Looking for help to taper off Ativan (lorazepam)

I think you’re making a good choice trying .75 first before lowering to .5
I have a good feeling about you doing this.
I will post again after my appointment next week.

I am not one of those people that is against all meds. Sometimes meds are necessary. Sometimes it can take quite a bit of fine tuning to find the correct med and then the appropriate dosage. @kylastar & @cactuswilli have you asked the prescriber / provider for recommendations on how to wean off the med?

Yes, I conferred with my prescriber and she advised to do so slowly with caution. She's aware that I would like to be med-free and supportive; by the same token I'd love to have my old sleep patterns but I'm also aware the older I get that sleep patterns do change.

I have an appointment next week with my doctors assistant who is knowledgeable about weaning off my med.
I mentioned this previously in my comments and also that I will post again after my appointment when I find out more of my situation.
And I agree with you in not being against all meds.
I only take if needed.
I have been on doxepin for 17 years and the only negative I have encountered is a lot of weight gain. It has helped me much more than had a negative effect.
I do research meds before I take them to make sure they don’t counter react with others I take. I’m not on that many but it’s enough for my age and health problems. They all do have side effects.

Dear Human Family,

I carefully detail my successful tapering off of 1.0 mg of Lorazepam after being on it for much of two decades in my recently published book, "Tools of Transformation".

Loving regards,
Joe Lerner

My doctor put me on an anti-depressent/anxiety medicine to replace it.

What new med did you try? Did you take both at the same time or completely come off one before starting new med?

I'm on a cousin of Lexapro, Fluvoxamine. I can stay on the Ativan for a short time and take both. Ativan works so well for me and has for 7 years that I am not hopeful this med will help me sleep. But my old primary doc retired and these new kids that are running the show are scared to prescribe anything.

Can you or someone share experience or suggest tapering from .5m Ativan. A family member has been on for about a year, starting with 1m and just .5 for past few months and wants to suggest a schedule to Dr, perhaps 25% less every week or two (.5 to .375 to .25 to .125). Would that be reasonable, or would you suggest the staggered and longer taper schedule shared by Kawanhee above? So much info out there is for tapering from much higher doses. Looking for some guidance and experience. Family member also takes melatonin, sometimes valerian spray, and ramelteon for sleep. She used to just take melatonin, and I believe other stressors contributed to insomnia so they started to take (too) many meds/supplements. Any advise on stoping or weaning from the others first or ok to taper Ativan. They'd like to just get back to the melatonin and some camomile/lavender tea;) Thanks for sharing.

I am at the end of a taper of Klonopin - not sure how it compares to Ativan. My psychiatrist had me decreasing every 6-8 months - that is slow, but the actual reduction was more than the recommended 10%. 1mg - .75 for 6 weeks went well; to .5mg for a month went well, Then to .375mg for a month, then .25mg (this is where it got tough and I had horrible insomnia and anxious feelings). I went a full 6 weeks and then to .125mg. Here is where it felt like I was taking nothing. Still bad insomnia and anxious/jittery/irritable. The total process has been 9 months now. I have no refills left and my doctor discharged me because I was going to be 65. I still have a little stash of .25 and .125 and I will take occasionally at bedtime. I never knew this would be so difficult and I wonder sometimes if I will ever have a great night's sleep again. 1mg at bedtime gave me the assurance I would sleep at least 8 hours, maybe 9. For over a decade and now I can't have it. But I know it will be best in the long run, or so they tell me.