Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[Gi...]]

I am currently beginning my tapering from ativan and was wondering if anyone has experienced what I can only describe as brain zaps? Also what about phantom smoke smell? Does this sound familiar to anyone withdrawing from ativan?

 

Hello hoping,

I have not personally experienced either of those wd sx but I know many others have.  Have you tried putting those sx into a search?  I did that with my sinus sx which always flared up with each cut.  I searched and found it is a common benzo wd sx, though not everyone has it. G

[[Ju...]]

Hello hoping,

 

I have experienced what I have called brain zaps. Not often. Only a few times when I first got out of bed. I have not had the phantom smoke smell but I have read about it in BB. Also I think Ashton makes a mention of it happening with some. 

 

 

JuJuBi

 

 

[[Ma...]]

Good morning buddies,

Just needing a little encouragement... wondering if what I’m feeling is normal... Apart from feeling aches and upset stomach and anxiety, I feel a general sense of being drugged, and feeling scared of this woozy, fatigued new me. Please tell me this passes... I am so desperate to get my energy and brain clarity back.

Any other people feel this way while on Ativan? Makes me want to speed up my taper, but trying to be patient....

[[Ju...]]

Hello to my A family,

 

Hang in there Marwegs-Ativan did that to me from day one, bouts of lethargy, dizziness and that drugged feeling. Early on they happened more often and lasted longer. As I’ve gone down and slowed they have been much less.

The urge to go fast and get off can be so strong and patience can be difficult. I have had to slow things down a bit myself.  It is important to pay attention to our symptoms and be good to our brains and CNS.

 

 

Powerball-always good to hear from you! You are missed. How nice to have a trip to look forward to.  I am following your lead on the slow and easy. I am not the fastest but I will get to the end just the same.

 

JuJuBi

 

 

 

[[be...]]

Hi Powerball! Thanks for the shout out - I’m at .03 and cruising slow and steady on down. Feeling good and about ready for this dose to disappear. Poof!

 

I definitely had phantom smoke smell and brain zaps. They improved with my slowing down and also with the microtaper as opposed to larger cut-and-hold. Everyone is different. This is just what worked for me. Hang in there...symptoms can be so weird!

 

Love to all. Keep fighting!!

[[ho...]]

beautyfromashes..I hate to say this but I'm so glad you experienced these as well. I did search it but didn't see anything. It's nice to have affirmations 😊

[[Ma...]]

Thanks JuJuBi... it sounds like you’re also adjusting based on lowering difficulties, and you are right about being good to our CNS and brain. I had a very strong plan to go a bit faster, but today I experienced derealization for the first time... and it scared me. Going to slow much more now. It’s not worth being paralyzed from my life.

 

Beauty, you’re almost there - AMAZING! So inspiring.

[[te...]]

Hi all

Slow and steady still gets us there especially if we have symptoms .

Peace to all

Lisa

 

Luey

Hope all is well have not heard from you .

12 mls today

[[Ju...]]

Tech-you are making great progress.

 

It is inspiring to those of us just starting or midway to see so many of our Ativan group getting so close to being Benzo free! 

[[Ha...]]

I'm so appreciative of Powerball, Luey, Lisa, and all the newer folks here like Marwegs and JuJiBi and Gingermint, everyone really who is here to support each other.  I'm having an especially hard day today, the anxiety of the taper is hitting hard together with the anxiety of the pandemic.  All of it, the anxiety, the insomnia, the dizziness, the problems thinking and concentrating and remembering.  I get so scared that I will never get it back, and try to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.  I wish so much that I had never started on this poison ten years ago, and I wish like crazy that I could just jump off it.  My doctor said "you could just stop, if you wanted to."  If only that were true.

 

Sorry for the extended vent, but I know you guys will understand.

 

Haimona

[[Ma...]]

Haimona, I’m sorry you’re having such a hard day.... anxiety is a tough one to push through, and the one symptom that for me has been most consistent. It does help me to know that although anxiety was a part of me before, it is also a response of your injured and healing brain. Try to think of this anxiety as an annoyance instead of a danger. It’s built within us to keep us safe, and this drug has confused our mind into thinking we are in danger... I find that when the anxiety comes, the best thing to do is to acknowledge it, even welcome it, and it has a paradoxical effect and will slowly subside. It’s not always that simple, so sometimes I need to distract... watch a movie or do an adult colouring book... I had heard that reading a short excerpt out of a book and drinking water at the same time will use another part of the brain that will disengage the fight, flight, freeze. Just sharing a few things I’ve found to trick my brain during this heightened period.

You can do this, and you will. Praying for your peace and for fear to be released.

Big hugs.

[[Ju...]]

Haimonia-so sorry to hear you are struggling.  I do understand and have had some recent tough days myself. We all wish we had not taken a benzo. The hardest thing is acceptance but so important to accept our situation. I  tell myself I will be ok and I will make it through. I stay away from the news, internet and social sites as it can be a real trigger for me. I have enough to take care of right here than to worry about the outside world right now. A person in this group said “Fear is a liar”.  Our brains and fear tells us many lies. 

One day at a time and sometimes hours or minutes at a time.  Hang on you can do this and we are all in this together.

What dose are you at now?

 

JuJuBi

 

[[Gi...]]

I'm so appreciative of Powerball, Luey, Lisa, and all the newer folks here like Marwegs and JuJiBi and Gingermint, everyone really who is here to support each other.  I'm having an especially hard day today, the anxiety of the taper is hitting hard together with the anxiety of the pandemic.  All of it, the anxiety, the insomnia, the dizziness, the problems thinking and concentrating and remembering.  I get so scared that I will never get it back, and try to just keep putting one foot in front of the other.  I wish so much that I had never started on this poison ten years ago, and I wish like crazy that I could just jump off it.  My doctor said "you could just stop, if you wanted to."  If only that were true.

 

Sorry for the extended vent, but I know you guys will understand.

 

Haimona

 

Haimona,

The majority of doctors just don't get it.  Really, unless someone has been through this they truly can't.  You are getting low in dose though.  I understand so well the anxiety,  insomnia, foggy brain and dizziness.  Those are some of my most troublesome sx.

Hang on, we'll both get there. G

[[Ha...]]

Marwegs, thanks for the support and the suggestions -- I actually do have an adult coloring book and just ordered some markers for it.  Good idea! Mostly I read silly books for a distraction, but a funny movie might be good too.

 

JuJuBi, I agree acceptance is SO hard, and I do the same thing, one day at a time, one hour at a time, "just keep going" I tell myself.  It has to get easier sometime, no?? I'm hovering between .375 and .312 at this point, slowly increasing the number of days I do the lower dose.  The lower I get, the harder it seems to get so far.

 

Gingermint, YES, doctors seem so clueless.  As shown by the fact they put us on this poison in the first place.  While I'm sorry you are experiencing the same awful symptoms I am, it does make me feel better to know I'm not alone. 

 

Thanks to all of you, you are lifesavers. 

 

Haimona

[[...]]

Good Morning,

 

I'm happy to announce the end of my taper! ZERO!! 

 

From 6.0 mgs. to 0.0mgs. in nineteen months. My last dose was .1mg.  I feel lucky to say I've been withdrawal symptom free for the last half of a year after a bunch of months of suffering.  This is my best summer in a long time, it seems my body has recovered.  Although I've been routinely measuring out my liquid dose each evening, it doesn't even matter when I take my doses, I stopped dividing them or taking them at a specific time. I realize I don't need to wait or go down any further. 

 

Yesterday I paddled my two person inflatable kayak down the river with a friend, jumped in the water and even drank a cold beer at the end of the day to celebrate.  Normally, even without tapering, I don't drink alcohol and won't be making a habit of it.  I'll stick with the healthy habits I've been doing during the tapering process.

 

Thanks to my buddies Powerball and Lisa (Tech) who have been here with me on the forum during my entire nineteen month taper!  Powerball you kept me smiling, Lisa you have been such a kind and positive support.  PB, I want to know when you say good bye to Xanax poison. Lisa I know you'll be joining me here soon, please send me a pm so I can celebrate.  Thanks to all the new people here too, I haven't had the time to get to know you, it's a natural progression to pass the torch without a lot of fanfare.

 

A slow daily liquid micro-taper (DLMT) is the method that worked for me.  My wonderful holistic M.D. prescribed a low-inflammation diet and that along with other healthy lifestyle habits I'll continue as a permanent part of my life.

 

This support group helped save my life!  Builder and Jim Hawk, who are no longer active on BBs, were the ones who taught me how to make my own solution and the math for micro-tapering.  I hope their knowledge will still continue to be passed down.  Keep supporting each other everyone, with a lot of patience and acceptance you will all get there.

 

Peace and Love to All,

 

Luey

 

 

 

 

[[Ju...]]

Luey,

 

For everything you have been through I truly feel great joy to see you gently glide off this drug.  How wonderful to celebrate the day with a friend and with joy.  It must be such a wonderful freeing feeling to no longer weigh, measure and play kitchen scientist.

 

I know I have not been here long and have not shared your journey.  You have helped me and others more than you know with your advice, kind words and wisdom. Although we have not had a chance to get to know each other I will still call you friend and think of you often as one who helped me on my journey.

 

 

I wish you all the best and many wonderful moments in your garden relaxing and enjoying nature and life. Ativan Free!!!!!!!!!!

 

Much love and Peace

 

JuJuBi

 

 

[[Gi...]]

Good Morning,

 

I'm happy to announce the end of my taper! ZERO!! 

 

From 6.0 mgs. to 0.0mgs. in nineteen months. My last dose was .1mg.  I feel lucky to say I've been withdrawal symptom free for the last half of a year after a bunch of months of suffering.  This is my best summer in a long time, it seems my body has recovered.  Although I've been routinely measuring out my liquid dose each evening, it doesn't even matter when I take my doses, I stopped dividing them or taking them at a specific time. I realize I don't need to wait or go down any further. 

 

Yesterday I paddled my two person inflatable kayak down the river with a friend, jumped in the water and even drank a cold beer at the end of the day to celebrate.  Normally, even without tapering, I don't drink alcohol and won't be making a habit of it.  I'll stick with the healthy habits I've been doing during the tapering process.

 

Thanks to my buddies Powerball and Lisa (Tech) who have been here with me on the forum during my entire nineteen month taper!  Powerball you kept me smiling, Lisa you have been such a kind and positive support.  PB, I want to know when you say good bye to Xanax poison. Lisa I know you'll be joining me here soon, please send me a pm so I can celebrate.  Thanks to all the new people here too, I haven't had the time to get to know you, it's a natural progression to pass the torch without a lot of fanfare.

 

A slow daily liquid micro-taper (DLMT) is the method that worked for me.  My wonderful holistic M.D. prescribed a low-inflammation diet and that along with other healthy lifestyle habits I'll continue as a permanent part of my life.

 

This support group helped save my life!  Builder and Jim Hawk, who are no longer active on BBs, were the ones who taught me how to make my own solution and the math for micro-tapering.  I hope their knowledge will still continue to be passed down.  Keep supporting each other everyone, with a lot of patience and acceptance you will all get there.

 

Peace and Love to All,

 

Luey

 

Luey,

I'm thrilled for you.  You did it.  It gives me and so many others hope that we will pass through that benzo free portal.  Now go out and enjoy every moment of your life.  I know once I am healed I will take nothing for granted.  Life is precious and you have yours back. G

[[Ma...]]

What a wonderful message of hope to wake up to.

Congrats Luey! I don’t know you but you’ve already inspired me.

Be well,

Maria

[[te...]]

Congratulations Luey

You are my inspiration thank you for all your kindness ... I am happy to have had the pleasure to have been here to talk with you and go thru this , even though it has been the worst experience of my life . There have been some positive one was you and powerball and if it wasn’t for builder I would have never made it .

Thank you lisa

[[ld...]]

Congratulations Luey! You passed your knowledge on to me and now I'm confident doing my own DLMT. I'm down to 0.116mg! I'll never be able to say the right words to thank you. I even bought Matcha green tea

 

Enjoy your success and health. Thank you for being a gentle leader here.

 

LD

[[Bi...]]

Luey,

 

Congratulations! What it must be like to be free from cutting, measuring, timing doses. You should be very very proud of yourself. It takes tremendous courage, patience, acceptance, hope, faith, fellowship, fortitude and perseverance to make it through the Ativan taper to zero. I am newer to the group so I read about the end of your taper journey. This is a celebration! I'm so happy for you.

 

It is encouraging to see that you jumped at about the same level that I am planning. I am at .25, and my next cut will be to .125 in a few weeks, and from there I will jump to zero.

 

I'm wishing you a lifetime of health, happiness, and freedom from this drug.

 

- Bibs jo

[[...]]

Thank you everyone, your kind words really mean a lot to me. 

 

For the most part coming to the end of my taper is anticlimactic; I had to let go many months ago of wanting the process to end. 

 

Interesting I could see Comet NEOWISE from my bed tonight, the tail clearly visible with binoculars.  The lack of moonlight because of the new moon today made the night sky much brighter.  So I'll remember I ended my taper on 7/20/20 with a view of the Comet. 

 

Good night,

 

Luey

[[Ha...]]

Luey, that is so cool and what a propitious start to the rest of your benzo-free life! I'm so happy for you!! Thank you for all you have brought to this site and all of us here struggling to get free from this poison. 

 

Haimona

[[Bi...]]

Hello,

 

Does anyone know why insomnia is such a problem for many if not most of us? I generally sleep for 3 hours and then wake up fully every hour or two until morning. Anyone know what causes this?

 

Thanks!

 

Bibs jo

[[te...]]

Bibsjo

 

I can only wish I knew , I have been going thru this for over a year now. It has got much better but it still is a problem.

At my worst during the begining of the taper I could not fall asleep it took months to then be able to fall asleep and not stay asleep for more than an hour at a time... then months passed and I could sleep off and on for 2 to 3 hours at a time, with weeks of good days then back to no sleep .... After my 8 month mark and my taper slowed down i was able to get better sleep , I still dont sleep more than 4 hours straight ever. If I have taken anything from this it is that the more you worry about sleep the less you get.

Best Lisa