OBrian Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 (edited) I've been on a low dosage of Ativan approx 3 years and I've decided I want to come down off it now as I'm too tired all the time. I plan on coming off of it over the course of several months. However, I want to come off extremely slow as Ativan withdrawals are pretty unpleasant. I only take a low dosage at night. Is alternating dosages every other day counter productive or can that work? For example, taking 1mg one day, and then the next day taking .5mg, and then 1mg again. Or would it just be better to drop the dosage and ride the wave? Edited May 2, 2014 by OBrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malachite Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I'd set up a tapering schedule with your pdoc. Way more helpful than asking people here. I have never tapered off a benzo, but I do know you have to go very slowly. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horizons Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I took 1mg of Ativan for sleep for a year and a half. One day I decided I just didn't want to take it anymore and stopped cold. I didn't have any withdrawl symptoms other than trouble sleeping, which was probably just the return of the symptoms I'd been treating with the Ativan. If you're at a higher dose you may want to step down more slowly, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBrian Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 I appreciate your swift replies, but neither really answered my question. Has anyone tapered in the manner in which I'm describing? Or do you generally just taper by reducing the mg weekly or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Given the half-life of Ativan, you would most likely be prolonging the agony of withdrawal by alternating daily like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBrian Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 Given the half-life of Ativan, you would most likely be prolonging the agony of withdrawal by alternating daily like that. I considered that but there's a bit of ativan for approx 24 hours isnt there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Given the half-life of Ativan, you would most likely be prolonging the agony of withdrawal by alternating daily like that. I considered that but there's a bit of ativan for approx 24 hours isnt there? You want to say that you won't have withdrawals as long as there is some Ativan in your blood? That withdrawal is not dose-dependent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamagotchi Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 (edited) I'm not sure why you couldn't just split the pills to add up to the desired daily tapering dose (0.75mg etc). Even though they are small, one 0.5 pill can be split in half easily, and with a pill splitter I can quarter them (just barely). Could you get a 0.5mg prescription from your pdoc? Edited May 3, 2014 by tamagotchi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dilemma Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 I did something similar, but kinda different. I was on 2mg of Klonopin for about 10 years. I went down .5mg, but if I was still awake after about an hour and a half, I'd take that .5mg. Once I was at 1.5mg for 5-7 days in a row, I cut down another .5mg. Once I got to .5mg I decreased only by .25mg, and then came off it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OBrian Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 (edited) Given the half-life of Ativan, you would most likely be prolonging the agony of withdrawal by alternating daily like that. I considered that but there's a bit of ativan for approx 24 hours isnt there? You want to say that you won't have withdrawals as long as there is some Ativan in your blood? That withdrawal is not dose-dependent? I'm going to have withdrawals either way I do this. My point was that if there exists ativan in the system anyways at all times, is doing it every other day a bad idea ? Remember, I've been on Ativan for 3 years.... Edited May 4, 2014 by OBrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Seriously, the best way to taper off this med is to work with your doc who prescribed it. There are factors that are unique to you, your body, and your situation that none of us can hope to adequately assess let alone address on a peer support forum. That's why professionals exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiet storm Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 (edited) My own opinoin, besides recommending working with your doc(if they know what they are doing), is that 1mg of ativan daily is considered a low dose. But you have been on it for a while and as has been mentioned everybody is different. I wouldnt do the every other day schedule. I would step down gradually going down to .75, .50, .25.....etc.....at a minimum a week at a time before stepping down. Saving the dosing for night time so maybe your sleep will not be interrupted as much. Or theres the switching to a longer half life benzo like clonazepam(rememberclonazepam is considered twice as potent...so .5 clonazpeam equals 1mg ativan) or switching to valium which has an even longer half life. A nice slow taper should do the trick. But talk to your doc first. If the wanting to get off benzo is not due to something serious, then slow and steady should be the course. I understand wanting to get off something as quickly as possible, but theres no reason to make it harder on yourself if you dont need to. Edited May 5, 2014 by quiet storm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtivanMistake Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Hello, A month ago I went to the ER for a first time ever panic attack and was given a prescription for lorazepam (Ativan). This was the begining of my current worst nightmare ever. it was 1mg tablets that I took once everyday for 1 month, after I came close to running out I thought meh no need to take this anymore. Ignorance is not always bliss!!! I stopped taking it for two days and on the 2nd day I was hit with a massive withdraw that sent me back to the ER. I didn't know at the time that withdraws came with this medication nor was I told about it before it was prescribed to me. I didn't ask to be put on this bezo, the ER doc just said here take this for axiety and you will be fine. WHAT AN ASSHOLE!!!!! He didn't even give me another refill to try and taper off it, if I did get any withdraw effects! I'm currently stuck with no Pdoc as I have no medical insurance and now I am currently entering the darkest part of my life with this drug that I wish I NEVER took. So if you are like me with no medical insurance and no doctor and you happen to have been prescribed Lorazepam DONT FREAKIN TAKE IT!!!!! your current axiety with out medication is nothing compared to a long lasting nightmare that this drug can offer you. My suggestion would be try any other non-medicated aproach to dealing with anxiety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Ativanmistake, on Crazyboards we do not tell people which meds to take or to not take. This is an issue between them and their drs. You are free to share your experience. You are not in a position to make medical recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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