stabilizing lorazepam help

[[Ya...]]

I was taking 4mg at night, had reduced to 3 mg, then left home for three days without pills and that is when I figured out what had been going on for 6 years.

 

I have divided dose to .50 4X's a day and 1mg at night, that is every 3 hrs as when I had it at every 5 hrs the w/d was worse.

 

I have an appt next week, and in advance provided my doc with the Ashton manual.

 

Please any suggestions on starting this process out correctly?

 

Shaun

 

I feel like the dose might not be high enough to start the tapper.

[[Be...]]

Hi, Yaiam.

 

I was on lorazepam, too, and what you describe sounds a lot like interdose withdrawal.  I actually tapered off 3mg/day (spread out over 5 doses/day) by cutting up my .5mg tablets.  I know that others have used the Ashton method of substituting Valium and you can read more about that on the Substitution Board.  Another good method is Titration.  The method you choose depends on your circumstances and, of course, whether your doctor will go along with the Ashton method. 

 

Not knowing the time frame for you going from 4mg to 3mg and being without your pills for 3 days, I don't have  a good idea of whether or not you might do better going back up in dose.  Generally speaking, it doesn't seem to work very well unless the drop in dose was pretty recent. 

 

Good luck at the doctors. 

[[Ya...]]

Thank you for your response .

It was on Monday 1 week ago that I divided 3 mg into 5 doses. It was the Friday and Saturday before that I was without, on Sunday when I got home I too 2mg and slept all day woke up felt better ate took 2mg slept, on Monday I felt good and symptoms were all but gone. Had to prove to myself that I had figured out what had been  wrong with me for 6 years.

 

I have been having these symptoms since four to six months from starting @ 1mg at bed time. They seemed to start at late night and over the years now beginning at 2 -4 in the afternoon.

 

I believe my Doctor will accept the Ashton Manual if only for me.

 

I would love to do this faster but with other health issues I can't take even what I went through over the weekend.

 

All advice is appreciated,

 

Shaun

 

[[Be...]]

Thank you for your response .

It was on Monday 1 week ago that I divided 3 mg into 5 doses. It was the Friday and Saturday before that I was without, on Sunday when I got home I too 2mg and slept all day woke up felt better ate took 2mg slept, on Monday I felt good and symptoms were all but gone. Had to prove to myself that I had figured out what had been  wrong with me for 6 years.

 

I have been having these symptoms since four to six months from starting @ 1mg at bed time. They seemed to start at late night and over the years now beginning at 2 -4 in the afternoon.

 

I believe my Doctor will accept the Ashton Manual if only for me.

I would love to do this faster but with other health issues I can't take even what I went through over the weekend.

 

All advice is appreciated,

 

Shaun

 

If you have been having symptoms for months even when you haven't reduced your dose, that sounds like tolerance withdrawal.  I, too, had reached that point where the amount I was taking wasn't enough to stave off symptoms but I didn't want to keep going up in dose so decided to taper off.  I hope you are right about your doctor.  Do let us know.  Good luck. 

[[Ya...]]

Beeper,

 

Do you think if you had the choice you would use The Ashto Method or your own?

And how were the w/d's for you.

 

 

[[Be...]]

I was pretty miserable in tolerance withdrawal at the beginning and might have been tempted to try the Valium substitution if that had been possible.  I'm not sure it would have made any difference, though.  From what I understand, once you become tolerant of one benzo, you are tolerant of all.