Ativan 1mg twenty plus years.....last dose yesterday.

It took about thirteen months and I am finally here. No more Ativan. A. very slow liquid taper using the formula builder (on this site) gave me. A huge thank you builder. After the early days of tapering I have had few symptoms. The main one being insomnia. I am trying CBD oil with a small amount of THC. I would prefer not to take anything but I went on Ativan for sleep problems and they are back. It is a struggle to get a good nights sleep and rarely happens at present. Being older that goes against me as sleep quality worsens for many in their senior years. I know and obey nearly all the sleep hygiene rules!

  I do have some negative intrusive thoughts from old memories. I am not feeling any great appreciation of being a different person than I was on Ativan.

In a way I am thankful for those twenty years of sleep which got me through my work and study life. I am noticing less muscle/back pain which I had for years and wondering if this is due to decreasing Ativan.

Best wishes to all.......slow, slow is the way to go!

Congratulations on getting off benzos! Sounds like you did your homework and did a slow thoughtful taper.

Sorry you're having insomnia. So hard. As I'm sure you've read, it can take a while for our central nervous system to adjust even after all th benzo is out of your body. So it may take some time for you to feel really well  Also, you may want to work on non medication approaches to getting sleep  there are a lot of posts about sleep hygiene as many folks here are coping with the same challenge as you.

I hope you find some relief soon.

Again congratulations on getting off the ativan!

Thanks Brighterday.....very kind of you!

I too, began taking benzos for insomnia. I had no idea then, how bad that can be. I knew they were "addictive" but I did not know how awful benzo wd can be for some.

Now I do know. Benzo addiction sort of creeps up on you. You don't "feel" addicted, but physically, you sure are.

Because benzos work on your brain., benzo withdrawal can produce the most weird symptoms. And those weird symptoms may make you believe you  have gone mad, or that you have some awful disease.

 

Good for you, getting off benzos safely and carefully.

east

 

East coast, it's so true what you say about the benzo problem sneaking up on us. I took them for five years with no problems then it was like a dam broke. I wonder why it was at that point. Of course I never tried to quit during those five years, and no one could have talked me into it because they seemed to be working great!

Fridaygirl, good work and congrats. You are hope for the rest of us.

Congratulations, Fridaygirl!❤👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉

Thanks for posting Friday Girl and congratulations!

 

I was prescribed Ativan about 17 years ago and I often get discouraged because I worry that I've just been on it too long to ever heal from it.

 

Your success gives me hope!

 

I used cbd oil to help me with getting off a different med, and after a few months I didn't really need it anymore. I just sort of forgot about it once the main withdrawal symptoms were gone. The same thing might happen for you as well with insomnia.

 

Thank you All for your replies....I am almost 3 weeks off Ativan now and insomnia is only problem.....and thats enough!

Congrats on ridding your body of this medication!  I too was on Ativan or another BZD for close to 20 years, and also prescribed for insomnia (likely from the side effect of Prozac).  It's a long haul weaning from this medication and you should be mighty proud of your efforts. The insomnia demon really takes hold of a person psychologically as well as physically. All the good sleep hygiene habits in the world help, but don't seem to brea,k the grip of the psychological fear of not sleeping IMO. My goal for 2020 is to get off of psych med #2 - Neurontin - prescribed to blunt the side effects of BZD withdrawal.  If you would like another "buddie" for support during your recovery process, feel free to message me.  Day at a time friend....you will heal...your brain will get some rest.  Pacem and sweet dreams.

Hi squirrleygirl,

    Thanks for good wishes......how was/is your sleep post Ativan? Does it improve? Does Neurontin help with sleep?