please help, i think i need a dose increase

Hi- I have been on Ativan for over 3 years.  I take 2mg.  I take 1/2 mg in the am and then 1/2 about 5pm, 1/2 at 8pm and the last 1/2 before bed. I like to space them so that I dont get too sleepy in the evening as I have work to do at home. I have noticed that taking 1/2 at in the morning and then waiting until 5pm is a little long and i can get side effects until I take it. 

 

I noticed in June that my anxiety had increased but i did not think it was because I needed a dose increase. I had taken ativan in 2004-2008 and i never  had withdrawl issues or needed to increase the dose. I only took 1 mg during that time and would take a little extra on some days. It took me months to get off of it once I was on 100mg Zoloft and had my thyroid medication at a good place .

 

My body is so messed up since this second depression started in 2014. I went hyperthyroid and was not able to tolerate the zoloft or the amount of thyroid meds i needed. It took until end of 2015 to be able to take the correct amount of thyroid. The only thing that kept me ok was the ativan. I was not worried taking it as I had gotten off it before.

 

So las I mentioned , Last June i was having more anxiety. I am just now starting to add a tiny amount of zoloft in. Since June i have gone downhill.  The last 2 months I have horrible dizziness, low BP and heart rate, heart palps, jittery, tingling in face and arm, sudden tachardia,  very very severe anxiety, esp in morning and night sweats. I have been to the er so many times and they tell me its not my heart as ive had many tests. I even had a MRI over a week ago from tingling around my face and arm.

 

I spoke with my Psych doc last week we think I could be having withdrawl because I need a higher dose.  Has this happened to anyone else?  I am really scared . The ativan was carrying me until I can get a decent dose of zoloft again. I didnt want to have to increase the dose. This didnt happen to me the last time i was on it.  IS it possible to have these side effects/symptoms while being on this med because I need an increase ??  Thank you in advance for any help or experiences. 

Sounds like you're starting to develop a tolerance for benzos.

 

I'm not sure there's anything to be done other than start to taper or increase your dose.

 

I could be wrong.

It does sound like you need an increase, but you have a lot going on in your body.. so I think your doctors will have to help you sort through it.  Maybe a longer acting benzo would be better for you... hope you feel better soon.

I agree with phenix and GeorgeVI. Ativan has a very short half-life. You could switch to Valium, which has a much longer half-life, and then start tapering from there when you're ready, or you could go up in dose with Ativan, which can become a very slippery slope. I'm sorry. This is what happens down the line. It happened very early for me.

 

Whatever you do, don't switch to Klonopin. That is a rotten drug!!

Hi Thank you, so all these symptoms sound like thats what could be happening ? I just cant believe we can suffer like this while taking the meds. Its terrible.  No I would not take Klonipin . My sister took that and didnt do well.  I will either do a slight increase or switch to valium.  Thanks again

I would recommend crossing over to V slowly (if you go this route) as the crossover can create symptoms and it can take time to get used to V. 

ok thank you so much.

MAC I agree with the other posters. It seems that you are in tolerance to your Ativan. No, you don't need a "dose increase". That is, as one of the posters suggested, a slippery slope to he**. I know. I've been there.

 

I dosed Ativan 3 x a day and it still wasn't enough. Fortunately I found this site or I might have increased my Ativan. My pdoc was no help -- if I had wanted more Ativan, she would have prescribed it. I decided to bite the bullet and get off benzos altogether.

 

The first step was crossing from Ativan to Valium. Have you read The Ashton Manual? I followed the crossover protocol there. Once I had crossed I felt really pretty good. Then I started tapering. that wasn't without its own problems, but getting off the Ativan was the first step.

 

The difference between Ativan and Valium is dramatic. No more rotten interdose w/ds.

 

So, I hope this helps you. I've been there. I get it.

 

My best to you,

 

Katz

 

 

Hi Thank you for the help. I have read before that many switch to valium to taper off other benzo's.  My psych doc suggested I switch to valium. I am really scared right now.  I am still in a terrible depression and am very sensitive to medications.  Did you get a chance to see my symptoms ? Are these possible with tolerance? Also I noticed a few months ago I would wake up with flu like feeling. I  just never put it together. I kept thinking it was my thyroid or something else.  Thank you again, MAC

I did, MAC.

 

horrible dizziness, low BP and heart rate, heart palps, jittery, tingling in face and arm, sudden tachardia,  very very severe anxiety, esp in morning and night sweats.

 

They all seem, alas, too familiar. They're awful aren't they? I think a switch to valium (in a slow, orderly fashion) would help these immensely. Just my 2 cents, of course.

 

But the switch certainly helped me.

 

Katz