Aa
ATIVAN
I have insomnia due to anxiety am was on and off on 1mg ativan for 1 month I went to the ER because of insomnia doctor prescribed me 2mg of ativan and it worked Now I am on 2mg for a few days and start worrying about the drugs is it safe to taper off it now by reducing the amount 0,5mg everyday, will smaller amount still works please let me know. thanks
Amy
Amy
25 years on ativan has been a sleep saver did not sleep at all now insurance companies want me off it at 70 this is a nightmare shakes bad for hours take it again no no sleep again hell has showed up again
Help please. I took 1/2 mg of lorazapam off and on for many years. I have been off of it for 5 weeks now and feel more anxious than ever! Could this stll be withdrawal after 5 weeks? I did s short taper, but being the dose was small to begin with , it was difficult to get much lower. My MD is not knowledgable on this.
Help please. I took 1/2 mg of lorazapam off and on for many years. I have been off of it for 5 weeks now and feel more anxious than ever! Could this stll be withdrawal after 5 weeks? I did s short taper, but being the dose was small to begin with , it was difficult to get much lower. My MD is not knowledgable on this.
Whatever you do please dont ever just "Stop" taking a benzo
Im on what some people believe to be a high dose of Valium and plan to start a SLOW taper of no more than 1.25 mgs per month
ALL benzos act on the CNS and mess us up & ativan is 1 of the shorter acting benzos
Im sorry I didnt see how long you've been on them
But we can develop a "tolerance" in as little as two weeks
If you have never read Proffesor Heather Ashtons Manual you may want to
Im sorry I dont have the link you can just google her name & the information should come up
She's very knowledgable on Benzodiazapines
Please go slow or swith to a longer acting Benzo and taper slowly
Good luck
Im on what some people believe to be a high dose of Valium and plan to start a SLOW taper of no more than 1.25 mgs per month
ALL benzos act on the CNS and mess us up & ativan is 1 of the shorter acting benzos
Im sorry I didnt see how long you've been on them
But we can develop a "tolerance" in as little as two weeks
If you have never read Proffesor Heather Ashtons Manual you may want to
Im sorry I dont have the link you can just google her name & the information should come up
She's very knowledgable on Benzodiazapines
Please go slow or swith to a longer acting Benzo and taper slowly
Good luck
I am on ativan 1mg and 0.5mg for 2 weeks now on 2mg for a few days, So I Think I have to slowly taper it off before any dependency. please give me some advise
I think I worried about the medication more than insomnia I visit my doctor on monday on advice. will let you know how it goes.
Sleep Tips:
(Some of the verbiage is related to detox, due to the initial origin of the post. The tips are the important part).......
Sleep affects our mood, energy levels, concentration, everything.
While it is frustrating, some of the best advice I've seen is to try to allow the sleep to come back as naturally as possible, which is best for the long run. If you're going to try anything, I agree that a more natural supplement would be the best choice. I would personally not advise taking a prescribed insomnia med, for a few reasons...one, because obviously there are some risks involved. These are some very potent medications, and everyone reacts differently to them. The biggest reason is because, depending on how long you would take one of these meds, you will have to deal with rebound insomnia when you stop taking them. The rebound insomnia is often bad enough that it makes the initial insomnia look like a walk in the park. Insomnia meds should be limited to the shortest course possible, to avoid dependency, and the rebound insomnia issues.
That being said, I am a professional insomniac. ;-) I have struggled with my sleep for YEARS, not due to addiction, but due to many other factors (anxiety, depression, shift work). While I don't always get the best night sleep...I've learned some tricks of the trade that sincerely do help. Before turning to potent meds, I would advise you to exhaust all other methods, including the more natural or OTC remedies (which, you should also limit as much as possible, because rebound insomnia will occur with those too, after enough regular use).
Here are some tips to help with your sleep:
1. Avoid any and all stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, energy drinks, etc) as much as possible, especially within 4+ hours of bedtime.
2. Exercise is a great way to induce sleep, as it releases natural endorphins. Even a brisk evening walk will help. Your exercise should be an hour or more before your bedtime..you don't want to exercise right before bed.
3. Try to avoid eating a heavy meal close to bedtime. If you're hungry, stick to a light snack an hour or more before bed. Avoid ALL fluids 3 (or more if you can) hours before bed. Nothing worse than finally getting to bed and have mother nature wake you up!
4. Stick to a consistent bedtime and a consistent bedtime routine. Even on days when you don't FEEL tired at your bedtime, try to stick to your routine...that conditions your body and brain. Pick a reasonable time. If you work 3-11:30 and get home at 12, a reasonable time isn't 12:30, as you would need time to unwind after getting home.
5. Create an environment conducive to sleep and relaxation. Your bedroom and bed should be an inviting place that you look forward to retiring to. Keep the room clean and clutter free, keep dust levels down. Keep your bedding washed with clean or fresh smelling scents. Choose comfy, non-binding clean smelling PJs. ALL of our 5 senses affect our mood, and also our sleep. If you have a quiet room, but your sheets smell like feet (lol), that won't be very relaxing. Keep the room DARK. Keep weather in mind. In the summer, you would only need a light sheet or blanket, in the winter, heavier blankets are necessary to keep you comfy. Again, back to the senses...if you create a bed that keeps you too hot or too cold, that will interfere with your sleep. Keep a glass or bottle of water at your bedside, in case you awaken with that dry mouth and need for a drink. This way you don't have to get out of bed to get something to drink. Light soothing music or white noise machines for LOW (not blaring) background noise can be helpful. Try to avoid using TV as a background noise, as our brains are still working while asleep, and the things you hear from the TV could affect your anxiety levels and even dreams. Basically, sleeping with sounds of "The Chainsaw Massacre" in the background won't lead to happy thoughts. ;0) A warm bath or shower is great before bed...dry your hair. Never go to bed with wet hair. NOT comfy!
6. Ignore the urge to get out of bed. Even when you're feeling frustrated, try to remain in bed, reposition yourself, adjust your sheets, read a book if you are not falling asleep, but the more up and down you do, the harder it is to get and stay asleep it is. The same goes for nighttime awakening. If you DO fall asleep and wake up in the middle of the night, ignore the urge to get out of bed...again, reposition yourself, adjust the sheets, and try to go back to sleep. When you get up out of bed, you're waking yourself more. If you stay lying in bed, you are not as awake. If nature calls...go to the BR, and get right back to bed..no snacking, no smoke breaks (I'm bad at this...lol). Those things are murder for sleep. Get up...go potty, right back to bed.
7. When you DO manage to finally start on a consistent routine, you'll find things that help and hurt your sleep. Take note of them and adjust your regimen as needed. Sleep patterns will change, and life happens, so sometimes, adjustments need to be made. Consistency is TRULY the key..I cannot stress that enough.
8. Listen to your body. For a while, while your sleep is lousy, you will feel tired at odd times of the day. Your body is telling you it needs rest, so heed the wanring...take a nap. Lie down on the sofa, and catch a 1 hour (or less) nap. Don't nap for hours at a time, that will interfere with your nighttime sleep. An hour is the perfect amount of time for a refresher. Also, don't nap in bed. Once you're conditioned, your bed should be for nighttime sleeping only.
Hope these tips help some...I know these are the things I do that help me get some decent sleep. It's not always foolproof, but it works pretty well. Please be patient for a while too...your body is getting back to normal, and that takes some time. If you are going days without any sleep, definitely see your doctor. Sleep depivation is a whole other ballgame, it can be dangerous.
Best to you...sweet dreams!
Hope that helps!
(Some of the verbiage is related to detox, due to the initial origin of the post. The tips are the important part).......
Sleep affects our mood, energy levels, concentration, everything.
While it is frustrating, some of the best advice I've seen is to try to allow the sleep to come back as naturally as possible, which is best for the long run. If you're going to try anything, I agree that a more natural supplement would be the best choice. I would personally not advise taking a prescribed insomnia med, for a few reasons...one, because obviously there are some risks involved. These are some very potent medications, and everyone reacts differently to them. The biggest reason is because, depending on how long you would take one of these meds, you will have to deal with rebound insomnia when you stop taking them. The rebound insomnia is often bad enough that it makes the initial insomnia look like a walk in the park. Insomnia meds should be limited to the shortest course possible, to avoid dependency, and the rebound insomnia issues.
That being said, I am a professional insomniac. ;-) I have struggled with my sleep for YEARS, not due to addiction, but due to many other factors (anxiety, depression, shift work). While I don't always get the best night sleep...I've learned some tricks of the trade that sincerely do help. Before turning to potent meds, I would advise you to exhaust all other methods, including the more natural or OTC remedies (which, you should also limit as much as possible, because rebound insomnia will occur with those too, after enough regular use).
Here are some tips to help with your sleep:
1. Avoid any and all stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, energy drinks, etc) as much as possible, especially within 4+ hours of bedtime.
2. Exercise is a great way to induce sleep, as it releases natural endorphins. Even a brisk evening walk will help. Your exercise should be an hour or more before your bedtime..you don't want to exercise right before bed.
3. Try to avoid eating a heavy meal close to bedtime. If you're hungry, stick to a light snack an hour or more before bed. Avoid ALL fluids 3 (or more if you can) hours before bed. Nothing worse than finally getting to bed and have mother nature wake you up!
4. Stick to a consistent bedtime and a consistent bedtime routine. Even on days when you don't FEEL tired at your bedtime, try to stick to your routine...that conditions your body and brain. Pick a reasonable time. If you work 3-11:30 and get home at 12, a reasonable time isn't 12:30, as you would need time to unwind after getting home.
5. Create an environment conducive to sleep and relaxation. Your bedroom and bed should be an inviting place that you look forward to retiring to. Keep the room clean and clutter free, keep dust levels down. Keep your bedding washed with clean or fresh smelling scents. Choose comfy, non-binding clean smelling PJs. ALL of our 5 senses affect our mood, and also our sleep. If you have a quiet room, but your sheets smell like feet (lol), that won't be very relaxing. Keep the room DARK. Keep weather in mind. In the summer, you would only need a light sheet or blanket, in the winter, heavier blankets are necessary to keep you comfy. Again, back to the senses...if you create a bed that keeps you too hot or too cold, that will interfere with your sleep. Keep a glass or bottle of water at your bedside, in case you awaken with that dry mouth and need for a drink. This way you don't have to get out of bed to get something to drink. Light soothing music or white noise machines for LOW (not blaring) background noise can be helpful. Try to avoid using TV as a background noise, as our brains are still working while asleep, and the things you hear from the TV could affect your anxiety levels and even dreams. Basically, sleeping with sounds of "The Chainsaw Massacre" in the background won't lead to happy thoughts. ;0) A warm bath or shower is great before bed...dry your hair. Never go to bed with wet hair. NOT comfy!
6. Ignore the urge to get out of bed. Even when you're feeling frustrated, try to remain in bed, reposition yourself, adjust your sheets, read a book if you are not falling asleep, but the more up and down you do, the harder it is to get and stay asleep it is. The same goes for nighttime awakening. If you DO fall asleep and wake up in the middle of the night, ignore the urge to get out of bed...again, reposition yourself, adjust the sheets, and try to go back to sleep. When you get up out of bed, you're waking yourself more. If you stay lying in bed, you are not as awake. If nature calls...go to the BR, and get right back to bed..no snacking, no smoke breaks (I'm bad at this...lol). Those things are murder for sleep. Get up...go potty, right back to bed.
7. When you DO manage to finally start on a consistent routine, you'll find things that help and hurt your sleep. Take note of them and adjust your regimen as needed. Sleep patterns will change, and life happens, so sometimes, adjustments need to be made. Consistency is TRULY the key..I cannot stress that enough.
8. Listen to your body. For a while, while your sleep is lousy, you will feel tired at odd times of the day. Your body is telling you it needs rest, so heed the wanring...take a nap. Lie down on the sofa, and catch a 1 hour (or less) nap. Don't nap for hours at a time, that will interfere with your nighttime sleep. An hour is the perfect amount of time for a refresher. Also, don't nap in bed. Once you're conditioned, your bed should be for nighttime sleeping only.
Hope these tips help some...I know these are the things I do that help me get some decent sleep. It's not always foolproof, but it works pretty well. Please be patient for a while too...your body is getting back to normal, and that takes some time. If you are going days without any sleep, definitely see your doctor. Sleep depivation is a whole other ballgame, it can be dangerous.
Best to you...sweet dreams!
Hope that helps!
I agree with Paxiled's post completely. Like he said, benzos really aren't an ideal medication for insomnia. For how many days consecutively have you taken the Ativan? If it's only been a few days, then your doc may not recommend a taper. With a dose of 2mg, it may not be a bad idea to do a quick taper, just to avoid any shock to your system, which after only a few days could cause some anxiety and rebound insomnia. Usually, one has to be on a benzo a little longer than that to be at risk for w/ds.
It's impossible to say exactly at what point the dependency factor becomes relevant. It's different for everyone. Typically, a "short term" course of treatment with benzos is considered to be about 2-3 weeks. That would mean that a person could theoretically take a benzo regularly for that period of time without too much risk of w/ds, but again, some people DO experience a level of dependency and subsequent w/ds quicker than others. That's why it's important to be cautious, which it's obvious that you've already got that part covered, that's good.
Definitely discuss the next step with your doctor. You're still likely going to need to address the insomnia, which I would strongly recommend doing as naturally as possible. There are many things a person can do to help improve the quantity and quality of their sleep. I'll post some tips for you from an old post of mine I saved from the Addiction forum. Insomnia is one of the worst symptoms of an opiate detox, many people report that being the LAST thing to normalize, and it's a real struggle. I'm a professional insomniac and have discovered things I can do that greatly increases my odds of getting better sleep, which is where I came up with the list. The key is consistency and repeating the routine every day religiously. You may find certain things that work for you, and when you find those things, stick with them. MOST sleep issues include a BIG factor of self sabotage, or things we do that's just NOT conducive for a healthy sleep routine.
If after a true effort to improve your sleep without medication, you're still having problems sleeping, then I would suggest revisiting the issue with your doc.
There ARE medications that would make more sense to be used for insomnia when necessary. Paxiled can also help you by recommending some supplements/more natural products to help (which would be an obvious next step after trying to adjust your sleep habits, and before turning to Rx meds). I know he usually recommends starting off by trying Melatonin. I personally am not knowledgeable about that stuff, which is why I refer to him. :0) I'll post my list of tips for you in the next reply (it's very long)....hopefully it will at least give you a starting place of some things to try. Keep in touch, let us know how you're doing!
It's impossible to say exactly at what point the dependency factor becomes relevant. It's different for everyone. Typically, a "short term" course of treatment with benzos is considered to be about 2-3 weeks. That would mean that a person could theoretically take a benzo regularly for that period of time without too much risk of w/ds, but again, some people DO experience a level of dependency and subsequent w/ds quicker than others. That's why it's important to be cautious, which it's obvious that you've already got that part covered, that's good.
Definitely discuss the next step with your doctor. You're still likely going to need to address the insomnia, which I would strongly recommend doing as naturally as possible. There are many things a person can do to help improve the quantity and quality of their sleep. I'll post some tips for you from an old post of mine I saved from the Addiction forum. Insomnia is one of the worst symptoms of an opiate detox, many people report that being the LAST thing to normalize, and it's a real struggle. I'm a professional insomniac and have discovered things I can do that greatly increases my odds of getting better sleep, which is where I came up with the list. The key is consistency and repeating the routine every day religiously. You may find certain things that work for you, and when you find those things, stick with them. MOST sleep issues include a BIG factor of self sabotage, or things we do that's just NOT conducive for a healthy sleep routine.
If after a true effort to improve your sleep without medication, you're still having problems sleeping, then I would suggest revisiting the issue with your doc.
There ARE medications that would make more sense to be used for insomnia when necessary. Paxiled can also help you by recommending some supplements/more natural products to help (which would be an obvious next step after trying to adjust your sleep habits, and before turning to Rx meds). I know he usually recommends starting off by trying Melatonin. I personally am not knowledgeable about that stuff, which is why I refer to him. :0) I'll post my list of tips for you in the next reply (it's very long)....hopefully it will at least give you a starting place of some things to try. Keep in touch, let us know how you're doing!
Actually I reread it and it says withdrawal effects can occur after 7 days. My bad but it is best to call doc or the pharmacist as I mentioned. Doc never warned me about withdrawal and I didn't have a problem but that doesn't mean amy won't. .
All benzos require a slow taper off. Given that benzos are also anti-seizure medications they can cause a seizure if stopped abruptly if you've been on them regularly, so that's one thing. For another benzo discontinuation can be very difficult, so it's always better to do it slowly and safely. The notion of drugs staying in your body has nothing to do at all with withdrawal problems when you stop -- it's the effect on the brain and the brain needing to readjust to acting naturally again that's the problem. The fact that some place on the web states that Ativan is for short term use only doesn't mean doctors prescribe it that way -- there are people on it for years. Once a product is approved by the FDA doctors are allowed to prescribe them any way they want, even for unapproved uses. It only means it's illegal to market the drug for other purposes, though every pharmaceutical company does so and all have been caught multiple times for doing so. For example, benzos aren't approved as a sleep remedy and aren't a very good one for that purpose as regular use can cause rebound insomnia and interferes with REM sleep, but as this site proves docs quite often prescribe them for that purpose. No one can tell you if smaller amounts will work or not since we all react differently and metabolize drugs differently, but my own opinion, and you can look up many nursegirl posts on this subject, is that benzos taken regularly for sleep isn't a really good idea. They are best used as needed for anxiety, but for sleep you're usually dosed every night, and benzos are an addictive medication when used regularly. So yes, you should taper down slowly under the care of your psychiatrist, and I would look for a different remedy for your sleep problem, preferably one that doesn't use medication since that's the only way to solve the problem. Not that that's easy, but it's always best to try it first. Good luck.
Ativan is for quick short term relief but doesn't stay in your body so it doesn't build up. It doesn't need a taper because it disappears after half a day. I think you are saying the ER doc gave you the prescription (although I didn''t think ER would do that), otherwise if it was your regular doc you could check with them. At least call your pharmacist to verify what I said.
You are usually just supposed to use it when necessary, to avoid dependency or addiction. Does the prescription say to use when necessary?
Why do you want to stop taking it - did your insomnia stop?
You are usually just supposed to use it when necessary, to avoid dependency or addiction. Does the prescription say to use when necessary?
Why do you want to stop taking it - did your insomnia stop?
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