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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Ativan (Lorazepam) Withdrawl
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Ativan (Lorazepam) Withdrawl
by stevenb1, Apr 11, 2001 12:00AM
I was started on Zoloft 8 weeks ago for anxiety. Initially the Zoloft made more anxious and gave me pretty bad insomnia. My doc gave me Ativan to calm me down and also to help me sleep. Over the past two months, I have taken 0.5 to 1.5mg per day, most of that time taking 1.0mg at bedtime. It has really made me sedated in the daytime. I am ready to get off of this (as suggested by my psychiatrist), and was wondering how dependent I would probably be, and how slow to taper. I have gone 24 hours without any twice in the last week, and got a little edgy but that may have been anticipatory withdrawl rather than the real thing. I have about 16 0.5mg tablets left. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Apr 13, 2001 12:00AM
, Apr 13, 2001 12:00AM
At this dosage, for this length of time, you shouldn't have any problem withdrawing from Ativan, but to be on the safe side, taper off by taking one half pill for a few days, then one half pill every other day for three doses, then stop.
Do not forget the last 0.5mg will be MUCH harder than the first 1.0mg.
Can you get 125 microgram tablets?