Would really appreciate some advice on my story.

[[Sh...]]

Hi and thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

About 8 years ago I started 2mg of ativan. 4 years ago I decide it was time to start tapering and in the last 4 years i went from 2mg to 0.8mg of ativan which was not easy but overall I could handle it....but at 0.8mg I couldn't cut anymore it was to hard. So  5 1/2 months ago I went to a sauna detox center and within 2 months got down to 0.3mg (0.1mg 3 times a day, the ativan is compounded). It was  rough but I had some really good weeks on the way down but once I got to 0.3mg it was not good and it has been brutal for the last 3 1/2 months. It used to be that I would have 2-4 good weeks and then maybe a really bad 5-7 days but now at 0.3mg it is the opposite, I mostly have really brutal days with a few window days here or there where I feel am somewhat better. It is very scary when you feel that you will never get better and every moment of the day is scary (accept at night it breaks a bit, though waking up is the worst by far).

 

I wonder what peoples thoughts are whether i should wait at the 0.3mg till I finally get some stability or should I keep tapering slowly regardless? Or go back up for awhile? I would love your general advice on that!!

 

Thank you so much for the help!!

 

Sean

 

[[...]]

I'm sorry you're suffering.

 

This is such a difficult question to answer since we're all different and there's no way to know which option will work best for you.

 

There's no way to know if updosing will give you relief or not and there's no way to know which dose would give you relief.

 

If you choose to continue reducing your dose I would wait until you feel stable before making another cut.

 

Regardless of what you decide you'll be able to find lots of support here.

 

 

[[Mi...]]

Maybe look into liquid titration?

I am 11 wks. into taper - still on 2.25mg. a day. I'm kind of in a similar spot and considering going back up

to 2.5mg for a week and then start to taper again.

 

May also want to look into the supplements blog. Taurine (KAL brand) seems to help a lot of people.

 

Sorry I can't help more - hang in there sounds like things are just around the corner for you. 

Mindy

[[su...]]

Hello Shift400,

 

I saw your questions and put together some information that may be helpful. It turns out that benzodiazepines have what is called a low dose dependency. It seems for some of us the lower you get in our dose the more the drug tries to hold on. This benzodiazepine is going to lose its home. You will one day become benzo free and well. I am the type of person who seeks to know what is happening and why, it brings comfort to me. I hope it does the same for you.

 

Low dose dependency and taper advise:

 

The Treatment of Benzodiazepine

Dependence

First published:

Addiction 89: 1535-1541 • 1994

Professor C Heather Ashton DM, FRCP

 

Even with slow withdrawal from smaller doses, psychiatric symptoms sometimes appear and anxiety can be severe. The rate of withdrawal should be tailored to the patient's individual needs and should take into account such factors as lifestyle, personality, environmental stresses, reasons for taking benzodiazepines and amount of support available. Various authors suggest optimal times of between 6-8 weeks to a few months for the duration of withdrawal, but some patients may take a year or more. It has been suggested that very slow rates of withdrawal merely prolong the agony, and that although symptoms may be more severe with more rapid withdrawal, they do not last so long. However, this is an individual matter and in general, the best results are achieved if the patient is in control of the rate of withdrawal and proceeds at whatever rate he/she finds tolerable. Occasionally, however, a therapist-controlled withdrawal rate with patient consent is more appropriate.

 

 

Smith and Wesson (1983) observed that symptoms after withdrawal from low-dose benzodiazepine typically take 6-12 months to subside completely.

 

I hope this is helpful,

 

Summer

 

[Guest [...]]

Hey shift

 

how r u going??  Im inclined to agree with Summermeadow here for sure.  I just crossed over from 4mg of xanax to 45mg of valium and came down to 2.5 in 18 days NOT SAYING I RECOMMEND THIS  but for me was the best decision because i was deadly sick of those toxic doses.  Ive just cut 2 1/2 weeks ago to 2mg of valium this was touch and i felt like you know what but for me i truly believe it was the way to go.  I dont know after tapering for 2 years for eg for me would have just prolonged the agony and who is to say that i wouldnt have had withdrawal symptoms anyway because i would have been on it for that two years longer.  I dont know myself how to get of these last 2mg i guess i will do it with liquid valium and will take the next cut next week.  Oh the main thing i wanted to point out before i started raving on as i do is this.  after two weeks of reducing from 2.5 down to 2 i tried to reinstate to 2.5 and felt so much worse severe anxiety etc so there is no telling how you will feel i guess you know yourself and will do what works for you.  Good info from summermeadow

 

take care Lizzy

[[Sh...]]

Thanks all of you that is great advice! It is so hard to go through this and also not to know the right way to go but I think i will try another cut soon as I agree that staying in one place is not bringing me any stability.

Mindy, what did you read about taurine and have you been using it? Has it helped you at all?

 

Thanks so much,

 

Sean