was switched from ativan to xanax

[[sw...]]

oh man,the other afternoon i was freaking so called my pharmisit and he told me to take my klonopin to calm down and get ahold of my dr well it calmed me down and the next day i hadnt heard from my dr and since i had been on both before i took ativan and klonopin(not at same etime) i was gonna just stay on the klon and not ativan but after i took klon this morning i got ahold of dr and she said no since i have such dizziness on klono to stay on ativan at least untill i see her on june 2 when we can talk about meds,,,,,,,,,,,,so im in a fix sitting here feeling drugged out and needing something for anxiety.i had to up my abilify back to 2 mg from 1 mg and i guess that could so it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i dont know if im ever gonna get off the benzos at this rate,,,,,,,,,,,,im only gonna take 1/2 mg of ativan as it makes me feel drugged,Thanks for all your advice

[[Be...]]

oh man,the other afternoon i was freaking so called my pharmisit and he told me to take my klonopin to calm down and get ahold of my dr well it calmed me down and the next day i hadnt heard from my dr and since i had been on both before i took ativan and klonopin(not at same etime) i was gonna just stay on the klon and not ativan but after i took klon this morning i got ahold of dr and she said no since i have such dizziness on klono to stay on ativan at least untill i see her on june 2 when we can talk about meds,,,,,,,,,,,,so im in a fix sitting here feeling drugged out and needing something for anxiety.i had to up my abilify back to 2 mg from 1 mg and i guess that could so it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i dont know if im ever gonna get off the benzos at this rate,,,,,,,,,,,,im only gonna take 1/2 mg of ativan as it makes me feel drugged,Thanks for all your advice

 

Sweetpea/hazyworld, this has been your pattern as long as you've been at BenzoBuddies: you don't follow a set schedule for taking your doses and you jump back and forth because you think changing or adding a different one back will make you feel better.  If you continue to do this, no, I don't think you will get off benzos.

 

Almost all of us have had very difficult anxiety and other symptoms to deal with while tapering.  If you read some of the other posts on this forum, you will see that this is true. And yet, most of us simply decide that no matter what, we will not take more benzo to get short-term relief.  If you don't make that decision, those drugs will keep jerking you around and it becomes a vicious cycle.

 

Are you going to follow your doctor's directions about staying on the ativan?  How much are you taking and when?  You really should turn those leftover klonopin into the pharmacy for disposal; if they are laying around you will be tempted to take them when times are tough. 

[[sw...]]

im to take the ativan morning noon and bedtime im planning on getting on the schedule.............its my fear of going crazy as last time i was on it i ddint do to well,but dr said no klono as the dizziness is so bad,,im gonna give my hubby the klonopin soon as he gets home,,,,,,,,,,,,i have been on these drugs 20 years now and it is scary how im feeling as u well know

[[tr...]]

im to take the ativan morning noon and bedtime im planning on getting on the schedule.............its my fear of going crazy as last time i was on it i ddint do to well,but dr said no klono as the dizziness is so bad,,im gonna give my hubby the klonopin soon as he gets home,,,,,,,,,,,,i have been on these drugs 20 years now and it is scary how im feeling as u well know

 

It is scary.  I don't know of one person that wasn't scared out of their mind that they weren't actually going crazy. The thing is that you can't give in to how you "feel."    If you do that you will continue to be on these drugs another 20 years. 

 

In order to get off these drugs you are going to have to make a commitment, get tough, and plow through the worst of it.  No more changing meds, up dosing because you feel funny or different, or cutting unreasonable amounts.  If you read around the forum you will see that what you feel is what everyone goes through.  The difference between getting off or staying in misery is having a scheduled plan for tapering and following through with it.

[[pa...]]

Hi Sweetpea. I think giving your meds to your husband is a good idea. Can he help you with the ativan as well? You really do need to get on a schedule, yo yoing like this will not help and will only bring more suffering. Dont worry about tapering right this second. Take your meds as you should, same dose, same time and let yourself stabilize.

I know this is scary but you can do it! You have to push through this hell to get to the other side. Give yourself a chance to get off so you can heal.

 

Have a good night

 

Amanda 

[[sw...]]

Thank You all so much............Im gonna give this my all.............since i have been on klonopin will it take me a while to adjust to ativan....im going to do some readding on here............i wanna be well

[[sw...]]

Did anyone go into rehab to get off benzos Im thinking about it but it would have to be to a bigger city>The one close to me does it cold turky i dont want that...............how do they get u off safely....did any of you ever go to rehab

[[Be...]]

Thank You all so much............Im gonna give this my all.............since i have been on klonopin will it take me a while to adjust to ativan....im going to do some readding on here............i wanna be well

 

It's possible that the first few days you are on ativan but no klonopin you could still feel a little drugged because the klono was still in your system.  Since you are/will be taking the ativan 3x/day (about 8 hours apart, right?), your body should adjust pretty quickly.  Are you going to stay on the same dose of ativan until your June 2 doctors appt. rather than start tapering.  That's only a few weeks away but should be plenty of time for you to adjust to the ativan alone.

 

 

 

 

[[pa...]]

I absolutely do not recommend rehab. How do you get off safely? By doing a slow and sensible taper. That's it.

Try and get stabilized and then think about your taper.

[[sw...]]

Thank You.................I was scared about rehab,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I feel a bit better this morning,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Thanks again

[[sw...]]

HI,Im just on the ativan and each day i feel more confused and cant concentrate,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,im really thinking im having withdrawal from stopping the klonopin,,,,,,,,,,,,,i ssee my dr june 3 and im scared of how i am feeling and really dont know what to tell her i was reading in my sweetpea thread and i felt confusion on ativan a couple weeks after being pput on it in the hospital aafter they stopped my klono same as now thats why i think its withdrawls how long would klno withdrawlas last      since im on the ativan..........I hope this makes sense

[[Be...]]

Hazyworld -

 

Confusion and not being able to concentrate are two of the common side effects of all benzos, along with dizziness and drowsiness.  After a month or two of tapering, I my thinking and memory got better but they really improved after I got totally off last July.  There isn't a benzo out there that doesn't have side effects.  As I remember, the klonopin made you depressed.

 

Tell your doctor what is going on and let her help you decide what to do.  In the meantime, you really should follow her instructions and not take more or less of the ativan.

[[sw...]]

Been on this ativan 2 1/2 mg since may 13 and feeling confused,tingling sensations and no interest in sex,,,,,,,,,,,,mind feel s odd this is how i felt when i was stopped off kklonopin before,,,,,,,,,,,,does anyone know how long i might have symptoms reltaed to stopping klonopin even though im on the ativan,,,,,,,,,,,i want to feel like i was on klono i had clear head but depression and dizzinesss this is so awful............i have to get bettter and i dont even now what to say to my dr

[[sw...]]

been on the ativan since may 13 09...........2 1/2 mg pretty much,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,per dr..................would like to cut as im feeling the depression again,,,,,,,,,,,,,any words,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,thanks

[[Th...]]

been on the ativan since may 13 09...........2 1/2 mg pretty much,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,per dr..................would like to cut as im feeling the depression again,,,,,,,,,,,,,any words,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,thanks

 

If you have the .50mg pills, you can reduce by 1/4 of a .50mg pill (.125mg) every two weeks until you are off. 

[[sw...]]

i have 1 mg pills

[[Th...]]

i have 1 mg pills

 

When you see your doctor June 3, you can ask him for the .50mg pills and tell him that you would like to try tapering off of them slowly by reducing 1/4 of a .50mg pill every two weeks until done. 

[[sw...]]

so would that be a half of a 05 mg pill cut im so confused sorrry

[[Th...]]

so would that be a half of a 05 mg pill cut im so confused sorrry

 

1/4 of a .50mg pill or .125mg.........1/2 of a .50mg pill would be .25mg

[[sw...]]

Thank yOu so much............and cut back that amount for u say 2 weeks

and continue cutting that way till off

[[pa...]]

Cutting .125mg till the end should be just fine  . Just make sure you get the .5mg pills.

 

Hope you have the good weekend!

 

Amanda 

[[sw...]]

i will try whats wrong with spitting up the 1 mg

 

[[Th...]]

i will try whats wrong with spitting up the 1 mg

 

 

You can't cut it into small enough pieces. A 1mg pill cut into 1/4s will only be .25mg pieces. While a .50mg pill cut into 1/4s are .125mg pieces. Making a smaller reduction when tapering.

[[sw...]]

Is it possible aftr 20 years on benzo  to go into a detox and get off them in like 7 days.............i had a friend that called a detox place that tapers you off and they told her it could be done in 7 days............with round the clock nurses and a dr there also.............they can use phenabartatal if needed whatever that is,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,im thinking of doing this as im not doing well on my own taper..............I see my dr on wed and im asking for something for this depression wheter its from the pills or not.............i need help...................do any of you know anyone that detoxed inpatient.............i would like to read their story.................thanks

[[tr...]]

I've never heard of anyone going to detox for benzos and had a good experience.  They say it's the trip to hell.

 

These places can take you off benzos in 7 days but it will be hell afterwards.  There is no short cut to getting off this type of drug.  There simply isn't.  Lord knows if there was we would all do it.