2 months and 1 day free of ativan!

:) :)

Well, here I am two months free of Ativan, and guess what? Each day is a blessing. As those who might follow me have seen, I honestly have it way easier now than I did during my 17 week taper of 2-2.25mgs of Ativan daily. 8 weeks free. It hasn't been all roses. Though many told me the quickness of my taper promised me a terrible acute, I literally had none, other than a headache off and on for a few weeks, tinnitus ramped up, and some increased anxiety. Not hellish at all compared to tapering. I am probably one of those that tapering at a rate my doctor and I decided on was good for me. There were times I did hold for a few days longer.

Today at 8 weeks off I would consider myself at least 75% better. I do get hit with waves, but honestly, I am tapering off the last of my gabapentin and have unresolved issues that I am dealing with too that led me to the Ativan. Until those are "fixed" I expect this too happen. While the waves bother me, I am relaxed that they are just waves, a couple days at a time, a couple hours at a time, way better than 24/7!

Right now the

                    tinnitus hangs on (improves though, days its barley noticeable, other days its loud)

                    anxiety (in forms of attacks)

                    heart irregularities (off and on, palps, or hard beats)

                    muscle twitching (random, yay!)

                    headaches (one or two a week)

Take it as it goes my friends. Maybe in two months at most I will write my success story. And if not 75% of life is better than the life I have had in the past 14 months!

Wonderful news, Pumpkin!  Congrats!

Challis 

Cool beans Pumpkin.

Onwards and upwards.

Pumpkin,

Congratulations! Would love to read your success story soon.

Sending you my love and heartfelt prayers for continuous healing and recovery!

Thank you all for the sweet, sweet words and well wishes! It is awesome to hear them and the encouragement is always a plus, especially when you are riding the wave of withdrawal!

A side note though...I went last week for routine lab draws from my doctor. My cholesterol is about 16 points high, no biggie. But my vitamin D is severely low..average range is 30-100, mine is at a whopping 11. So, now I fear taking a supplement. I haven't before, but don't want a setback. So, I self instituted today an extra 30 minutes in the sunshine outdoors, and upped my intake of skim milk by 16 ounces today. We will see! Though I am waiting for more word from my physician, my nurse said this could be contributing to my muscle pain and random twitches, and even some of my depression. So it *might* not be all withdrawal driven!

Awesome news, Pumpkin.

Here's to more success as you go down with your gabapentin doses.  Yeaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!  :clap:

Hooray! Props to you and thanks for sharing your encouraging story!

Vitamin D deficiency can certainly cause depression, as can lack of B12. Fun tip - if you put cooking mushrooms in the sun they will soak up Vitamin D which you will then absorb by eating them.