Has anybody successfully tapered off of lorazepam (Ativan)?

Posted by healthlady22 @healthlady22, Feb 5, 2019

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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nanagizer | @nanagizer | Oct 27, 2025

In reply to @ch2232 "Has anyone tapered from 0.5mg of lorazepam per day? Can you share your experience? Thank you." + (show)

Did you get this schedule from a doctor or just make it up yourself? Are you completely off and if so, how long did it take you total?

berekann | @berekann | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @kawanhee "@berekann that makes sense! You weren’t on it very long at all! Best wishes!" + (show)

@kawanhee after four days, my doctor gave me the OK to start taking THC gummy’s, which we had discussed. I take a melatonin the night before, so just stuck with that for a few more nights. One really bad night I had to take a lorazepam. But yesterday I bought some THC: CBD: CBN Gummies, and hope to start on that in a day or so. I was a bit leery of any anxiety that might be caused by the THC, but was reassured by the person at the store and my friends that they didn’t notice any problems with it🤞

frouke | @frouke | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @berekann "@kawanhee after four days, my doctor gave me the OK to start taking THC gummy’s, which..." + (show)

I’ve used gummies and other edibles for help with sleep and appetite, the cannabis comes in two strains, Indica and sativa, the first one is for calming down and making you sleepy, the other one is more uplifting for when you’re feeling down or sad. It’s important to mention that cannabis can interact with some medications so do a little research before you decide to take it, there’s a lot of information online that’s very helpful.

kawanhee | @kawanhee | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @berekann "@kawanhee after four days, my doctor gave me the OK to start taking THC gummy’s, which..." + (show)

@berekann good luck!

berekann | @berekann | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @frouke "I’ve used gummies and other edibles for help with sleep and appetite, the cannabis comes in..." + (show)

@frouke thanks! For the tip about checking medications I really only take one for my bones, plus eye drops for glaucoma, but I will double check those
The ones I got are 10 mg each THC, CBD & CBN, And I plan to only use a quarter of a gummy the first time since I’m totally unfamiliar with them.
Do you know of a type that helps increase appetite? That would be good for me

frouke | @frouke | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @berekann "@frouke thanks! For the tip about checking medications I really only take one for my bones,..." + (show)

I tend to get an appetite from the Indica strain but it’s different for everyone, it’s difficult to say how it will affect you but next time you get more ask one of the people who work there what they recommend to give you an appetite and they get a lot of information from other customers.

berekann | @berekann | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @frouke "I tend to get an appetite from the Indica strain but it’s different for everyone, it’s..." + (show)

@frouke Good advice! Thanks.

frouke | @frouke | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @berekann "@frouke Good advice! Thanks." + (show)

@berekann, My pleasure, I hope you get some good benefits from this option.

berekann | @berekann | Oct 28, 2025

In reply to @frouke "@berekann, My pleasure, I hope you get some good benefits from this option." + (show)

@frouke do you know anything about this - I’ve read that THC can trigger tachycardia in some people, and years ago I had frequent SVT episodes. Then they stopped. Lately, occasional rapid heart beats, to 126 or 134, which Diltiazem knocks back down in minutes. I’d asked my cardiologist about taking THC gummies in the past, but sent a message today asking if the Diltiazem would help if the THC triggered tachycardia. It’s only 2.5mg in the micro dose I’ll take to start, along with same amount of CBD and CBN. None of the dispensaries around here seem to sell plain old CBD.

frouke | @frouke | Oct 29, 2025

In reply to @berekann "@frouke do you know anything about this - I’ve read that THC can trigger tachycardia in..." + (show)

@berekann, I agree that it can increase your heart rate and the cardiologist will probably not approve that you use it, your dosage is very low compared to what I take but I can’t say how it will affect you and the medication you take.