Has anybody successfully tapered off of lorazepam (Ativan)?

Amanda, my friend's addiction doctor told him Ativan was like powdered alcohol. Drinking while on it was like having 4-5 alcohol drinks when you just had 1. That would make it easy to have a dual addiction. This was 25 years ago, but he was put in a hospital to go through detox because medical monitoring was necessary. He said somebody in the hospital had seizures with a cold-turkey withdrawal, low dose withdrawal. They may know much more now about withdrawing. That was years ago. I think there were some doctors prescribing Ativan to patients when it wasn't a wise choice for anxiety, and depression. Find a Specialist, is my recommendation. You can do this.

I’m thankful for all of y’all’s input, as I have recently been given Lorazepam for my overbearing anxiety attacks and musculoskeletal with autoimmune disease just tears my body up, and at .5 mg I get a huge amount of relief. I only need to take it every two or 3 days, starting with half of a .5mg. Is there something other that mimics the Lorazepam that is better for long term usage?

I have not heard that, but I will sign up to be tester, lol @btsum68

I stopped taking it slowly. It was not difficult for me. Im not sure this will help. I just stopped taking it.

How much were you taking and how did you cut back? Were you taking it very long? I have been taking about 1.5 mgs avg. per day for just about a year. Would love to get off it but I just am afraid of the rebound effect.....

I am really interested in knowing why people want to go through withdrawal why they want to get off of the drug so much it's very inexpensive and I've been on it for 30 years I guess what 1994 and I don't have any problems I've cut down from three a day to two a day 1 mg tablets I my doctors told me not to try to get off of it he says just take the least amount that you can take that you feel comfortable with i i am really confused about are any professional people advising the people on here to wean off of these drugs and if they are why are they on here asking questions of people on a board like this God bless you and I pray that you have great health and comfort

In my opinion, if a doctor is continuing to prescribe and it sounds like you have good relationships with your doctors, and it is right for you, by all means keep taking it. Doctors are being held accountable for prescribing benzos by their practices as was told to me by my doctor. I moved to another state and I have been to three doctors and a NP who would not continue me on benzos. I had to make a choice. I chose to taper. I kept my last bottle and in the last three weeks, only took .25mg due to situational anxiety and unable to sleep due to my inability to let go of my problem at the time. In the past 3 weeks, I have more energy than I have had in the past 15 years. I feel better off than on it. And it is a bugger to get off the drug. God bless you.

I went through about 4 or 5 years of multiple hospitalizations shock treatments all kinds of treatments for depression I had probably half a dozen psychiatrists that were very they were Hospital psychiatrists and also some private they all thought I had depression after I finally had another hospitalization and the doctor put me on ativan it was like a light switch being turned on before that I couldn't concentrate I had to stop driving I couldn't watch a movie I couldn't sit still I would sit and rock all the time when they put me on the Ativan and then the Klonopin it I was completely up a new person I was able to get my driver's license back after passing a medical examination I could do things again and I have never had any reason to think that the medicine did anything but good for me I was worthless without it I could my wife took care of me like a baby the doctor that I have now I've had for over 10 years and I have the one before that I had for about 10 years none of them have has ever suggested going off of the Klonopin and when I've asked the doctor that I have now because I quit taking my midday 1 mg I was taking three 1 mg a day now I just take two one in the morning and one at night and my my psychiatrist from a hospital in Richmond Indiana said that that was good if I was doing okay on two but he advised me not to try to get off of them so I I can't help but Wonder but I know everybody's different and maybe someday I may have to go through what some of these people are going through but I have been taking them since 1994 or 5 and I just don't see I just don't understand what I'm reading but I guess I can pray for the people that God will help them and I do have neuropathy and I take gabapentin for that and I know that's an incurable disease and I have degenerative disc disease and I have sciatica so I have some other things going on that are more pressing at the moment God bless you and I am glad that you are able to get off of it people question me all the time about getting off of it but I don't just I don't see myself doing that right now

Everything I read about benzos has made me want to go off them. Wreaks havoc with your brain. I have been taking .5 mg of lorazepam for over two years, originally prescribed due to acute anxiety for a cancer diagnosis. Then relied on it to sleep. Stopped working for sleep and my doctor wanted me off it. His weaning protocol was too abrupt so I’m taking it very slowly. I’m now down to .125 at night and should be off it by May.

Benzo prescriptions are getting harder and harder to get. One needs to hope their doctor never dies, moves away or retires. The DEA and CDC do not want doctors prescribing Benzos any longer. Much like opioids. Finding a new doctor and getting a new prescription would be very difficult. The fear of being cut off and going into acute withdrawal is what leads a lot of people to taper. And yes doctors can abruptly cut patients off, force a fast taper which can be very detrimental, and a new doctor does not have to give you a prescription just because you’ve been on them for years. Another reason is they just stop working. You hit tolerance and have to keep raising the dose. They will stop working sooner or later. It took 25 years for me.