Looking for help to taper off Ativan (lorazepam)

This is a request for simply encouragement from others who are going or have gone through this. I have taken Lorazepam for a little over a year, and am now on my third attempt at tapering off. In both cases, I had a 'stressful event' occur toward the end of the taper, and my Dr. upped the dose right back up to 1.5mg daily the first time, then 2.5mg the second time. I wish I never would have allowed that, but one can't go back in time. I'm seeing a really good neurologist now, who immediately dropped the 2.5 back to 1.5 because it wasn't doing anything other than making me sick. And to say the last 6 weeks have been hard would be an understatement (I've had almost every withdrawal symptom listed). I'm holding at 1.5 for another week, then will drop in much smaller increments, next is .25mg off the current morning dose of .5. And we will go much slower going forward. I'm just feeling pretty low (I feel like this drug has made my life miserable for the last 9 months), and would appreciate hearing a few 'you can do this' and 'it's so worth it' from a few who are also much more sensitive to this drug and a painful withdrawal. Thanks in advance.

This is a request for simply encouragement from others who are going or have gone through this. I have taken Lorazepam for a little over a year, and am now on my third attempt at tapering off. In both cases, I had a 'stressful event' occur toward the end of the taper, and my Dr. upped the dose right back up to 1.5mg daily the first time, then 2.5mg the second time. I wish I never would have allowed that, but one can't go back in time. I'm seeing a really good neurologist now, who immediately dropped the 2.5 back to 1.5 because it wasn't doing anything other than making me sick. And to say the last 6 weeks have been hard would be an understatement (I've had almost every withdrawal symptom listed). I'm holding at 1.5 for another week, then will drop in much smaller increments, next is .25mg off the current morning dose of .5. And we will go much slower going forward. I'm just feeling pretty low (I feel like this drug has made my life miserable for the last 9 months), and would appreciate hearing a few 'you can do this' and 'it's so worth it' from a few who are also much more sensitive to this drug and a painful withdrawal. Thanks in advance.

You can do this! I posted my taper from being on .5 mg Ativan for over two years. I did a VERY slow taper, (posted on another thread here) slower than doctor recommended and am happy to say I’ve been free since early June.
Best wishes!!

I am on .5 mg and taking it three times a day. It has really helped me. May I ask why you are tapering off the medicine?

Thanks for the positive encouragement. Can you please re-share that taper schedule here, and given that the lowest available dose of Ativan/Lorazepam is .5mg, how did you get it into very very small doses? Thanks.

Here is my weaning schedule and full disclosure: not a medical professional. I used a pill cutter to cut pills in half, then quarters. Good luck!

Has anyone weaned off lorazepam and if so how did you do it?

I’m currently trying to wean off of lorazepam 1.0 mg, last night was my first attempt at halving one tab and tonight I’ll take the full dose and so on. I might add it was a difficult night of sleep for me so good luck!

I have read we need to wean off slowly.
I will post after I learn more, seeing a physicians assistant next week.
I was all over the map taking this med, trying to wean too quickly then needing to go back.
Like a seesaw, not sleeping much. The last straw was the other night, no sleep at all. I knew I had to seek professional help. It’s not all I deal with. I have a lot of health issues, almost died a couple years ago, in icu 16 days. That’s what messed my sleep, repeated awakenings in icu for all kinds of tests, blood work, etc, awakened all through the night each night. Day was fine but awakened while trying to sleep was what got me where I am now.