New taper plan/lorazepam

Hello. I just found this place after looking around for information about withdrawal from benzos. I've been taking 1-3mg/day for 13 14 months (lorazepam). No taper plan was initially given by my doc because I've just used the medicine prn for sleep, and had been able to go a day or two here and there with no lorazepam.  I stopped taking them last Saturday night. By Monday I was suffering horrible insomnia, and anxiety. It developed into panic attacks with horrible shivering and lightheadedness. I called the office and was told to taper instead, not to wait for the symptoms to just get better on their own. My suggested taper is going from 2 mg/day for a few days, then every few days going down by half a pill.

The problem is now, I think my practitioners think this may just be my anxiety and not really withdrawal, and I really want off this medicine (I have been hoping to be able to try to get pregnant for a long time, and have just had to be off all the drugs.) Also, while resuming the 2 mg (this is night 3), I still feel pretty bad. Worse than I did before I stopped. I am not having panic attacks, but I have bad anxiety, mood swings, and intestinal discomfort. I don't want to start Effexor again(off now 2 weeks after a 2 1/2 month taper) because my doctors think I am just displaying signs of my illness.

I need to know how to get by, deal with these horrible feelings and believe that they will pass. The Valium switch over seems appealing because I could taper more slowly (lorazepam is hard to cut real small).

All of this is very surprising to me because I knew I was sensitive to withdrawal from the antidepressants and went very slowly. But I was planning on being able to try to get pregnant this month and just start a drug free life. So it is hard to keep spirits up. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you for your time.

Hi Amy,

Welcome to the BenzoBuddies forum.

I'd give it some more time for your blood levels to build back up. Lorazepam is a pretty potent benzo, and has shortish half-life. Once you feel more comfortable, it might be better to gradually move part of you dose to 12 hours before your nighttime dose. This will help to give even blood levels over the day - this helps a lot of people withdrawal. You mentioned Valium - it does offer a lot of advantages over Lorazepam with withdrawal.

The important thing now is for you find a level that is comfortable before you start making other changes or your taper. You appear to be exhibiting classic withdrawal symptoms rather than anxiety. Benzos don't work long-term in the treatment of anxiety anyway, as we typically become tolerant to their anxiolylic effects after a few months.

If you are looking to becoming pregnant, you should not be taking benzos - your doctor should be helping and supporting you. The best way to deal with the withdrawal symptoms is a slow controlled taper off and to talk about how you are feeling with those that understand. We can help you with a titration method (making a liquid benzo) that will allow for smaller cuts than you will be able to manage by splitting pills.

Take care,

Colin.

Hi Amy:

Colin didn't directly say it , but cutting half a pill every few days is too fast.  Taken it from me it takes quite awhile to safely remove a benzo from your system.

Good luck to you

Bobers

Hi, Amy,

Yes, that was an extremely rapid taper. Right now, you'll want to reinstate at a dose of lorazepam where you feel functional, where you can handle the withdrawal symptoms. You won't be symptom-free, but at a level where you're able to cope without wanting to jump out the window. After you've stabilized, then you can work on designing a taper plan, whether it's crossing over to Valium (easiest) or making a homemade liquid by mixing lorazepam with milk. We can help you with this when you've stabilized.

Therese

Thanks all for feedback.

I have been having a very difficult time on just 2mg so I know this is a withdrawal problem. I think I am going to have to go back up to come back down.

Unfortunately, the emergency practioners I have been able to contact after hours believe this is not withdrawal but anxiety. This means I'm sure to be back on an anti-depressant soon. I feel like my hands are tied. I want to be free of this drug but I cannot function feeling this way.

I'm glad I've read what you've had to say. It confirms my suspicions that I have to stabilize before I can taper down further. I don't know how long it is going to take me to be free of this drug, but I will do everything I can to never take a benzo again after this.

Thanks.

Amy,

Doctors are very slow to admit the possibility of w/d. This is not unusual. If you go back to your regular dose, that should alleviate the symptoms, so perhaps you can get by without the a/d? I just hate to have you add something more to the equation if you know the problem is withdrawal.

Amy,

I'm withdrawing for Ativan/Lorazepam as well. I've been taking .5 mg every night for a year and a half, and on and off for a total of 4 years.

It is very tough and scary. I've been rapidly tapering for a month now and its been extremely hard. I'm considering going to my doctor and asking her to switch me to valium.

I would not go back on Effexor--it will not help you. Like all other anti-depressants and benzos, doctors give these out to try and fix a problem that in reality isn't that easy to fix. The medical system believes that depression and anxiety are chemical imbalances that can be fixed through medication--personally I don't believe this is true. Coming off benzos made me realize that there were issues in my life that I needed to work through and not run from or take a pill to help, I think this realisation has been the hardest pill to swallow. I am in no way suggesting that you go against your doctor, or your own common sense--I'm just relaying my story and opinion, which is personal and not medical.

Like me you are experiencing severe withdrawal because Ativan is a highly potent benzo that has a short lifespan and is hard to taper gradually from. You need to find a doctor that will understand your scenario and help you taper off the drug safely. Perhaps you could bring a copy of the Ashton Manual to your doctor and work out a proper withdrawal schedule.

take care,

elizabeth

hi

i was on ativan (up to 3-4mgs a day) for many years.  i tried many times to do a direct taper but could not.  it was brutal.  i finally found the ashton manual and "insisted" my doctor switch me to valium to taper.  it took me about 4/12 months to get off 30mgs valium.  1mg of ativan (lorazepam) is equal to about 10mgs valium. it is the only way to go, especially if you want to get pregnant.  titrating will take much longer.  sorry, pregnancy will have to wait awhile if you want to get off sanely.  if you do it too fast, you could be in for much worse withdrawal symptoms for a long time.  good luck

joan