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help with Ativan taper, please!!!


[Ch...]

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Hi,

I need help on how to taper off of once daily at Noon .5mg of Ativan. My new psych (whom I think is great!) suggested I switch to 5mg of Valium at bedtime. I didn't take my .5mg of Ativan yesterday and had horrible withdrawals all day (super dizzy, crying spells) and took the 5mg of Valium at 8pm. It made me feel uncomfortably sedated and did not quiet any anxious thoughts like Ativan does. Even though I was sedated I could not sleep. I just did not like how I felt so it caused my mind to ruminate badly. So now I'm considering how else to taper.

 

I would love suggestions from others who have tapered off of Ativan. Did liquid taper work for you or pill cutting and weighing?

 

 

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i also am on ativan and tried to use diazepam.  it didn't work for me, either. i only tried for 3 days, seems my body would rather have ativan.  diazepam did all those things to me that you mentioned.  i wonder why it works charms for some people and not for others.

 

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I'm tapering off of .5mg of Ativan, too. I took it once a day at bedtime.

 

I initially cut it by 25%. Then several weeks later, cut it again so that I was taking only .25. The symptoms were rough. I don't recommend that method.

 

I held at that dose for several months so that I could stabilize. I eventually started feeling a lot better and I started my taper again last night using the prescription liquid. I'm hoping that will go much more smoothly.

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I'm tapering off of .5mg of Ativan, too. I took it once a day at bedtime.

 

I initially cut it by 25%. Then several weeks later, cut it again so that I was taking only .25. The symptoms were rough. I don't recommend that method.

 

I held at that dose for several months so that I could stabilize. I eventually started feeling a lot better and I started my taper again last night using the prescription liquid. I'm hoping that will go much more smoothly.

 

Thanks for sharing. I'm hoping we can be of support to each other. How did the liquid go? I'm considering having my doc prescribe that or making my own. Or I am considering using a MG scale and doing small cuts/shavings to taper and just taking the dose once  a day as that is what my body is used to.

This week has been hell as the Valium is leaving my body. Apparently it takes 8 days for Valium to be eliminated fully from the body from the last dose. I was fine last week on .5mg of Ativan, fairly stable, sleeping decent, as soon as I tried the Valium all went to hell. I only took it for 2 nights too. I guess we are all different. 

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Hi ChickenMama, marigold7 and Cathymp,

 

Here's a link to the Ativan Support Group, where folks are currently tapering, or successfully did taper, directly off Ativan:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=44903.7750

 

Please read through past posts, as you'll find a lot of tapering information, coping strategies and individual experiences which should be of help to you.  Join us!

 

xo,

sierra  :smitten:

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Hi ChickenMama,

I have been on lorazepam 1mg at bedtime -- I started with cut and hold which was bumpy, but my taper became very smooth when I started doing 1/2 liquid and 1/2 pill. I'm approaching just .25 liquid now that I'm at the end of my taper.  Valium has never agreed with me although I think I tried it twice??  Definitely works for some, but keep in mind many people taper off their original drug.. Lorazepam can be tapered.  :)  kind of, "the devil you know"

 

-PH

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  • 4 weeks later...
I'm finding my taper much easier with the liquid. I've only managed to a taper 10% but I'm stable and doing well. My anxiety was bad on some days but manageable. I've stopped tapering at the moment and will start again this week.
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