safe withdrawl from lorazepam

[cinderellie310]

I have been on Lorazepam 1mg at bedtime for   insomnia  for approximately 1 year.(   I have also been through a lot of major stressors in the past 2 years.)This was prescribed by my doctor as a "safe" alternative to the melatonin I had been using without a problem. I have recently been increasing my dosage to 1-2 mg at bedtime and sometimes 1 mg during the day due the medication causing me to remain awake now instead of fall asleep. I am also feeling anxious when I wake up and shakey. I am also shaking sometimes around 5-6pm. I feel that I am addicted to the medication and when I verbalized my concern to my doctor he replyed" Oh no you are not. You are taking the medication in therapeutic amounts.' Well my body tells me something entirely different. I want off this med and need to know how to safely do so. Are there any natural herbs that are helpful with withdrawl?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

This may be more complicated than you think...the shaking and anxiety may be a form of anxiety reaction rather than a reaction to the medication.  I suggest you ask your doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist who can determine the proper diagnosis in a single session, and then go from there.

[Jaquta]

Trust yourself and your body.
They may be therapeutic amounts, but they have been for an extended period of time.

The doctor here has a tapering program and is better able to advise.

I too have been taking lorazepam for issues with sleep.  Just recently I increased the dose from 1 mg to 2 mg with little effect.
I saw a GP last week who said I may have developed a tolerance to it and he prescribed temazepam (10 mg).
In the past I was prescribed buspirone (30 mg) for anxiety.  As I was getting shaky later in the day I was told to split the dose (three x 10 mg) and spread it throughout the day.  It seemed to help.
Sorry for the personal stuff.  I thought it may help to know someone else was experiencing similar issues and to know that you weren't alone.

I'm not familiar with herbs but please be careful they don't interact with your medication (and sedate you too much).

Best wishes
J

[Paxiled]

This seems to come up all the time.  Benzos aren't really for sleep, they're for anxiety.  The melatonin was a great and safe choice, it's also a good antioxidant.  You want to solve the underlying problem so you don't have to take something all the time.  But if you discontinue a benzo, remember, it has to be done slowly.