Thank you - and advice? From a newcomer

Hello everyone and thanks for the welcome! I joined the forum last night after surfing around trying to find some info and insight into what I have been going through.  Thanks to this site, I found a new doctor in LA who is willing to work with Lorazepam withdrawal using valium. I am seeing him next Thursday!  My own doctor had come up with a schedule that would have got me off the Lorazepam in 10 weeks. I think maybe if I had followed that I might have been headed for disaster.  For the last year or so I have been taking 1mg 3x a day but have been on the stuff at lower doses since late 2002 gradually creeping up to the current dose.  I began withdrawal mid April and I have come down to 1.75mg a day.  ( that's 0.5 morning  & afternoon, 0.75 evening.)  Prior to this reduction I was also drinking about a bottle of wine a night!  So I stopped drinking and came down off the Lorzepam all at the same time.    So far it has not been too horrendous but I started getting these weird dizzy spells and headrush type feelings.  Knowing that many of the things I am experiencing are just part of the withdrawal does put my mind at rest, but I admit to being a bit scared of  this stuff getting worse. 

I'm just so thankful that I found this site and to know that there are a whole bunch of other people on the path to get well again - and.. we're doing it!!  I feel much more positive now - knowing that the only way is forward and that going back is not an option - not least because it wouldn't actually make me feel any better.

If anyone has any advice or opinions as to using valium for coming of lorazepam versus just coming off it with no other meds, I'd be very grateful.  Just trying to figure out the best thing to do and not wanting to make things more complicated.  Also.. I have been working out a lot and been on a very healthy diet for the last few weeks but have not lost any weight.  This is strange to me... anyone else experienced anything similar?

Thanks again!

Bryn

PS:  It's my birthday tomorrow!!  Hoping to celebrate the next one free from this junk  :-)

Hi Bryn!

Do you have .5mg pills? If not, try to obtain those.They are easier to taper, as you can make smaller dose cuts. For now, at 1.75mg, you can pretty easily direct taper by cutting your pills in quarters and reducing by a quarter every week or two. This would be a reduction of .125mg. This should be pretty doable at least until you get down around 1mg. You may even be able to keep going this way..

I actually did a direct klonopin taper all the way off with this method, but I think because klon is longer acting, it was easier to do than it might be with lorazepam

So if you need them, there are the two other options you can use. Crossing to valium, or doing a liquid titration using your lorazepam. This involves dissolving your pill in milk or water, allowing for much smaller, smoother cuts.

Linda 

Lorazepam is Ativan and can be one of the worst to taper from directly. I see you are interested in using Valium to taper. That would require you to cross over from Ativan gradually over a couple of weeks. There is a 10 to 1 ratio: 10 mg Valium = 1 mg Ativan. 

Could you update your signature line to reflect what you are currently on so as to make it easier for us to get a snapshot of what's up?

Thanks.

Tony

Hi, Bryn.  You have surely come to the right place for information and support. 

I'm tapering from 2-3 mg lorazepam and it's been mostly bearable so far.  You can see my progress so far in my signature box.

One piece of advice I got when I first joined and was concerned about a valium crossover was that I could wait and see how I did on a direct taper, the idea being that if I got stuck, I could crossover or do a water titration then.  I'm not sure my pdoc would prescribe valium and I'm actually a little afraid of it so am hoping to continue with a direct taper. 

Try not to worry about what might happen.  I have never had most of the w/d symptoms I've read about here. 

Thanks Beeper.

Yes, a direct taper is certainly possible. As we like to say around here, if you "listen to your body" that should give you a good idea of how to proceed.  :thumbsup:

Tony

Hey Bryn! Welcome to Benzo buddies! Your found a really great site with all the love and support you need.

I'm also on ativan, horrible little drug it is. It's amazing such a tiny pill can put us through so much hell. That's good that you found a doctor willing to do a crossover. That's very hard to find alot of times.

I'm doing a direct taper, and while it's no walk in the park it's manageable most times. My symtoms are usually depression 3 days after a cut, some anxiety, maybe a small panic attack while driving and sleeplessness lately. But it's all good as long as I get off this poision. I cant wait until the day I can say I;m free! Never thought I would end up addicted to a medication that a doctor gave me, no warning about it of course  !

Anyway sorry for the rambling. Hope you are doing ok!

Good luck!

Amanda