Taper lorazepam help plz

Hello, I’ve been taking lorazepam for 4 weeks now because I started an antidepressant which was rough. Still is because I upped my dose. I have a .5 pill but only take the half which would be .25mg. My doctor told me I should be fine if I stop cold turkey since it’s been a short time but I don’t want to risk it. I need suggestions on how to taper please. I don’t know where or how to start.

Cali91,

 

This is a very difficult decision.

 

First let me warn you.  You will get many different opinions because you are a very short time user.

 

    -Some will tell you to stop immediately before you get dependent and have all the issues you read about on this forum. 

 

    -Others will tell you to do a slow taper.  The problem with a slow taper is, you will stay on the benzo longer, and have a greater risk of getting hooked on the drug.

 

In any case, if you stop now (cold turkey) or do a taper, YOU WILL HAVE SOME SYMPTOMS.  Probably poor sleep for several weeks.  Certainly more anxiety for a few weeks. 

 

Here is a practical way to handle it.

 

Start a journal RIGHT NOW.  Each day, record your dose and your body issues (quality of sleep, anxiety, pain, anything and everything).  Do this for a few days.  Call it the baseline.

 

After the few days to get a baseline, we test the waters gently.  We reduce you 10% and continue to Journal over at least a week. 

 

We then review the journal and compare to the baseline to make educated decisions about your particular body and need.

 

If you decide to do the journal method, let me know by answering this post.

 

Bob

 

 

Thank you Bob7 for providing sound advice to Cali91, I agree with your prognosis and suggestion.

Thank you, I will try to do cold turkey and see how it goes. In these 4 weeks, I was able to go without for a couple of days but then I get some anxiety but I cannot tell if it’s withdrawals or the antidepressant I just started. I have had good days like today where I didn’t need ativan and I didn’t have any symptoms today. I was prescribed hydroxyzine to help with anxiety and so I don’t rely on Ativan anymore. I really hope this works. I know how being on a benzo can be. I was on Ativan years ago for 1 whole year on 1mg daily. I quit cold turkey and that was terrible but thankfully I didn’t have seizures or worse.

Just be careful starting and stopping benzos.  I think it makes you more likely to have troubles when you later do a taper.

Also, after you make any drop in your benzo (including cold turkey), it can take 3 day to really feel it.  So in three days, if you think you are having bad anxiety, try to understand it is just the benzo reaction catching up to you.

Ok so today is day 2 without anything. Idk if it’s my antidepressant leveling out but I woke up depressed and crying and anxious. But I’m being treated for this depression.

Depression is a real and terrible condition.

 

Have hope.  It can go away in time.

 

I am glad you have some medical support for it.

 

In addition, try to find something (a special goal or hobby or work) which has you so excited, you cannot wait to get out of bed to do it.

 

Then do it.  I know it is hard to do it because of the depression condition. 

 

But if you can work on the special goal and have some success, it will naturally lift some of the depression.  The act to doing and completing something everyday has amazing counter depression influence.  I think it is because it forces you to live in the moment.

 

 

It is so awful! I’ve been dealing with it for 2 months now but recently got on Lexapro 4 weeks ago. It’s definitely a roller coaster. Today I feel so anxious and tempted to take Ativan but don’t want to keep taking it. 😞 I have hydroxyzine 10mg but haven’t tried it yet. I’m scared. Thank you I try to get up everyday even though it’s been so hard.

I think hydroxyzine is safe - it seems like bendryl?  Try to take at bed if you start having trouble with sleep.

 

If you talk yourself back into taking the benzo, you are committing to a path.

 

As I first told you, even a short term user who quits cool turkey will have benzo withdrawal starting within a few days of the cold turkey and lasting perhaps weeks or until you learn NON DRUG ways to deal with anxiety.

 

You must learn to live in the moment.

 

In general,

Living in the past, feeds depression.

Living in the future, feed anxiety.

You must learn to live in the moment.  Find a hobby or exercise or dive into work.  Still in moment while you heal from these drugs.

 

Use youtube to learn how to live in the moment.

 

 

That is very true, I try to find hobbies and plus I have kids to take care of as well but I feel so awful. Dealing with depression, side effects of this antidepressant and now idk if I’m dealing with withdrawals from Ativan. Do you think I should taper? But I’m just not sure how I would do that… Would I have to cut the half of the half? I break a .5 pill in half and that’s what I take.

The worse thing you can do is a bunch of start and stops of a cold turkey. 

 

I think you can handle this cold turkey if you learn some of your anxiety if just who you are and you need to do non-drug methods to fix it.  See a counselor for non-drug anxiety helps.

 

You are not very addicted yet.  Are are on a mild dose (1/2 of 0.5 mg is very mild). You only took it for 4 weeks.

 

You have a great chance at finishing a cold turkey.  But if you need to give in (cannot wait 7 days while journaling the improvement), then do this:

 

You should be able to cut you pill into 1/4 bits.  DO NOT WORRY IF THEY ARE NOT EXACT.  You are not as addicted as some people so you can handle some variation.  Also, the benzo stays in your blood for a while so having a smaller one-fourth one day is averages by a larger one-fourth the next day.

 

Take 1/4 per day and Journal how you feel.

 

In about a week, we can talk about a the next cut after reading your journal.  Also put in your journal what is happening in your life.  I bet you will see some of the anxiety is due to life issues, not benzo withdrawal.

 

Thank you I’ll definitely have to try this but I’ve realized that I can’t handle the heightened anxiety that comes with starting an antidepressant. And now I’ve been switched to Zoloft so starting over again with this horrible crippling anxiety. I’ve still been taking the Ativan .25 once a day, it’s been 6 weeks on it. But I still want to try to get off of it soon.