Needing help with a plan to taper from 1mg of Ativan to Valium

I will be going to my doctor on Tuesday to discuss how to taper off Ativan. I have gone down from 2mg a night to 1mg a night for the last 4 days or so. The w/d have been pretty intense, so I am hoping to stabilize at this dose for a while before I drop again. I have been reading a lot about switching over to Valium because of the longer half life and I think it is something I want to try because I am having a lot of daytime anxiety before my next dose. I would like to walk into my doctor's office with a plan, but I am a bit confused on how to do the switch over. I have looked at the Ashton manual and they are obviously coming off much higher dosages and were on it for a longer amount of time ( I have been on it for approx. 4 months with last month at the highest dose of 2mg a night). If anyone could help come up with a plan that I could show my doctor I would be so appreciative!

 

Thanks, Lisa

Okay this is the plan I have come up with. Can someone tell me if this looks acceptable...

 

 

1-2 weeks-0.5 mg Ativan morning, 5mg Valium night

 

1-2 weeks-10mg Valium at night

 

10% reductions of Valium each week thereafter.

 

 

I probably would insert a step in which you take the valium using the same schedule as the ativan (5 mg 2x/day) and allow 1-2 weeks before switching all 10 mg to night time.  Are you doing that because your main problem is insomnia?

Yes, I've been taking it only to sleep. I'm really unsure how to go about the taper, so I open to any advice. Thanks

It looks like you've got a good schedule, flexibility is important as you taper, it's all about listening to the messages your body is telling you.  I'll bet the message you're getting right now is pretty angry because you went from 2 mgs to 1 mg in 4 days, am I right? 

Pam, your right I did go from 2mg to 1mg for the past 4 days. I still am having some pretty intense anxiety, chest tightness, palpitations, and general sick feeling. The good thing is it seems to come in waves, so there are moments when I feel a little better. Do you know how long it will take to stabilize at this dose?

Most feel a cut between day 2 and 10, then after that, they begin to feel a little better which lets them know it's time to cut again.  Because you dropped so much in just 4 days, I'm not sure when you're going to feel stable.  When we shock our body in this manner, it takes awhile to recover.  I really feel you should slow things way down, and hold here for a week or two. 

I am hoping to stay here for a week or 2. I just hope the doctor is willing to let me. I guess my fear is him saying I'm only going to give you this much, and then not having enough to do a slow taper. I guess I just need to worry about then when the time comes tomorrow. Thanks Pam!

I sure hope he cooperates with you.  Print out some information if you can from the Ashton Manual.  Most Dr's don't much credence in it because it's anecdotal, but it will show him you've thought this out and have a plan.  Good luck and try not to worry, yeah right, easier said than done. 

Okay, so I printed out the entire Ashton manual. I have spent most of the day reading it and highlighting important points to show my doctor. I really do feel better now that I'm more informed. This seems doable...maybe not fun, but doable. I just hope I can get him on the same page. My appt. is tomorrow at 11:30. Thank you so much for all your support! Wish me luck!

He'll probably try to convince you that it's not withdrawal, don't buy into that okay?  This is real, we understand, even if he might not. 

Yeah I know him well and I bet he will too. That's what happened when I tried to explain the withdrawal from Cymbalta.  He made light of it and said the symptoms shouldn't be that bad. I was on a another support forum for help getting off that drug. If I would of done it his way I would have never made it.That drug ruined the last 6 months of my life. When I went to him for help he gave me Ativan. Now I feel like I am back to square one except this withdrawal is even worse. I didn't think that was possible. I see the medical profession in a whole new light now. Very sad...

Well I just got back from my doctors appt. and things didn't go as well as I hoped, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be either. He refused to prescribe the diazepam for withdrawal. He said he would rather just do a slow taper with the ativan. He is willing to go as slow as I need to so that made me feel a little better. So this is the plan...

 

1: Stay where I am at 1mg per night until I feel stable enough to start reducing

 

2: 0.75mg for 7-14 days

 

3: 0.5mg for 7-14 days

 

4: 0.25 for 7-14 days

 

5: off

 

Does this look like a pretty good plan?

Thanks!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry you have to go through this, you're probably exhausted from getting off of the Cymbalta, it blows my mind that you were given an addictive drug to get off of the A/D.    Not having access to Valium isn't that bad, some folks don't tolerate it well and have to switch back.  At least the Dr will supply you with enough.

 

I'd really like to see you take it slower than .25% cuts, what size pills do you have?

Thanks Pam! They are 0.5 mg. How would I go slower? They are so tiny!!!

.5 mg pills are great, you can make smaller cuts that way.  What about using a pill cutter to cut your .5 pills into quarters?  I know it sounds horribly slow, but rushing your taper means you'll have to do most of your healing after your last dose.  It's much better to let your body heal as you reduce your dose.  But of course, whatever you decide to do we'll support, because this is your taper.

You have been there, so I trust you know what would be easiest on me. Your right, I feel like my body is still recuperating from the Cymbalta. I don't even think I am 100% healed from that one! I am going to stay where I am for a week or 2 and see I can feel better. I definitely would be willing to to split them in 4. Do they sell the pill splitters at the drugstore? So if I went that route would I reduce every 7-14 days?

I'm glad to hear you're open to suggestions, I've never tapered, but I know what happens when you discontinue these drugs too quickly, it's not pretty!    Pill cutters are very inexpensive and available at the pharmacy.  You were right about the benzo withdrawal being tougher than the Cymbalta withdrawal, it's cruel you have to do this. 

 

 

Okay, so for the past week I dropped 1/4 off of one of my 0.5 mg pills in the morning and I am still taking 0.5 at bedtime. I am planning on taking 1/4 off my bedtime dose starting Monday and stay there for a week. I have calculated it should take me about 7 more weeks. Ugh! I must say though, I am pleasantly surprised that I have had very mild withdrawal symptoms so far. Slight headache, heart palpitations, off and on dizziness, and some mild anxiety, but nothing I can't handle. Is it safe to think that maybe this won't be so bad? I mean if it feels like this the rest of the way down I can definitely handle it. I mean it's no cake walk, but it's nothing like what I was feeling when I dropped from 2mg to 1mg. Man that was awful!!! I am really feeling like I can do this now! Thanks so much for all your help and support! 

You sound pretty good, it's not often we're pleasantly surprised around here!  I hope your taper continues to be manageable, but of course, there's no predicting this crummy process.  Just keep doing what you're doing and hope for the best, and remember you can slow it down if you begin to feel uncomfortable.  This will take as long as it takes, there's no sense rushing it if we can't be functional and if the pain is waiting for us when we're through tapering. 

 

Good luck and please let us know how you're doing.

I just wanted to check in and let you know how things are going for me. I did pretty good with that first cut, but each week it has gotten progressively harder. The symptoms hit about day 3 and start to ease up a bit by day 7 or 8 and then I cut again. I have managed to get down to 0.5mg per day but this is definitely getting tougher. My symptoms are dizziness, anxiety, facial pressure and pain, headaches, and I don't feel like doing anything except for sit on my couch. I am starting to feel a lot of feelings of guilt for all the things that I can't do right now. I can't go to the grocery store, I can't cook dinner, or do the laundry, and I feel like a terrible mother. :'( My husband is trying to understand, but I just don't think he really gets it. I have been spending most of my time coming back to the forum and reading the success stories. They really keep me going when I get discouraged. This is definitely the hardest thing I have ever gone through. I have been telling myself! I will be stronger from this when it's all said and done. Thanks again for all the support.

Thanks for the update, hopefullL.  And congratulations on getting down to .5mg/day. 

 

I'm afraid it is quite common for things to get rough as you get to the lower doses.  I don't know if this is just symptoms catching up to you or what but do want to suggest you consider slowing down your taper for a while to see if these recent symptoms lessen a bit.  This is an awful time of the year to have to be out of commission but this will soon be a part of your past.  I don't think that anyone who hasn't been through it can really understand how debilitating withdrawal from benzos can be. 

Thanks for your response Beeper! I think I may need to just hold my dose for longer than 1 week at this point. Like you said, it's just starting to catch up with me. It's just hard to drag it out when I see an end in sight. I think I will hold here for a couple of weeks. Hoping for a better day today.

It's good you're figuring out what your body needs, it makes no sense to rush off of this stuff when there's only pain waiting for you.  Let us know how it's going. 

Thanks Pam! Hope you had a good Christmas! Mine was pretty rough. I decided not to drop to 0.5 at the 1 week mark, and hold here at 0.625 for another week. My symptoms really seem to be catching up with me. I feel a little better this morning, just some anxiety. Yesterday was HELL! We had Christmas at 3 different places and I think it was just too much for me to handle. On the ride home last night, I felt like I was going to DIE! My face, jaw and head hurt so bad and my anxiety and agitation was through the roof! Also was having some body aches and heart palpitations. I had to keep telling myself this will pass. It was very frightening. I have to admit I am pretty fearful about making another cut after this last one. Do you guys think I should continue with 0.125mg cuts every week until I'm off? Thanks again for the awesome support!