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Has anybody successfully tapered off of lorazepam (Ativan)?
Has anybody successfully managed to successfully wean off of Lorazepam?
If so how was it done?
And if it was by way of switching to other drugs, were you then able to taper off of those entirely under a doctor's guidance?
My husband has been on Lorazepam for 16 years
He did well for 14 years, but dragged his feet about trying to withdraw while he was feeling better.
In May he had a relapse of anxiety, and insomnia, with brain fog, heart palpitations, and more.
Currently he's doing better, thinking better, but still feels like crap a large part of the time, can't sleep without the drug, can't nap.and still struggles with anxiety.
At this point, I believe it's the drug that is actually causing the problem. Currently he's doing 1 mg at bedtime and 3/4 mg when he wakes up at 2:30 am.
I know it takes 2 years for the brains GABA receptors to normalize after taking Benzodiazepines.
Also know it's really hard to withdraw, has to be done extremely slowly, and the side effects are exactly the same as the symptoms it is meant to help.
My goal is to eventually wean him off of all drugs as functional health tests show they block his nutritional absorption and may be damaging his intestinal lining. I would like to be able to repair his health using nutrition, supplements, and neurotransmitter amino acids.
All feedback is welcomed!
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When I turned 65, my P-Doc told me I could no longer be on Ativan, which I’ve been taking .5 mg for 15+ years.
He had me take half the dose for a month and then cut me off! Ridiculous! I think a much slower taper should have been done along with some counseling to help cope…as I have PTSD.
I was using a high quality CBD to help with anxiety, but I’m on opiates for chronic pain and when the pain clinic tested my urine it came back showing a trace of THC. So… I can’t take that now unless I get a medical marijuana license. Again, ridiculous!
Maybe I’ll just start drinking again! 🤪
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4 ReactionsAtivan is made in a liquid suspension. With a prescription you can get it at CVS. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to help you adjust the dosage as you taper. This is the only way to do a taper as the small 0.5 cannot be cut properly. I am in my 9 month of my taper with 5 months to go. You must go slow to avoid horrible withdrawal effects. I taper 5 percent every 2 weeks. Best of luck to you.
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2 ReactionsStaggering 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.
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3 ReactionsSo you can get a liquid? And if only tapering from .5mg and been on for a year, seems 10% per month may be ok. Some have suggested up to 25%. Thoughts?
I am not a medical doctor but have done two Ativan tapers. I never thought I would let myself get back on this awful drug. This time when I decided to go off i went cold turkey even though I knew better. I lived through hell for 3 weeks until I reinstated and started a slow taper. Yes it is called Ativan suspension. Not t sure why doctors do not prescribe this for tapers. Some insurance companies won’t pay for it. It is about $60 but lasts a long time. Maybe u r seeing a doctor that is not experienced with tapers? My fist taper I saw a Naturalpatic (sp?) doctor that prescribed the liquid. This time around I am seeing a psychiatrist that specializes in all kinds of drug withdrawals. They are few and far between. I have to either do a zoom visit or drive two hours to see her. I googled “ drs that specialize in withdrawal. I think it was the Benzo Coalition. She uses the Ashton method which never recommends more than 10 percent reduction per month. It is a long process but it worth it if you can avoid going through nightmarish withdrawal symptoms.
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3 ReactionsMight be challenging to taper off a liquid that is 2mg in only 1ml. if one wants to go down to .1m or so before stopping. Wonder if you can dilute the liquid where there is like .5 rather than 2mg per ml. Thoughts?
Oh yes you can dilute with distilled water. My husband is a whiz at math so he is able to dilute and figure out my dose. I would think if your doctor can’t help, your pharmacist could help. We have a smaller bottle and an eye dropper that we use to dilute.
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1 ReactionThanks..hoping the doctor will work with her...not meeting until Dec.
I don't have any suggestions, just the same problem most of you have. I've taken .5 mg lorazepam per day for 10 years, usually at bedtime. I started after heart issues put me in the hospital and I had a defibrillator / pacemaker put in my chest to prevent recurrance. Lately, I've been having anxiety problems and for a short time a couple of weeks ago I doubled my dose to .5 mg twice per day only to find it's harder to go back to .5 mg per day now. My doctor recommended I start Fluoxetine (Prozac) for relief of anxiety but I fear getting on another med will just make things worse. Has anyone used Prozac or Paxil to wean off lorazepam? Any advice? Or will this just be another drug that will cause more problems. I've been reading this thread, very helpful advice from all and much appreciated.
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1 ReactionSlow, slow taper worked for me. Have been off it since June.
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