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MedHelp Member's Question

Ativan Use

by The Golden Slipper, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
I am asking this question for a friend of mine at work. She has been taking Ativan on and off for about three months.  She takes .5 milligrams twice a day.  She said she has gone for 3 or 4 days during this time without taking them.



My question is Will she suffer withdrawal when she stops? Her doctor said it would be safe for her to stop if she wanted to. She does not want to take them any longer and is concerned about addiction. She started taking them for anxiety after she lost a job and is ready to stop them.



She doesn't completely trust her doctor's word and I thought maybe we could get an answer here.



Also, to all my fioricet friends it looks like our thread down below is full.  We need to start a new one.  I tried posting this morning and couldn't get through.



Thanks in advance for any replies

Golden Slipper
Member Comments (24)

by feelsobad, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: Golden Slipper
I was just prescribed Ativan last week. I had dramatic good results with it completly eliminating my HIGH ANXIETY. I was to the point of ending it all if I had to jitter through life like that.

My shrink told me in no uncertain terms that if I ever came off of it it would have to be a long slow taper. I

by minime, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: Golden Slipper
I used to take Ativan.  I took it once for a couple months and then just stopped without experiencing any withdrawal symptoms.  She might be a little edgy at first and might have a bit of trouble sleeping, but she won't go through the kind of withdrawal that opiate addicts have to suffer.

by minime, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: Golden Slipper
Then again I'm not a doctor so she should probably listen to what he recommends. As soon as I gave this advice I thought maybe I shouldn't have.  My experience was I didn't have any trouble getting off it but others might experience different.

by feelsobad, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: Golden Slipper cont.
Sorry I hit the post tab to soon. I was going to say I don't understand why doctors don't have the same info for something so important not to mention dangerous. I would err on the side of caution...



take care

feelsobad

by FINISHED!!, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: Golden Slipper
I honestly don't know much about Ativan so I can't offer many answers...but what I DID want to mention is that if she was able to go 3 or 4 days without the meds & have no withdrawl symptoms, I would think that she'd be O.K. Keep in mind that I'm not familiar with this drug therefore I could be VERY wrong. If this is a long acting or time-released drug then it may have stayed with her for those few days that she had stopped. I'm also unfamiliar with the chemical make-up of Ativan so I don't advise her stopping without a second opinion from another doctor. As we know, some drugs such as alcohol & benzos can be VERY dangerous if stopped suddenly. So in short...I don't know. Sorry. I'd just encourage your friend to seek the advice of another doctor & go from there. I'm POSITIVE that somebody here will have better answers than me...seeing as I really have none...other than calling a doc. Again...Sorry.



FINISHED!!

by FINISHED!!, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: minime
That's funny that you said as soon as you posted you realized that maybe you shouldn't have...SAME HERE. I hit the post comment button & thought, "What help was that?" Oh well...at least we try huh mini? That's better than nothing.



FINISHED!!

by Vicqueennomore, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: lisabet
Sorry to break into this thread but the one we were using just said it was full, I think we are limited now to 25 postings per thread. Why is there a limit now?

Lisabet, thank you and I think you might be on to something, subconsiously I think he might want the old Tammy, super-mom, girlfriend back because I have been just thinking about me and also been expressing more about how I feel how unsupportive he is and needs that I have, etc. Stuff I have never expressed before cuz I was numb and feeling euphoric, didn't care, had energy out of this world, was sex goddess, maid, cook and entertaining the kids. Now I am a little self obsorbed every day trying to deal with this addiction/recovery.

Is there a happy medium? Can relationships recover from a change such as this?

by Erika_Ann, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: BINK********** :)
GOOD LUCK TO YOU! I know we havnt spoken back and forth but you know you have all of us. And Im so glad we are all filtering back in the forum. Ive missed hearing from everyone! I will be thinking about you bink!  Take care!  Luv-Erika

by jerri 1, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: vicqueennomore
Yes they can recover, Im living proof. BUT you both have to want it to work. And from the sounds of your posts he wants the old you back. You need to have you time and he dosnt like this.You are changing and realizing that you never took any you time before.He wants super mom, make my dinner super lady,etc...You have to tell him now that your not that person anymore, that you need time for yourself. Stay strong my friend there is a light shining at the end of your tunnel!! And I promise it will be worth your journey. Youll be alot stronger.. If hes not willing to except you for the new you then you need to get out of the relationship,because hes going to keep temting you to get the old you back. Ill keep you in my prayers hon.                   Jerri

by sotired, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: lisabet
I'm new and my question for you and vicqueen is - what's the point of getting off the pills if they give you so much energy and motivation?  I work full time with three little kids and a fantastic husband.  I feel so useless without my harmless little codeine pills.  I know logically that makes no sense, but personally I just can't even remember feeling happy and motivated and upbeat without them.  Perhaps I am permanently broken and will just need them forever.

by suzieneedshelp, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: sotired
Welcome!  If those pills are so wonderful then why are u asking about em ?  Definitely us addicts are different chemically.  WE seem to need something others dont to feel "normal" as u describe how yur pills make u feel.  Some may need an antidepressant or others can learn to cope by filling their lives with other things in those empty spaces...meditation, exercise, helping others, etc.  

WEll 'sotired' i am so glad u are here and i se your screen name says u r ready to consider that u need help. That is an awesome first step to recovery and freedom.

Peace to your soul!

Suzie

by sotired, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
I'm so tired because I don't currently have any, the physical withdrawl is winding down, but all I want to do is sleep.  Correction, all I want to do is eat more pills.  Obviously I wish I wasn't in this place, but I'm just not sure I can ever get off permanently.  I have an awesome life, but it seems so tedious and I am so much more capable of folding laundry even with them.  Is it possible that I could actually look forward to my hum drum 30 something life without them?  It's been about 4 years I think.  It started after my cesarean.  Love that baby, but its all different now.

by Vicqueennomore, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: sotired
The addiction part of me says, hell ya, I don't care if I have to take Vics the rest of my life they make me who I want to be and who my BF wants me to be and the kids want me to be but the reality is, it took more and more to be that person and then the dr wouldn't perscribe more and more cuz it's illegal and the pharm wouldn't refill and then I was a major bit__ because I had to wait 3 or so days and I was fraking out how and where I would get some and when and......

If they were OTC I would still be on them but they are not and that's a reality...one I have a daily struggle facing but at day 31 I am doing it. It's the rest of my world(life) that I am struggling with too that puts a damper on my postive outlook right now but I will get there, others who have proved it!! and they are here now sharing that...thank you!!!

by earlygrayce, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: sotired
it is just an observation through the comments you are posting on this board and no disrespect is meant out of this, but it is possible you could have, or are developing clinical depression. i have read that many mothers, new and previous, experience depression during and after pregnancy. that, along with your recent withdrawal from a narcotic, seems to me to make the case that you ought to at least get evaluated. anti-depressants are very useful, especially in overcoming post- addiction depression. your addiction to codiene could be the sign of a deeper problem and one that you may not get control of unless you address it head on. i know that from personal experience. however, if you think you can ride these feelings out, that is your choice to try. good luck in whatever you decide.

by jerri 1, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: sotired
Thats why your so tired!! Those pills just mask the real you wanting to come back!!! Sure you suffer a few days but oh the joys you could have with that baby. And not worrieing about those pills.. They actualy run your life. its well worth the flu like symptoms for 5 or 6 days to be free of those things!! Please just give it a try, and youll see what we mean. You must be ready cause your here posting with us. Keep asking and we will be happy to help in anyway we can. There are people here off totaly,tapering off, still using,just starting,clean for days,hours mins.,even years clean. So please keep posting theres always someone that can help. Were all here for the same reason in the end!! Ill keep you in my prayers..          Jerri

by sotired, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
You guys are nice.  I totally admit my depression, I'm well aware of that.  I may have some deep problems, but I actually can't think of any besides the fact that my life requires me to be supreme caretaker to 5 people (including DH and my Mom).  Along with working full time at a high paying job.  People say to me all the time "how do you do it"  I always answer secretly - with my pills.  My only question - and I'll believe you guys.  Is it possible to be happy again, and ENERGETIC - when you stop?

by FINISHED!!, Feb 06, 2003 12:00AM
To: sotired
You are definately not the only person to ever feel this way or even ask that question here in this forum. I was once in the same state of mind that you're in now. I was taking anywhere from 20 to 30 Vicodin ES a day for well over 2 years & asked myself that question daily. "Why not take these meds? Why not take 6 pills at a time 5 times a day? Why can't I do whatever I feel I need to so I can feel good, have energy & be happy?" The answers came to me very suddenly about 6 & 1/2 months ago. I was a SLAVE!!! Those pills ran my entire life. Possessed my very soul. Filled my thoughts with self inflicted lies. Almost ruined a VERY lucrative career that I loved dearly. Also...they almost cost me my relationship with the most beautiful woman I'd ever known to whom I'm now engaged. Again...THEY RAN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! I woke up one morning, poured a handful of pills into my hand & had a very clear view of what my life had become. My life had become those pills. Without them, I felt I could never be happy, have the energy I did while taking them or even function semi-normally. That was a revalation that I thought would never come to mind. That is when I decided...No...That is when I KNEW that I needed freedom. Freedom from the slavery that the pills induced. Freedom from my own addicted mind. Freedom from being reliant on narcotics to "feel" happy & energized. Freedom from the devil himself...FREEDOM at any cost. I quit taking narcotics cold turkey that day. Not from a lack of meds, money or accessability but from a lack of self respect, self love & an overwhelming feeling of self loathing that had possessed my heart & soul. I HAVE taken these pain