tapering off lorazepam

Hello

Ive been on 1mg of lorazepam for about 2 months and primarily used at night for sleep taking only once before bed.

ld like to taper off now and have been able to reduce from 1mg to .75mg but am unsure what dosage and schedule I should continue with.

I've been on the .75mg for about 10 days now, only symptoms are waking up a couple of times during the night and some slight anxiety during the day.

Was going down to .75mg too much too soon?

What type of schedule should I try for tapering? reduce .05 per week or per month?

Ive read that the taper should never last longer than the time you were actually on the benzo but not sure.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Hello

Ive been on 1mg of lorazepam for about 2 months and primarily used at night for sleep taking only once before bed.

 

ld like to taper off now and have been able to reduce from 1mg to .75mg but am unsure what dosage and schedule I should continue with.

 

I've been on the .75mg for about 10 days now, only symptoms are waking up a couple of times during the night and some slight anxiety during the day.

 

Was going down to .75mg too much too soon?

 

What type of schedule should I try for tapering? reduce .05 per week or per month?

 

Ive read that the taper should never last longer than the time you were actually on the benzo but not sure.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Yes going down to 0.75 was too much, and I am glad you did not suffer too much.

Cuts are only supposed to be 5% to 10%, how did you manage after your 25% cut?

Also, the smaller the dose, the smaller the cut.

Can you cross over to another drug like valium or klonopin as it would be a lot easier to taper off the equivalent of your dose in these drugs.

"The Ashton manual" has instructions on how to gradually cross over, gradual is important as valium and klonopin are longer lasting, and much easier to taper of.

While I am ok dry cutting at the moment, my personal choice is liquid daily titration, it slides you off, rather than bumps, I used it with my last benzo addiction.

Please don't pay attention to " the taper should never last longer than the time you were actually on the benzo" the taper can last as long as you need.

Hi BDFL, glad to hear you’re down to 0.75mg. That’s a big reduction but you say you’re managing ok which is great.

I couldn’t tolerate Valium so tapered directly from Lorazepam. I used a pill grinder and a micro scale that weigh to 0.01mg to weigh out the doses.

0.05mg sounds like a good amount to reduce.  You could try for a week and maybe record your symptoms in a journal? That way you will have a guide as to when your body is ready to make any further reductions.

I agree with journey, it really does not matter at all how long you take. It’s your taper and you are in control.

Have you got enough pills to go slow?

All good wishes.

Hardy

Hi BDFL, glad to hear you’re down to 0.75mg. That’s a big reduction but you say you’re managing ok which is great.

I couldn’t tolerate Valium so tapered directly from Lorazepam. I used a pill grinder and a micro scale that weigh to 0.01mg to weigh out the doses.

0.05mg sounds like a good amount to reduce.  You could try for a week and maybe record your symptoms in a journal? That way you will have a guide as to when your body is ready to make any further reductions.

 

I agree with journey, it really does not matter at all how long you take. It’s your taper and you are in control.

Have you got enough pills to go slow?

All good wishes.

Hardy

Sorry to derail the thread, how did your scales taper go?

Hello

Ive been on 1mg of lorazepam for about 2 months and primarily used at night for sleep taking only once before bed.

 

ld like to taper off now and have been able to reduce from 1mg to .75mg but am unsure what dosage and schedule I should continue with.

 

I've been on the .75mg for about 10 days now, only symptoms are waking up a couple of times during the night and some slight anxiety during the day.

 

Was going down to .75mg too much too soon?

 

What type of schedule should I try for tapering? reduce .05 per week or per month?

 

Ive read that the taper should never last longer than the time you were actually on the benzo but not sure.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Yes going down to 0.75 was too much, and I am glad you did not suffer too much.

 

Cuts are only supposed to be 5% to 10%, how did you manage after your 25% cut?

Also, the smaller the dose, the smaller the cut.

 

Can you cross over to another drug like valium or klonopin as it would be a lot easier to taper off the equivalent of your dose in these drugs.

"The Ashton manual" has instructions on how to gradually cross over, gradual is important as valium and klonopin are longer lasting, and much easier to taper of.

 

While I am ok dry cutting at the moment, my personal choice is liquid daily titration, it slides you off, rather than bumps, I used it with my last benzo addiction.

 

Please don't pay attention to " the taper should never last longer than the time you were actually on the benzo" the taper can last as long as you need.

Thanks journey. I'll see if my doc can prescribe the valium equivalent. I guess I got lucky with the reduction to .75. I'll also look into the ashton manual for cross over and liquid taper, hopefully I can figure it out.

Hi BDFL, glad to hear you’re down to 0.75mg. That’s a big reduction but you say you’re managing ok which is great.

I couldn’t tolerate Valium so tapered directly from Lorazepam. I used a pill grinder and a micro scale that weigh to 0.01mg to weigh out the doses.

0.05mg sounds like a good amount to reduce.  You could try for a week and maybe record your symptoms in a journal? That way you will have a guide as to when your body is ready to make any further reductions.

 

I agree with journey, it really does not matter at all how long you take. It’s your taper and you are in control.

Have you got enough pills to go slow?

All good wishes.

Hardy

Thanks Hardy, I thought about a micro taper and bought a scale so maybe I'll try weighing it out. my doc is willing to allow me to go slow so hopefully I can find a way with the least wd symptoms.

Hello

Ive been on 1mg of lorazepam for about 2 months and primarily used at night for sleep taking only once before bed.

 

ld like to taper off now and have been able to reduce from 1mg to .75mg but am unsure what dosage and schedule I should continue with.

 

I've been on the .75mg for about 10 days now, only symptoms are waking up a couple of times during the night and some slight anxiety during the day.

 

Was going down to .75mg too much too soon?

 

What type of schedule should I try for tapering? reduce .05 per week or per month?

 

Ive read that the taper should never last longer than the time you were actually on the benzo but not sure.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Yes going down to 0.75 was too much, and I am glad you did not suffer too much.

 

Cuts are only supposed to be 5% to 10%, how did you manage after your 25% cut?

Also, the smaller the dose, the smaller the cut.

 

Can you cross over to another drug like valium or klonopin as it would be a lot easier to taper off the equivalent of your dose in these drugs.

"The Ashton manual" has instructions on how to gradually cross over, gradual is important as valium and klonopin are longer lasting, and much easier to taper of.

 

While I am ok dry cutting at the moment, my personal choice is liquid daily titration, it slides you off, rather than bumps, I used it with my last benzo addiction.

 

Please don't pay attention to " the taper should never last longer than the time you were actually on the benzo" the taper can last as long as you need.

 

Thanks journey. I'll see if my doc can prescribe the valium equivalent. I guess I got lucky with the reduction to .75. I'll also look into the ashton manual for cross over and liquid taper, hopefully I can figure it out.

All the best, here's a link, direct to crossover schedule from lorazpam, remember to gradually crossover as valium takes a while to build up in the syststem and you will be fine.

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm#s3