Please Help Me: Ativan Use 2-3 times weekly

I was taking Ativan every day for several months and was able to taper off of it. I then decided to only use Ativan when things were really bad. Long story short I have been taking Ativan 2-3 times a week for almost year. I am psychologically dependent on it and don't want to take it anymore. I've searched but haven't been able to find any info on tapering when you don't take the medication daily. Please help or guide me in the right direction, I don't want to depend on this anymore.

Most members who take the drug intermittently find they can’t taper until they start taking it every day.  I know it doesn’t seem right but Ativan is so short acting, you’d be in severe withdrawal while you wait for enough days to pass to take another dose. Most of our Ativan members will dose 3 times a day while withdrawing.

 

How did your first taper go, did you experience symptoms?  How much Ativan do you take a week?

Thankfully, I didn't have any symptoms during my first taper (except for the return of the anxiety for which I was taking it). Im taking 2.25mg once a day a few times a week.

You know, there are some who can taper from these drugs with little to no problem, you might be one of those lucky people.  How do you feel as you get closer to taking your dose, are you experiencing symptoms?

 

 

I usually wake up in the morning with high anxiety which is when I take it.

 

Might be able to get off benzo with few symptoms but I'm also tapering off Effexor and I think it will take me at least 2 yrs of how slow I have to go to avoid symptoms.

Oh dear, I didn’t know you were tapering another drug, this might not be the best time to taper the Ativan.

 

I do need to keep asking questions though because your past can help predict your future.  Do you wake up every morning with anxiety, if so, what do you do about it if its not a day you take your dose?

 

It’s just so strange to me that someone can take a short acting benzo like Ativan every few days, I would think you would feel horrible all the time.  Why did you taper off of it the last time?

Right now i have put a pause on the Effexor.

 

For some reason ativan seems to stay in my system for a long time. I take it in the morning and it helps me the entire day with no need to take another one. Yet I've taken klonopin and it's effect only lasts about 5 hours. I've asked my doctor to explain why my body reacts this way but she couldn't give me an answer.

 

Not every morning I have anxiety, its when its particularly bad that i take the ativan.

 

I tapered off last time because I am aware of the addictive nature of benzos and tolerance. I thought I could take it "as needed" maybe once a week, but it hasn't worked out that way. I recognize that I am emotionally/psychologically depending on it (it's very hard to find helpful resources for psychological dependence, if you know of any please let me know)

If you’ve paused the Effexor, does that mean you’d like to taper the Ativan now? 

 

Since you didn’t experience symptoms last time you tapered, you could try to reduce the amount you take on the days you take it.  Or, if you take 2.25mg 3 times a week that would equal out of almost 1 mg each day.

 

Maybe you could try the first option and if that doesn’t work, you could start taking it every day, get stable on that then begin to taper.

 

You may be one of the lucky ones, but there is also a possibility that your previous use may make it difficult, there is a theory called kindling we have to be aware of. https://www.benzoinfo.com/kindling/%5D%5Bb%5DKindling%5B/b%5D%5B/url%5D

Thanks for your help Pamster. I think I am going to take it every day and taper that way b/c I have to also work on my emotional reliance of the med in therapy and slowly expose myself to higher levels of anxiety and learn to manage these without the medication. My doctor pointed out that I am experiencing rebound anxiety on the days I don't take it which makes sense.

I like your plan and I’m glad you’re going for therapy.  Do you know how much you might start taking?  What was your dose when you were taking it every day?  You might be able to get away with between .5 and .75 if you take it every day, it may put you on a more even keel.