Ativan Withdrawal and Side effects

Hi, I started on 2 mg of Ativan a day, one 1mg pill in the morning and one at night for one month in January and then my doctor decreased the dose to as needed, which I took for 2 more months almost daily because of the withdrawal symptoms, which nor me or my doctor identified as such. He didn't warn me about the side effects or withdrawal symptoms. I started experiencing terrible gastrointestinal problems including severe diarrhea and constipation, abdominal pain and stomach burning, intense nausea, dizziness and vertigo. I lost the ability to walk or stand up without the medication, would cry uncontrollably and interpret the world around me from a perspective of paranoia and would have night chills and sweats, intense nightmares. My breathing slowed down and I would experience rapid heart rate and the worst panic attacks you could imagine, had to go to the hospital 3 times. All the while I was writing my symptoms in detailed panicked emails to my doctor almost daily and he didn't suspect side effects or withdrawal symptoms but rather covid or some other virus. I stopped cold turkey after a rapid taper with long intervals and lived the hell of withdrawal for 28 days, surviving with CBD oil, sometimes an entire bottle a day. Now it has been 43 days since I last took half a pill of Ativan and I'm suffering from a terrible skin rash and all the symptoms return once a week after the 28 day craziness, after which it subsided to once a week hell.

Hi Rusula    Welcome to Benzobuddies

 

I'm so pleased you joined our community.  That was awful to decrease your dose like that, you poor thing!  The symptoms are horrendous, but they will go eventually,  it takes time for the cns to recover.  Try to distract from any symptoms the best you can.  You will get plenty of support here. Feel free to post to any of the dedicated threads.

 

Check out The Ashton Manual,  It is a great resource for understanding the effect benzo’s have on our body, It also has a list of common symptoms 

 

Here are a few helpful links

 

The Ashton Manual. 

Post withdrawal recovery support.   

Cold Turkey, Detox& Rapid Withdrawal

 

 

If you would care to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it will help members give you relevant advice.  Go to the top of the page and select PROFILE then choose forum profile then insert drug history into the text box and remember to click change profile

 

Welcome aboard

Magrita

Thanks Magrita!

 

I don't see skin rash as a common side effect, but would like to know if anyone else has experienced eczema flare-ups after withdrawal or while on the medication.

Hi Rusula

 

I had a rash on my face and my feet, it has been recorded as a withdrawal symptom by many over the years.

 

Here are a few threads I found, there are others.

 

Eczema...some kind of skin rash on face

Eczema, Dry Skin

Weird rash and skin issues.