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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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Thank you for telling me about the typo. I corrected it in my notes.
Each step listed is meant to be two-three weeks.
I think the reason not one is addressing .5 mg is because it such a miniscule dosage. I take .5 mg Ativan on AS NEEDED basis. I have gone weeks without taking it with no noticeable withdrawal. And the suggestion to chop up these .5 tablets doesn't really work. They are so tiny you can barely manipulate them much less cut them into fourths. Ativan comes in 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 2 mg and some are prescribed two or three "2s" or more. That's where tapering really comes in. Anyway, also get professional medical advice when dealing with psychotropics, as several have suggested.
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2 ReactionsSo sorry - I tried to edit but not able to do so. I meant to say 6-8 weeks, not months. Yikes but that would be super slow!
You may be in trouble when your stash runs out. Be careful here.
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1 ReactionDoubtful, since I only take .125mg once or twice a week and can hardly detect an effect. I believe the primary effect at this point is psychological. My body has gone through most of the withdrawal except insomnia.
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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