterday and the day before were a bit better for me; today just woke up with that lump in my throat and having a hard time getting out of the moodiness.  But I know that is just a symptom of the w/d and it will fade as the days continue.

 

((Hugs)) to all the AV club and much healing this week....

[[Ga...]]

Hey There,  quick question.  I have two sizes of syringes.  a 10ml and a 3.5 ml.  The vet gave them to me years ago for dog mediine.  A cc/ml is going to be the same whether it is in a 3.5cc or a 10cc Right?  My real question is, " Do you think they are all that accurate?"

[[Wi...]]

You are doing great Hoosierfans Happy to hear. I am doing ok just the muscle pain is bad this week. I feel like I am 100 years old, and feel more tired as well. It usually passes a day after I cut, but is hanging on this week.

 

Hey GardenLady:

 

I would imagine they are close. I know that they are more accurate than dry cutting. I mainly use my 10 ml syringe. The only time I use my other is for.05ml cuts.  Since I have switched to water titration, my sx are way more manageable. I also cut .12ml over a 3 day period (3mls from my 4 doses) then I hold for 4 days. I have found that is a lot smoother on my cns.

 

Wishing every one healing as well , sending healing thoughts to everyone

[[Ga...]]

Well, I took my .125 at 6pm tonight and It did what I was afraid of.  It drugged me enough to make me feel lousey, but not enough to make me sleep.  This is going to be awful.  I'll just be drugged all the time.  Before I could at least go for walks and do things.  Now I just lie on the couch or the bed and feel the drug working in my body.  I hope I adjust and feel more normal as time goes on.  I hate this drug and can't wait to get rid of it.  I'll take the 0.5 tonight at midnight and then start the .125 doses at 6am.  I'm still dry cutting. I had 3  little quarters of a 0.5  pill that I wanted to use up.  AS  you said they are not very accurate, even though I measured them on a little scale.  You can measure them one time and it measures 0.14g and the next time it measures the same little piece as 0.22  Not very accurate. I'll start using the water tritration tomorow.  I need glass jars that dont leak.  I thought about using zip lock plastic containers, then realized that the plastic would absorb the drug.  Not a good idea

[[Ga...]]

Hey Willow77,  Yes I believe your right, they are closer than dry cutting.  Now I just hope I have enogh brain to measure things right! Ha

[[Ga...]]

Wow,  It's been 3.5 hours since i took my night time dose of .5 instead of .62.  My body is screaming for that other .125 I took at 6pm tonight.  It did this when i dropped from .75 to .62 even though I took 1/2 of it before midngiht.  I was afraid of this.  Now I'm not sure what to do.  Guess I'll hold for a day or so and see what happens.

[[Ga...]]

I always seem to do the wrong thing. I'm afraid I've just put myself into constant w/d.  Do any of you think this will smoth out?

 

[[Ga...]]

And yes, I'm in panic mode.  Sorry guys.  I just dislike misery.

[[Ga...]]

I've taken the 6am dose an will ride this out.  i expect bad w/d tongiht after the .25 dose at midnight.  I just hope the 6am dose of .125 smooths it out.  I figure it will take several days for things to smooth out.  I'll just have to be strong.  I do not want to go back up.  Actually if anything it makes me just want to c/t  the whole thing.  However,I'm such a wimp I'd probably never do it.  Thank  you everyone who has anwered and given me advice.  I appreciate it all. Just getting an answer and support is so great. All of  you are such wonderful people. 

 

Willow77. Are you doing the full titration where you throw part of the dose down the sink, or are you doing the 1mg pill in the 100ml of water and then measuring with the syringe and using most of the ativan water up during the day?

 

Hoosierfans.  How are you doing?  It has been about 5 weeks now since you jumped.  How are the symptoms?  are you sleeping any?

[[Wi...]]

Hi GardenLady:

 

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, It took me about a good week to get use to titrating. Here is what I do: My doseage right now is 1.12mg. I meassure out 125 mls of water and pour it into a clear glass I add my 1.25mg pills ( my pills are .50mg I half one pill in a pill splitter saves on pills) with my syringe I draw out 28mls each into 3 glass jars. I then draw out 13mls and toss into coffee grinds. what is left in the glass my fourth dose is 28mls. I cut .12mls over 3 days, 3 mls out of each dose, and hold for 4 days. Next week I will be down to 2 pills and will use 100 mls of water. sometimes when I have enough toss dosage for a dose I save it. I hope this make sense to you and you feel better soon.

willow

[[Ga...]]

Willow, that is a lot to cut but you are still over 1mg.  AT this point I can't cut that much without triggering w/d.  Last night i took. .125 of my daily amount that I have always taken at one time and took it at 6pm.  At midnight I took the .5 pill that was left of my daily dose.  Man,I woke up at 3am in shock.  My stomack burned and I wondered if I would throw up.  Tonight I may as today I am moving to the new 4 dose schedule and water ativan.  That means that the nightly dose of .62 my body is used to will be cut by .325. of coruse the rest of the .62 dose will be given during today, but my body just still wants it at midnight. I think I'm going to have some pretty strong sensations.  I'm a wimp.  But the last time I cut and tried to put .06 to a 6pm dose and then cut .125 besides I really knew I'd made a mistake.  I put the .06 backfor awhile then took it away in a couple days.  Tonigth I'm going to have to live with it.  I hope it settles down quickly.  My body is evidentally time sensitive as well as drug sensitive.  I took my .125 dose at 6am and was so glad to get it, but it started to run out at about 10am this morning.  It's not bad, but I am wondering if this will get better or worse after the .325 difference in the midnight dose.  This is really scary for me.  But, something I have to do.

[[Ga...]]

Hi GardenLady:

 

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well, It took me about a good week to get use to titrating. Here is what I do: My doseage right now is 1.12mg. I meassure out 125 mls of water and pour it into a clear glass I add my 1.25mg pills ( my pills are .50mg I half one pill in a pill splitter saves on pills) with my syringe I draw out 28mls each into 3 glass jars. I then draw out 13mls and toss into coffee grinds. what is left in the glass my fourth dose is 28mls. I cut .12mls over 3 days, 3 mls out of each dose, and hold for 4 days. Next week I will be down to 2 pills and will use 100 mls of water. sometimes when I have enough toss dosage for a dose I save it. I hope this make sense to you and you feel better soon.

willow

 

I notice that the sediment in the glass drops to the bottom fast.  Do you have to keep stiring as you draw out?

[[Ga...]]

I tried the water solutuion at noon.  there is a lot of sediment and I don't think I got enough drug as I didn't react as when I take the pills.  Is there some special way to draw out the liquid so that you can keep the antivan well separated in the water.  I  could really use some answers here.

[[Wi...]]

Hi Garden Lady:

 

Yes you have to mix it well, to be sure all the drug is suspended. I stir it well every time I draw it out with the syringe. Hope that helps.

take care

[[pl...]]

My stomack burned and I wondered if I would throw up. 

 

Muscle relaxants like ativan can cause GERD.  If your stomach is acting up, you might want to try sleeping with your head & chest elevated a bit or at least lie on your left side (but not on your right).  Just a thought.

[[Wi...]]

Thanks Planck:

 

Good advice I will remember that when my stomach acts up, Hope all is well with you

 

Willow

[[Ga...]]

Hi Garden Lady:

 

Yes you have to mix it well, to be sure all the drug is suspended. I stir it well every time I draw it out with the syringe. Hope that helps.

take care

 

I called a compound pharmacy. They told me Ativan would not mix with cold water.  But the sediment was probaby filler.

 

[[Wi...]]

What maybe more help is to go to the tritration plans, or have it compounded, take care

[[Ga...]]

Called my doctor to see about compounding the ativan and he informed me that I should only be taking one pill a day and that at .25 I was to go off of them.  Now, what the hell d I do.

[[ce...]]

Called my doctor to see about compounding the ativan and he informed me that I should only be taking one pill a day and that at .25 I was to go off of them.  Now, what the hell d I do.

If you can handle taking .25 once a day to taper then okay. Otherwise, Fight for you health!  Get a different doctor. Titrate the .25 mg's you have instead of compounding. There are options.  You just don't want to let it get out of hand and suffer bad wd.

[[Ga...]]

In the Willamette Valley of Oregon there is no way to get a different doctor in less than 3 months. 

 

How many on this thread have gone Cold Turkey and what dose were you on when you did it?

 

[[ce...]]

In the Willamette Valley of Oregon there is no way to get a different doctor in less than 3 months. 

 

How many on this thread have gone Cold Turkey and what dose were you on when you did it?

I have gone cold turkey at 8 mg's Xanax and at 4 mg's K.  It was hell.

 

Sorry to hear there are no other options.  :'(

[[Ma...]]

wow cedar, 8 mgs X and 4 mgs K?  So sorry you went through that.

[[Ga...]]

Thanks for the reply Cedar.  They tell me I am not having w/d  but just anxiety.  My anxiety is so bad I can't tell.  I haven't slept for 5 months.  My brain is foggy.  I also know that meds do not do a thing.  A placebo will probaby do as much except for the pain and sedation, which is what they tried to do for me.  It backfired too.  So,  I may never know if it is anxiety or w/d.  It all hurts just the same.  real or imagined.  A brain can do funny things to us.

[[pl...]]

Try some L-theanine to take the edge off, Gardenlady?  I haven't needed to use theanine yet so I don't know how well it works, but i have an unopened bottle on my desk waiting in case i get desperate.

 

 

I cut down to .75mg a few days early last night.  My impatience will get the best of me; I want so badly to rip the band-aid off and let the hurting and healing start even though rationally I know it's dumb.  Nothing bad yet besides a tension and a tightness in my shoulders.