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Looking for help to taper off Ativan (lorazepam)
Hi my name is pamee. I need help as I have a rare disorder from Ativan. It's horrific excruciating pain 24/7 with minimal sleep so I'm also sleep deprived. The pain is killing me at times I want to die. I take 2 mg 4x a day fir 13-14 yrs and recently been having blackouts. I'm scared. Can anyone please give me suggestions whether I taper one dose at a time or should I taper all 4 doses in a day at about 1/4 of the pill. Thank you for any help you can give. Kind regards, pamee
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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.
I reduced dose by 50% for w
2 weeks.
.375mg
.225 mg
.125mg
Only took dose at night
Pretty much hell!
Sleep specialist has me on 2 mg of Lunesta. Last night was first night. Slept a solid 6 hours. Feel great today.
That’s awesome!! I don’t remember what sleep was like. Thanks again!
Just walked 2.5 miles. Working off anxiety
Praying tonight I’ll sleep well
My sleep Dr also recommended that I use CBT-I.
You can find self help books on Amazon. Also maybe you can find a psychologist that does this. I’ve heard a lot of great results from this.
How do I wean off lorazepam
Welcome, @hollykyle. I moved your question about weaning off lorazepam to this discussion so you can connect with others:
- Looking for help to taper off Ativan (lorazepam)
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/help-to-taper-ativan/
You may also be interested in this related discussion:
- Has anybody successfully tapered off of lorazepam (Ativan)?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tapering-off-of-lorazepam-ativan/
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To help others help you with a success taper, can you share a bit more? How long have you been taking lorazepam? What dosage are you currently on? Are you working with your doctor to work out a taper schedule?
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2 ReactionsI am a psychiatrist and have helped patients get off Ativan and other benzodiazepines. Ask your dr. to prescribe the lowest dose tablet available. Then, week by week reduce the dose by one tablet. This is a bit more accurate than using a pill cutter, but you can do it that way, too. Ativan is short acting and if possible, ask your dr. to prescribe one that is longer acting—like klonopin. Do NOT quit klonopin “cold turkey,” as that may cause seizures. It’s permissible to stay on a given dose for an extra week or so to take a break. The point is to wean yourself gradually.
For sleep substitute melatonin.
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2 ReactionsPlease see below for my successful taper off of .5 mg Ativan. Initially prescribed for anxiety then was relying on it for sleep but stopped working. So happy I’m off it!
I had to reduce my dosage of clonazepam a few years ago and my doctor wrote specific directions for tapering off. I had 0 withdrawals and couldn't have done it without a specific schedule. I had been on it for almost 30 years. I do just fine now on a very low dose. about 1/8th as much as I took previously. Good luck getting off of the lorazepam-- sorry to hear of those awful side effects.
What were the instructions?