BENZO QUESTION?

[MONICA402]

Hello,I have a question about adavan.I had my first attack after 8years of haveing one in October 2010.I went to the ER and that's when they gave me adavan 1mg to take as needed.So after a month of takeing one everyday.I finally went to a doc.bec.i realized i was not getting better.He gave me another months supply of adavan and put me on 10mg of lexapro.I was doing horrible on the lexapro for the first month and told him the adavan was what seems to be helping me.So here i am on month three of the adavan now cutting my pill in half for the last three weeks everyday and feel like the lexapro is mildly working.I still feel the anxiety which i understand the med is not gonna take the bad feeling all the way away but,I am able to function alittle better.But,my question is when and how do i wean myself off.I see my doc.on wensday but,I still would like to have some advice and reasurance i'm going to be ok.Am i going to withdrawl from being on it so long?Is it a long tapering off process? I am so scared of haveing a seziure although i've never had one.The thought freaks me out.But,it still seems as though the adavan takes the edge off and i am able to relax.I don't know what i am supposed to do about this.Please Help??????

[DMC74]

I agree with you. I also agree that there could be other ways, but I'm not yet in a position to venture out and try. I've tried the holistic approach, it works was better when you see a homeopath, sadly--- that's not covered by most ins. plans and so I resort to 1mg of clonzepram @ night when needed for sleep or as needed for situations as you describe. It has truly helped me- starting with panic attacls, aiding with insomnia, and also helping with restless leg syndrome, which is no joke if you have that. I do know when I forget my rx @ home though I cannot sleep and that worries me. I find I do need it and cannot tell what is what is needed due to any need where meds might be required or if addicted- but its been several yrs and my dr monitors me closely. I've only gone up .5 mgs. And now take 1mg every night. I didn't increase my dose until 1.5 years on the rx on an as needed basis. It is, in my opinion, worse not to sleep. When I don't take it at night, trying instead to fall back to my own mechanisms or even an over the counter product, my morning panic is so bad that the day is off to a bad start. I also get nightmares, but without it, I'd panic worse than with it- so all this to say, I agree!

[Misssy2]

I don't understand why if the adavan is helping you that you have to come off of it?
I see a very respected psychiatrist...who is very strict with medication.  I have been on an equivalent to advan (lorazepam)...for over 5 years!  I have "chronic anxiety"....I told her that maybe I should wean off of the medication because I have been on it for so long and she advised that I DO NOT stop taking it.  I only take it for sleep.  I take 2 (0.5mg) pills at about 6:30pm and then usually by 9 I'm sleeping.  It is the weekend, so I took them later tonight, to stay up later.  But, she says...why are we going to stop something that is helping you?  I said I read about these pills and all literatue says you shouldn't stay on this type of medicine for long periods of time.  She says that is because they worry about the "addiction" aspects....and she thinks it is ok for me to be addicted to being relaxed before bed.  I do not have a history of drug abuse and I always have extra pills at the end of the month...So she is not concerned that I am taking advantage or using them the wrong way.  What she is concerned about is me being uncomfortable and since they make me comfortable (and I use them for occassional stressful situations, fights with my adult children, funerals, etc)....she won't let me stop them.  So...I don't understand if they help you..why you can't continue taking them...Its not easy to find drugs that work on symptoms...seems like you found one...so why take it away?

[MONICA402]

Thank you for your advice.I know i need to talk to my doc.about getting all the way off of it.I have recently started talk therapy and believe it will help me.I would just like to be med free as we all do.Which right now seems impossible.But,i am going to stick it out.I just am not sure if i should keep takeing it everyday or go to every other day.I have tried to skip and a day and when i do i feel eigther completely weird or really tired.So i don't know if it is the benzo or the lexapro makeing me feel like this.I think it's probably both of them.But,i will keep you posted.And what withdrawl effects did you have?

[cj29]

For me, coming off of ativan, I had a some withdrawals.  You have been on it for some time and your body can build a tolerance to it and it can be hard to come off of in my opinion.  It has a short half life and is pretty potent, but in my opinion it does what it is designed to do.  Remember, medications like Lexapro can take some time to 'kick in.'  For me when I took an SSRI like Lexapro, it actually increased my anxiety for a month or so.  I believe it was probably a combination of me worrying about it and my body becoming adjusted to it.

For me, coming of a benzo, I always say, 'the slower the better.'  But don't take it into your own hands.  Work with your doctor and keep an open line of communication with him/her.  I had some withdrawals, but I knew I would, so it wasn't near as bad as I thought it would be.

I am a proponent of medications, if combined with talk therapy.  They will not 'cure' you of anything, but can be a very helpful tool while you are seeking help and learning to confront your anxiety.  Keep us posted!