HELP READY TO TRY AGAIN GETTING OFF AMBIAN/LORAZEPAM

[mbaez1953]

I HAVE BEEN ON BOTH THESE MEDS FOR AROUND 2YRS AND NEED TO GET OFF, lATELT i HAVE HAD PANIC ATTACKS AND HAVE FELT VERY DIZZY.
I WANT TO GET OFF OFF AMBIAN FIRST, ALSO LATELY I FEEL VERY NERVOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY,FEEL LIKE IM IN ANOTHER WORLD
NOT MY SELF, SOMEONE TOLD ME LORAZEPAM HAS A SHORT HALF LIFE
AND I MAY BE NEEDING MORE, I TAKE 1MG AT NIGHT SHOULD I BREAK IT IN HALF HALF AT NIGHT HALF DURING THE DAY? PLASE SOMEONE ADVICE ME A THINK I AM  GOING NUTS,I WANT MY OLD SELF BACK. THANKS YOU.

[debaser23]

A doctor should supervise your tapering regimen.  Nobody else.

[RCA7591]

Absolutely. You should seek out the help of a qualified physician (preferably, a psychiatrist), to assist you in developing a slow taper regimen. A psychiatrist is more familiar with these drugs when compared to a general practitioner, and may have a greater insight as to what method is best for you for the discontinuation of these two drugs.

Lorazepam may be tapered from directly (very slowly), or another drug in the Benzodiazepine class (with a longer half-life) may be implemented to assist you in the withdrawal. Such a determination can only be made by a qualified physician.

Generally speaking, eliminating 0.25 mg of Lorazepam from your daily routine every two weeks will safely remove the drug from your system. It will not necessarily be a "pleasant" experience. This may be done using 1 mg tablets, by cutting them in quarters. Tapering directly from Lorazepam, you will experience withdrawal (but it can be done *safely*).

A transition to Diazepam would minimize most of the withdrawal phenomenon. 1 mg of Lorazepam = 10 mg of Diazepam. Once the transition is made, 1 mg of Diazepam would then be removed every two weeks. This is a very slow method of tapering off of Benzodiazepines. The Diazepam also has sedative qualities, and you should be able to remove the Ambien more easily.

You should not take it upon yourself to alter your drug dosages, as serious effects may result. Dosages should only be altered by a physician.


-Ryan

[mbaez1953]

Thank you ryan, again you have given me great advice. Do you think I might need or would it be better for me to find a drug rehab that might help me go through this without any mistakes. I feel like I am always in a worry mood
latelt I do not feel normal or relaxed could my body be telling me it needs more
of these meds?  I want to clear my head but it scares me to stop meds and feel anxiety/panic.  will rehab do better and will insurance pay for this kind of service. thank you again.

[RCA7591]

Since you are taking a relatively low dose of the Lorazepam, Rehab should not be necessary. I would first see a physician about developing a taper plan.

I'm not sure if your insurance would pay for Rehab (my guess is no), but it will surely pay for a visit to a physician.

Is your body telling you that you "need more of the drug"?

You can look at this two ways:

Yes: The effects of Ativan wear off quickly when taken every day, and larger doses are required to produce the same effect as the starting dose after a period of time (which is individualized)

No: You have built up a tolerance to the prescribed dose, and are back to square one (the Ativan lost its efficacy). Removing the drug would result in a modest decline in your original condition (in other words, the anxiety will be slightly worse than it was *before* you started taking Ativan), an after effect of ALL Benzodiazepines, unfortunately.

Time to taper off these drugs, IMHO, and take a "drug holiday". I wouldn't increase the dose of either drug, as you'd have one hell of a time getting off of them in the future.

-Ryan

[mbaez1953]

thanks Ryan you'll love this one, Well I went to a doctor today,trying to find an answer to why I feel so hyper and panicky
I took all my meds to show the doctor. He said this would not be a good time to try and get off these meds, That I am having panic attacks and anxiety,He had an ekg done. His conclusion was that I am being under medicated and I should continue the meds as I have been and he added CLONAZEPAM 0.5MG HE WANTS ME TO HAVE BLOOD WORK DONE.
wow this is new. then he says we will try and find a way to get off these meds gradually. right now he wants to get  me feeling better. does any of this sound good to you at all, or am I missing something could it be lorazapam just was not getting the job done anymore I take it with ambiam at night right now I just do not feel right..thanks morgan

[RCA7591]

Morgan,

It sounds to me like this doctor doesn't want the responsibility of weaning you off of these two drugs. In fact, he may not know how to. Clonazepam in combination is not the answer, and will only "add fuel to the fire", making it even harder to get off these drugs in the future. The doctor should choose only one Benzodiazepine type drug. He should not mix Lorazepam with Clonazepam as a daily routine. Mixing the two is just plain incompetent.

If I understand you correctly, your goal is to discontinue the use of both Lorazepam and Ambien, correct? If that is true, adding Clonazepam to your routine is a bad idea.

A better approach would be to remove the Ativan completely, and replace it with Clonazepam, 0.5 mg BID (twice daily, one in the morning, and one at night). Used in this manner, the Clonazepam will reach a steady-state level in your blood within one week. Once you are stabilized on Clonazepam, it can be tapered from directly in 0.125 mg incriments every two to four weeks (until completely removed).

Another thought is that you do indeed have a chronic anxiety disorder that requires treatment. If that is the case, Clonazepam 0.5 mg BID would be a better maintenance drug than the Lorazepam. Lorazepam is indicated for short-term use only (4 months), and on a "as needed" basis.

Making the transition from Lorazepam to Clonazepam may not be easy, as Lorazepam has a quick onset of action. When making the transition, it may take a week or more for the Clonazepam to reach full effect. It has a slower onset of action, but a much longer half-life (making it the ideal maintenance drug). It is two-times stronger than Lorazepam.

I would go back to this doctor and request Clonazepam at a dosage of 0.5 mg BID (twice daily), as this will effectively replace the Lorazepam that you are currently taking. Ask him to remove the Lorazepam completely, as it won't be required at the Clonazepam dose specified. Clonazepam also has a better profile that targets "panic" in specific.

Before any attempt can be made to discontinue multiple drugs, you must be stabilized on ONE drug only. Otherwise, the failure rate is very high.

How was the Clonazepam 0.5 mg prescribed? Once a day? At night? In the morning? What does it say on the prescription?

-Ryan

[mbaez1953]

Thank you again ryan, yes I thought the same thing my goal was to get him to tapper me off this med as you have said I should not attempt this on my own.
this new doctor feels lorazapam was just not working anymore hence he think I was being under medicated becourse other meds were not strong anymore
so he said to take this cloazapam 0.5 mg twice a day and to continue taken other meds. after blood test come back he said we can work on tappering off these meds. He just thought it would be a risk  to start this now as I was feeling very nervouse and I don't know where that was coming from pulse was 136 ekg normal blood presure borderline. Do you think if I take this new meds
I can get off lorazapam and not get any withdrawal symtems, last night I did cut off about a quarter of my ambian. My goal is to get off ambian then off all the other stuff, I hope you are wrong and I do not have an under lying anxiety problem, I never did prior to all this. thanks morgan

[RCA7591]

Hi Morgan,

Please post your e-mail address on this forum. I will contact you shortly after. I will ask you a brief series of questions to get a better understanding of the situation.

Don't take any Clonazepam until you read my reply back. Tonight, take the Lorazepam and Ambien as prescribed (no Clonazepam).


-Ryan

[mbaez1953]

ryan here is my email ***@**** thanks

[RCA7591]

Hi Morgan,

I'm working on the reply now.

Best,

Ryan

[396SS]

I got off ambien and lorazepam by tapering very very slowly - took weeks, but I made it.  However, I was feeling no anxiety at the time and was in a good place in my life.  8 months I was drug free, then things happened and I am back on.  At least I had 8 months.  I pretty much let my body tell me how to taper.  If I slept I would taper more the next night and vice versa.  Until one day, I just slept like a baby and boom, no more ambien necessary or lorazepam.  Again, it took weeks and I just remained patient.  I also bought a pill cutter so I could shave off very small amounts of my pills.  Take care:)

[sstip]

I have been on Lorazepam for about 3 years. I began using it as needed which seemed fine, although I felt anxious in between at times.
Then as time went on, I felt like I "needed" it more often. I started having morning anxiety.(I am also on 100 mg Zoloft and 200 mg Wellbutrin-to hopefully spice up labido which it is not really working, but the combo seems to have helped greatly with my depression.
Anyhow...I have gone up to taking 1 mg lorazepam at night and 1 mg in the morning. I have been on this regimen for a few months(psychiatrist said it was fine, which from my reading IS NOT FINE) Well...one day I didn't pick up my prescription(not knowing better and not being told to be cautious of withdrawl) and I felt AWFUL. I cried all day, felt suicidal, was irritated by bright lights, felt anxoius and like I was losing my mind. I thought oh, God I have slipped back into a bad place. Anyhow...I realized it was the lorazepam after I felt better when I finally got my prescription. I told my psychiatrist how upset I was and she nonchalantly gave me a taper plan.
It sounds reasonable(1/4 cut back  alternating night dose and morning dose each week) but I am feeling really icky.
Clonazepam makes me very tired but I am wondering if this would be better than what I am going through, or should I just grin and bear it?? I don't want to have to come off of clonazepam. I am asking on here because I don't think my psyciatrist is taking my withdrawl seriously. help!!

[claudia55]

I was in the same place you are. My doctor prescribed ativan for me for way too long. I did not understand what was happening to me and why I felt panicy and suicidal. The drugs make you crazy. Please go to www.benzo.org and read the information by Doctor Heather Ashton (it is written in terms a non medical person can understand). If you are experiencing these symptoms, you need to understand what your body is going through. Ativan is a benzo. It should noly be used very short term. I wish I had read Doctor Ashtons information and understood what was happening to me when I went through benzo hell this past summer.

[FitOverForty]

I happy to read through this forum but if you have symptoms like chest tightening, right arm numbing, jaw tightening that can and will lead you to anxiety attacks, you need your sedatives...no question about it.  I just posted that I went through hell before getting my doc. of 11 years to prescribe Ativan(mildest sedative) after I ended up in ER and a Gastro doc. putting a tube down my esophagus just to find out that the anxiety (stress) was doing this to me.  Overall, you need to judge your body and know whether you need the medication or not.  You can try natural sedatives and see if they work but most won't do it.  I tried Valerian and my throat and esophagus were still tightening up.  Therefore, everybody's body hormones/chemistry is going to be different.  I don't take my ativan until I feel my throat or chest tightening..period.  There are times I need to 2 pills a day and times I can go with half a pill.  I don't take a pill in the morning as just in case.  I take it when I NEED IT.  I think any drug is going to be addictive if IT'S NOT TREATING SOMETHING.  That's why docs are so reluctant to prescribe it because there are too much drug addicts that want the high off it.  When you truly need it, you will not become addicted to it.

[bjk4308]

I believe  Ambien is a killer. And the Drs know how bad it is. I lost my husband last year because of Ambien.. It shouldn't Have been given to him while he was taking any thing else. SOMA  Loratab. He never took a lot. He did not die from an over dose. He died from the two pills. Loratab and Ambien.  Although he waited to take the Loratab the combination took him away from me. I can't believe that no one will stand up to these company's that push this ****. I hate how they advertise meds on TV. Yes just ask your Dr for the what we're pushing this year. What, do they really think that's saving people's lives? I know meds are needed I take them. I took Ambien one time and was about to drive my truck thinking I was going to work. My husband heard me and got to me before I could leave the drive way. I was still in my pj's. I don't remember a thing.
I didn't know that this pill was given to my husband. He picked it up on his birthday took it that night and the next morning he was gone. Doc said he should have been find. he was a bigger man and shouldn't have hurt him... no it didn't hurt him it killed.

And hey same Dr wanted to up the mg of my anxiety pills and down the count... he said i could brake them into and no one would know the difference. Well I would... what if i messed up and took the hole thing. need less to say he didn't change the script.
yes i'm still mad

[Nkit84]

Hey everyone! I had to come on here to share my story about taking lorazepam.  First of all there have been some really increadible stories and I have to say that NO ONE IS CRAZY. This drug is the DEVIL. I have to share what has worked for me. EXERCISE. I've been on Lorazepam for about 6 months and I started to taper off which is extremely helpful. DO NOT CUT IT OFF COLD TURKEY. The higher the dose and the longer you've been taking it the worse the withdrawals will be. If it takes a year to feel ok tapering then do it, but don't rush anything I don't feel that "getting it over with" is a good thing to do on this particular drug. I find it awful that everywhere I've looked the only help that was offered was getting on another drug to get off of a drug......to HELL WITH THAT. Go outside and go for a walk 30-45 mins as much as you can. What I've noticed is that my body and my brain do two seperate things. My body says run and my mind asks why and then it becomes a vicious cycle. Well, I discovered that my body was more demanding then my mind so in order to slow the thoughts down I had to walk, and walk and I just keep walking.  Also, the second that I feel anxious I go to a mirror and I speak outloud to myself. I tell myself that everything is fine, I talk about what I think might be upsetting me and tell myself that I'M IN CONTROL. You have to get outside of your head to take control. You have to hear your voice outside your head, otherwise I feel bottled up and it seems to let the anxiety take charge.  Catch it early...DO NOT WAIT TO GET ANXIOUS. Tell yourself over and over again and eventually your brain will have to believe it. Because really it's very true...you are ok. The medication actually makes anxiety worse, so with drawals can feel overwhelming. I've found that if I move it helps everything. Also, eating healthy is HUGE. No more processed ****, no fast food, no boxed ****....eat lots of protein like fish, eggs, nuts. Lots of veggies, preferably dark greens.  Eat whole brown rice instead of pasta, watch your caffiene intake and your added sugar intake. Added sugar is just as bad as lorazepam especially when it comes to anxiety. I've completely changed my diet the past 6months to a year and I truly believe that this may be why I doing fairly well coming off this drug. I think much more clealy, I am able to control my thoughts and my body way more than I ever was able to just a year ago. DON'T GIVE UP. If you feel overwhelmed listen to your body and go for a walk. If it comes right back after the walk...GO WALK AGAIN. People can get through this...you can take control and you will. It's the nature of the world and your body, what goes down must come up, but what goes up must come down and if you keep letting yourself know that your body is having a physical reaction you will better understand your issue and you will fix it! Best of luck! DON'T GIVE UP!