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Has anybody successfully tapered off of lorazepam (Ativan)?
Has anybody successfully managed to successfully wean off of Lorazepam?
If so how was it done?
And if it was by way of switching to other drugs, were you then able to taper off of those entirely under a doctor's guidance?
My husband has been on Lorazepam for 16 years
He did well for 14 years, but dragged his feet about trying to withdraw while he was feeling better.
In May he had a relapse of anxiety, and insomnia, with brain fog, heart palpitations, and more.
Currently he's doing better, thinking better, but still feels like crap a large part of the time, can't sleep without the drug, can't nap.and still struggles with anxiety.
At this point, I believe it's the drug that is actually causing the problem. Currently he's doing 1 mg at bedtime and 3/4 mg when he wakes up at 2:30 am.
I know it takes 2 years for the brains GABA receptors to normalize after taking Benzodiazepines.
Also know it's really hard to withdraw, has to be done extremely slowly, and the side effects are exactly the same as the symptoms it is meant to help.
My goal is to eventually wean him off of all drugs as functional health tests show they block his nutritional absorption and may be damaging his intestinal lining. I would like to be able to repair his health using nutrition, supplements, and neurotransmitter amino acids.
All feedback is welcomed!
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If you eventually want to go off of it, it’s worth the try. The very low wean I wrote about worked for me. Good luck in whatever decision you make!
In saying that, I’m sure it depends on why you were prescribed the drug. I got it because of situational anxiety…a medical diagnosis that was very stressful. I do not have a psychiatric disorder.
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1 ReactionThe doctor that is helping me taper sent a prescription to a Compounding Pharmacy. I get it in liquid form and am now down to 2.15 mg from 3,75 1/2 of 7.5 pill. I could never take the 7.5 as it was too sedating and I got some other side effects. I am cutting down .25 about every 2-3 weeks and will stop at the lowest dose that will still allow me to sleep and stay there. Thanks for sending your taper schedule. The doctor also put me on liquid Ativan to taper, She has me tapering for about 1 year I was only at 1 mg 1 x per day but I am very sensitive and she feels this is the best way to do it. I was looking at what you used but I think it is probably too fast for me. The thought of tapering for 9 more months is daunting.
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2 ReactionsYou should do whatever works for you!
Where did you find a compounding pharmacy?
I have been on 3 mg a day for ten years with one forced break. I am coming off it now with vigorous exercise five days a week and dietary changes. What I have found is that Lorazepam and other drugs have been making my depression worse ( I have bipolar disorder) and they’re increasing my mixed episodes. I am undertaking with my provider a major rethink of my entire treatment plan. My hope is that with dietary changes and exercise all I will need is mood stabilizer. I am on a lot of other drugs now.
Read Brain Energy by Palmer. It may not apply to you, for me it has codified much of what I suspected and other researchers have found; there are other factors besides neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mental health. In fact the defective neurotransmitters are a secondary effect of cellular health; interesting read. I feel like I am waking up from a life long nightmare!
Usually feeling good doesn’t last, so Im cautious. Next up is getting of Venlafaxine, that will likely take a year or so.
Oh, in addition to Lorazepam I’ve recently come of Quintiapan (SP) it was also worsening my depression.
Talk to your docs and keep a journal of how you feel. It helps.
All my best to all those that suffer with mental illness; if they haven’t been there they’re not likely to understand.
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1 ReactionGoogle it. I live in Myrtle Beach and there are two of them here. Yes I wish I could taper faster but I AM afraid to try it since the anxiety is pretty high. Good luck finding a pharmacy,
I was prescribed 8 milligrams a day of Lorazapam. Then a new doctor told me I was a drug addict. Can you imagine? Anyway, I quit taking it cold turkey but I do not recommend it! I take an antidepressant and Gabapentin now. You can quit it, just wean yourself off slowly. I missed having it for a while, but the feeling fades. Good luck to you on your mental health journey.
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2 ReactionsThank you! That’s what I’m doing. I have a lot of drugs to get off of, going to be a long road. I’ll get there.
Thanks again.
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1 ReactionYou will get there! I wish you every success in all your endeavors!
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1 ReactionPersonally, I tried to wean off of Lorazepam on my own for 3 years. Whenever I went right off of it, my anxiety returned full force. On the advice of a knowledgeable doctor, I detoxed off of the Lorazepam as an inpatient, and followed this with participation in 12 step meetings, non addictive meds only, with an addiction counsellor for several years.
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2 ReactionsHi! Did you not get a boatload of withdrawals going cold turkey??
Yvonne