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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 was weaning, I slowed it down if I had something going on that was disruptive. Take your time reducing it and feel confident that you can do it!
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1 ReactionYou’re so welcome. Transition times are difficult for those of us with bad anxiety. @kawanhee had a good point: this may not be the right time for you to back down. Moving is a huge life event that is inherently stressful. Give yourself permission to hold where you are if your doctor says it’s okay. Keep the big picture in mind. Positive thoughts your way 😎
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1 Reactionwhat symptoms did you have, was insomnia one and anxiety
@marty70 I had anxiety and insomnia big time. I didn’t sleep much at all for days. My heart rate was through the roof. I had massive headaches. I had the sweats quite a bit. I was incredibly nauseous at times. On top of all this, I was in a great deal of pain due to my diverticulitis flare up. I’d say it was up there with one of the worst times in my life.
I only take 2mg max at bedtime sometimes only 1. Any suggestions on how to taper that?
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.
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3 ReactionsYou 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!!
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2 ReactionsI 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?
What was your taper? I have been on 2 mg only at bedtime since we lost our only child to fentanyl for a year. I am down to 1 mg now but want to get off. Would love to hear how you came all the way off:
Congratulations where do we find your taper on the other thread? Thanks