Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

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.05mg is where Ashton says you can jump, and a lot of people do fine jumping between .05 and .1mg. Many of us take it lower out of an abundance of caution. I went down to .006mg, and the “jump” was easy peasy. It honestly felt easier than my cuts in taper.

 

How symptomatic are you after cuts now? I’d never recommend dragging it out unnecessarily, but if you’re still feeling your reductions, you might consider going a bit lower.

 

Much love and healing to you!! Look how far you’ve come!

 

Beauty

[[Bi...]]

Beauty thank you!

 

I’m actually amazed that I have found myself unexpectedly at the end of my taper. In the last few months I let go of the goal to be off and accepted the process. I must have really let go lol.

 

I’m still symptomatic, but with a lot longer windows and I am starting to sleep better. My sleep has gone from awful to just ok. Just ok is so much better.

 

I had a huge wave on my last cut from .07 to .06 that surprised me. I was hit with an ocular migraine (no headache pain) that made me extremely light sensitive. When i closed my eyes I still saw bright lights. I had other symptoms too. That knocked me back on my heals so I held at .06 for over 2 weeks. It’s calmed down and now I’m marching down again.

 

I wondered if I may already be in acute? 

 

Thanks for your help.

Bibsjo

 

Btw, I love your handle (Isaiah 61 3 right?)

[Guest [ba...]]

Since you had big symptoms with recent small cuts, you might want to consider walking this all the way down to zero (0.05, 0.04, 0.03, 0.02, 0.01, 0.00). 

[[Bi...]]

Beauty,

 

Yes. I think I’ll inch my way down further and wait until I’m more confident that it’s the right time to jump. I’ think I’ll know when I know that I know:)

[[be...]]

I think that’s very wise. I do believe you’ll know that you know that you know. It may still hurt, but you will rest assured that you gave yourself the very best chance possible of a smooth walk off.

 

Beauty 

[[Ha...]]

I am definitely learning the importance of taking things at the pace my brain and body dictate.  I had said I wanted to be below .25 mg before the end of the year, but this last cut has been the hardest so far (I mean, really really hard in so many ways) and now I have just decided to sit here for as long as I need to, until things reach some kind of equilibrium again, before tapering further. 

 

I will call this .25 (.251 is close enough, right??) and just be proud that I reached this milestone, even though I am so impatient to be done with this poison and find out whether I will ever get my brain back (my biggest fear).

 

The symptoms of this last cut have included severe brain fog, confusion, DR/DP, extreme anxiety/jitteriness/jumpiness, and a feeling of seeing things out of the corner of my eye from time to time.  The left eye twitch/tremor is also back.  The insomnia is a given these days, but it has gotten worse.  I don't really understand why this particular cut, which is no bigger than any of the others, would be this bad, unless it's just that it's getting to be a very low dose.

 

So, I'm hoping if I stay put for a while these things will die down.  It's very hard to function like this.  This is day seven of the new dose.

 

Haimona

[[Gi...]]

Can someone tell me what the recommended jump off dose is for Ativan? I’ll be at 0.05 mg on Monday.

 

Thanks!

 

Bibsjo,

You're so close!! I jumped at 0.098.  A bit higher than recommended but I was just ready for it to be over and done with.  I had sx with even 1% cuts so I decided to take a leap of faith.  I figured there would be pain either way, and wanted to just get it all over with and be done and start the new year free.

 

It's been three weeks and I'm just into windows and waves, no worse than tapering was.  Definitely some uncomfortable days but manageable.  I know it will improve with time. Ginger

 

 

 

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I need help as I am tapering Ativan plus 2 anti depressants.  I am really struggling.  Please can others who have been successful with Ativan tapers help me.  I have to multi taper as have no medical insurance and can no longer source the pills.  I am tapering @ 2% every 2 weeks.  I am also on cymbalta and mitazapine. 

[[Di...]]

Looking for advice/recommendations

 

I don't really know where to begin but here I go...  I was prescribed xanax for anxiety March 2020 due to the covid scare when actually after 4 weeks I figured out the anxiety was from new blood pressure Metoprolol that had been prescribed.  I was having horrible side effects with anxiety being the #1.  Doc stopped  metoprolol cold turkey causing horrible rebound...she increased the xanax 2xs after initial script never told me to taper.  Started having worse anxiety in May doc finally decided I had become dependent on the xanax.  She started a taper horrible withdrawal for 2 weeks when back to doc 7/6/2020 she switched me from 1.25 mg xanax daily to 1.50 mg Ativan/Lorazepam was on that for 2 weeks had horrible anxiety issues.  On 8/6/2020 I tapered myself down to 1.25 mg Ativan did pretty well.  8/20/2020 I cut to 1.00 mg Ativan still doing pretty well.  On 9/4/2020 dropped to .75 mg Ativan high anxiety after one week on this dose.  10/1/2020 doc added Buspirone 10 mg 2x/day...wanted me to taper to .5 mg/day but I tapered to .625 mg/day...anxiety after one week.  10/20/2020 still at .625 mg/day still having anxiety.  Asked doc to prescribe liquid Ativan 2mg/2ml made the switch gradually.  I draw 1 ml liquid Ativan add enough water to make 300 ml enough for 3 days.  Dose 20 ml 3x/day and 40 ml at bedtime.  11/21/2020 tapered liquid by 10% 18 ml 3x/day 36 ml bedtime.  First week was good, second week felt more anxiety third week was in bed for 2 days.  Fourth week I had 3 evenings that were good, good enough that I forget to take my bedtime med had to get out of bed and take it.  Maybe this was a fluke or just part of it but last Friday night I messed up and didn't take the 36 ml at bedtime but took only 20 ml felt better the next day but did go back to my scheduled dose.  Still having anxiety I was thinking about starting the DLMT since the 10% cut didn't go well.  Any thoughts or support would be greatly appreciated.  I have read back through posts on here and I noticed that there were several who have or are still doing the DLMT.  My heart breaks for all who are suffering from this crazy stuff praying for everyone to feel better.

Thank you,

Diane

 

[[An...]]

Sabi, I just tapered off Ativan (lorazepam). Last dose was August 14, 2020. My experience was bad but doable, if that makes sense. After going cold turkey off of1mg a day, everything else seemed not so horrifically severe 😬. I had to get back on after 3 or 4 weeks of hell! The worst may have been the stomach pain. Not everybody gets that...I had so many bad symptoms I wouldn't even know where to start...I was put on a ppi (proton pump inhibitor - omeprazole) and got a horrific reaction that was straight anxiety. I think my already tense nervous system freaked out when I took the omeprazole. It was one of THE WORST experiences I've ever been through. I lived through it. I ended up taking famotidine for the stomach pain/heartburn, and I'm actually still on it. That can be stopped later on. I had to change my diet up as a result of the stomach pain. I had to eat stomach friendly foods like oatmeal, bananas, yogurt, rice, I drank kombucha drink (it helped), avocados, ginger tea (2 tea bags!) helped when nothing else would. Please feel free to PM me, I'll help in any way that I can! I can feel my emotions fully now. I feel so alive and so grateful. I'm beginning to return to normal.

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Andy, I reacted like that to omeprazole too! I was a short time off, and we were trying to alleviate burning pain in my throat by blocking acid with a PPI. You’re the first I’ve heard like me, so I just wanted to say hi.

 

Merry Christmas to the lorazefam! Y’all are all doing so great. Keep up the hard work...you’ll be on the other side soon!!

 

Beauty

 

 

[[An...]]

Wow! Thank you for telling me this! I can't help but wonder how long were you on the omeprazole before you started to get the reaction? My reaction started about day 3-5 the first time about 11/19, after I went basically cold turkey off 1mg of lorazepam. After I started my slower taper in April the stomach pain started again and my GI wanted me to try pantaprozole. I reluctantly agreed. Day 3 the same horrible mess started again. I got dystonia (muscle tightness) in my chest and neck. I honestly thought I was going to die. I'm just really curious about this. Fascinated someone else went through it too.

I'm in month 5 from jumping off and almost normal for the last few weeks!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[[be...]]

I tried otc Pepcid first, and the anxiety built from day 1. By day 3 it was almost unbearable. I stopped on day 5. With the omeprazole, I took one dose, and I felt like my throat was closing over and all of my wd symptoms magnified greatly. I had to take Benadryl for several days, bc there were aspects of it that seemed almost like an allergy. It resolved by 3-4 days off. I feel almost normal a lot of the time now, too, but my mouth/throat burn just about all of the time. Sometimes it’s a low level pain...other times, it’s very very bad. My doctor thinks it’s LPR from withdrawal, and it will resolve with lifestyle modifications and time. I think it may be burning mouth syndrome. Doesn’t matter what it is, I guess. I can’t tolerate medications, and the lifestyle changes are the same for both...and I’d already made all of them in taper.

 

Nice to make the connection on this - I’ve seen so few react to this type of med! I’m five months off next week. Windows and waves, windows and waves. The last month has been so much better than any before it.

 

Beauty

[[Gi...]]

Andy and Beauty,

That you are both feeling good after a few months is very encouraging.  I am four weeks off ativan tomorrow.  The last two days I had my worst wave.  Today is starting out better.  I will be thrilled if, in four or five months, I'm doing as well as you two are.

Merry Christmas to all the ativan warriers. Keep soldiering on and we will all prevail. Ginger

[[be...]]

Gingermint! I’m so happy for/proud of you. I remember that you were planning to wait until the new year to taper off, and then recently, I saw you had just gone for it. This process brings us in tune with our bodies like nothing else, and I commend you for honoring the message you were getting from yours. I had some heavy waves in the first month or two (especially when I was trying to treat reflux/burning mouth), but things are going so much better now that I let that ship sail. I’m sensitive to medications in withdrawal, so I will do everything else I can before trying any more for anything.

 

Be encouraged. There is a light at the end of this tunnel. I have several buddies who jumped around the time I did, and we all seem to be having better windows these days. ❤️

 

Merry Christmas. May the wave pass as quickly as it came on.

 

Much love to all, Beauty

[[Gi...]]

Looking for advice/recommendations

 

I don't really know where to begin but here I go...  I was prescribed xanax for anxiety March 2020 due to the covid scare when actually after 4 weeks I figured out the anxiety was from new blood pressure Metoprolol that had been prescribed.  I was having horrible side effects with anxiety being the #1.  Doc stopped  metoprolol cold turkey causing horrible rebound...she increased the xanax 2xs after initial script never told me to taper.  Started having worse anxiety in May doc finally decided I had become dependent on the xanax.  She started a taper horrible withdrawal for 2 weeks when back to doc 7/6/2020 she switched me from 1.25 mg xanax daily to 1.50 mg Ativan/Lorazepam was on that for 2 weeks had horrible anxiety issues.  On 8/6/2020 I tapered myself down to 1.25 mg Ativan did pretty well.  8/20/2020 I cut to 1.00 mg Ativan still doing pretty well.  On 9/4/2020 dropped to .75 mg Ativan high anxiety after one week on this dose.  10/1/2020 doc added Buspirone 10 mg 2x/day...wanted me to taper to .5 mg/day but I tapered to .625 mg/day...anxiety after one week.  10/20/2020 still at .625 mg/day still having anxiety.  Asked doc to prescribe liquid Ativan 2mg/2ml made the switch gradually.  I draw 1 ml liquid Ativan add enough water to make 300 ml enough for 3 days.  Dose 20 ml 3x/day and 40 ml at bedtime.  11/21/2020 tapered liquid by 10% 18 ml 3x/day 36 ml bedtime.  First week was good, second week felt more anxiety third week was in bed for 2 days.  Fourth week I had 3 evenings that were good, good enough that I forget to take my bedtime med had to get out of bed and take it.  Maybe this was a fluke or just part of it but last Friday night I messed up and didn't take the 36 ml at bedtime but took only 20 ml felt better the next day but did go back to my scheduled dose.  Still having anxiety I was thinking about starting the DLMT since the 10% cut didn't go well.  Any thoughts or support would be greatly appreciated.  I have read back through posts on here and I noticed that there were several who have or are still doing the DLMT.  My heart breaks for all who are suffering from this crazy stuff praying for everyone to feel better.

Thank you,

Diane

 

Diane,

I was never able to do a daily micro taper but I did switch to liquid early in my taper.  There is a support group dedicated to DLMT, you might want to check them out.

 

I'm sorry you had such a bad time coming off metoprolol.  I took it many years ago.  My dr took me off and it was bad.  I reinstated and tapered off.  It took me a year because I had never done a taper before.  I had to restart twice and go slower.  I was not on ativan at that time but my experience with metoprolol taught me a lot about tapering a drug.

 

With ativan I also incorporated many long holds between cuts to let my CNS stabilize and some healing to take place.  It still was not easy but I pushed through and took my last dose four weeks ago.  Best of luck to you.  Ginger

 

 

[[Gi...]]

Gingermint! I’m so happy for/proud of you. I remember that you were planning to wait until the new year to taper off, and then recently, I saw you had just gone for it. This process brings us in tune with our bodies like nothing else, and I commend you for honoring the message you were getting from yours. I had some heavy waves in the first month or two (especially when I was trying to treat reflux/burning mouth), but things are going so much better now that I let that ship sail. I’m sensitive to medications in withdrawal, so I will do everything else I can before trying any more for anything.

 

Be encouraged. There is a light at the end of this tunnel. I have several buddies who jumped around the time I did, and we all seem to be having better windows these days. ❤️

 

Merry Christmas. May the wave pass as quickly as it came on.

 

Much love to all, Beauty

 

Yes, I jumped earlier.  I just kept getting the feeling to do it sooner rather than wait.  I'm glad I listened to my intuition.  All in all it has not been nearly as bad as I had feared.  Thank you for your kind words.  I'm so very happy you are doing well.  Ginger

 

 

[[Di...]]

Gingermint thank you I will check out the DLMT board.  I know now there is no easy way out I sure wish there was.  I am so happy for you.  Thank you for your support.  Wising you the best.

Diane

[[An...]]

To buddy and gingermint, it does get better with time! I had to learn the hard way to steer clear of caffeine. It makes the withdrawals worse. I would get full body random muscle twitches and slight shaking. Also, I was surprised to read about the visit to the er with abdominal/stomach pain. I had stomach pain so badly for so long. My diet was restricted to white rice and unspiced chicken and oatmeal for weeks at a time. This in a man who always had a cast iron stomach, I could eat anything with no worries or pain. I'm happy to say my stomach is doing much, much better. I'm currently taking 20mg twice daily of famotidine. I will wean down off the famotidine in time. It's ok for now. I also had a colonoscopy and endoscopy and GI Dr. Said I had a clean bill of health. I'm a healthy, active, and fit 43 year old man. Ginger tea has been my ace in the hole! When pepto and tums couldn't relieve the pain ginger tea helped tremendously! I am either in a long window or mostly healed. I still have the leg tingles and almost went for an MRI until the wonderful people here on benzo buddies told me so many of them have the same symptoms. When I went CT from 1mg a day I had tremors, shaking, everything. I went to a neurologist and had an MRI of my head and neck. I wish I had availed myself of the wisdom on BB. It could have saved me a lot of worrying, not to mention several hundred $. I have done a lot of meditation to help ease the anxiety. Also, I have listened to soothing music (Hemisync The End The Dive from the Monroe Institute is excellent). My heart goes out to all who have gone and are going through this frankly ridiculous experience. Please feel free to PM me, I'll help in any way I can. The doctors, my family think this is all in my head, which is frustrating but I understand. Somehow throughout this whole process I've managed to run my small business, I'm a general contractor. I gave myself the permission to not be ok. I did not have the strength reserves I normally had. Afyer several hours of work I would be exhausted, I would reschedule appointments and give myself permission to lay down and relax. Being tired and hungry exacerbated the withdrawals. I'm happy to report I think I'm maybe about 90% healed. Worried that it's just a window but time will tell.

[[fr...]]

Gingermint thank you I will check out the DLMT board.  I know now there is no easy way out I sure wish there was.  I am so happy for you.  Thank you for your support.  Wising you the best.

Diane

Hi Dianedeedee. I did a DLMT from Ativan 1mg for sleep taken for 20 years plus. It took about 13 months to slowly taper off. A year since jumping my only problem is insomnia. I am trying thc oil for that with some success but still have to find the right dose. I have had insomnia

for half of my life so it may just be me and not withdrawal.

It can be done but much easier if you go slowly and trick your brain and nervous system into not sensing the reductions quite so much.

Good Luck!

[[Di...]]

Fridaygirl thank you for the information and encouragement.  Like so many I never ever thought I would be dealing with something like this.  Wishing all the luck that your insomnia goes away.

Diane

[[An...]]

Friday girl, it's nice to hear from someone who hasn't had an apocalyptic experience coming off benzos. I wish I knew about the difference a DLMT could have made in my experience beforehand. I guess I had to learn the hard way. Now I know how important it is never to take that medicine. If I had to guess you've probably read about the importance of sleep hygiene. I practice it to the best of my ability and still have insomnia, though it's not that severe. Thank you for sharing your experience. Andy

[[Di...]]

Just wanted to spread a little hope!  I felt horrible yesterday morning had a hard time getting out of bed.  After lunch and even until bedtime I had the longest window I have ever had since all of this started 10 months ago!!!  I am so thankful and grateful!  Today isn't as calming but hey I'm appreciative of any and all windows!  Hoping for a good day for ever.  Dianedeedee

[[An...]]

Dianedeedee, the worst of w/d symptoms occured during the beginning of my taper. After I went down to .5 things generally got better. I hope it goes the same for you. We're both a part of the lorazafam!

[[Di...]]

Thank you Andyinforida I hope that will be true for me also.  So glad you are off of this stuff.