Quick Taper off Ativan, Bummed Out

Hi everyone,

 

I am doing a fairly quick taper off Ativan which I was on for 10 years, "low" dose, around 1 mg. I took more or less depending on the day so it wasn't even consistent dosing. Had no idea it could do what it has done to me. I've been unwell for years and especially the last 2 years with no one being able to figure out what was wrong with me. Have had myriad of tests, symptoms that I don't even want to write down because it'll sound unbelievable and will depress me. I now think I have been in tolerance withdrawal that whole time and it sort of pisses me off that not one person clued in to it.

 

Got a new doc after mine retired and so she wanted me off of them immediately, which I appreciate in one way, because I couldn't make the decision for myself. But to her I am tapering very slowly, so it may be an issue for me to get more. I have enough to hold at .25 for 2 more weeks and then half that for another 2 and that's about it. I have been so ill for so long I feel like there's no point in going any

slower anyway. I'm used to feeling like crap so it's in some ways 'tolerable'. I feel like both taking and not taking them bother me at this point, so not sure I really want to prolong it any more than that.

 

I should be happy that I finally probably have an answer for why I'm so unwell, but I just feel frightened at how long I still am going to be feeling this way or possibly worse and upset at how much of my life I've lost for no good reason. Would like to at least think I've seen the worst of it, but who knows if that's true and so many people on here having such a hard time after many months, it's sort of depressing tbh.

 

Pickl

 

 

I feel your pain. I think my issues are tolerance WD as well. Been on 1 mg some days 2 mugs Ativan for past two years and only have six pills left then no refill so it’s all or nothing with my half pill a day taper then CT after that. I’m scared as hell because I know I tried CT off them n lasted week then instead of losing my mind I went back on them. My family doctor said I couldn’t be addicted because 1mg is such low dose but she thinks my WD symptoms are in my head and exercise will cure all.

I've heard that for years..."you're on such a low dose"...this from the same doctors who couldn't figure out why I was so ill. Don't know why docs don't understand this drug better. Good luck to us!!

You can give these clueless doctors information from three valuable websites for getting off psych pills: Benzodiazepine Information Coalition, World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day, and Inner Compass Initiative.

 

Your doctors are very naive when it comes to benzos. There is NO low dose. Getting off benzos too quickly is very jarring to the CNS and can create tremendous problems and protracted withdrawal in some people.

 

I wish you two GOOD LUCK!! Unfortunately, doctors can be just as bad with advice as going to a rehab or detox. They simply DON'T KNOW much about benzos, and their advice can be very damaging to patients. It's sad that this has been going on for over 50 years now.

Most doctors are, Terry. I have come to think that the drug companies and actively asuppressing the truth.

But nor should anyone waste their time being angry at doctors. After all, we are all adults who are quite capable of doing our own research before taking a new drug.

 

Pickl, I agree. I think Tolerance Withdrawal will explain why you feel so unwell. If you can, take a few moments to read the first two pages of my Success Story. Eastcoast's Trip. I think it will be an eye opener for you.

And take some time to discover what Tolerance Withdrawal is. Understanding this will explain a lot to you.

east

But nor should anyone waste their time being angry at doctors. After all, we are all adults who are quite capable of doing our own research before taking a new drug.

 

east, I almost died twice.  Please, no more shaming.  Please.

You can give these clueless doctors information from three valuable websites for getting off psych pills: Benzodiazepine Information Coalition, World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day, and Inner Compass Initiative.

 

Your doctors are very naive when it comes to benzos. There is NO low dose. Getting off benzos too quickly is very jarring to the CNS and can create tremendous problems and protracted withdrawal in some people.

 

I wish you two GOOD LUCK!! Unfortunately, doctors can be just as bad with advice as going to a rehab or detox. They simply DON'T KNOW much about benzos, and their advice can be very damaging to patients. It's sad that this has been going on for over 50 years now.

 

Terry38 is right. There is no such thing as being safe while on a "low dose". That's actually one of the common myths that keeps being perpetuated for some reason. None of my doctors really knew to help me, and I actually got yelled at by one of them. After I got yelled at by him, I got 100 times more depressed than I ever was. I was stuck going to him for a while because of the horrible agoraphobia, and he was the closest doctor I could physically make it to without getting even sicker for days on end. When he cut me off, my blood pressure skyrocketed to 190/130 and I ended up in the emergency room. I was able to get a 15 day emergency supply at a clinic, which saved me. At the time I managed to get down to .75mg Ativan, yet I was feeling as if I were in acute. That's why I don't prescribe to the whole "low dose" myth. I started with .5mg Ativan as needed, and that's the dose I actually got sick on and when the doctor raised my dose, I got sick beyond belief. Then I decided to taper, but as I tapered, I got sicker, too, so no, low doses/therapeutic doses can cause just as much instability as high doses. The dose and the duration of time are not everything. There's far more to benzos than just how much and how long.

 

 

 

Most doctors are, Terry. I have come to think that the drug companies and actively asuppressing the truth.

But nor should anyone waste their time being angry at doctors. After all, we are all adults who are quite capable of doing our own research before taking a new drug.

 

Pickl, I agree. I think Tolerance Withdrawal will explain why you feel so unwell. If you can, take a few moments to read the first two pages of my Success Story. Eastcoast's Trip. I think it will be an eye opener for you.

And take some time to discover what Tolerance Withdrawal is. Understanding this will explain a lot to you.

east

 

East, you're preaching to the choir here. Of course we want to research every pill from now on. But there are MANY people "out there" who still trust doctors and wouldn't think they'd be steered wrong with a drug. So they don't do research until it's too late and they've entered tolerance.

 

In my opinion there's NO EXCUSE for doctors to remain clueless. These pills have been around for decades. They have a responsibility to "do no harm." That includes prescribing drugs. They are the blind leading the blind, so to speak. And people who have put their trust in them are in for a rude awakening. They've caused a good number of deaths by their prescribing. It isn't right at all.

 

Of course we're angry - damned angry. I think it's good to get the anger out. Rage is part of withdrawal, anyway. I was in a rage for a long time. Now I just plain look at doctors as pawns within a large corporation that's run by insurance companies. All I really need out of doctors are blood tests, anyway. I'm there for a very short period of time.

 

If doctors think they can trust pharma reps' knowledge (one rep was a political science major, and the doctor was actually asking HER opinion on a medical issue), what is medicine coming to???

 

 

It is astounding and maddening that it has been well known for years that benzo withdrawal can not only be long and hellish, but even dangerous, and the knowledge is documented and easily found on the internet, yet many in the medical profession don,t seem to understand this.

 

It’s especially frustrating because society, our employers, insurance companies, friends, family, etc expect that we must trust the doctors and not the internet or what we know of how we’re feeling.  Very difficult to get help and understanding when the “experts” don’t understand and help.

Lorazepam is one of the most problematic drugs. Equivalency tables put it at either 10 or 20 mg diazepam.

 

10 years is a long time. Usually slow tapers are advised. Interdose withdrawal may complicate that. I don't have any specific suggestion except: may your own choice.