Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

Hi Peaceful Hope

    I just sent a message to you as i couldnt find this link to Ativan support group. The site is confusing at times but a great help.

I am struggling with all the information here and new terminology . Getting there slowly. Is there a way to book mark a page such as this one so I can find it again. The search box didnt work for me. Thanks

Onward and upward as they say!

Hi friday girl,

when it comes to things like bookmarking I may not be the right person, lol.  There is a way to follow updates on a board I just can't recall which button it is right now. 

Keep trying, it all gets a little bit easier.  You can always try a search at the top of the page ...

-PH

Hi Peaceful Hope.

  what is DDMT ?

Thank you

Hi fridaygirl,

it is direct daily micro taper 

Does anyone have any experience tapering essentially 0.25MG at a time, or without doing a water based tapering?

 

If my withdrawal symptoms were worse I would absolutely consider it, but at this point going from 1MG to 0.75 to .5 now they're pretty consistent. I really just notice that my legs seem to vibrate (some during the day, mostly at night), I have some muscle twitches, and a light headache here and there. With my personality, a big part of me just wants to bulldoze through and get the taper done with. My PCP thinks that because of the dose I'm on and length of time I've been on them, at this point I might just be putting myself through unnecessary misery by tapering. What I read here sounds like reality might be the opposite of that. But given that I haven't had worse symptoms to date, has anyone else been in a similar position and just ripped the band-aid off?

 

FWIW, I've also just recently started Paxil. It only took a couple of days to notice a difference, and about 2 weeks into it and I'm already kicking myself for not starting this 2 years ago when I got on the stupid benzowagon. So my hope is that as I taper, this can help with some of the rebound anxiety I'm likely to get. Any opinions or caveats of going one way or the other are appreciated. TIA

Does anyone have any experience tapering essentially 0.25MG at a time, or without doing a water based tapering?

 

If my withdrawal symptoms were worse I would absolutely consider it, but at this point going from 1MG to 0.75 to .5 now they're pretty consistent. I really just notice that my legs seem to vibrate (some during the day, mostly at night), I have some muscle twitches, and a light headache here and there. With my personality, a big part of me just wants to bulldoze through and get the taper done with. My PCP thinks that because of the dose I'm on and length of time I've been on them, at this point I might just be putting myself through unnecessary misery by tapering. What I read here sounds like reality might be the opposite of that. But given that I haven't had worse symptoms to date, has anyone else been in a similar position and just ripped the band-aid off?

 

FWIW, I've also just recently started Paxil. It only took a couple of days to notice a difference, and about 2 weeks into it and I'm already kicking myself for not starting this 2 years ago when I got on the stupid benzowagon. So my hope is that as I taper, this can help with some of the rebound anxiety I'm likely to get. Any opinions or caveats of going one way or the other are appreciated. TIA

 

GestaltSwitch, While I am not an experienced admin or mod I can tell you that tapering .25 lorazepam/ativan off your current dose is a huge amount.  There is a period of time following a cut in which symptoms can reappear, particularly after large cuts.  While you might be able to continue the way you have been cutting, it is not recommended.  If you haven't already done, post your question in the general taper plans thread.  The goal is for your symptoms to remain small, manageable or essentially non existent as you taper.  Which is what slow and steady is all about.  Ripping off the bandaid could change that.  Do post on the general taper plans thread!

Wishing you a peaceful, symptoms free taper!  :smitten:

=PH

Thanks, PeacefulHope. When I cut my effective dose in half switching from Xanax to Ativan, and now going down .25 at a time on Ativan, I've been able to manage the symptoms so far as they haven't been very bad. At this point I'm essentially just trying to balance what those symptoms are, with how much I dislike the general effect of benzos at any dose -- is it better to slow taper with little to no withdrawal, or push through and start getting over benzo side effects sooner?

 

I'll take a look at the general taper plans to see what is listed there. At this point I'm happy to hold at .5mg a day until the current round of withdrawal symptoms go away. So I've got a little time to research and plan.

What is the consensus on dose splitting with a shorter acting Benzo? My original dose was the equivalent of 2-3mg of Ativan once a day at night. I have since been all over the place (currently going through a V c/o that seems to be failing) but if I do switch back to A I was wondering if I should start with once a day or maybe split it into morning/night? Appreciate the help.

Thanks, PeacefulHope. When I cut my effective dose in half switching from Xanax to Ativan, and now going down .25 at a time on Ativan, I've been able to manage the symptoms so far as they haven't been very bad. At this point I'm essentially just trying to balance what those symptoms are, with how much I dislike the general effect of benzos at any dose -- is it better to slow taper with little to no withdrawal, or push through and start getting over benzo side effects sooner?

 

I'll take a look at the general taper plans to see what is listed there. At this point I'm happy to hold at .5mg a day until the current round of withdrawal symptoms go away. So I've got a little time to research and plan.

 

Gestalt, I'm sorry, I just saw this - it's been a week, what did you decide to do?

What is the consensus on dose splitting with a shorter acting Benzo? My original dose was the equivalent of 2-3mg of Ativan once a day at night. I have since been all over the place (currently going through a V c/o that seems to be failing) but if I do switch back to A I was wondering if I should start with once a day or maybe split it into morning/night? Appreciate the help.

 

Hi Milliways, although I've been on lorazepam for 17 years  I'm not qualified to address that.  Because I was in Hades after cutting my dose in half, I had reinstated immediately and, with advice from BB, split my dose in order to manage interdose w/d.  I was stable again very quickly and held for 2 weeks until I felt comfortable beginning to taper.  What works is all very unique to each of us - if I were you I'd post this question again in Taper Plans area, if you haven't already.   

 

Best,

-PH 🌷

Hello Ativan group,

 

Just checking in to let some of you old timers know that I finally jumped on Dec. 31st after over 2 years of tapering down from 1 mg of Ativan.  I tapered excruciatingly slowly, but it was necessary as I was recovering from a concussion, working full time and parenting two teen/tween boys.  It was extremely rough at times, but I micro-tapered religiously, cutting daily and listening to my body.  While I haven't been active on Benzobuddies much during the past 18 months or so, people on this forum were instrumental in providing information and moral support as I tried to figure out how to get myself out of the mess that doctors had helped get me into. 

 

Thanks to all of you - particularly Builder, Bozobertie and PhotobugSF - for helping me get through this mess.

For those of you in the thick of it - don't lose hope.  It can be a long, lonely road, but with patience and perseverance you too can make it down to zero.

 

I still have a Gabapentin taper ahead of me, so I'm not out of the woods yet.  But for now I'm going to celebrate having my concussion and Ativan behind me, and be thankful that I am once again able to enjoy life without the benzo fog obscuring my brain.

 

All the best to you on your journeys.  You got this!  I'll continue to monitor my DM and will likely be active on the Gabapentin support board in the future.

 

NW Guy

 

 

 

 

Congratulations, NW Guy!   

 

Your success gives hope to those of us just beginning the journey tapering off ativan. 

 

Wishing you all the very best!

I've been on Ativan for 4 months, .5 to sleep the first two, 1.25mg average the second two to control increasing anxiety/overstimulation caused by other drugs trialed. I'm now experiencing side effects, tolerance, interdose withdrawal, and I HOPE it is part of the reason my T and H continue to get worse. They are both now severe, especially the H, I am homebound and struggle to deal without everyday household noises (wearing my noise canceling muffs just to type this). I am scared that withdrawal will make my H even worse and possibly force me to suicide (I feel close now with how bad it is and how hopeless I am that it can ever get better).

 

My T and H onset was antibiotics 1 week before Ativan given for sleep. I've also been diagnosed/treated by IV antibiotics for lyme, given an MRI, trialed a bunch of psych meds, etc. Been started on a klonopin switch twice then stopped cold turkey back to ativan after 1-2 weeks twice. Tried to lower my dose a couple times to no avail. It's been a roller coaster of fucking myself up and I'm unsure if there is a way back to any sort of existence or if I will kill myself. Grief at the loss of music/sound/games/shows is already brutal on top of the bad T and H, light and motion sensitivity, brain fog, feeling extremely easily overstimulated (games with sound off still seem to set my body off).

 

Please I need help and advice.

I've been on Ativan for 4 months, .5 to sleep the first two, 1.25mg average the second two to control increasing anxiety/overstimulation caused by other drugs trialed. I'm now experiencing side effects, tolerance, interdose withdrawal, and I HOPE it is part of the reason my T and H continue to get worse. They are both now severe, especially the H, I am homebound and struggle to deal without everyday household noises (wearing my noise canceling muffs just to type this). I am scared that withdrawal will make my H even worse and possibly force me to suicide (I feel close now with how bad it is and how hopeless I am that it can ever get better).

 

My T and H onset was antibiotics 1 week before Ativan given for sleep. I've also been diagnosed/treated by IV antibiotics for lyme, given an MRI, trialed a bunch of psych meds, etc. Been started on a klonopin switch twice then stopped cold turkey back to ativan after 1-2 weeks twice. Tried to lower my dose a couple times to no avail. It's been a roller coaster of fucking myself up and I'm unsure if there is a way back to any sort of existence or if I will kill myself. Grief at the loss of music/sound/games/shows is already brutal on top of the bad T and H, light and motion sensitivity, brain fog, feeling extremely easily overstimulated (games with sound off still seem to set my body off).

 

Please I need help and advice.

Not sure what T and H are??

But I also had Lyme and took a bunch of antibiotics and psych meds for it, including the Gabapentin that really finished me off. I can totally sympathize with being that sick and anguished that you think about self-destruction. For the Lyme stuff I found that alternative treatments really helped - gentle systemic detoxification treatments, saunas, a treatment called Ondamed and even classical homeopathy - after I'd been on the antibiotics for 4 years and they got me so far, but not all the way home. To this day, when I taper Valium my symptoms are like Lyme all over again, and it is hard not to think I am relapsing. Good news is I am doing very well - Lyme most assuredly gone, and as long as I stick to a slow taper based on symptoms my Valium withdrawal is going well. It is frustrating and much longer than you want, but trust me you will heal.

After a few days attempting to cut over to V, I decided to stick with the 'devil I know', so am tapering directly off A. 

 

Glad I found this Ativan support group and am hoping there's still some life on here.   

 

For those experienced A taperers, about how long before you feel a cut?  I'm thinking it should be pretty fast, since A has such a short half life.  I just want to have some idea of the general lag time, so I don't taper too fast and have to reel it in because of overwhelming sxs.

 

Any help would really be appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

 

sierra

@[si...]

I didn’t feel the cuts too badly .. but I had a strange system !!

I used a liquid taper . Once the part of the tablet was dissolved I used to fill the glass up with as much water as I wanted , and I would just sip at that during the day ..no set pattern just when I felt like it..

There are different schools of thoughts , and no one is right or wrong. You do what works for you .. I personally and I hasten to add this is just for me, think the taper can go on and on and on and it’s not always nessacary . At some point you have got to just do it .. I drank my ‘water’ for two days and realised I had actually forgotten to put the bit of Ativan in .. so I just stopped then .i felt no worse or better .. I was on a lot higher dose than you though originally and for a lot longer ..

do what works for you .. good luck x

Hi bozobertie!

 

Thanks for your reassurance! 

 

Yes - valium completely whacked me out.  Felt as if I were stoned & stuck inside a cotton ball.    Glad I only tried to cut over for 2 days. 

 

At least with A, I knew what to expect when I woke up & could function.  Also, I never reached tolerance withdrawal, just wanted to get off the stuff before it happened.  That's why I'm thinking of continuing tapering at the rate I'm going.  Which seems to be a bit more rapid than most of the people on BB.  I wonder if protracting the taper & dragging it out could lead to tolerance withdrawal?  Of course, I won't get ahead of myself, and I'll definitely listen to sxs, then adjust my tapering rate accordingly.

 

So far, sxs have been a few headaches, some random emotional fluctuations that come out of nowhere, and a bit of insomnia.  Nothing terribly drastic.  Fingers crossed.

 

I love your water glass method!  That's the first I've heard of it. 

 

So nice 'meeting' you! 

 

sierra

 

 

After a few days attempting to cut over to V, I decided to stick with the 'devil I know', so am tapering directly off A. 

 

Glad I found this Ativan support group and am hoping there's still some life on here.   

 

For those experienced A taperers, about how long before you feel a cut?  I'm thinking it should be pretty fast, since A has such a short half life.  I just want to have some idea of the general lag time, so I don't taper too fast and have to reel it in because of overwhelming sxs.

 

Any help would really be appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

 

sierra

 

When I was doing cut and hold, it would generally take 3 days before it hit the fan.  I might feel little things here and there before that, but 3 days was generally when sxs would kick in if there were going to be any.  But it can be tricky sometimes....if you go to fast it seems that sometimes the cuts can just accumulate and hit you out of the blue in an unpredictable manner.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Horizon! 

 

Finding that perfect tapering pace is key, right?  Your general guideline of about 3 days from cut to feel is helpful for me to gauge.  I do realize there's that big caveat of 'your mileage may vary' as to what "too fast" relatively means for each of us. 

 

How've you been since jumping off last week? 

 

Wishing you the best,

sierra

Sierra, yes, finding your personal pace is definitely key to a smooth taper. 

 

I have felt pretty decent overall since last week.  A bit of anxiety here and there but nothing that was not manageable.  This morning I have had a ton of energy and feel good.  I hope everything goes will for you.

Glad to have found an ativan-specific thread.  I'd never before visited the Support Group forum, going only to Withdrawal Support (During Your Taper) and Off-topic, games (helpful distraction). And, to have learned on this particular one that members haven't necessarily had an easier go of it by switching over to v.  I'd been wondering about that, thinking that valium w/d must be easier than ativan w/d.  I'd been thinking from what I have read in posts that, perhaps, ativan w/d has more physical and va. more cognitive; maybe also klonopin.  But, who ever wants to be in such a contest?!

 

I haven't had have any physician support.  Dr. just stopped prescribing when larger group took over group practice he belonged to.  So, certainly did not want to visit a new doctor, walking in with starting ativan taper.  Dr. had over-prescribed, so had a reserve.  Prepared myself w/massive amounts of online research & a book.  Had already been in tolerance w/d for 2 years.  I was quite successful making 1/4 cuts. every 2 weeks.  For me, ea. first week of cut debilitated me further, w/sxs more severe.  (For dosing/history it's in signature line)  Hasn't been going so smoothly last 2, 2-1/2 months.

 

bozobertie - I haven't felt that I've experienced a whole lot of cognitive impairment, but am I reading your signature line correctly?  40 years?  Brain is saying can't possibly be correct, must be the dry eyes. 

 

HorizonZD - Energy?  A ton?  Lucky you.  I mean that in the very best way, b/c I'm awestruck; I've been debilitated for a long while now & don't feel that it's going to be ending anytime soon. 

 

I'm in awe of anyone able to do anything! these days.   I've never been one to post here w/anything other than FYI & not posting at all when I'm feeling dispirited, keeping that to myself, since others' need hope.  I've received messages & replies to posts that posts have been helpful & I've taken a sizable amount of comfort from that.  But, at present, I feel I'm needing to spill.

 

Despite feeling so horrendous physically, I'm not giving up; I am determined.  I just needed to share and I'm also always amazed when I read of others' ability to do things which were once so simple and didn't require a miracle.  Taking a walk, driving, meeting friends.  That's just like I've come to think of benzo-cooperative physicians as mythical creatures in fairy tales (Grimm Bros. fairy tales, of course!)

 

Thanks all.

 

 

After a few days attempting to cut over to V, I decided to stick with the 'devil I know', so am tapering directly off A. 

 

Glad I found this Ativan support group and am hoping there's still some life on here.   

 

For those experienced A taperers, about how long before you feel a cut?  I'm thinking it should be pretty fast, since A has such a short half life.  I just want to have some idea of the general lag time, so I don't taper too fast and have to reel it in because of overwhelming sxs.

 

Any help would really be appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

 

Several days at the most. Good luck!

 

laser

 

sierra

After a few days attempting to cut over to V, I decided to stick with the 'devil I know', so am tapering directly off A. 

 

Glad I found this Ativan support group and am hoping there's still some life on here.   

 

For those experienced A taperers, about how long before you feel a cut?  I'm thinking it should be pretty fast, since A has such a short half life.  I just want to have some idea of the general lag time, so I don't taper too fast and have to reel it in because of overwhelming sxs.

 

Any help would really be appreciated. 

 

Thanks!

sierra

 

Several days at the most. Good luck!

 

laser

 

 

Hey, laser, great to hear from you and thanks for the info!  How's life ~5 years out?  Freedom must be glorious.  Cannot wait to join you on the other side.

 

Hope you are well!

 

xo,

sierra 

 

I have recently started an ativan taper, doing daily liquid microtaper and currently holding for stability.  When I get hit by cuts, it usually hits on day 2 and 3 and seems to clear up after.  Fairly short term user, I felt like a switch to an unknown Valium would not really help me.  I split the Ativan dose and it seems to be working well with the liquid which gives very precise dosing.  I’m thinking direct taper using this method is the way to go for most, but the Valium crossover is always there if you have difficulties.

I have recently started an ativan taper, doing daily liquid microtaper and currently holding for stability.  When I get hit by cuts, it usually hits on day 2 and 3 and seems to clear up after.  Fairly short term user, I felt like a switch to an unknown Valium would not really help me.  I split the Ativan dose and it seems to be working well with the liquid which gives very precise dosing.  I’m thinking direct taper using this method is the way to go for most, but the Valium crossover is always there if you have difficulties.

 

Hi AZBill,

 

You & I started our tapers just a few weeks apart and we're both doing a direct A liquid microtaper.  We could swap notes on progress.   

 

I agree, spreading the dose throughout the day definitely works to avoid interdose withdrawals and liquid makes dosing that much more precise.

 

Although it's not captured in my signature, I tried a V c/o for just 2 days and it made me a complete zombie.  So, that plan was quickly tossed out to do a direct A taper.

 

Keep us posted and I wish you a speedy & smooth recovery!

 

xo,

sierra