Ativan to V crossover

I'm new here. Was on Klonopin for two years after a back injury and surgery. Also small dose of Lamictal, which I had to stop six months ago due to hyperactivity. Then the Klonopin tolerance withdrawal set in with nausea, anxiety and panic and trips to the ER.

 

After seeing several health care provider and getting my drugs switched around, I finally found ashton method and hooked up with my sympathetic  GP. By then I was on 1 mg. Ativan and 16.5 mg. Valium, for a total Valium equivalency of 26.5 mg. I was a total mess. Since I took my doses at night (half of them at 8:30 pm and half at 1 am) so I could get a little sleep, I was (and still am) having bad interdose withdrawal from the Ativan in the mornings. This was on Feb. 2, 2015. My plan was to cross over to Valium, using Ashton method. My GP has a little knowledge of benzo withdrawal, but not a lot, but she is willing to try to work with me on Ashton Method, tailoring it to my reactions. She is giving me small doses of  clonidine to help with the terrible anxiety.

 

I tried to spread out my dose over 24 hours, but the Valium in the daytime made me too groggy and depressed to get out of bed and robbed me of any nighttime sleep, so I am still on the nighttime dosages. But increasing Valium made me extremely depressed. I just couldn't do a complete crossover from Ativan to Valium. I tried decreasing Ativan alone, but the anxiety was overwhelming, even dropping by a quarter of a pill (each pill is 0.5). In two days, I was completely crazy, so I had to add in the equivalent Valium. The only way I could figure out to proceed was to cut some Valium (.5 mg every week or 10 days), then do a crossover, cutting a quarter of Ativan and adding the Ashton recommended equivalent of Valium. This seems to have worked the best  - "best" is a relative term - I'm still suffering terrible anxiety, depression, cog fog and physical symptoms.

 

I really want to get off the Ativan and get rid of the morning interdose withdrawal. But I don't want to go higher than 16 mg. Valium. I guess I will have to. I'm thinking of dropping another 1/4 Ativan (0.125 mg) and adding only 1 mg. Valium as my next step. Then, to counteract the huge depression, cutting the Valium  by .5 mg for a week or 10 days, then again until I'm back to 16, and repeat crossover.

 

But the withdrawal symptoms are adding up. The anxiety and depression are overwhelming, I'm afraid to drive, have lost my job, and even have asked friends not to come over any more as I can't tolerate even "friendly" stress. My husband is supportive.

 

Is it typical for withdrawal symptoms to keeping adding up? I've read The Benzo Book, and it sounds like they do, and it scares me to death. I can't believe this is happening to me.

 

Also, I have been diagnosed with gastroparesis, a condition in which the stomach does not empty properly. I believe it's due to damaged GABA receptors. I and 5'1" tall and weighed 130 pounds in September 2014 when tolerance withdrawal began. (I previously was taking a low dose of Lamictal for depression but dropped it at that time due to hyperactivity - my psychiatrist had me way overmedicated.) Now I weigh 105. My gastroenterologist says if I keep losing weight she wants to surgically implant feeding tubes into my intestines! I am nauseated all the time, but desperately trying to force down the calories on a very specific diet, as I can't tolerate fats, sugars, fresh vegetables, etc.

 

My last Valium cut was only .25 mg. and I've had a hard time with it. But I fear I'm going too slowly - I don't want to build up tolerance by going too slowly.

 

So many concerns about how to proceed! Suggestions are appreciated.

 

Julysnow

 

Hi Miranda. Im fairly new here too and not one to give advice as I will be starting a crossover this week from a large dose of Ativan. Fortunately for me the doctor who prescribed it is supposed to be an expert on this stuff. ill find that out tomorrow at my appt. as I am much better informed then when I started it 4 months ago. Do you have a doctor advising you? I know there are many informative people on here. They will want you to post a signature which kind of gives a detail of your usage and taper since you first started taking the med and how much etc. Sorry I am not much help but wanted you to at least get a response of support. good luck to you.

Thanks so much for your response. It is encouraging to get a reply.

 

I'm glad you found a doctor who is an expert in this - but if he/she is an expert, why did he prescribe so much in the first place? Are you sure you don't mean Ambien? My doctor is not an expert - but has some experience with withdrawal and is willing to learn more and help me through this. She says she never prescribes Ativan (someone else prescribed it for me) because it is so addictive.

 

As far as a signature summarizing my details, I'm not sure how to do that yet. I am not very computer savvy, and right now my head is foggy.

 

Good luck with your crossover.

 

  Hi Miranda! 

  I too will have to do a crossover to valium as soon as I see my doctor. I

am scared that Valium will make me depressed because the last time I took it

which was a year ago it made me cry a little bit. So I am willing to give valium

another try. I see my doctor this coming Thursday and discuss using the ashton

method with him. I am so sorry you are having a hard time.

  Not too long ago I went to this rehab facility to get off of Ativan and was on

5 mg they decreased my ativan from 5 mg to 1 mg in three days! I told their doctor

thatv was having major withdrawel symptom but they didn't care so I had to leave the place

early before my actual departure date. No one in my family would pick me so I took a train back home. It's been

tough but I am a survivor and so are you! Hang in there. KIM 

Everything I hear about rehab facilities and hospitals is bad news. I'm glad you got out when you did. I hope your doctor can be helpful. My doctor also prescribes me clonidine - which is NOT Klonopin. Clonidine is a blood pressure medicine that helps relieve anxiety and is not a benzo and is not addictive. It is used a lot in detox and has helped me with the anxiety - but I have to always check my blood pressure before taking it to make sure my BP won't go too low.

 

I hope you have better luck with the Valium. I guess there's no easy way out of this situation we are in. I hope your family becomes more supportive. I had my husband read "The Benzo Book" and "Recovery and Renewal" - both books available from Amazon. They can help others understand what you are dealing with.

 

Thanks for your support and best of luck to you.

 

MirandaJane