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!

I am on 0.5 in the evening for 1 year. During this time i also took 0.5 in the morning 2 times for a few months and successfully tapered that 2 times. Now i just finish tapering the morning 0.5 for 10 days and things are kinda strange. I don't even know what or how bad withdrawal gets with these doses. My doc says it's all fine and nothing bad will happen, but so many horror stories on the Internet makes me questions everything.

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.

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.