Lincbasket's lorazapam withdrawal help

Hi to everyone I am new here... I want help or any tips on how to taper off my lorazepam. I have been taking lorazepam for about 3 months I want off I hate the withdrawals I go through just by missing a dose of it. I was prescribed 1mg every eight hours but I only took 1mg a day. I dont know if I should taper off lorazepm directly or cross over to diazepam thanks in advance

Hi to everyone I am new here... I want help or any tips on how to taper off my lorazepam. I have been taking lorazepam for about 3 months I want off I hate the withdrawals I go through just by missing a dose of it. I was prescribed 1mg every eight hours but I only took 1mg a day. I dont know if I should taper off lorazepm directly or cross over to diazepam thanks in advance

 

Hi again Lincbasket,

 

The half-life for lorazepam is 8-24 hours, that is why you were prescribed to take it every 8 hours. Are you taking the 1mg once a day? If so, it would be better to at least split it in half and at least take .50mg twice a day and stabilize for a few days and then you can cut your 1mg pill into quarters and reduce by that amount and hold there for at least 10 days until your w/d symptoms have stabilized before cutting another 1/4 pill (.125). If your w/d symptoms become too intense, you may want to consider the other two options of valium crossover or titration. Below is a link for the three ways to taper and a link for the stepping off guide. Others will be by to offer you additional recommendations. Hang in there.

 

T2

 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/buddiesguide/methods

 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/buddiesguide/tables/stepping-off

 

 

i have been taking .5 twice a day for 10 days already one in the afternoon and one at night the one in the after noon i take due to the intense headache and muscle pains in my shoulders and the back of my neck gets hot!!!

Welcome to BenzoBuddies, Lincbasket. 

 

You will find plenty of information and support for coming off the lorazepam here.  As you have noticed, I tapered off of twice the dose you are on and am doing well.

 

There are three basic methods we use to withdraw or some combination of them. Here's a brief introduction to them:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=9522.msg121458#msg121458

 

I did the direct/ dry cutting type of taper and while there were rough patches, overall it was manageable.  Others do better crossing over to valium or using titration.  Let us know how you'd like to proceed or if you need more information.

 

You have taken the first step to benzo freedom.  Congratulations!

 

 

i want to go with the substition method due to the fact that i dont want to go through intense withdrawals symptoms

i have been taking .5 twice a day for 10 days already one in the afternoon and one at night the one in the after noon i take due to the intense headache and muscle pains in my shoulders and the back of my neck gets hot!!!

 

Hi Linc,

 

The muscle pains are probably due to interdosal withdrawal symtoms, meaning that you are getting w/d s/x because this medicine is only lasting you about 10-12 hours. You might want to try taking .25mg in the morning, .25 in the afternoon, and then .50 in the evening for a few days and see if this helps you with your w/d s/x. Then after about 4 days or so, try reducing the evening dose by .125mg and stay there for 10-14 days and then reduce it again by .125 and stay there for 10-14 days and then reduce one of the other 3 doses by .125mg, hold and so on.

 

T2

Is the substitution method a good way to go or direct taper? .125 is a quarterof the pill?

i want to go with the substition method due to the fact that i dont want to go through intense withdrawals symptoms

 

Hi Linc,

 

The equivalency for 1mg of lorazepam is equal to 10mg valium. It is recommended to do a slow substitution. There is no guarantee you won't experience w/d s/x crossing over or withdrawing from valium. The post below is a sample of switching from ativan to valium (diazepam) to see how to manage the crossover...

 

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

 

 

T2

Okay, Lincbasket, the crossover method it is.  

 

First you will need to get a prescription for valium, preferably the 2mg size tablets.  You can see instructions for crossing over and stepping off here:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/buddiesguide/tables/stepping-off

 

You will be taking both lorazepam and valium for a period of time but less lorazepam as you increase the valium until you get up to the valium equivalent of 1 mg. lorazepam (10 mg of valium).  Then you will start reducing the valium by about 10% every 10-14 days depending on how you are doing.

 

It all starts with getting that valium prescription and also having enough lorazepam to complete the crossover.

 

Hope this makes sense and will get you started.

 

 

oh ok i am a little confused here i really dont know if i want to taper off directly or with the crossover... which will take longer?

Is the substitution method a good way to go or direct taper? .125 is a quarterof the pill?

 

Hi Linc,

 

It is a personal choice, I suggest you read and learn and decide which way you may want to go. There is no way that is going to be without w/d s/x. Have you read the following link....

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=9522.msg121458#msg121458

can you give me an example on how i would go by doing it directly???

i have been taking .5 twice a day for 10 days already one in the afternoon and one at night the one in the after noon i take due to the intense headache and muscle pains in my shoulders and the back of my neck gets hot!!!

 

Hi Linc,

 

The muscle pains are probably due to interdosal withdrawal symtoms, meaning that you are getting w/d s/x because this medicine is only lasting you about 10-12 hours. You might want to try taking .25mg in the morning, .25 in the afternoon, and then .50 in the evening for a few days and see if this helps you with your w/d s/x. Then after about 4 days or so, try reducing the evening dose by .125mg and stay there for 10-14 days and then reduce it again by .125 and stay there for 10-14 days and then reduce one of the other 3 doses by .125mg, hold and so on.

 

T2

 

The above is what I suggested, please read through this whole thread now beginning to end now that it's all in one place and see if it helps. Any more questions, just ask.

LB -

 

I couldn't get a valium prescription so I decided to do that .125mg  dry cut of lorazepam .5mg tablets every two weeks for as long as I could with the understanding that I could always switch to titration if things got too rough.  I never felt the need to titrate but, even if you do after a bit of dry cutting, you will be that much closer to getting off it.  Your milage may vary. 

so say i dont get the rx for the valium... If im taking .5 twice a day one at 3pm and one at 10pm how do i start my taper? do i just break the 1mg pill into four and take what at what time or what thanks for your help

so say i dont get the rx for the valium... If im taking .5 twice a day one at 3pm and one at 10pm how do i start my taper? do i just break the 1mg pill into four and take what at what time or what thanks for your help

 

Hi Linc,

 

If you want to do the dry taper, it would be best if you can get the .50mg pills and split them into 1/4s making each piece .125mg. The 1mg pill can probably only be split into 1/4s making each piece .25mg. This would be considered a big cut at once. I mentioned in my earlier post to try taking .25mg in the morning, .25 in the afternoon and .50 in the evening, stay there for a few days and see how you feel. Will you be able to get an rx for .50mg pills and quarter them to start your taper?

 

T2

do YOU still get your panic attacks? Im going to go to the doc to see if he will prescribe me valium if not ill go for the .5mg im pretty sure he wont have a problem with that. 

do YOU still get your panic attacks? Im going to go to the doc to see if he will prescribe me valium if not ill go for the .5mg im pretty sure he wont have a problem with that. 

 

Hi Linc,

 

I have not had any since I slowed my taper way down, but I am still tapering. I would rather deal with any panic attack I get after finishing tapering by other methods than to take these pills which in my own experience has caused me more intense anxiety and panic attacks than I had before taking them.  You can find a lot of help with anxiety and panic on the anxiety board. Here's is the link to that...

 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=58.0

 

 

how do i crossover to diazepam, considering the fact that i only take .5 twice a day please give me a detailed message on this i didnt quite get it by going to the ashton method site since they only have a demo coming down from 6mgs of lorazepam is there any site where they do it from what im taking so i can see it how its done clearer thanks i want a table set up for my situation showing the crossover

how do i crossover to diazepam, considering the fact that i only take .5 twice a day please give me a detailed message on this i didnt quite get it by going to the ashton method site since they only have a demo coming down from 6mgs of lorazepam is there any site where they do it from what im taking so i can see it how its done clearer thanks i want a table set up for my situation showing the crossover

 

Hi Linc,

 

If you were to stay at 0.50mg of lorazepam 2X/day, then you would replace one dose with 5mg of valium and stay at that for a week, then replace the second dose with 5mg of valium and wait a week before proceeding with any tapering.

 

T2

Hi Linc, welcome to BB.

Theresa has given you a good suggestion about doing a substition over 2/3 weeks. However, if you feel you may be sensitive to the sedating effects of v. (some people are) then you might want to slow that down a little and take 4 weeks to cross over. It may take a little longer, but you will benefit from that I think. As you are on 0.5mg lorazepam twice a day, you may want to follow this cross over plan.

 

Week 1. am dose= 0.5mg L. pm dose= 0.25 mg L and 2.5mg V

Week 2 am dose= 0.5mg L. pm dose= 5mg V

Week 3 am dose= 0.25mg L and 2.5mg V. pm dose=5mg V.

Week 4 am dose= 5mg V. pm dose=5mg V.

 

Then stabilise here for a week or two before you start to taper.

Good luck with whichever way you go....

 

 

hi Lb,

I wanted to say hello. Sounds like you've gotten alot of good advice. I know in the beginning it seems a little confusing and overwhelming.

Read over everything and see what your doc will actually do for you. Then you can best decide which way you want to go. You will certainly find the help you need here. You just need to take it slow. Don't put an end date in your head, just know the end will come. You can do this! Good Luck Kel

GOODMORNING AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HELPING ME HERE IN THIS MATTER EVEN THOUGH MY ANXIETY HAS COME BACK FOR 4DAYS NOW I AM NOT GOIN TO GIVE IN BY TAKING MORE THATS SOMETHING I DONT WANT TO DO BUT YEA NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO IS GO TO THE DOC AND GET MY RX FOR V.

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS OR ANXIETY? SINCE TUESDAY MY HEART HAS BEEN RACING I DONT KNOW IF W/S OR A/S IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MY ANXIETY HAS CAME BACK CAN MY STAYING HOME ON BEING ON THE COMPUTER CONTRIBUTE TO IT AS IN TRIGGERING IT?

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS OR ANXIETY? SINCE TUESDAY MY HEART HAS BEEN RACING I DONT KNOW IF W/S OR A/S IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MY ANXIETY HAS CAME BACK CAN MY STAYING HOME ON BEING ON THE COMPUTER CONTRIBUTE TO IT AS IN TRIGGERING IT?

 

Hi Linc,

 

Have you made a cut already?

 

T2

 

PS. I thought you took ativan for sleep problems, did you have anxiety before taking ativan?