Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[Ho...]]

Hi, Ativan taperers,

I am down to .027 grams (dry cutting with a .000 gram scale).  I think that is about .23 mg. 

 

I have been tapering since Sept 2019, and at this rate I will probably be until late summer or fall -- trying to do 10% every two weeks, but as I get down lower, it seems to be getting a little harder.  I am so impatient to be finished!  But I do believe the way to go is slow and steady. 

 

Some days I feel fine, clear-headed, moving freely, and then for no apparent reason lots of symptoms come back in, and I feel like I'll never feel good again, and spend a big part of the day giving myself pep talks!  The things that are bothering me most are heart pumping incessantly, vibrating feeling in my limbs and sometimes my mouth and face, ear ringing, and a weird unpleasant spacey feeling that I can't put in words.  Some nights I sleep pretty well, but some nights I can't get to sleep until the early am hours, and wake every hour or two.  Then I play lots of solitaire on my Kindle!  I wish I had a dollar for every solitaire game I have played on my Kindle the past months!  And some queasiness, luckily I have Zofran if that flares up too much.

 

I started taking 400 mg magnesium citrate at bedtime about a month ago -- I have been trying to read about it, but can't really find definitive information.  I think it helps me sleep better, but maybe it's coincidence.  If any of you take it, what dose do you take?

 

 

[[te...]]

Hi all,

Just checking in, I have had some ok nights of sleep more than 3 hours at a time, which is great for me.

I also have been able to fall asleep  without much trouble . But that is just the cycle I am in , I dont expect it to stay.

I am at 18.6 and it has been a long 3 months of micro tapering the lower I go the harder is has been for me personally .

I hope everyone has better days ahead

Lisa

 

 

Haimona,

I have had and still have all of the symptoms you describe off and on .

[[po...]]

Hopeful Senior: we are about at the same low dose. As I get lower I do a very rigid micro-taper. I hear a lot that the lowest doses are the hardest to decrease. Tonight I go to 0.20mg after at being at 4.0mg the end of March  2019. Previously my best was 0.22mg, but I have made some progress this time. I have had a lot of nausea later in the day as I decrease but the last three days no nausea. My micro-taper is tonight 0.025mg which I will for three days and the if all is ok. I will cut off o.oo1mg. So after the next there nights, if all goes well, I will go below 0.19mg for the first time. (I cut from a standard weight of .122mg per pill). I AM determined to not F...p my success now at my tapering speed. Good night to all. I do hope your symptoms subside. Are you micro-tapering too fast? Good night. Powerball.

[[Co...]]

Hello All,

 

Welcome Hopeful Senior!

 

Powerball, Congratulations on your promotion and your new low dose!!

 

Luey and Hearts, glad to hear things are continuing to go well for you.

 

Lisa, I am in continued awe of your perseverance and determination! Please know that I am praying for you.

 

AF1, I like your new ticker! Coming up on 4 months! YAY you!!! 😃

 

Haimona, I was VERY nervous switching over to liquid micro tapering but you get the hang of it very quickly. Is there any questions we might be able to answer for you that might help you get started with a micro taper?

 

Blkhawks, so sorry to hear you are struggling. That was a pretty big cut to start out with. Hope you are feeling some relief. When you are ready to start tapering again, hopefully much smaller cuts will make symptoms more manageable.

 

IzzyB, I don’t think any of us have tried the oral concentrate.

 

On a personal note, I had a pretty rough patch but decided to just ride it out and continue tapering and have finally been feeling some relief the last couple days. Thank goodness. Need those periodic breaks to gather myself mentally and physically. Hoping everyone is able to find moments of peace in the coming week.

 

Take Care and hugs to all,

Committed

[[...]]

Thanks, Committed! I thought this ticker was less obnoxious, LOL, even though the old one matched my avatar. 

 

Welcome Hopeful!  The last half of my taper I cut 0.002 mg a day if that helps any, and right at the very end I slowed to 0.001 mg a day. 

 

Lisa, I'm so glad you're getting a little more sleep!

 

 

[[...]]

Hello Friends,

 

Ditto to all that Committed said...

 

I also wanted to say hi and wish everybody moments of ease and wellness. The support and camaraderie of this group is a blessing and I so appreciate the place to connect with each other through the ups and downs of this journey.  I don't take anything for granted.

 

Committed, I'm happy to hear from you but sorry to know you recently went through another rough stretch.  I know it takes a lot of fortitude to keep tapering when not feeling great but it's good to hear you are having better days again.  Do you have a set of criteria for when you hold or continue tapering? 

 

Lisa, I always like hearing when you go through a period of better sleep.  Are you still working?

 

Powerball, Wishing you some quality relaxing time with your Mom.

 

AF1, it must feel good to see tapering disappearing in the rearview mirror.

 

Best wishes to all,

 

Luey

 

 

[[po...]]

Dear friends:

Last time in November I said I would work out and use my gym card (down the street!) when I got below 0.20, but I failed trying to go to 0.21 and it has taken me this long to get to 0.20mg. Tomorrow night I expect to go under .20mg. Last two days no nausea. In preparation to keep tapering down I need to set up an A+ sleep hygiene plan. I need to devise a protocol I can do. I did a post doc in Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology so you would think I know all about this. I do, but this is different. I am cleansing my own body of benzos. I took NO sleeping medication until I turned 50. Then I began Ambien.

 

I quickly got dependent but I slept exactly 8 hrs a night and had absolutely no side effects. But I had to time my international travel (actually any travel) around ending my dose and getting a refill. I once had to miss a flight to Canada just to get my Ambien refill the next day. Once, I had just moved to NYC from Philadelphia, and I could not get an early refill so I took a Greyhound bus back to Philly one late night so I get my refill at 12:01am.  NY is a monster about some refills and this is one drug that won't even allow the three day early refill window.

 

They say "Every man needs a plan." (women too). So I am going to sit down and set up my plan. Good night. Powerball.

 

[[...]]

Luey, it will feel a lot better when I'm off the couch and having a life again. 

[[te...]]

Hi all , thanks for all the well wishes .

So nice to here from everyone . Yes I am still working Luey .

Just weekends , not too bad .

Wishing everyone a nice calm peaceful day .

Lisa

[[he...]]

Hi all -- Powerball congrats on your new job! It's inspiring that you can accomplish so much while tapering! I live in Minnesota; we got new snow last night and today is sunny and currently 15 degrees. It's lovely.

 

I've been feeling really crappy since I made the last cut. In fact, too crappy to log on to the computer this weekend but I was thinking of all of you hanging in there and it gave me some hope that I can do it too. I try to stay positive but this weekend almost did me in -- poor sleep, unrelenting nausea (finally took Zofran yesterday and felt OK until it wore off), brain fog and apathy. Today I woke up with a sore throat. ARGH. I feel like the whole process is stressing my system in every way and I've been hovering around "almost sick" or "fighting a cold" for a couple weeks. Spring can't come soon enough!

 

I'm entering a long stretch of work and I hope I can make it through. I have no plans to make another cut for awhile. If I don't even out in a couple days, I may go back up and hold longer. One day at a time.

 

Hugs to all and THANK YOU for your support.

[[Co...]]

Hearts, so sorry to hear you are feeling so poorly. Hopefully you are feeling better soon!

 

Luey, thank you! This last wave, the psychological symptoms seemed to be less so I decided I could make my way through the physical symptoms. Just had to really utilized those coping skills.

 

We had another family member pass away. That’s two loved ones in two months and my dad is still battling cancer. Boy, sometimes life just doesn’t cut you any slack. Please keep us in your prayers.

 

Committed

[[he...]]

Committed -- thank you. And I'm so sorry for your recent losses. That is very sad and stressful. I will definitely keep you and your family in my prayers. Be gentle with yourself during this time. Hugs to you.

 

-Hearts

 

[[Bl...]]

Hey commited so sorry to hear about your family stay strong . And heartisonfire hang in there it sucks but will get better

 

All the best to every one

[[...]]

Dear Committed,

 

I'm so sorry to hear about your recent loss of another loved one and your Dad's on-going battle with cancer. You and your family are in my prayers.  As Hearts said, be gentle with yourself during this time.  I'm sending you a big hug.

 

Take good care everyone,

 

Luey

 

 

[[po...]]

Committed: My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

 

Tech: How do you possibly function with such fractured sleep and sleep loss? I cannot even imagine what you are going through...sleep is my absolute lifeline. That is why I am on this s....

 

Tonight I go to 0.19mg

Wish me luck.....

 

Powerball

[[Co...]]

Hearts, Blkhawks, Luey and Powerball. . . Thank you so very much for the sympathies and encouragement. It is truly appreciated!

 

Powerball, AMAZING progress, Good Luck!!

[[te...]]

Committed ,

So sorry for your family , you are in my prayers .

Keep strong

Lisa

[[Co...]]

Thank you Lisa!

[[te...]]

Powerball

You and I are almost at the same dose .

We can finish this together !

Let’s put our best foot forward .

Lisa

[[...]]

Powerball, can I ask what scale you have that you like the best?  I have one but I don't think it's accurate (for tapering other meds.)  I shave some off the pill and it stays at the same weight.

 

[[Co...]]

Haimona, Hearts, Blkhawks, Hopeful - Thinking of you and hoping you are feeling some relief.

 

Take Care,

Committed

[[Fa...]]

Hi-I need some advice. I cross tapered from 1.5 mg of ativan

to 12mg of valium, went slowly. First few weeks were OK,

now experiencing severe depression and crying fits. I’m wondering

if I should stop the crossover, go back to ativan (it would be 1.2mg

now), and restart a direct dry taper. Maybe valium is just not

for me. I’m concerned re:kindling, going “backwards” ,etc.

Just wondering if anyone had ever heard of this or had experience

with this. Thanks.

[[he...]]

Hi friends -- a couple days ago when I felt like I was getting a cold, indeed I was. I was diagnosed with influenza A. I have felt miserable for the last several days. I went back up to .5 mg because I couldn't handle the cutting. I look forward to feeling well and getting back on with the taper. I can tell you one thing, this is worse than any w/d symptoms I've ever had.

 

FaithNotFear -- welcome. I don't have experience with crossover to Valium, but I think some of us do. I'm sorry you are having depression and crying fits. I think that individually we can be extremely sensitive to medication switches. Hang in there, maybe someone with similar experience can help guide you, or direct you to a place on the forum with more information. I don't have the brain power to think it through right now. Hope you start feeling better.

 

Hugs to all

[[...]]

Hi FaithNotFear,

 

Welcome to the group.  I don't have experience with crossing over to Valium and then back to Ativan, but I know at least one person here has gone through it and hopefully they will reply.  Also when I first came to this group, there was a member, Sierra, who had tried the switch, had problems with Valium and switched back.  So from what I have read your experience is not uncommon.  Best wishes for you whatever you decide and getting stable before continuing your taper.

 

HeartsonFire,  So sorry you have had the flu!  I have not had the flu in probably 20 years but I remember how miserable it was!  Do you get a flu shot?  I never get one because I worry about taking anything, especially these days.  I do wash my hands a lot!  I hope you are on your way to recovery!  Good decision to go back to .5 and hold.

 

Hello Everyone,  Wishing you all ease and peace (of mind and body),

 

Luey

[[...]]

Faith, I crossed to Valium then back to Ativan.  All I remember is that on the Valium I felt really tired for about a week.  I ended up tapering off of Ativan and it worked ok so maybe you would be better going back. I'm not sure. I think there's always the possibility of symptoms when you're making any change.