Please help anyone, everyone

Hello,

I know I have been posting a lot the last few days, but I am having such a tough time.  Here is my situation again:  been on ativan at low doses for about five years and climbed up to 6mgs. for the last 2-3 years.  Took them once a day at night for sleep mainly.  Want to get off and want to taper.  Went to my dr. on Tuesday and he put me on effexor and .5 mgs. of klonopin three times a day.  No more ativan he said.  He said he wants me to get on the longer lasting klonopin and then taper off of that.  I haven't slept at all in four days.  Nothing!  Major anxiety symptoms and now ear ringing that my mind tries to make me focus on all of the time.  The worst is when I do try and sleep and the ear ringing is there and big time panic and anxiety everytime I quit listening to the ringing or start to relax.  What do I do?  Will I ever get better?  I am so scared and worried all of the time.  Please help.  Thanks, Josh

Hello Josh,

 

6 mg of Ativan is equivalent to 60mg of diazepam and 3mg of clonazepam(klonopin)according to Ashton. In some parts of other countries Ativan is held to be equal to only 5mg of diazepam or 0.5mg of Klonopin(do you live in Southern Australia?). Though these are in the minority they reflect the fact that equivalencies are clinical judgements not chemical facts.

 

In changing from 6mg of Ativan to 1.5mg of Klonopin you have taken up to a 50% reduction while negotiating a crossover.

 

You have also added in a second psychotropic, Efexor.

 

Ashton and anyone else who knows, advise the crossover be to an equivalent dose and done over time so that the introduced drug has time to achieve a steady-state blood level before the cover of the original drug is withdrawn. They also advise doing one thing at a time so you can more easily judge its effect.

 

You are possibly suffering from Ativan withdrawal plus or minus any reaction you might be having to Efexor. Time will even some of this out as the Klonopin comes on board.

 

It would be best to discuss this with your doctor if you're not settling soon.

 

Take care,

 

spartacus

 

 

Hi Josh,

I think Spartacus explained it already,just hope you can talk to your Doctor , may be

printing out the ashton manual might help in order to convince him, good luck.

Great explanation by spartacus.  Do you have any Ativan left?  You are most likely in a lot of distress with a 50% cut on top of an immediate crossover.

 

I would post this over in  Substitution Taper Plans … I'm not an expert in crossovers, but if it were me I'd want to get this worked out quickly and get some relief.

 

Here's the  Ashton Manual … it might be good to print out the pertinent parts for your doctor.  I would do that and do it right away.

 

It helps to include your benzodiazepine information in your posts.  To make that easier by adding it to each post automatically, you can go up to Profile, choose Forum Profile, write the information in the text box and click Change Profile. 

 

 

We're here for you… keep posting.  I'm sure you're having a lot of symptoms right now.

 

Challis

I know I have been posting a lot the last few days, but I am having such a tough time.  Here is my situation again:  been on ativan at low doses for about five years and climbed up to 6mgs. for the last 2-3 years.  Took them once a day at night for sleep mainly. 

 

Want to get off and want to taper.  Went to my dr. on Tuesday and he put me on effexor and .5 mgs. of klonopin three times a day.  No more ativan he said.  He said he wants me to get on the longer lasting klonopin and then taper off of that. 

 

I haven't slept at all in four days.  Nothing!  Major anxiety symptoms and now ear ringing that my mind tries to make me focus on all of the time.  The worst is when I do try and sleep and the ear ringing is there and big time panic and anxiety everytime I quit listening to the ringing or start to relax. 

 

What do I do?  Will I ever get better?  I am so scared and worried all of the time.  Please help.  Thanks, Josh

 

Hi Josh.  The heightened anxiety, insomnia and panic you are experiencing are almost certainly a result of you not taking as much benzodiazepine as your body needs. 

 

Spartacus calculates you have taken a 50% cut.  Over the last few days while you have been asking for info, no one knew how you as an individual would feel this cut because it was possible, if unlikely, that you would not feel it very much.  However you now seem to be experiencing withdrawals.  I am sorry to say it but this will probably get worse over the coming week(s) and it probably won't improve before a month or more.  That is just an estimate but it gives you an idea of the sort of time frames you are dealing with.

 

If you ask your doc may be willing to give you more clonazepam (or lorazepam).  In the meantime you need to get through the Easter vacation.  If it was me, I would try to avoid the withdrawal getting so bad that you are stunned by the experience and exhausted by the effort of trying to get help.  Picking yourself up after getting slammed is not easy.

 

You could visit ER (preferably before you become very ill from insufficient benzo) or wait until you can see your doc.  Until then you will have to decide if it is worthwhile taking more of your clonazepam than you have been prescribed because your doc may or may not increase the amount he prescribes.

 

I know you're in a difficult situation and my thoughts go out to you.

 

What would I do in your situation?  Some people will say I am very foolish but I would have half a glass of wine morning, afternoon and evening (and perhaps in the night if I'm awake) because this will ease the symptoms.  I can't say this is right for you especially as I don't know if you have problems with alcohol.  If I was in your situation I would also stop taking the Effexor immediately.

i agree with Braban, i would stop the Effexor as well.

the glass of wine makes sense, but i would use it like a sort of emergency ''medication'',

which it is in this case .

I understand how awful it is to come off a large dose of ativan. I stopped 8 mg cold turkey 136 days ago. You are most likely suffering from the cut and crossover. Challis sent you a link to the Ashton Manual. It is a great resource on benzodiazepines, tapering methods and withdrawal. It will give you a better understanding of why you feel the way you do.  Being scared ( fear ) was my worst symptom. I know how frightening it can be, especially when it is not attached to anything. As awful as symptoms are they are temporary.  You will get better....in time.