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How did you successfully taper off of 0.5 lorazepam (Ativan)?

Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Aug 11 4:46pm | Replies (113)
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@richelainebaker

I have been taking 0.5 mg of Lorazepan for about four years. I only take one at bedtime to help me sleep. I would like to taper off of this nightly pill and only use it for stressful situations like a dental visit or doctor visit. My primary care doctor has told me to just break the pill in pieces and take smaller amounts each night until I am down to none. I am worried because I have been taking this for a long time and my doctor may be minimizing the adverse effects I could get by trying to stop the med too quickly. It really does not help me with my sleep anymore as I am sure my body has gotten used to this same nightly dose. Thank you for any help or advice you can give me.

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Replies to "I have been taking 0.5 mg of Lorazepan for about four years. I only take one..."
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | May 6 2:41pm

I needed to stop taking Clonazepam, 1mg BID, after taking it for 20 years, for reasons I won't go into right now. I had tried reducing the dosage by .5mg a couple of years ago, but after several nights of insomnia I decided to give up.

Last year, I started titrating again by 1/8mg. I reduced the morning dose for 2-3 weeks, then went down another 1/8mg for a few weeks. As I titrated I reduced morning and bedtime doses in rotation. It was a long, slow process, but by taking my time I was able to stop taking it after several months. Now I only take it as needed for stressful situations. I would like to be taking it still because of the benefits, but in the current culture of fear it's a hassle to get a doctor to prescribe it in conjunction with the Dilaudid I take for chronic intractable severe pain. I'm hoping that the day will come, after several pending surgeries are performed, when my pain will lessen, and I'll be able to find a non-narcotive solution. Right now I'm just kind of in waiting mode.

But to respond to the question, titrating off benzodiazepines is best done very slowly to avoid withdrawal. Don't feel pressured to cut back too quickly. Let your body be your guide.

Jim

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