Need help starting Ativan Taper

I just joined this group yesterday and am hoping to start an Ativan taper, without substituting Valium, as soon as possible.  I currently take 2mg of Ativan every night before bed and have done so for six years.  When I start tapering, should I still take the Ativan at night or spread it out during the day instead?  I would prefer to take it at night since my original reason for taking it was sleep issues.  Also not sure if I should cut the 2mg pills or do the liquid method.  How long should I give myself to get off of it?  I want to do it as soon as possible but I also have MS and my ability to sleep is crucial to my disease management.  My biggest fear Is not sleeping.  Thanks in advance for any advice. 

1)  If you're taking it as a sleep aid, I would continue taking 1 dose, at night.

2)  Liquid is easier, especially with high potency benzos like ativan

3) It takes as long as it takes.

I used liquid in the begining, then changed to powder and I find the later simpler. Buy a Gemini gram scale online for circa 20 dollars, then crush a number of pills, store the powder and each day take the amount you need. I agree to maintain a single daily dose as that’s what you’ve always done. I’d start by cutting 1% of current dose per day and, most important, hold the dose whenever you feel too bad until you get better even if it takes weeks or months. Accept that you’ll sometimes feel bad and that it’ll probably take at least a year to taper off the benzo completely. And good luck

Thanks so much for your response.  You think even at 2 mg per day it will take a whole year to get off? 

I don’t know Haveonlylove but would bet it will. That is, if you want to stay functional which requires that you give your brain time to heal as you taper. I was at 1 mg and it’ll take me one year (I’m nearly there ). I took the benzo for 20 years, which is much longer than you did, but you are at 2mg, which is twice my original dose. And I’m following the fastest cuting rate Ashton recommends! Of course we never know because we’re all different but it’ll help if you count on a long taper. Then, if you are able to do it faster, it’ll be a nice surprise

Thanks so much for your advice, I really  appreciate it.  Can I ask if you have been using a substitute for Ativan?  I want to try to do it without a substitute. 

No, I decided to taper Ativan directly because crossing over to other benzos brings its own problems. You read all kinds of advice but I wanted to keep things as simple as possible so I decided to simply reduce my dose slowly.

 

And, please, feel free to ask whatever you need to ask.