Lormetazepam Taper (and Alprazolam)

Hello,

 

I copy/pasted my introduction story here to get some advice and suggestions on a Lormetazepam taper,

Any advice or experience tapering with this drug is highly appreciated.

 

 

 

Im 34 years old and started taking benzos around March 2020

 

I am currently doing a taper from Lormetazepam and Alprazolam as my doctor suggested, although she supports me alot i think she is also new to tapering. (she's still in training)

And because i reached a hard point in my taper i am seeking for some extra advice on what i should or not do next. (i tried psychologists and psychiatrist, independant and university but nobody seems to be educated enough on benzo use/taper.)

 

I have read the ashton manual and adviced my doctor to do the same.

Their opinion is short acting benzo's should be first tried to taper directly with the lowest commercial dose available (but as you can see i already requested 0.250mg doses Lormetazepam made by the local Pharmacy)

 

I was prescribed Lormetazepam after gettig tinnitus and having serious anxiety, insomnia, and panic attacks about it.

(Although the weeks before i noticed tinnitus i  used 1mg loretazepam sporadically as i was experiencing severe insomnia one night and anxiety due to some life circumstances, but this settled until i noticed tinnitus.)

 

My original dose was 2.5mg Lormetazepam at night.

Somewhere during summer i decided i needed to get things together and quit everything so i stopped the Lormetazepam but two days later i crashed, deep.

I went back to the doctor and she added 3x 0.25mg alprazolam daily.

 

This stabilized me, but few months later i noticed this could not be the solution for life. I was stable but far from being myself kind of apatic. So again i wanted to stop benzo use only this time i would taper.

 

My memory about this period is not so good anymore so i dont know anymore how exactly i got from 2.5mg to 2mg but i think i just reduced by 0.5mg and stabilized.

 

From this point i went to the doctor i think and she made the following taper plan:

 

Week 1-2 (16/11 tem 29/11)

- Alprazolam 0,25mg 2x/day

- Lormetazepam 1,75mg before sleep

 

Week 3-4 (30/11 tem 13/12)

- Alprazolam 0,25mg 1x/day in the afternoon

- Lormetazepam 1,50mg before sleep

 

Week 5-6 (14/12 tem 27/12)

- Alprazolam 0,25mg 1x/day in the afternoon

- Lormetazepam 1mg before sleep

 

Week 7-8 (28/12 tem 10/01)

- Alprazolam 0,25mg only if needed, max 1x/day

- Lormetazepam 0,5mg before sleep

 

Week 9:

- Alprazolam STOP

- Lormetazepam STOP

 

 

I am currently at 0.75mg Lormetazepam before sleep.

No alprazolam. (I was about a month free of alprazolam until i tapered down to 0.5 Lormetazepam and had to take if  a few days to stabilize now i'm free of it again for two weeks)

 

Somewhere during my taper i felt i could reduce the Alprazolam because i felt 'ok' and so i ended up quiting that a few times.

 

 

But here is my problem,

 

I was emotionally stable on 1mg before sleep for two weeks after the regular withdrawel effects.

 

I mainly had brain fog, concentration issues, and blurred vission,and also emotionally unstable. but once i got myself together emotionally after two weeks, and felt like the physical side effects wouldnt get much better anyway until i was more benzo free i decided to follow the plan and cut to 0.5Mg before sleep.

 

So that did not work, i did this for four days ( around xmas and new year) but i had a breakdown on NYE and i had to up my dose again to 0.75mg and the days after i used 0.25mg Alprazolam and then 0.125 and then quit it again.

 

So this brings me to my current situation:

 

Concentration issues for  about two months now (even conversations are hard for me), together with blurry vision. This does not seem to get better but i remember it once did after the doctor first prescribed me Alprazolam so this leads me to think these side effects are maybe interdose withdrawal.

 

I can stil drive a car wich i do alot, but i need my glasses as the day progresses.

 

I am unsure on how i should progress now..

 

Currently two weeks on 0.75mg Lormetazepam before sleep.

 

The options i see are the following:

 

1) try to reduce to 0.5mg again and keep enduring these side effects and hope it will clear up. Although last time was a 50% reduction this 25% reduction is scaring me but i would try it if this is my best option to get benzo free.

 

2) Reduce the dose to 0.5 mg but reinstate 0.25mg Alprazolam in the afternoon to improve stabilization and maybe reduce some of these interdose withdrawal (if this is what my current symptons are)

 

3) keep 0.75mg and reinstate 0.25 mg Alprazolam in the afternoon to improve stabilization and maybe reduce some of these interdose withdrawal (if this is what my current symptons are) and continue taper from a more stable point then what it is now.

 

 

First i want to apologize for any spelling mistakes and the maybe confusing text i hope it is clear enough to understand my situation, and thank you to anyone reading this and maybe have some advice for me. i really wish my concentration would have been better i had a hard time concentrating while writing this.

 

 

Thank you and i wish the best of luck to everyone!

Am I correct in saying you're currently on .75 mg Lormetazepam and no Alprazolam?

Yes, this is correct.

Can you list your current symptoms and level of discomfort?

 

Yes, currently i have trouble concentrating, this has been with me for a month or two now and really tires me out.

 

Blurred far-sight vision, everything close to me is normal but i cant read anything further away.

 

Emotionally i am not who i was but at least im stable at this moment, less when i reduce a dose.

 

And tinnitus, a static hiss. Not sure if it ever changes but sometimes i think it does get more silent or louder when i reduce dose and anxiety comes into play.  But my mind keeps thinking about it wich is stressing me out also.

 

I have a multidisciplinary intake planned for tinnitus next week.

 

Thanks,

 

Thank you for answering my questions, and I'm sorry if you included this information in your initial post, but I was having difficulty separating what you've experienced to what you are experiencing now.

 

What you've described indicates to me that you're somewhat stable and functional, please know I'm not minimizing your suffering, I can see it's impacting your quality of life.

 

My suggestion would be to hold the dose of Lormetazepam and not reinstate the Alprazolam, going on and off this drug isn't doing you any favors as there is a risk of having greater difficulty in tapering off of it each time you stop and start it.  Many members say they've been able to taper from benzo's numerous times without difficulty until they can't.

 

I understand that Lormetazepam is a short acting drug which is leaving you without coverage during the day but so is Alprazolam so it's not your answer.  How would you feel about dividing your dose of Lormetazepam and taking some of it during the day?

 

Just for your information, tinnitus is common for those who are tolerant to and withdrawing from benzo's.  For some it is the last symptom to leave but it generally leaves on it's own for most.

Thank you for your input, i appreciate your efforts alot!

 

About dividing the Lormetazepam, is there any dose suggestions you would give me? First thing that comes to my mind is take 0.25 at Daytime and 0.50 before sleep.

 

Also how would tapering look like from here knowing i'm on 0.75 before sleep for two weeks now and may adjust the dose to 0.25day/0.50night

 

How much longer should i stay on this dose and what would my next reducting look like?

 

Thank you,

Your dose split idea looks sound, it will most likely exacerbate your insomnia but this is inevitable for us, we have to go through it to get free from the drugs.

 

My one concern with our plan is the fact that Lormetazepam is a hypnotic, do you feel this will compromise you if you take it during the day?  I wouldn't want you to be in any danger if you need to operate a vehicle or any of the other activities you engage in.

 

If you go forward with this, I would suggest staying on the new dosing regimen for at least a week to get your body used to it before you reduce again.  Your next reduction would of course be to your midday dose, you might try a 10% cut to that.  Tapers are experiments with you as the subject so keeping a journal will help you make decisions going forward.  If 10% is too much, you can make the next one 5%, it's all about listening to your body to determine your taper rate. 

 

 

Hey,

 

I think that may be the reason why my doctor prescribed me Alprazolam for during the day time.

 

It did make me feel better, but then i always feel like i can cut it out and end up with inter withdrawal from only Lormetazepam  before sleep.

 

Today me and my family decided i should take a dose of 0.25mg Lormetazepam early because i feel mentally sad and tired of it all. (Will take 0.5 before sleep)

 

Thank you for your advice and concerns about my safety, i will post an update as soon as experience any changes.

 

 

I'm glad you discussed this with your family, and early morning sounds like a good idea.  Thank you for saying you'll come back to document your journey, as I mentioned, I've never worked with a person who has taken Lormetazepam so I'll be interested to hear how you're doing.  It's also important because what you say here will help the next person who comes along struggling as you are with this drug. 

Hey,

 

Thought i'd come back and post an update on what decisions i made and how i feel currently for  anyone interested or struggling with Lormetazepam.

 

So its has been 9 days since i decided to split my dose.

The 0.25mg Lormetazepam taken during daytime (around 12pm) made me pretty sleepy wich i did not like but i guess it helped me emotionally as needed at the time.

I was able to sleep the same on 0.50mg and after two days the split became a taper and one week ago i only took 0.50mg to sleep.

 

Two days after tapering i actually had one of my best days/sleep in months but shortly after again i started feeling worse again both fysical and mentally.

Bad but not bad enough that i needed to up my dose again.

 

Today things feel like they may be getting better again even though i need to do my best to hang in there, i hope next week brings along more stabilization.

Will update as soon as anything significant changes, any input is still highly appreciated.

 

Take care and good luck everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations on eliminating that .25 dose, this is wonderful!  It sounds like you're getting the typical waxing and waning of symptoms that leave us confused and frustrated about our path to recovery but I see a very good attitude in you, one that will serve you well.  I like the idea of holding your dose until you feel a bit more stable, and thanks for giving us an update. 

Thank you for your kind words Pamster,  you must know they mean alot more to people then one may sometimes think. Reading such words really makes a difference.

 

 

What I remember well were the overwhelming negative feelings, pain and fear this process generates and how much a simple validation of what I was feeling could do.  Not many in our real lives can understand what we go through, it really helps to know there are others who understand us, even strangers on the internet.

 

How is your tinnitus?

You are right about that, i am immensely lucky to have some family around that supports me and tries to understand me at  the best of their possibilities, yet this is a war that noone can understand fully if not for being on the battlefield themselves.

 

So yes, having a random stranger with experience like you saying kind and hopefull words means alot.

 

The tinnitus is worse or better at times, although the sound is always the same high pitch hissing, it seems the constant thinking about it is what seems to make it worse and more of a problem then the sound itself.

 

I go sleep with it and wake up to it, only when i start my day it fades, as long as i manage to not think about it, wich i struggle with. I do have rare moments that i listen and think i do not even hear it, but after a year with it my body does not relax at such moments. It keeps a state of alertness.

 

And ofcourse every taper, it manifests itself.

 

As i have mentioned in one of my previous post i had an intake with a multidisciplinary team (audiologist, fysiotherapist, psychologist) to evaluate my current situation to help me  habituate and have some sort of guidance nearing the end of my taper so that having tinnitus wont be a setback post taper. This moment scares me but i have no choice.

 

Again, thank you for taking interest in my case.

It sounds like distraction is helpful with tinnitus just as it is with our other symptoms, the less we focus the better we can manage.  I had no idea that even when you have a break from it that you remain on high alert waiting for it to return, that is so incredibly sad.  But I guess its much the same with the rest of our symptoms that wax and wane, just when we think we've rounded the corner they return until they finally leave us for good.

 

I'm glad you have a supportive family and plan in place to help you, hopefully it won't involve medication.

A small update..

 

So it has been 10 days since i did  another dose reduction of 0,25mg, meaning i have been on what would supposedly be the lowest dose of 0,25 mg before jumping..

 

First few days of the cut give me a hangover feeling, followed by a few emotionally and depressed days. That did stabilize and now im mostly worried about my tinnitus and the constant ocd feeling of thinking it over.

 

Sleep is good, i do not feel the low dose lormetazepam is still inducing my sleep.

 

@Pamster

 

Question please.. a few actually

 

Do you think the tinnitus and ocd thinking about it can stil be from this low dose of benzodiazepine and the tapering from it? Is hoping for improvement after jumping too much to ask?

 

Also vision is still blurry, concentration still bad. Although i think i had better days.. i wonder can an equivalent of 2,5mg diazepam still cause all these side effects?  0,25mg lormetazepam seems so low..

 

 

Do you think 0,25mg lormetazepam  is a reasonable amount to jump from? I would be jumping next sunday.

 

Thank you,

Your symptoms sound unpleasant but manageable, I'm glad to see you stabilized but of course that doesn't mean feeling good unfortunately.  I'm thrilled to hear you're sleeping this is huge!

 

Your current symptoms are absolutely caused by your taper and they will be with you even after you stop the drug.  Even though the drug will be gone the repairs your brain is making will go on for some time.  When your brain sensed the presence of the drug it made changes in how it functions to accommodate it so after the drug is gone it has to complete the repairs it began when you started to eliminate it.  I know it's discouraging to think your suffering will go on longer but this is the process and we can't rush or change it.

 

As you recover your symptoms will still wax and wane, it will be discouraging because you'll think you're almost better then you'll have a setback but please know you're moving in the right direction and will someday be free from your discomfort.  Please avoid alcohol while you're recovering and keep your life as stress free as you can, these are two of the biggest factors in increased symptoms and setbacks.

 

As for what dose to jump from, I know .25 sounds like a low dose but I'd like to see you reduce this by half just to help you ease off of it.  I'd hate to see you suffer anymore by jumping too soon but of course it's totally up to you. 

 

I appreciate your update, please let us know how it goes.  Here are a couple of posts that may help you understand your situation.

 

Four Phases of Withdrawal-Where Are You?

 

What’s happening inside your brain

 

 

 

Thank you for replying!

 

What you said may sound a bit discouraging but makes sense, i'm going to have a look at the links you added and i will take your words into consideration, thank you for taking time.

 

Will keep you posted,

 

So..

I feel the need to write this off.. today is bad.

 

7 days into another reduction, on 0,125 now.  I felt bad the day when i reduced but i feel like i never stabilize anymore on these low doses so decided to push it after two weeks.

 

Actually felt better the first two days of the cut. Then back in hell.

 

Today i have it all, but i'm also so depressed right now, like i can almost not take it anymore. Crying all day nothing good comes in only bad feelings. Its so hard.

 

Also did not sleep.

I'm hoping the coming days will be better, so tired of it all.

 

Am i better of jumping?

Not sure anymore where i'm at and what is the best i can do.. 

 

Girlfriend is suggesting i try cbd vape or take a paracetamol, bad idea?

 

Take care everyone.

 

 

 

You sound awful and I know you're discouraged but you're on the right track.  Remember that the drug lies to us, tells us all is hopeless and we'll never recover but we do, it just takes too long.  I don't advise jumping from this dose but holding for longer sounds like a good idea, powering through the reductions only makes you hurt more.  Rushing to the finish line doesn't mean you'll heal faster, it just means you'll hurt more on the way down.  Slow and steady is the way to go.

 

These feelings aren't you, they're the bi-product of a drug and when you recover, these feelings will be gone so look to that, look past this and know it's temporary.

 

There are quite a few people who discuss the benefits of CBD and cannabis on this thread, you're welcome to join them. http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=165140.0

 

I don't have any knowledge of paracetamol but you're welcome to see what others have to say about it by starting a thread or searching on the Other Medications board.

Thank you Pamster for the supportive words, you are so kind!

 

Going to read up on cbd or paracetamol to see if its permited at this point.. anything is welcome really.

Hey,

 

I just thought i'd make a quick update  since my last post was pretty depressing, it was a week after a reduction from 0.250 to 0.125 lormetazepam.

 

Never did i think that such a small dose could cause so much havoc, yet it did and i felt real bad, but about a week later i started to feel better, MUCH better.

 

I Felt so depressed, anxious, that i thought i would break, i was scared to relapse to a higher dose but i refused to give in waiting for better days..

 

At that moment i even sought out a homeopathic doctor to see if he could be of any help.

 

Anyways, when i started tapering at 2.5mg lormetazepam, and 3x 0.25 alprazolam i reduced dose every two weeks, because i wanted to get of these drugs asap.

 

I never really felt good anymore down the way, and also my vision, memory, concentration went down pretty fast, but i now start to think that is because i reduced too fast and to big of a dose.

 

since my last bad wave its the first time that i decided to stay on a dose (0.125mg) longer then two weeks and i actually think im starting to feel better.

 

I know i'm not at the finish line yet and my next dose reduction (probably last) to 0.062mg may and probably will bring a whole new episode with it, but at least i think i'm ready for it, something i could have NEVER thought 20 days ago.

 

To everyone reading and finding themself in the midst of whatever you are going through, Keep Going!!

 

There is only one way.. 

 

Behind the clouds the sun still shines, behind the waves there is ground.

 

Ps: @Pamster Thank you so much..  words can't describe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your post just made my day, I'm so glad you got some relief!  That holding of the dose seems to work, the body adapts and soon you're ready to start the pain all over again.  But you're right, the only way out is through and you're getting through.

 

You've come so far and while you have a ways to go you've learned that you can count on your body to come through for you if you give it the time it needs.  I'm happy for you. 

Hey,

 

I thought i would quickly stop by to post that this taper has come to an end.

 

Two weeks ago i jumped from 0.0625 mg lormetazepam which from my understanding equals to about 0.5 diazepam or valium.

 

I am now benzo free for two weeks, and i feel great.

 

 

The first three days after the  jump were definitely the best. Feelings were good, vision was less blurry, and concentration was better.

The days after that were slightly worse but nothing near as bad as some weeks during the taper.

 

Now i'm feeling good again, almost don't need glasses during the day, but tend to still need them towards the evening, but ofcource i bet more healing needs to be done.

 

I can't wait.

 

As for the tinnitus, its still there BUT benzo's definitely alters your perception and ability to cope with it naturally for the worse.

 

Still hopeing for some improvement and habituation here but overal i just sleep like i did before but sometimes use a sleep band with sound to ignore whatever is still going on.

 

I feel like i'm not the person to give anyone advice but if i were to may give any advice from my personal experience to anyone reading, it would be that:

 

From reading my story you can see that the Dr gave me a pretty rapid taper schedule, if i were to have to do it again, i would have gone slower. in the beginning it may seem that reducing by a large amount is doable but what you are doing IMO is setting yourself up for bigger withdrawel symptons down the road. Thats where the party begins and thats where you will feel like its impossible to taper and have all sorts of side effects, although i feel much of them (in my case blurry vision, anxiety, concentration issues) could be avoided by tapering slow, even from the start.

 

This is just my personal experience.

 

 

Okay so..  i hope i can come back in a few months and write you guys another succes story but as you can read above this is already a small one; I am feeling GOOD and so will you one day. Just take your time and know you CAN do this, you got this.

 

I have said this before but i still wish to end with thanking the benzobuddies forum as a whole but especially Pamster, you were one of the only ones in a very dark time in my life that gave me some kind of guidance. I will forever respect you for this. Thank You.

 

For now, take care everyone.