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

As I have said before if it isn’t broke why fix it.
Klonopin is part of my daily regimen to fight depression and anxiety. That is along with eating right and exercising regularly.
My PCP said if I am not accelerating my usage or combining it with alcohol and have no adverse effects why would I stop and become not a nice person.
Just expressing my opinion. I hope it helps someone out there.

You’re right about that but it really depends on your doctor, I’ve read so many stories from people who are going through horrible withdrawal due to their doctors not wanting to prescribe this medication for fear of losing their license. It’s an even bigger tragedy that many of these people are seniors who have never misused their medication, they are forced to go through a rapid withdrawal and then get cut off.

Why would you want to? If you feel better taking it, why torture yourself trying to wean off it?

I don’t think they want to give up the medication, their right to choose has been taken away, of course there are people who want to stop because it’s not working for them or they are worried about the addiction to drugs, it’s a very long road to recovery and going slowly is the only way to go but they also need a medical professional to help them do so. In many cases they can’t find the right doctor or nurse to help them stop the meds,

It seems the question is why do you want to stop taking it, or maybe take less? Is it not working for you? Are you afraid you need more? Is it insurance related?
I think more info is needed for any of us to really comment on it, but I do stand by what I said about weaning off slowly. Suddenly stopping a mental health med is unpleasant and can be dangerous.

I’ve made numerous posts on the subject of benzodiazepines and I became very anxious about the horrid stories that told about the struggle to find help from doctors who might help them get their medication. I’ve had nightmares about possibly having to go through this too, I live in Canada and these drugs are labeled Controlled Substances so some doctors are doing the same thing to their patients, forcing short withdrawals or just dropping them as patients since most are close to retirement. I can’t understand why there’s people here saying why do you want to stop taking the medication if it’s working for you? All you need to do is look back on all the people who have posted their experiences with benzodiazepines here, you can actually find years of information about why they want to stop this drug.

I couldn’t agree more with you. Maybe some new doctors just starting their practice might be afraid to prescribe it but my PCP said their fear is unwarranted. She said you just have to justify why you are prescribing it and what your boundaries are as to who you won’t prescribe it to. An example is a woman who drank alcohol and that combined with Klonopin gave her balance issues.
I don’t drink or smoke and exercise vigorously six or seven days a week.
I have taken my morning dose before climbing a 14’er in Colorado or skiing moguls with my son who is now 43.
If you don’t abuse it and it helps with your anxiety and depression for goodness sake take it.
At 74 I walk instead of jog and my days or running marathons are over. Rather than climbing a 14’er I good hike of five or six miles is fine.
Please people taking it is like taking anything else. Just use your common sense.
As I said before there are far more things we take and crazy things we do. Benzodiazepines if taken properly are the least of your worries. Crippling depression and anxiety is something far worse to deal with. I know because I have been there as far as depression and it is a very dark place.
Give taking benzodiazepines a rest unless you are abusing them. You know when you are as would any good doctor.
Enough people.

I have and I am so glad I did. It took me a year but I did it. I basically went down by halves. I stayed on each half for about three months enduring any feelings I had until they tapered off and left. Once those feelings left I halved again. Eventually got down to 0.25 and from there...nothing. I felt so much better.

I was taped of 4 mg per day. It was very hard. The doctor I had wanted a very fast taper. He had inherited me from another doctor who had left. I did get off it and am working in counseling. Not easy. I was on it a long time.

What is the taper plan?