Need help with lorazepam

[elguanaco3]

Ok here's my story. About 5 years ago I started smoking weed and became addicted to smoking everyday and I became dependent of it; in other words I had to smoke before bed in order to go to sleep. About 1 month ago, I decided to quit because I knew it was time and for my own good; however I decided to start taking my grandmothers lorazepam to go to sleep. I have been using it almost everyday taking 1mg at night in order to fall of sleep. I am tired of doing this drug and need to quit!!! I need your help!!! I just took my last 1mg and then tomorrow I am starting a new day, new life; however I need your help to see what I can take to fall asleep. I need to work everyday so my night sleep is NEEDED! I was wondering if I could go buy Simply Sleep or  similar OTC sleeping pills in order to fall asleep or buy weed but I just want to get off Lorazepam. I am not sure if I will become dependent on this ones. Please help me out because I have been reading LORAZEPAM withdrawal is awful and need your help!

[PromisedLand]

As someone said, if you feel tired..GO TO BED..if you get to bed and can't sleep, DO NOT STAY IN BED AND DO THE TOSSING AND TURNING THING...get up...read, if it's safe go out for a short, slow walk, lie on the couch watching some stupid talking head show.

and OTC meds work fine as well

Jim

[Tab57]

I would strongly recommend OTC products such as Simply Sleep to help you sleep at night. Be sure to take only the recommended dosage of this medicine. I have used it myself and it works foe when I have sleep issues.

You don't need to repalce one drug for another. Tehs ear eplenty of OTC products out there to assist you in getting to sleep.

[my_mayberry]

well you can count at least 2 weeks out as far as sleep goes...it just isn't going to happen. withdrawal from benzo's at the best of times still tends to disturb your sleep.

maybe you'll be lucky and avoid it, but odds are you won't. there's nothing over the counter strong enough to really help. sleep aids usually have benadryl in them. melatonin works really well for some people.....though you shouldn't take it with other meds. i'd ask a pharmacist which they recommend.

i don't recommend cold turkey on the ativan, but it sounds like you're going to do it anyway. a taper would be best. doing it cold turkey isn't going to be easy no matter what OTC's you take. maybe the best thing you can do is not become overly anxious about it. if you CAN'T sleep, don't let it get to you. just get up....read...watch tv......know that it will be a bad day tomorrow, but its one day closer to being drug free. don't let the anxiety of it get to  you. if you do, then you REALLY won't get any sleep.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Exercise late afternoon to early evening. Melatonin can help too, but as soon as you begin to feel tired. Go to bed. don't drink any caffeine after noon or so, too. Avoid chocolate and other stimulants, especially in the afternoon or evening.