Hello. I need some help... feeling really scared and helpless - Lorazepam taper

Hi, I am feeling like I am losing my mind and my physical health is a mess... I had been on benzos off and on over the years and about a year ago I was put on Clonazepam .5mg twice a day ( I have been diagnosed with PTSD, GAD, SPAD and bouts of Agoraphobia ) last month I spoke with my provider about how awful I had started to feel on the Clonazepam and he said Lorazepam might be easier on my body... but, he kept the dosage the same and I do not feel they are equivalent - this entire month has been horrible - interdose withdrawal and just the worst feelings mentally, emotionally and physically... He is no longer my provider for many reasons ( multiple times he messed up my prescription, he is completely unreachable besides our once a month 7 min. phone appointment and he has no interest in helping me start any sort of taper ) So, I have been searching and searching for a new Dr. - I saw someone on Monday and she completely ignored everything I came prepared with in regards to a slower taper or the possibility of switching to a longer acting benzo. She wants to taper me off the Lorazepam in three weeks and already started ( I am currently not even stable on  this medication and had been taking 4 a day to try and make up the difference from the abrupt switch from Clonazepam to Lorazepam... I was in the ER a couple of times with palpitations and awful BP along with all sorts of miserable symptoms... I imagine interdose withdrawal was part of all that ) So, now she already dropped me down to three .5 a day and her plan is to go down to two .5 a day starting Monday and then down to one .5 the following Monday - then taper finished 🤷‍♀️😣😔🤯 I  am so petrified and no matter what I show her or try very nicely to explain she will not even pay attention to me. I know that so many people can possibly relate here and I just do not know where to turn anymore. I am trying to find a provider that will help but on state insurance it is proving very difficult - I also just need support, someone to talk to that understands and might know what else I can do. I feel like I am losing it and I am really scared. I hope everyone is having the best day that they possibly can and I wish you all peace and hope. I apologize for the rambling post, hopefully it makes some sort of sense. Thank you for being here 💜🕊

 

 

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry you've been treated so poorly, but you're right, the dose you were prescribed wasn't equivalent, you're severely undermedicated and about to become more so!  What your doctor should have recognized was that you'd become tolerant to your dose of Clonazepam so the answer was to either increase the dose or help you taper slowly from it, not prescribe a shorter acting drug and less than you were taking of the Clonazepam.

 

I just don't understand why your new doctor won't listen to you, won't help you do a slow taper!  I know I'm not offering any good suggestions for you, but I wanted to let you know how sorry I am for your situation.

 

I've heard some nurse practitioners can be a little more understanding, have you tried going to one of them?  Would it help to show her this document? Colorado Consortium Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Guidelines

Thank you for reaching out, everything you said makes so much sense!! I am still searching for someone in the meantime that might be able to help me - I think I need to be stabilized on the Lorazepam before starting a slow taper, I feel awful and I cannot just give up and give in to this rapid crazy taper. The mornings are so tough but I just keep searching for help in my area and hoping that I will find it... thank you again for commenting... it helps me feel a bit better 💜 Hope you are doing well. Take Care.

I hope with some time you can stabilize on this dose, I so wish the medical community could recognize that we're not all created equal when it comes to getting off of these drugs, what works for one won't work for another and we should be allowed the freedom to taper to our own needs.

 

I'm glad you're going to keep searching for help, it would be ideal if you could find someone to at least prescribe what you need, you can do the taper on your own, you just enough medication to do it.

Hi,

Have you been to this website?

https://www.benzoinfo.com/ashtonmanual/

 

It has everything you are asking about including the dosage conversion rates.

 

https://www.benzoinfo.com/benzodiazepine-tapering-strategies/#conversion-rates-for-benzodiazepines

 

it has a downloadable PDF of the actual manual with scheduled tapers for all different dosages etc.

 

I found that when I shared this with a good doctor, she was able to work with me on my taper, I guess it adds "credibility" to what you are trying to tell the doctor.

 

I'm sorry you are suffering, I am too, but I am in the middle of a cross-taper from Ativan to Valium and then a slow taper off and at least I have a structure to follow. You need this too.

 

Sending lots of support,

xJenny

 

 

 

The Ashton Manual is a must-read! 

 

Hi,

Have you been to this website?

https://www.benzoinfo.com/ashtonmanual/

 

It has everything you are asking about including the dosage conversion rates.

 

https://www.benzoinfo.com/benzodiazepine-tapering-strategies/#conversion-rates-for-benzodiazepines

 

it has a downloadable PDF of the actual manual with scheduled tapers for all different dosages etc.

 

I found that when I shared this with a good doctor, she was able to work with me on my taper, I guess it adds "credibility" to what you are trying to tell the doctor.

 

I'm sorry you are suffering, I am too, but I am in the middle of a cross-taper from Ativan to Valium and then a slow taper off and at least I have a structure to follow. You need this too.

 

Sending lots of support,

xJenny

Thank you all so much. It really helps not feeling so alone in this mess 💜 I am going to print everything out and keep trying to get the help that I need, I just cannot put my body through such a rapid taper when I am currently not even stable after the switch to Ativan... I am sending out love and hope to everyone and wish all of us healing and peace. Take care and I am very grateful for each and every person here 🙏

Hi Stillhoping, it took me about a year to quit my daily dose of 4mg Lorazepam and I wish I had gone slower!

I really hope you can get the pills you need and then everyone here can support you while you do a slow taper.

Hardy.

Thank you so much 💓 congratulations on tapering - it gives me some hope 🫂 I have an appointment Monday with my latest Dr. ( she is the one wanting to do the full taper in approximately 4 weeks... ugh ) But, I have continued to reach out to quite a few other providers in hopes of finding the right one to help me do this in a safer way... I am not giving up, but, I am getting a bit discouraged with the lack of providers in my state that understand the seriousness of this process. I wish you so much happiness and peace 🕊💙