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Looking for help to taper off Ativan (lorazepam)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (95)Comment receiving replies
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.
Replies to "Can you or someone share experience or suggest tapering from .5m Ativan. A family member has..."
Staggering does is not a good way to go although a lot of doctors tell you to do that. Your taper needs to be consistent and never more than 10 percent per month. It takes a while but believe me it is the safe way to go. My doctor gives me a script for Ativan liquid and I taper 5 percent every two weeks. I have tapered for 9 months with 5 more months to go. At this rate my body is not really too bothered with the decrease. Good luck.
The Benzo coalition
They have the latest and best info including supplements you shouldn’t take and taper schedules. No more than 10% a month taper. Board members include a cardiologist who was damaged by Benzos. Very reliable info.
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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.