hi, new member here, tapering off of Ativan

I've joined benzobuddies because I'm beginning to taper off of Ativan, and I'm really suffering. I need support and advice, and I'm scared. My current dose is 1mg in the morning, .5 at night. I had tried to cut to .5 in the morning at the advice of my new psychiatrist but it's making me so sick and I think I need to cut down the dose slowly. I'm a 24 year old female, and at this point I'm too debilitated to work, or go back to school like I was hoping to. I also have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome type 3, and my Ativan dosage was increased because I was struggling to cope with my physical health issues. I've been on Ativan for years, but the dosage was only .5 once a day until recently. 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!  We are glad you decided to join us.  You'll find a lot of support and information on this forum, which is the only one of its kind online.  A 1/3 cut is likely to produce strong symptoms.  Many doctors recommend fast tapers, but we generally recommend tapering more slowly.

 

For those starting a taper, we generally recommend starting out at a rate of 5 to 10% every 10-14 days, then adjusting the taper to suit your own needs.  Note: very short term users may be able to taper faster.

 

Withdrawal symptoms, which vary widely but commonly include anxiety and insomnia, often occur during a taper, but these are temporary and will get better in time.  In general, first tapers are easier, but cold turkeys or multiple withdrawals may be more severe and longer lasting.  Here are a few links to get you started:

 

The Ashton Manual, a concise reference for tapering and symptom issues.

 

Withdrawal Support (during your taper)

 

Once again, welcome!

Once you stabilize back on 1.5 - the lowest dose for the first reduction should be no less than 1.35 mg. Hold and post if you need help with figuring next dose in the tapering process. You are doing a great thing for your health!

I've joined benzobuddies because I'm beginning to taper off of Ativan, and I'm really suffering. I need support and advice, and I'm scared. My current dose is 1mg in the morning, .5 at night. I had tried to cut to .5 in the morning at the advice of my new psychiatrist but it's making me so sick and I think I need to cut down the dose slowly. I'm a 24 year old female, and at this point I'm too debilitated to work, or go back to school like I was hoping to. I also have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome type 3, and my Ativan dosage was increased because I was struggling to cope with my physical health issues. I've been on Ativan for years, but the dosage was only .5 once a day until recently. 

 

Hi there. I just joined as well trying to cut from ativan withdrawal. I also have EDS, although still waiting for genetic testing for type. The reason I started taking ativan this summer was EDS related... new cervical instability, dislocated ribs, SI instability, heart issues. I was so stressed worried about the next surgery. So I know how hard it is just to daily deal with walking around without benzos thrown on top.

 

I am scared too. I already messed up by stopping suddenly, thinking I was on a low dose, and went bonkers. Let's be friends and support one another? I'm going figure out how to micro taper once I stabilize. Im hoping continue to heal my connective tissue as much as I can through this. I was making progress until this ativan fiasco.

 

We are going to be so strong after all this is done with and we heal. Bulletproof.

 

P.s. Are you on the Cusack protocol?

 

Wishing you all the best tonight and tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

Welcome!

 

You might want to do a smaller cut at first. I did a 50% cut and suffered badly for about 5 days, improving each day from there. That being said, I don’t have any other health issues. I can imagine the struggle with managing many conditions during this would be daunting! You can do this!

 

A smaller cut could make you more comfortable while you stabilize there before doing another cut.

 

Keep us posted on your progress!

 

Psalm