Cross over on hold

When my took my test doses of diazepam before starting a cross over, I had intense feelings of needing to move my legs in bed. The intense feeling lasted about 20-30 minutes each night (I did two test doses and two separate days) My doc thinks it could be the diazepam knocking off the Ativan from the receptors in my brain and could throw me into acute withdrawal from the Ativan. He thinks that the intense feeling of needing to move my legs could be the start of akathisia?  The cross over has been put on hold until we can talk about it.  He mentioned one option of  doing the crossover very fast and needing to cross me over to a higher dose of Valium.  If my sleeping problems are not due to interdose withdrawal (I only sleep maybe 2 -3 hours a night ) but possibly to a chemical like cortisol/ adrenaline, will switching to Valium fix this?  I don’t know what to do.  I feel like crap all morning and into the afternoon while on Ativan.  I don’t know what to do and I’m scared

haven’t been working much cause of how bad I feel on Ativan... I’m scared I’m going to lose my job eventually.. I have a wife, two kids, a mortgage.  I’m so worried and I’m so tired from no sleep...

 

My doc is advising not to do the crossover to Valium based on my reactions.  I am bummed.  He said we could try clonazepam or just taper the Ativan.  I’m scared about it all over again!!!

I feel that switching to another benzo isn't your best course of action because of your tendency to worry and also because of the unknown's that switching can bring into the situation. 

 

Would you feel okay about staying with the Ativan?

I think only getting two hours of sleep a night and being “wired” from cortisol and adrenaline from 3am until 7am is really hurting me - and not being able to nap in the day because of being jolted awake as soon as I nod off.  thought the not getting any sleep I would have acclimated to it by now but I haven’t.  The cortisol/ adrenaline makes it way harder.  I have to pace around the house to burn some of it off.  I was ready to tell my doc to crossover to Valium even if we have to updose but he doesn’t think it’s a good idea.  I gonna start by trying to taper the Ativan.  I have a lot to taper, so it’s going to take awhile.  Doc said if I’m really struggling we can look at the clonazepam but for now he wants me to taper Ativan.  I think if I could remedy the sleeping/adrenaline issues, I would be so much better off.  I may try trazadone for sleep.  Just so I can catch up. 

I agree with your Dr, tapering from the Ativan seems like the best course of action.  I wouldn't pin my hopes on Trazodone to help with sleep, I didn't find it useful, have you looked at this post to help with sleep issues? http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=235100.0

Are you still taking mirtazapine/Remeron?  If so, might I encourage you to learn more about possible interactions between mirtazapine and trazodone?