Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

[[ja...]]

Dear Mairin, so good to hear from you. Your amazing! I echo what Cedartree said.

 

All my best

Love Jackie :smitten:

[[Ed...]]

I need to clarify my description. I went from 1.50 to 1.25 - still way too fast. Then 1.25 to .125. Cedar directed me to the .125 cuts. I was never at 2.0 or 1.75 - I need to fix that! Started at 1.50 after many moths jumping around but never going over 1.50.

 

I am going slow now for sure. My confusion is my tolerance withdrawal. Even with small cuts I am not going to stabilize. But still need to cut after 10-14 days.?My next will be .125 like my last.

 

Mairin - do you still experience withdrawal symptoms after you cut?

 

I am so scared and really trying to do this right. My doc told me to cut .25.

 

 

[[Ed...]]

1.25 to .125 excuse me.

[[ce...]]

 

I am so scared and really trying to do this right. My doc told me to cut .25.

Doctors will always tell you to go faster than you should because they've likely never had to do this themselves, but just read what the drug company suggests. .25 mg cuts is HUGE! 

[[Ed...]]

Yeah it - it is was huge! Should I trace back .125 or just hang I there? I feel tempted to go back a little but what is the point? I'm in tolerance. I suppose I own these cuts now - just need to slow down. I do want to go backwards even though this hurts so much

 

Agree on your point about Docs!

 

[[ce...]]

Ed, just keep moving forward.  No looking back.  No updosing, no reinstating.  People who do these things never get free, but stay in bondage to benzo's forever.  You've got to bite the bullet and keep plugging along.  Right?  Yes, it sucks, yes it's miserable, but there's no other way to become benzo free than to make a plan and stick it out. 

 

I was in agonizing misery every minute of every day for a few years.  But, if I had not forced myself to keep making those small cuts every two weeks, I would not be the healthy happy person I am now.  I have gotten my health back, I can run, hike, and do anything I want to now.  I couldn't barely even crawl to the bathroom before.  Benzo's rob us of our lives, so do this right and get free of it forever.  No looking back! 

[[Ed...]]

Cedar -

 

You may have mentioned this before to me - but were you in tolerance w/d all the way down? I yo/yo between .5 and 1.0 of Ativan for few months after being on .5 for sleep. Totally going through withdrawals that were not caught. Started taking steroid that made me take Ativan .5 three times a day. Then hit tolerance two weeks out and little light went off in my head. "It's the benzo stupid!"

 

If tolerance is happening - why is it still important to even taper? I'm not going c/t at 1.125 but I'm not sure of the logic if the drug is no longer working!

 

Thanks!

[[ce...]]

Ed, I'll tell you why it's so crucial to taper even when you're having tolerance wd.  It cusions the blow so to speak when you do take that last dose. Also, if you think you feel misery now, going cold turkey when in tolerance will cause things to become even worse.  It's a double edged sword in some aspects.  The body will go into shock if you don't taper.  Benzo's are so completely different from any drug you've ever known.  I really don't know how to describe this to you any better than this.  But yes, I was in horrible tolerance wd and I personally believe that my slow taper despite my intense symptoms helped me so that I could fully heal rather quickly.  I healed in 10 months time. Many people who cold turkey take years to heal.  In my opinion it's doing your body a favor to taper slowly.  It just helps and that's really all I can tell you.  If your'e unsure, read the cold turkey section of the forum and you'll begin to see exactly what I'm talking about.

 

Hope you do okay and get well. 

[[Ed...]]

That totally makes sense.

 

Control burn verses an Inferno.

 

I'm doing so so. This is has been so overwhelming to me. I am taking mo money by moment.

[[Ed...]]

That would be moment by moment. But I will take money.

[[ce...]]

      You've got a good sense of humor Ed. 

[[Bi...]]

Cold turkey is not recommended. I tried it last year thinking I could get through this faster. In the long run its going to take me twice as long now.  Cedar is right, these synthetic drugs are very different from any other drugs. Your body requires the drug as you reducing doses. Benzo's are strange that way. 

 

This ain't your daddy's whiskey bottle, ya can't just quit cold turkey. 

 

Best of luck on your slow taper

[[Ed...]]

Thanks guys -

 

The anxiety is overwhelming and obviously the physical symptoms are no joke.

 

Cold Turkey is not an option for me! I had months of sickness of withdrawals - and like many - had no idea I was going through it.

 

For someone expierencing tolerance and interdose - is .125 cut safe? I'm not sure if I go slower it will matter because of the tolerance. I'm at 1.125 now and really want to keep that pace .125 pace. I just find no reason to go micro if I never stabilize. Like I said - I thnk rebound anxiety is my major issue and emotional stuff.

[[ce...]]

 

 

This ain't your daddy's whiskey bottle, ya can't just quit cold turkey. 

 

 

Bwaahhaahahhaaa!!!!   

 

Love it Birdy!

[[Bi...]]

[[Bi...]]

4/13/13 Ativan 1.50 - 1.25 (Doc advised cut, thanks)

4/28/13 1.25 - 1.125 (It's been really hard)

That's such a brutal speed,, yikes!!

 

You should go to the RECOVERY AND SUPPORT FORUM and look around at the "jumpee's" complaints. 

If you taper too fast this is where you could be spending the next year complaining about your s/x  - Remember that jumping does not mean it's over by a long shot.  If I go slow enough I may get lucky and be recovered by the time I jump.

[[Ed...]]

You are so wise!

 

But I have tolerance. That's why I'm so confused on the speed I am going!

[[Ma...]]

Ed,

 

Its so hard to explain or even understand this sometimes, but I think Cedar and Bird are telling it like it is.

 

I think a slow taper is important.  The brain REALLY NEEDS TIME TO adjust to the cuts.  The faster you get off, the worse you are making it for yourself in the long run.

 

Cold turkey and rapid taper are like jumping out of a plane without a parachute.

 

Tapering is like having the parachute.

[[Ed...]]

I have typo in my profile section - my last drop was .125 not 1.125! I know some think .125 is too fast too.

[[Ed...]]

I just have .125 compounded pills at this point and they are new. I'm not sure how to slow my next cut.

[[fo...]]

It is hard to believe what seems like a small amount of Ativan could cause such havoc. Yet my ears are ringing like a bell. The Ashton tables seem to show that upon achieving a Valium level of 10 mg, a ten percent cut can be made from that point every 1 to 2 weeks, or about 1 mg per each time period. Apparently, 1 mg Ativan is about equal to 10 mg Valium. I have .5 mg Ativans which can be cut in quarters for about 12.5 percent each cut. Perhaps it might be possible to taper down using quarter pills. At least the ringing in the ears covers the noisy neighbors, you have to look at the good side. I think Edward and I are about in the same dosage range at the moment, 1.125 mg.

[[AA...]]

Hi, looking for a little help here. I had to go back to 2mg a day on my Ativan. I am now feeling better and will start in the morning cutting .250 (1/4 of a 1mg pill). I went to taking it 4 times a day as follows: .5 at 6am, .5 at 12 noon, .5 at 6pm and .25 at midnight. Do you think after a couple of weeks I should cut the 12 noon dose from .5 to .25 to keep it even in my system and them proceed with the other two doses, one at a time of course until they are all at .25 four times a day. This will take at least two months. I see my pdoc on July 22 and I am going to tell him I don't want to take the Effexor unless I can not get off the Ativan without it and see if he will give me a six month supply of .5mg Ativan to finish the taper.

I have had a couple of thoughts about taking the Effexor but have not so far, maybe I should to see how it works and if it drives me nuts stop it and tell the pdoc I can not take it. Has anyone used Effexor to withdraw from the Ativan? From what I have read it's worse that Ativan to taper off.

I went to see my primary care MD and asked her if she would write the Ativan and she said no that I need to stay with the pdoc at the VA. As you can tell I am a little confused as what to do. The pdoc says to try the effexor which may be the way to go if it works for GAD which is what I have. No depression that I know of but hey I am 72 years old and in good physical health. Look forward to hearing from you.

I need to add that I was on 6mg a day before I started the taper.

[[fo...]]

AAB13X2L, I would consider obtaining 0.5 mg Ativan tablets, cutting them into quarters, and tapering .125 mg at 1 to 2 week intervals. That's what I am trying to do. The smaller cuts are likely to be less of a shock to your system. The first cut I made of .25 mg was noticeable and had physical repercussions. The next cut of .125 mg was not noticeable. It all depends on what you can tolerate.

[[AA...]]

Thanks frogpills for the advise. I wish I had the .5mg pills but I will have to make due with the 1mg. I read that some people use a razor blade to shave

the pill and come close to the amount that they want to cut. I will take your advise and cut or shave off .125 if I need to. I wish you the best in reaching your goal. I am thankfull for this forum and the fine folks here.

[[Bo...]]

Hi all.

 

I am tapering off of adivan and I think I'm going to fast...I started April 12, 2013 2.50 mg a day I'm now at .75 mg a day. Last taper was last Thursday and I'm still feeling depersonalized, not able to focus, headache, vision impaired, etc. Here is my schedule:

7:30 am .25mg lorazepam

9:00 am 5mg buspirone

3:30 pm .25mg lorazepam

5:00 pm 5mg buspirone

10:00 pm .25mg lorazepam and 5mg ambien

Where should I go from here. Should I wait 3 weeks instead of 2 for the next taper?

Kim