Benzodiazepine class action law suit

I was in .5 mg Ativan for almost three years. Originally prescribed for anxiety due to medical diagnosis, then relied on it for sleep. When my doctor wanted me off of it, he said I could take every other day. Did not work for me. After reading the Ashton Manual (way too complicated for me) and consulting with a sleep doctor, I developed my own weaning, while taking 7.5 mg mirtazapine for sleep. I did not want to take Valium and started the wean mid January and have been off it for two weeks now.
So happy I’m off this benzo.

I have been taking 1-2 mg of Ativan for almost 5 years since we lost our only son. I only take it to sleep but would like to wean off it completely. Any suggestions on a wean schedule? Really am ready to be off this.

It’s a question we all ask when help is needed..benzodiazepine is different for everyone and how they affect you..other factors that weigh in are how long you have been taking them as well as your dosage.. one thing that’s the same is we need assistance from a professional health care provider to guide you through your withdrawal..some people try to go it alone but it’s risky for failure and can be very hard to go through. There’s help available here so you’re on the right path.. I speak from experience with the same med and I have been on them for over 20 years..I never had an issue with them until they gave it a bad name and this came about with the opioid addiction, the two drugs are lethal if taken together..I know they are addictive but most meds are if you need them.. I don’t want to minimize the dangers and damage they can do but it’s so difficult to fight back when you have so much going on especially with health problems and so it’s a vicious cycle..I hope it all works out well for you, amen.

I would say, from experience, get a professional to help you with a taper plan and plan to go very slowly. I started Klonopin after losing my son, too, and it worked so well for my sleep for many years. Now it is nearly impossible to get anyone to prescribe, so my psychiatrist is helping me. I'm down from 1 - 1.5 to .25 and this is likely the last month I'll take it. My sleep is not great, but I'm trying natural alternatives. I'm hopeful in time I will be all the better for it. I'm almost 65 years old.

First, I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot comprehend the pain and grief you carry with you.
There is another thread where I posted my weaning schedule.
I believe it’s under “has anyone successfully tapered off lorazepam?”
Please let me know if you can’t find it.
I’ve been free of the drug since beginning of June

I’m sorry for your loss. And I can’t fathom having to go thru something like that. I was given klonopin , another Benzo. While 2 months in the hospital for Coumadin poisoning (I was bleeding to death in my abdomen). They quit my klonopin cold turkey. It was a nightmare. They replaced it with lorazepam (adavan) because they wouldn’t continue my klonopin.
One adavan every 24 hours!! I said it wasn’t enough so they put me on adavan every 12 hours. Not acceptable but it did cut the edge off a little bit. Once discharged 2 months later I was fit to be tied. When I got home I went straight for a 1mg of Klonopin and within an hour I was fine. Messed me up. That was in January and February. It is now July and I’m still on klonopin.

If you look on another thread, about lorazepam, you should find my weaning schedule there. I started in January and have been free from it since early June.
If you can’t find it there, please let me know and I’ll post it here. Good luck!!

I have been on 1 mg Kolonopin since 1991 for panic attacks and anxiety then after getting Hashimoto’s for sleep.
I also take 5/325 Norco as needed, for many painful spinal issues and Fybromyalgia. But only take it as needed. Been on that for years. I normally only take 1/2 tablet just to get me out of bed and walking. I deal with the pain the rest of the day.
I can go days without taking either one of these drugs without any withdrawls.
I believe everyone is different. Some people have addictive tendencies. I do have medical cannabis and if I use one hit of my low THC/CBD vape cartridge I can go to sleep without taking Kolonopin.
If I drink wine I do not take any of my Kolonopin. Norco is already out of my system because the 1/2 tablet is taken very early in the morning,
I would recommend to anyone that is having problems getting off any drug to begin breaking the mgs by 3/4 and take that amount for a 2 weeks, then cut it in 1/2 and do that amount say for 2 weeks or more if needed, Then when you have a 1/4 left do that amount for a week of more if needed. I believe by that point you won’t even need it.
I smoked cigarettes for many years. I wasn’t a heavy smoker, but that was difficult for me to quit. Once I was ready, I decreased the amount every 3 days by one cigarette until I was down to my last. At most I smoked 1/2 pack a day.
I haven’t smoked for 12.5 years.
Key is in taking these meds is that don’t reach for the euphoric affect that you initially had when you began taking Kolonopin and take more. My medication dose has not changed since ‘91 and I still achieve sleep when I take the same dose when I need it.

Congratulations

Wow. Thank u for sharing. Smoking is not easy to quit, I have 5 months of not smoking after 27 years of the nastiness, lol.
So over 30 yrs of Klonopin? Glad ur o.k. and it still works 4 u.
I also take a Benzodiazepine, but Xanax for 15 years.
Currently trying to come off. Like u said, everyone is different 💜