Ativan 20+years! 3.75mg bedtime. Anyone done slow Ativan taper? Pls Help!

Hi Buddies

I’m currently on Ativan 3.75mg taken only at bedtime. I just started to read & want to plan out a slow, slow Ativan taper. Start with dry cuts then eventually when amounts get really low, possibly a water/liquid taper (I’ve only heard about this recently)

 

Has anyone been on a high dose of Ativan for so long and been able to taper? Can anyone share their experiences & offer any advice?

 

What about managing withdrawal symptoms (can they even Be manageable with a slow, slow taper??) while trying to work & raise a family.

 

Feeling really (I mean REALLY) scared & alone 😟  Thanks everyone🙏

A slow taper will allow you to continue to work and raise your family, it's tough but distraction is one of our best tools for getting through this so you're actually lucky you have obligations that will keep you from focusing so much on your symptoms.  I worked full time while I was recovering and am grateful I had to, I can't imagine sitting home all day every day with nothing but symptoms to keep you company.

 

Can you tell me, do you have any interdose withdrawal symptoms?  I wonder if before you start your taper you might want to start dosing more than once a day, many who take Ativan dose 3 times a day. 

 

You might want to check out the Ativan support thread, they're a great bunch of folks.  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=44903.0

Hello Pamster!

Thanks so much for replying & letting me know that other ppl have gone through a withdrawal process while maintaining their full time jobs. That’s very encouraging to hear.

 

Tbh I don’t know if I have interdose withdrawal (maybe I do & don’t even realize it.?) bc this nighttime dosing schedule is what I’ve been doing for so many years and the way I feel during the day (yes, there’s always that feeling of underlying anxiety, the occasional panic attack, muscle weakness, balance issues, sensitivities to light/sounds) is all I’ve ever known as my “baseline” normal. During my waking hours, no matter how I feel I pretty much muscle through the day (work wise (fairly stressful professional demanding job), kids, home responsibilities etc.. for me, the bedtime & not being able to sleep without the Ativan is what scares me to death.

 

Don’t know if anyone has experience tapering with this specific situation? Tapering from  Ativan high dose, long time use AND someone who only took at night?

 

Yes I looked at the Ativan group link & a lot of posts there!! Not even sure where to join in 😬

Are you able to copy/move this post over to that group? Sorry, not that tech savvy & trying to figure out how to navigate the site.

 

Thanks so much!!

You're not alone in being on Ativan a long time and only dosing once a day, we've had thousands of members through the years, so we've pretty much seen everything.  I'd say you're dealing with interdose withdrawal and while I know you're scared of insomnia, it's going to be your constant companion as you taper then recover from your benzo use.  Many of us have had to learn to accept insomnia because there isn't anything that can change this aspect of withdrawal. 

 

You might want to experiment a bit to see what works for you but try taking a little of your nighttime dose the next day to see if your waking hours can be improved upon, I think about you suffering all day long just so you can sleep at night and its sad because the only time you feel good, you're not awake to appreciate it.  I understand completely because I got hooked on Ambien and lived the same way until I stopped it and learned how to sleep on my own. 

 

You could copy your post and put it on the Ativan thread if you'd like, just go to the last page and hit reply and paste it in or just stop in to say hello and others will welcome you.

 

 

Thanks Pamster for your reply & reassurance. I’ve copied my post to the Ativan thread you provided & I’ll wait for someone to reply.