Ativan withdrawal

Tapering could be really rough on you at your age. Why does your doctor want you off at this stage in your life?

I’m wondering so many months after your post if you found help weaning off your Ativan? I have taken alprazolam .5 mg daily for several years and really want off the stuff. I’m pretty sure it’s now causing increased anxiety and depression. I’m 72 years old and had a litany of meds I was blaming for this issue, but never the alprazolam. Well, with the doctor’s help, I’ve stopped statins and beta blockers. Now, nothing left to stop but 50 mg of Losartan which doctor said stopping is out of the question. A have an ascending aortic aneurysm that needs protecting. Wondering if you ( or anyone else) can help with weaning off this drug?

I did wean off. 7/11/24 thru 8/26/24
Original dose .5mg a night
2 weeks. .375 mg
2 weeks .25 mg
1 week .125mg then stopped.
It has been hell. Started back .25
Saw sleep doctor today. She said to stop Ativan tonight and start .2mg of Lunesta. Having a sleep study done in a couple of weeks.
The thought of taking Lunesta and reading some of the side affects has my anxiety soaring.

I've had no problems with Lunesta at all. I do often have to take another 1mg around 3am to get in a full night, but when I'm awake from it, I am fully awake and no weird behaviors. My sleep is sound with dreams.

I will say that was a very rapid taper. It took me 9 months to taper off 1-1.5mg of Klonopin and I still had problems with insomnia and anxiety for the next year. Lunesta solved the insomnia problem and I just use yoga, meditation, exercise, nature, puzzles, birding, music and dance for anxiety!

I did a VERY slow wean from .5 Ativan over 6 months. Earlier, the wean recommended by my pcp was too fast. I have been off it for two years.

I took my first Lunesta pill last night. 2 mg
I slept a solid 6 hours. No problems. I feel great.
How long have you been taking Lunesta?

Thanks for this help! Did you do half the dose or skip days…curious about exactly how you did it if you have time to explain. I’ve tried just talking .25 in the am and the same in the pm and wasn’t the best feeling. I don’t expect this to be easy, but day 1 wasn’t encouraging☹️

So, just drop half each week… seems easy enough! But I doubt it is. Thank you for that formula. I tried Eszociplone 3mg (generic Lunesta, and I’m not sure how generic medication dosages versus brand are offered) when my Triazolam (generic Halcion) wasn’t letting me sleep longer than four hours. The Lunesta Gave me the most horrible metallic taste in my mouth-like eating a metal can! I can say it put me to sleep within minutes, but it would not keep me asleep longer than three hours. It is difficult for me to sleep, always has been, but I believe Lunesta is not known for helping you sleep through the night but more for ease of falling asleep, so there you have it. Lists of side effects terrify me because I always seem to fall into that one percent that gets those side effects rarely seen. But I did not get any wacky hallucinations or have weird dreams or anything other than the taste. The bonus is, you try it for one night and if it’s weird for you, you don’t take it again. I read a side-by-side analogy of sleep meds, and mine are supposed to help the most as far as getting to sleep and staying asleep. So I went back to Halcion. I have decided 5 1/2 to 6 hours is my future at my age. Good luck, and thanks again for the help!

So glad it worked for you. I have been taking 2-3mg per night since March of this year. I don't know how long it is ok to take it, but after clonazepam nightly for over a decade, surely this is better. Yet just having gone on Medicare today!! - I'm having problems finding a plan that will cover even the generic.