When to Jump

Hi,

Would it be okay to jump now from .12mg Ativan per day instead of waiting until I reach .05mg per day? I liquid taper 4 doses spread throughout the day. Otherwise, I have another month of this to go. I've been tapering since May and have really noticed no benefits whatsoever from this slow tapering hell. What do you think? Thanks.

Probably a dumb question. It's really up to me, I guess. It's just that I'm so miserable with severe anxiety and physical symptoms. I have such fear. I really can't tell what's me and what's benzo withdrawal.

Elena, if it were me, I wouldn't jump at that high a dose. You may not notice any benefits from it, but if you jump and have a rotten time, I think you'll be unhappy with yourself.

 

It's only a little longer. I know, it's rotten to be doing this, but maybe hang in there.

 

I couldn't have jumped from an equivalent dose of valium (.12 Ativan = 1.2 mgs of valium). I don't think many on here would advise it.

 

However, those are just my thoughts.

 

Katz

Hi Katz,

Thanks for answering. When you explain it with the comparison to valium, it doesn't seem like such a great idea to jump right now after all. I guess, I'll keep on as I have been. I do appreciate the support and again thanks for taking the time. I've been feeling pretty hopeless.

Best, Elena

I would taper as low as you can. Getting off isn't the issue. The issue is healing from the damage the drugs cause.

Hi Elena...

Hang in there... I did a rather slow taper, and first tried to jump from 0.5v... Nope..!!

0.25v was much better (for me) but lower would have been nicer... I have been very surprised at the effect such low dose has had...

My suggestion would also be to continue on down slowly, trying to match medication intake to where your healing is at, as best you practically can...

 

Am wishing you the very best, and hope you feel better soon.. Doing great and nearly there, but pls dont push, as linnie says Its about healing...

 

Oh and also, I held my last dose For 3months before I stepped off..

 

Thanks Katz for the conversion... It did help...

 

 

 

Hi Cantfly and all,

 

I am feeling horrible. My back and stomach have been giving me a lot of pain the last 2 weeks. I've been  in extreme anxiety pretty much non stop since before May and nothing seems to help.

 

As a side note, I was in a car accident in Dec. 2016 and the ER doc said she wouldn't give me any muscle relaxant since I was already taking ativan. I had no idea that ativan worked as a muscle relaxant. Also recently, I found an old xanax bottle of mine from 2003. That was the first year I was prescribed a benzo so I've been on and off benzos for a lot longer than I had previously imagined. So, does that mean that in a way I've been taking a muscle relaxant for all those years? And how do the muscles react when I take that away ?

 

Anyway, long story short I have decided to hold my taper again.  I was at .117mg ativan per day but rounded back up to .12mg per day which is spread over 4 doses. It doesn't seem to be helping me to take it this way but I do it anyway. Does anyone have a better dosing idea? How long should I continue to hold and  should I up my dose a tiny bit or not? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Cantfly and all,

 

I am feeling horrible. My back and stomach have been giving me a lot of pain the last 2 weeks. I've been  in extreme anxiety pretty much non stop since before May and nothing seems to help.

 

As a side note, I was in a car accident in Dec. 2016 and the ER doc said she wouldn't give me any muscle relaxant since I was already taking ativan. I had no idea that ativan worked as a muscle relaxant. Also recently, I found an old xanax bottle of mine from 2003. That was the first year I was prescribed a benzo so I've been on and off benzos for a lot longer than I had previously imagined. So, does that mean that in a way I've been taking a muscle relaxant for all those years? And how do the muscles react when I take that away ?

 

Anyway, long story short I have decided to hold my taper again.  I was at .117mg ativan per day but rounded back up to .12mg per day which is spread over 4 doses. It doesn't seem to be helping me to take it this way but I do it anyway. Does anyone have a better dosing idea? How long should I continue to hold and  should I up my dose a tiny bit or not? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Im not sure on dosing Ativan, but the general idea is to take enough to keep levels fairly steady in your blood and minimise any interdose type SX.. -Holding will help this a bit...

I think its best to hold as soon as SX become unmanageable, the sooner the better..

Updosing, or dose correction is more personal, It is fine for some, but not everyone... Whenever I felt I had tapered too fast or cut too big I corrected it right away..  That served me well...

We cant force our healing, but we can control our medicine intake... -and that should reflect on our symptoms...

When we start talking about Dose Correcting we are starting to enter into personal trial and error...

The same for holding... But I talk in months for this type of holding..  You may wish to check on the Long Hold, and Updosing support groups if you havnt...

 

 

Hi Cantfly. I hope you're doing well. I'm not sure what is best but so far I'm still going to hold at the same dose. I'll try to check out the other threads you mentioned. Thanks.

Hi Cantfly. I hope you're doing well. I'm not sure what is best but so far I'm still going to hold at the same dose. I'll try to check out the other threads you mentioned. Thanks.

Hi,

I re read my post, -It did sound a bit weighted towards Dose Correction, It depends on the situation...

Holding is very effective, but not quite as simple as many may assume... Certainaly a good choice...

A couple of things I have noticed..

-things can get a bit worse before they get better, and it can be non-linear...

-There can be a strong internal push to continue tapering before ready...

 

Best wishes...

 

Thanks for your reply, Cantfly. I notice when I'm feeling pretty hopeless i get on the benzo buddies site but sometimes i don't get a lot of answers. Maybe because people don't know how to help. I'm not sure what to do anymore myself. I don't feel well and have been constantly anxious for I'm not sure how long. Anyway, I'm starting to think I can't do this. I don't have a lot of moral support sometimes. Family gets sick of me and they don't know what to do for me either. I wish things would get better.

Thanks for your reply, Cantfly. I notice when I'm feeling pretty hopeless i get on the benzo buddies site but sometimes i don't get a lot of answers. Maybe because people don't know how to help. I'm not sure what to do anymore myself. I don't feel well and have been constantly anxious for I'm not sure how long. Anyway, I'm starting to think I can't do this. I don't have a lot of moral support sometimes. Family gets sick of me and they don't know what to do for me either. I wish things would get better.

Hi Elena,

You CAN do this... Keep your eye on the prize..!!

 

It is hard to give answers to a lot of questions, Many dont have specific or definitive answers...

 

It IS a very lonely road at times, esp in real life... We get stripped and left a lot of the time... For some it can be brutal... That said, -Often it can be a blessing in ways we cant see until later as we start rebuilding our lives...

 

For now, tapering aside, Try to find a way to make BB work for you.. Support from others going through similar, and the opportunity to DISTRACT with often like minded people has been huge for me...

I had to find the right way, and places, and it took a bit of time, but getting involved in some support groups and blogs where general day to day communication and support occured realy helped... I started to make true friends... -ones that "get it"...

-Which does remind me that my own poor blog is sadly neglected by me...

 

As mentioned, YOU can do this... And there are some great tools here that can help...

-There are whole areas here to explore, depending on taste... You can debate the chicken and the egg with some of the more "viberant" members, Or gently play one of the many Games... "Puddings" is a favourite of mine (again neglected by myself), And there are music and special interest threads...

So much provided, and I do urge Everyone struggling to explore and utilise what suits them...

-Maybe look for the more active threads at first or it could get a bit quite...!!

 

 

I hope this helps a little... And you feel better real soon..

 

 

 

Hi Elena...

Hang in there... I did a rather slow taper, and first tried to jump from 0.5v... Nope..!!

0.25v was much better (for me) but lower would have been nicer... I have been very surprised at the effect such low dose has had...

My suggestion would also be to continue on down slowly, trying to match medication intake to where your healing is at, as best you practically can...

 

Am wishing you the very best, and hope you feel better soon.. Doing great and nearly there, but pls dont push, as linnie says Its about healing...

 

Oh and also, I held my last dose For 3months before I stepped off..

 

Thanks Katz for the conversion... It did help...

 

 

Hi cantfly

 

Is it the worst bit when you make the jump than when tapering as you go into full withdrawal. I've just got dow to 0.5mg and started to hi me again so currently holding. I see alot of people jumping at 0.5mg. Am worried about jumping and reducing as dont want to ruin christmas for my 8 year old daughter but also want to be off this stuff as she cried the other day saying I do not do anything with her anymore,..

You have done a supurb taper thus far, so unless im missing a tale of destruction, there is every indication that it will all go well.. Maybe continue to hold till you feel more stable, and repeat that in small steps... Simply, let your body guide you gently off...

Considering the taper you have managed so far, I wouldnt expect any serious problems to suddenly pop up... Jumping isnt horrid for everyone...

 

See how holding helps for now, and maybe go from there...

 

You got this...

 

You have done a supurb taper thus far, so unless im missing a tale of destruction, there is every indication that it will all go well.. Maybe continue to hold till you feel more stable, and repeat that in small steps... Simply, let your body guide you gently off...

Considering the taper you have managed so far, I wouldnt expect any serious problems to suddenly pop up... Jumping isnt horrid for everyone...

 

See how holding helps for now, and maybe go from there...

 

You got this...

 

hank you thank you thank you

 

yes I think I will just carry on dropping 0.001mg every day when I start to feel better again because of Christmas and then after take the plunge as will be lower then as well.

 

Do you know if everybody gets the protracted symptoms that last about a year and for some longer as Ashton says only about 15% do but on here it seems everybody does but guess the ones that are ok you don't see much of anymore.

 

Am I right in also thinking that when you make the jump the worst is over within 4-6 weeks as most is out of your system by then.

You have done a supurb taper thus far, so unless im missing a tale of destruction, there is every indication that it will all go well.. Maybe continue to hold till you feel more stable, and repeat that in small steps... Simply, let your body guide you gently off...

Considering the taper you have managed so far, I wouldnt expect any serious problems to suddenly pop up... Jumping isnt horrid for everyone...

 

See how holding helps for now, and maybe go from there...

 

You got this...

 

hank you thank you thank you

 

yes I think I will just carry on dropping 0.001mg every day when I start to feel better again because of Christmas and then after take the plunge as will be lower then as well.

 

Do you know if everybody gets the protracted symptoms that last about a year and for some longer as Ashton says only about 15% do but on here it seems everybody does but guess the ones that are ok you don't see much of anymore.

 

Am I right in also thinking that when you make the jump the worst is over within 4-6 weeks as most is out of your system by then.

You Will be ok..!!

 

Out of everyone, including the wider world than online support, I would think the number to be far lower than 15%.. -but thats an endless debate, There is no real data that I know of...

 

You have dropped a lot of a powerful medication in a sensible time for your body... I say this because you have gotten all the way to this dose without having to ask these questions..!! -pls correct me if im wrong..

So I feel that you would have had some firm indications by now if you were going to have any real problems...

 

I cant predict anyones post taper outcome... But again, I see no indication it will be rougher than perhaps your pre jump tapering...

 

 

 

You have done a supurb taper thus far, so unless im missing a tale of destruction, there is every indication that it will all go well.. Maybe continue to hold till you feel more stable, and repeat that in small steps... Simply, let your body guide you gently off...

Considering the taper you have managed so far, I wouldnt expect any serious problems to suddenly pop up... Jumping isnt horrid for everyone...

 

See how holding helps for now, and maybe go from there...

 

You got this...

 

hank you thank you thank you

 

yes I think I will just carry on dropping 0.001mg every day when I start to feel better again because of Christmas and then after take the plunge as will be lower then as well.

 

Do you know if everybody gets the protracted symptoms that last about a year and for some longer as Ashton says only about 15% do but on here it seems everybody does but guess the ones that are ok you don't see much of anymore.

 

Am I right in also thinking that when you make the jump the worst is over within 4-6 weeks as most is out of your system by then.

You Will be ok..!!

 

Out of everyone, including the wider world than online support, I would think the number to be far lower than 15%.. -but thats an endless debate, There is no real data that I know of...

 

You have dropped a lot of a powerful medication in a sensible time for your body... I say this because you have gotten all the way to this dose without having to ask these questions..!! -pls correct me if im wrong..

So I feel that you would have had some firm indications by now if you were going to have any real problems...

 

I cant predict anyones post taper outcome... But again, I see no indication it will be rougher than perhaps your pre jump tapering...

 

 

Yes agoraphobia has been the worst for me and this endless headache like a pressure in my heed when I make a cut and of course anxiety, chest pains and countless other things but eventually they fade and then I made another cut. Sometimes too much sometimes think I could of done a little more but you can never tell can you.

Just wondering how I will feel in the next few days as only been holding for a bit. Guess we will see.

 

Congrats to you for doing so well though.

 

Plan to come off all my meds as well. They are no good. Just poisons to our system. I guess we take them hoping to take the pain or discomfort away but are just so ill informed the damage that they can do long term.