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Hi! I’m new here and need help tapering low dose (0.25) Lorazepam


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Hi. I have been on Lorazepam for 2 years for anxiety. I have stayed at between 0.25-0.5. I am having what I think is inter dose withdrawal.I saw a psychiatrist to help me taper off and she prescribed 0.125 Clonazepam and told me to stop the Lorazepam. Also wants me to add Paxil. She said I am not having inter dose w/d, but that I am not taking enough of the medication. I am concerned about switching meds. Is it ok to stop the Lorazepam and start Clonazepam? Every doctor I asked about stopping Lorazepam said because I was taking so little, it should be fine to cut it in half for a couple of weeks and then stop. I’m confused about what to do. So many on here say that it is harder to stop lower doses, yet the doctors don’t have any concern about that. Please let me know your opinions and experiences. TIA. I appreciate it so much!
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Hello!! I am new to this too so I do jot have much experience. But I can tell you about what I did sonce my experience is similar to yours. Also, lets wait for someone with more experience to respond to see their input.

 

• I started taking 1 mg of ativan a day for 2 1/2 months. i am very sensitive to medications so I went into withdrawal (luckily the doctor who saw me in the ER knew about benzo withdrawal and gave me the dx). I do think taking it for 2 years even at 0.25 makes a difference. I am currently tapering from 0.360 and can tell you that I can even feel when I reduce 5-10% as trecommended.

• Regarding Paxil (I obtained this information from the 3rd psychiatrist I saw) hes a specialist in anxiety and is not in the US (generally in my experience much more compassionate and hummanistic approach to patients) he told me that Paxil with Ativan are not a good combination. Since they work kind of similar and can increase risk of withdrawal if combined. I believe from the SSRIs Paxil could be the most addictive. You can search for the lovely grind on youtube, he explains his journey in withdrawal from paxil and xanax.

• One psychiatrist also told me to reduce as you mentioned and it completely destroyed me. But as I mentioned, everyone is different. Most doctors are not benzo informed and they believe low dosages are nothing. Also, if she is planning to change medications are you tapering from any of them at some point? I think this is important to ask, since most doctors minimize the effects of medications

 

NOTE: regarding her comment “you need to take more” I would research, inform myself, get a second opinion. Many of the members here got the same instructions, including me. If I had listened I would have never been where I am. And I would have never found a way to taper and get put of benzos.

 

Hope this helps and please keep updating! 

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Thank you so much for your advice, CM22. My dr wants me to stop Lorazepam, start Clonazepine at 0.125 and slowly start on Paxil, for anxiety. I’m really scared to start both these meds but, I am suffering from anxiety but, not sure if it is tolerance withdrawal causing it. I wake up in hell every morning. Shaking, exhausted from less sleep, crying, palpitations and overall weakness, among other unpleasant symptoms. Of course, this worry about taking more drugs is adding to my anxiety.
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Yes I understand. I have generalized anxiety tooS eo the symptoms, could be from withdrawal and anxiety/ its hard to know. Just make sure to try to eliminate any benzos for your treatment eventually. They are only meant to ve used in the ahort term. In regards with the SSRI I would do researxh to make sure paxil is the vest option for me. As I mentioned, the dr told me it could also cause more withdrawals.

 

Take it one day at a time. Research information. Be prepared. Take care of yourseld. Each right. Also gwt your labs done, sometimes is not only anxiety but aomwthing elae that can be more easily dixed! Please keep us updated!

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