← Return to Has anybody successfully tapered off of lorazepam (Ativan)?

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@lisalucier

Hi, @sady - since you mentioned that venlafaxine (Effexor) has been helpful, I wanted to invite you to participate in this discussion on positive experiences with it and add what you've noted in your treatment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/effexor-1/

Glad you have found a good doctor who is helping you with a taper off of lorazepam (Ativan). Are you needing to go to a compounding or other specialty pharmacy to get the liquid formulation?

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Replies to "Hi, @sady - since you mentioned that venlafaxine (Effexor) has been helpful, I wanted to invite..."

I go to the VA outpatient clinic in Martinez. I sill ask about getting the liquid. So far I have tapered from 2mg down to 1 and 3/4. Been doing that for about 3 days without any significant side effects so far.

I have had anxiety on and off all my life. I am 70 now and still riding my horse! I have been on Lorazapam for 38 years and it worked quite. well for that time. When I was told that there was a study on it and they found out that it might cause alshimers and I might
fall etc when I am older, I had a very bad episode of anxiety. I was scared (fight or flight) tention headache, couldn't sleep. I was a wreck. I found out my lorazapam didn't work as well as it did for the 38 years. Now that they have better antidepressants(they didn't in my younger years) My very compassionate new young Doctor put me on Effexor. It worked quite well and when I stabilized on it, then I was going to try and get off Lorazapam very very slowly. I don't have any of the other physical feelings I mentioned before, but I do have a dizzy feeling in my head. Not a falling down dizziness, but sort of that kind of feeling in my head ; I think it is withdrawal from the Lorazapam. The feeling is going away now when I take my next dose of Lorazapam, I have got each dose down to every 8 hours now. As I said in my article yesterday on how to taper off Avan again , I am on compounded Lorazapam (liquid) which I get at a pharmacy through my Doctor,