At a crossroad in short term ativan taper need advice.

Hi there fellow bbs,

I'm at a crossroad today. I realized that I have scared myself into doing a long taper from short term use of ativan (10 mgs PRN .25 over 4 months), which gave me some symptoms, then about 2 weeks at 1 mg when lexapro started. I now believe that a lot of my issues were lexapro anxiety craziness related at the beginning, and now that the lexapro has left my system I feel I can think clearly.

Im 3 weeks into a taper from the 10 days of 1mg, and I've made the mistake of thinking I was a habituated user because of my PRN use the previous fall and tried to go Ashton slow at first, but my gut started to scream at me, get off fast. So I'm down to .5 mg after 3 weeks. I'm got high HR, gastrointestinal, toxic sweats, poor sleep, morning anxiety surges, poor appetite, head pressure, sensitive hearing, slight tinnitus. Most of my anxiety is my own,  stemming from taking these pills and being an anxious person.

So now, I'm like a month into consistent tapering and use. I don't want to become a long term user and studies seem to favor under months use. I believe these pills are actually causing more problems, as i feel worse 2 hours after ingestion, heart rate spikes, vibrating, feel like fainting. So I believe they help me mentally but hurt physically.

Do I push through my symptoms and keep going on my 6 week taper from 2 weeks use? Or are my sx thus far a sign I'm headed for trouble? Sx based tapers still involve uncomfortable tapers, I thought.

Can anyone with hindsight advise me on my

Rapid taper? Is 6 week taper from 2 weeks consistent use really that rapid?

I know I post often but these boards are a huge source of information that my dr doesnt have.

Hi there fellow bbs,

 

I'm at a crossroad today. I realized that I have been scared into doing a long taper from short term use of ativan (10 mgs PRN .25) over 4 months, which gave me some symptoms, then about 2 weeks at 1 mg when lexapro started. I know believe that a lot of my issues were lexapro anxiety craziness related at the beginning, and now that the lexapro has left my system I feel I can think clearly.

 

Im 3 weeks into a taper from the 10 days of 1mg, and I've made the mistake of thinking I was a habituated user because of my PRN use the previous fall and tried to go Ashton slow at first, but my gut started to scream at me, get off fast. So I'm down to .5 mg after 3 weeks. I'm got high HR, gastrointestinal, toxic sweats, poor sleep, morning anxiety surges, poor appetite, head pressure, sensitive hearing, slight tinnitus. Most of my anxiety is my own,  stemming from taking these pills and being an anxious person.

 

So now, I'm like a month into consistent tapering and use. I don't want to become a long term user and studies seem to favor under months use. I believe these pills are actually causing more problems, as i feel worse 2 hours after ingestion, heart rate spikes, vibrating, feel like fainting. So I believe they help me mentally but hurt physically.

 

Do I push through my symptoms and keep going on my 6 week taper from 2 weeks use? Or are my sx thus far a sign I'm headed for trouble? Sx based tapers still involve uncomfortable tapers, I thought.

 

Can anyone with hindsight advise me on my

Rapid taper? Is 6 week taper from 2 weeks consistent use really that rapid?

 

I know I post often but these boards are a huge source of information that my dr doesnt have.

Hi there!

Sx based tapers can and will cause symptoms for those of us who are sensitive to benzo. After only using benzo for two weeks, if I were in your shoes, I would push through symptoms and get off tapering as I could tolerate symptoms. You really do not want to be on this class of medication any longer than necessary. Listen to your gut 

If I am reading your post right - 10 Mgs of Ativan is an enormous dose. A slower taper will be safer for you.

Did I understand your dose correctly??? 10 mgs??? I hope that is a miss print.

east

If I am reading your post right - 10 Mgs of Ativan is an enormous dose. A slower taper will be safer for you.

Did I understand your dose correctly??? 10 mgs??? I hope that is a miss print.

east

It was 10 mg total, about, in 0.25mg amounts sporadically over the months.

Thank you for replying to me. I need a lot of hand holding these days, I'm sorry, I'm feeling quite nervous. I'm now at 0.44 mg a day, from my highest dose of 1 mg during the end of December during lexapro.

I'm microtapering each 4 hour dose 0.01mg, so that im quickly steadly tapering the drug down.  At this rate in will be done in 3 weeks. It hasnt caught up with me yet, after 1.5 weeks of doing this. I continue to feel better.  Hoping to not get dependency on the high dose. And because ativan is so short acting, would I feel a ramp up of symptoms by now? I'm mostly just sweaty, shaky and heart palps, sensitive hearing. But clear headed and mostly functional. Actually I feel quite okay.

I feel like I'm in this grey area of short use or not. I definitely had some withdrawal symptoms this fall from my .25 random dosing but I didn't know my sound sensitivity and anxiety attacks, stiff neck back muscles, slight tremors, were related. I thought I had a pinched nerve in my neck. Now looking back I see what the cause was. I'm one of these sensitive types that 'gets slammed after 5 v'. So I think that sooner i get off the better, right?

I'm trying to be hopeful but I'm indecisive of the right course of action. Such a big decision. I know most say go slow but if my symptoms allow, I want to get off the drugs.

Will i crash and burn on this rapid taper because of my previous withdrawal symptoms? Wouldn't I feel something by now to indicate that? Does a long taper make sense for shorter term use like me? Some of the rapid taper people are doing okay. Some of the long tapers still suffer. 

Hi there fellow bbs,

 

I'm at a crossroad today. I realized that I have been scared into doing a long taper from short term use of ativan (10 mgs PRN .25) over 4 months, which gave me some symptoms, then about 2 weeks at 1 mg when lexapro started. I know believe that a lot of my issues were lexapro anxiety craziness related at the beginning, and now that the lexapro has left my system I feel I can think clearly.

 

Im 3 weeks into a taper from the 10 days of 1mg, and I've made the mistake of thinking I was a habituated user because of my PRN use the previous fall and tried to go Ashton slow at first, but my gut started to scream at me, get off fast. So I'm down to .5 mg after 3 weeks. I'm got high HR, gastrointestinal, toxic sweats, poor sleep, morning anxiety surges, poor appetite, head pressure, sensitive hearing, slight tinnitus. Most of my anxiety is my own,  stemming from taking these pills and being an anxious person.

 

So now, I'm like a month into consistent tapering and use. I don't want to become a long term user and studies seem to favor under months use. I believe these pills are actually causing more problems, as i feel worse 2 hours after ingestion, heart rate spikes, vibrating, feel like fainting. So I believe they help me mentally but hurt physically.

 

Do I push through my symptoms and keep going on my 6 week taper from 2 weeks use? Or are my sx thus far a sign I'm headed for trouble? Sx based tapers still involve uncomfortable tapers, I thought.

 

Can anyone with hindsight advise me on my

Rapid taper? Is 6 week taper from 2 weeks consistent use really that rapid?

 

I know I post often but these boards are a huge source of information that my dr doesnt have.

 

Hi there!

 

Sx based tapers can and will cause symptoms for those of us who are sensitive to benzo. After only using benzo for two weeks, if I were in your shoes, I would push through symptoms and get off tapering as I could tolerate symptoms. You really do not want to be on this class of medication any longer than necessary. Listen to your gut 

Thanks Bella. I've dropped to 0.28mg in a month from 1 mg but am really feeling symptoms between doses. How much do I push through symptoms? I'm sort of functional but mostly on the couch. I feel like I've cemented my dependance by tapering this month?

 

 

Thanks Bella. I've dropped to 0.28mg in a month from 1 mg but am really feeling symptoms between doses. How much do I push through symptoms? I'm sort of functional but mostly on the couch. I feel like I've cemented my dependance by tapering this month?

The heart rate is a strong indicator you are going to fast. The amount/time frame you have tapered the last month be considered a fast reduction rate for a sensitive, dependent long term user. Because you are short term user you may be able to continue to taper if the symptoms you are experiencing are tolerable.  Maybe hold for a while till heart rate settles and other symptoms are tolerable, cut your reduction amount then hold a while between cuts. You will only know for sure if you try. Either way you should recover & heal. Do what feels best.

Thank you Bella.

You think I will heal?