lorazepam masking lortab w/d????

[kimmieb]

Hi, all.  I'm on lorazepam (now just 1 mg/night for sleep problems).  Have been on it for a few years.  I swear I almost died last week (one week after major surgery) when I ran out and just stopped taking them cuz I couldn't reach my doctor and I went through BAAAAAAAAD w/d's (didn't know it at the time, but live and learn).  Anyway, I'm back on 1 mg until my hormonal situation evens out after hysterectomy (per doctor).  BUT, I also ran out of lortabs right around the same time.  I had been taking 2 lortab 10's per day for about the past 5-6 years for chronic daily headaches.  However, I also know I abused on occasion, when I just wanted to lie on the couch and chill out.  Anyway, ok, so I've been off the lortabs for almost a week now (will be a week tomorrow).  I haven't had ANY physical w/d symptoms.  Weird?  Can the 1 mg of lorazepam (even such a low dose) be masking any possible lortab w/d symptoms??  I know that unless someone else has been in the exact same situation, that's probably a hard one to answer (probably more of a question for DG or a doctor).....but I thought I'd put it out there anyway.  I do miss the lortab on occasion (psychologically perhaps, when I just want to take one to "chill" after a tough day or something), but even that is not terrible.  I swear I was addicted at the time I was taking them, because the thought of not having them was terrifying and I was always making sure I had enough, counting them, etc.  Obviously, with the surgery and recovery, I slipped up a bit, and then with the lorazepam w/d fiasco, the lortabs just sort of fell by the wayside.  Anyway, if anyone has any experience or insights, thanks!!  Appreciate it.  Don't know if I'm in for something else or not, of if this is as bad as it's going to get....?  

[Gypsygirl66]

I woud say that if tomorrw is going to be day 7 that you are over any physical w/d that you would have had you will probably still have psychological w/d. It is possible that because you were on a pretty low dose even though such a long time that you didn't awaken too many opiate receptors in your brain and the lorazapam was just enough of a calm them and your body so that you didn't feel the w/d, that is just just my guess. However if you are ever in the situation again where you can't reach your doc for the Lorazapam and you are out, you best get to a  or a ermrgency care clinic because you could have died or had a seizure. It is extremely dangerous for someone who has been on any benzodaizapam for a long oriod of time months/years to be weaned off them.

[Gypsygirl66]

didn't mean to be so rude, I hope evrything works out well for you. Be careful with your meds hun.
Take Care,
Gypsie

[TrayCee]

Everybodys different.... but, theoredically 1 Ativan a day absoluty should not stop your lortab w/d. Consider yourself VERY lucky

[addictedtoloratab]

Yeah,,, I have had lozapam and more than just one to stop the w/ds and it did nothing but make me a sleepy.. I know the first few days of w/ds your so drained and taking them just made me lethargic,, If this is working for you then I think thats great,,But I agree, be careful running out of the lorzapam,,, that is dangerous,,,, Good luck to you,,You are pretty much out of the woods,,, Congrats on your detox.... Peace,, G

[kimmieb]

Thank you to all!  I appreciate your feedback so much.  I just didn't know about the masking thing -- I didn't THINK that was what was happening -- but we fool ourselves very easily about these things, so I figured I'd put it out there for others to evaluate.  I'm really ready to get off of this lorazepam now anyway (and will be tapering with a dr.'s help).....but I KNOW I'll have sleep issues after that.  So, we'll see what happens.  As far as the lortabs, there are times when I still want one (actually had wicked headaches this weekend and know that one lortab or maybe just two each day would have completely done the trick), but from what I've learned from this forum, maybe that's the last thing to disappear -- the wanting one.  I dunno -- I feel like after 7 years on the lortabs, I shouldn't be getting away so "easy."  7 years is a frickin' long time, no matter what the dosage.  But, maybe I'll still have trials up ahead (more psychological obviously than physical).  In the meantime, I will still come here to the forum.  It's been more helpful than anything to me in the past week.  Thank you to all who've taken the time to post and answer some of my questions.  You're awesome.  Best of luck to everyone dealing with the bad stuff today.  Knowing how I felt just a week ago in the middle of lorazepam wd/s, I can empathize big-time and wish you all peace and grace.  Gotta run (my mom's 70th birthday party today), but thanks again, and I will be around!