@lisalucier @mbabkk I only use ativan very rarely, "as needed". My PCP is very conservative and he gives me an Rx for 10 pills once a year if I ask nicely. I did have a doctor a long time who gave me more of them, I was going through an extremely stressful time, but I only took them at bedtime to help me relieve my anxieties and fall asleep. When I realized they were habit forming I cut back to very occasionally.
JK

From Zoloft to Ativan journey was a risk I took but a calculated risk - Zoloft made me feel medicated and that I lost my normal life focus and just humming away - a good friend who I have worked with in a global consulting partnership and he is a psychologist mentioned it to me one day and looking in the mirror I realized he was right -but where to go what to do
When your psychiatrist say “
You must stay on Zoloft “ well I discussed it with my lead doctor who is a neurologist and he said “ take the risk of getting off a medication that you don’t feel comfortable with and try another avenue “ that became Ativan ( to be taken only as needed) and for me personally that gave me control over my medication and that gave me the encouragement I needed to get back to my former self / yes it may not provide the same “ stability “
I agree but I am fortunate to be a trained SMART RECOVERY facilitator so subscribe to the mantra of “ take control of your own life “ / warning this will not work for everyone I know that but with the support of a MAYO CLINIC trained neurologist I was able to see that I could at least try ( could always fall back to safety of Zoloft ) and I knowingly took the jump
- I am not advocating that this will work for everyone please do not get me wrong on that - but it worked for me so I would advocate that in some cases a neurologist doctors pracmatic and wholistic approach and openness to explore may work better than a well trained psychiatrist with maybe more conservative views - just my 5 cents if personal wisdom- there are so many medications out there and it may take several try and fail to find the right one for YOU / I was lucky I think and yes I see the difference between a safe Zoloft ( take 3 tablets a day forever ) and a more risky Ativan ( take only as needed ) it is not for everyone for sure but experimenting under supervision of a highly trained neurologist made it for me. ......,, so far so good

Thank you for your comments - how bestvto clarify my experience with Zoloft and then moving to Ativan ? I am a leadership consultant and in my profession passion is essential - while on Zoloft I felt I was somewhat sedated and my co consultants told me that as well. So switching from a constant medication to a “as needed” medication ( Ativan ) brought me back in control / this is of course a very personal challenge but i feel much better now that I do not have to take medication but can decide when and why . Make sense ?? For me yes but I would say that it is not for everyone to take that journey

@mbabkk Makes perfect sense to me. As I have mentioned, I use Ativan but only on a very limited basis. I try to not use it because I want to make the tiny amount my PCP gives me last, and so far I have been successful at that.
JK

My doctor is a Mayo Clinic trained neurologist and considered as one of the best in Thailand where I live. He is of course fully aware of the addiction challenge but he is very calm about it as he controls the prescription linked to our consultations - I am 67 years old and his view is simple “ Ativan will be my emergency medication the rest of my life “ only to be taken “as needed”. Not every day but maybe sometimes several days in a row and then many days off - not every doctor would endorse this I know but I also know he is extremely well educated - and know what is right for each patient - he has helped a friend with Alzheimer’s get a much better life in stage 7 with medication that is both traditional (patches) and unusual - she is 90 years old and in one year of treatment has recovered a flicker of memory - really amazing. The problem with Ativan is the stigma of opioid addiction but a clever doctor who knows his patients will not shy away from improving their life as my doctor did - taking me off Zoloft in a daily basis and giving me the trust in using Ativan “ as needed” changed my life for the better / I am in charge

But but but yes this is not something I advocate for others - I was just so lucky to meet a highly trained neurologist who listened to me and responded with treatment

Lisa always drags me into these discussions; just kidding, I enjoy sharing and if it helps, that is great. I have taken zoloft for probably 20 years, but my new Psych has suggested it is likely just a security blanket now as people generally develop a tolerance beyond it's benefit within 2-3 years. She may be right but is taking a one med at a time approach. I take opiates for severe pancreatic pain and they have made my anxiety and depression much worse over the last dozen years and as a result, I need a cocktail of different meds to make my brain comfortable inside my head. I am on a new med (Nuvigil) that is used off label for depression, low mood, and a lack of motivation and energy. I had a cheek swab done by the Psych last week and when she gets results for my DNA, she will have a guide for meds that may be of more benefit to me and those that are unlikely to help. That will be when we replace zoloft with another med. She transitioned me from klonopin (clonazepam) to ativan and I have been tapering down on the ativan - much easier to withdraw from than klonopin because the half-life is much shorter. I will eventually get to where some of you are with ativan and only take when needed. I will return in about five weeks when I have met with the doc and reviewed the DNA, markers, and potential helpful meds and report on what I have learned. I am pretty excited about turning it into a science based decision as opposed to trial and error.
Sorry for my verbosity, Gary (Gman007).

It sounds to me that you have a journey and a target - please keep going - at least that's what helped me. Best wishes from michael in bangkok

@mbabkk Your doctor sounds excellent and I believe he is doing what the best thing possible for you.

Is Ativan an opioid? I have an appointment with my PCP at the end of the month and if it is an opioid I doubt he will give me my "yearly" prescription for 20 5mg pills.
JK

@contentandwell, Ativan is a class 4 controlled substance in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. Not an opiate, but still a very addictive medication, but I don't think you have a problem at 20 per year.
Peace, Gary