Symptoms and timeline after very short term and low dose ativan CT

It's been 45 days since I stopped Ativan. I'm a 32-year-old male with no history of mental health issues or drugs. I took a few 0.5 mg doses here and there -- dentist appointments, an occasional panic attack, etc... End of August 2021, I had a panic attack, which I treated with Ativan. The next day: another attack -- another dose.

This continued for about a week. Every day I would wake up with what I now know are probably interdose withdrawals -- severe panic, anhedonia, nausea, sweaty palms, etc. I would then try to survive it until I caved in and took Ativan to reduce the symptoms.

I had no clue what was happening. I stopped all alcohol and coffee and started researching. I could not believe this could be the benzo -- I only took a few doses. 10 0.5 mg pills in total over the period of a month, with a week of daily use toward the end. I quit CT, thinking that due to my short stint, I'll recover quickly.

Week 1 was hell that I wouldn't wish upon my enemies: I could not sleep: when trying to fall asleep, I would wake up with a jolt of adrenalin. I would wake up with a panic attack at night. The days were filled with anhedonia, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, GI issues, nausea, lack of appetite, akathisia, sweaty palms, chest tightness, night sweats, etc... It was worse than pain. I would rather have my legs and arms broken than go through this again.

Week 2 was a little better: I figured out how to sleep: I exercised twice a day to tire myself out and to kill the panic attacks. At night I would fall asleep quickly enough, but wake up several times a night. Panic attacks almost every day. Same symptoms as week 1.

Week 3 was a little better yet: Panic attacks were rare. Appetite improved. Anxiety and depression came in waves of 2 days or so. Sleep became more manageable. I can fall asleep and stay asleep for 4-5 hours. I would wake up without panic or cortisol rush, but still with heightened energy and weird sensations in my hands -- as though they were numb or warm. I developed new symptoms: headaches, tinnitus, and visual snow.

Week 4: just one panic attack. Appetite is normal. GI issues disappeared aside from some constipation. Blood pressure has normalized as well. The mood was mostly normal. Main symptoms were insomnia (no trouble falling asleep, but wake up multiple times a night). Feeling random anxiety "flutters" like a panic attack about to come in. Headaches almost every day. Tired/fatigued to then max. Tinnitus pops up here and there. Visual snow isn't relenting. Weird feelings in the chest here and there.

Week 5: no panic attacks. Sleep is improving little by little, but some days it's worse. Headaches are not daily, but are still there: like a pressure behind eyes or temples. Still very fatigued. Lack of focus. Eye dryness and pain. "Regular" style anxiety -- worrying about my symptoms. Visual snow is still there. Oh, and a new symptom: I also get super dizzy now when getting up!

Week 6: no panic attacks. Sleep still sucks but I'm able to wake up at 6 instead of 5 now, which is nice. Otherwise fall asleep quickly after waking up 2-3 times a night, around 1 am to 4 am. Fatigue is very real. No or minimal anxiety flutters. Minimal tinnitus flare-ups.

Week 7: no panic attacks. Same as week 6 I think. Less anxious energy in the day. Still super fatigued -- probably more than earlier weeks. Can focus on things a bit better, but still nowhere near where I used to be. Headache has returned along with dry and exhausted eyes/vision. I'm getting impatient and Health anxiety is real: Ordered a bunch of online blood tests and a full-body MRI without waiting for the doc, so it's gonna be costly.

So yeah, almost 2 months since CT. Main symptoms are visual snow and other vision issues, insomnia, headaches, severe exhaustion/fatigue/lightheadedness, and "regular" anxiety and crappy mood (no more panic attacks hopefully). This is manageable, but scary. My spirit has been high throughout all this, but I'm worried about how long my resolve can last.

So far, all the micronutrient tests are normal. No thyroid issues; blood sugar is normal; BP has stabilized; I lost 20 lbs (I exercised daily through all this, which was a godsend); Liver is normal; kidney function is normal. Next week I'm checking testosterone, cortisol, and Lyme disease. Full body MRI Friday hopefully rules out MS.

Any similar stories? I know my stint with a benzo is probably the shortest one on this forum, but there's no other explanation for any of these symptoms lasting this long.

Yup, I see a lot of similarities in our experiences. Some symptoms we shared, some we didn’t, but it’s most likely the Ativan putting you through the ringer.

I’m on week 9 since my last dose, and it’s still kicking my ass. Yeah, definitely feel better overall than when I first got off, but I have constant fatigue, sometimes weakness, random pains, difficulty staying asleep, and random…I don’t know what to call them other than stress attacks, where my chest is tight and I feel a pressure in my lower chest/upper abs and makes me strain to breathe. Health anxiety is real, I walked out of a procedure my dr ordered, without doing the procedure, because I was afraid of how the medications would affect me.

Improvement is slow, but it seems to be happening. Really hope I can kick this and just feel normal again soon.

> Improvement is slow, but it seems to be happening. Really hope I can kick this and just feel normal again soon.

Hang in there! I'm also off literally everything, scared to try things -- supplements, drugs, etc... I've been drinking a ton of herbal tea though and some valerian -- not sure if it's helping, but at least it's not making it worse. I really hope that because of our lower dose the recovery progress will be faster, and I'm also prepared in spirit to just take it one day at a time.

> Improvement is slow, but it seems to be happening. Really hope I can kick this and just feel normal again soon.

 

Hang in there! I'm also off literally everything, scared to try things -- supplements, drugs, etc... I've been drinking a ton of herbal tea though and some valerian -- not sure if it's helping, but at least it's not making it worse. I really hope that because of our lower dose the recovery progress will be faster, and I'm also prepared in spirit to just take it one day at a time.

Keep having that positive mindset. It helps.

That's crazy when I read you it really looks like my experience.

Took 0.25 or 0.5mg activan when needed during health anxiety episode. Was very reluctant to take them, so I it was one or twice a week. Quickly experiences more intense and weird anxiety, especially in the morning. Upon waking up, i had the feeling that I could feel cortisol or adrénaline pump in my body. Took more Ativan. Get more anxiety, plus depression, nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite, anhedonia...

Finally found out Ativan was responsible. Couldn't start taper yet as interdose withdrawals completely messed up with my CNS and I'm not stable. Good luck!

That's crazy when I read you it really looks like my experience.

Took 0.25 or 0.5mg activan when needed during health anxiety episode. Was very reluctant to take them, so I it was one or twice a week. Quickly experiences more intense and weird anxiety, especially in the morning. Upon waking up, i had the feeling that I could feel cortisol or adrénaline pump in my body. Took more Ativan. Get more anxiety, plus depression, nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite, anhedonia...

Finally found out Ativan was responsible. Couldn't start taper yet as interdose withdrawals completely messed up with my CNS and I'm not stable. Good luck!

Yeah, it’s amazing…doesn’t take long or take much to mess you up. I’m over 20 weeks off and still dealing with windows and waves, but not as bad.

Thanks, you too!

I'm in a similar situation. Took ativan for appx 4 weeks, prescribed for nausea. Went off it abruptly when I noticed it wasn't helping and was causing cravings. Substituted with 2mg Valium, thinking that would be fine. But it hasn't been. It's been almost two weeks for me and has been hellish.

I'm wondering if any of you have been able to continue working ...?

 

I'm wondering if any of you have been able to continue working ...?

Sorry to hear you’re going through this. My first week I told my coworkers that I won’t be able to perform most of my functions for the unforeseeable future and informed all my management chain that I will be incapacitated because of a psychoactive drug interaction. I work in software and my brain was mush in those first weeks and months. Got so much better now. Can finally concentrate for meaningful amount of time.

You gotta take it one day at a time and just roll with the punches for a while so to speak. Eventually you’ll start noticing things getting better. It’s like a degenerative disease but in reverse — slow but headed towards healing.