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Anxiety Community
Of course he won't. He doesn't want the responsibility of dealing with withdrawal phenomenon, or dealing with the symptoms that would follow.
Fact of the matter is...Ativan is not approved for the long term management of anxiety disorders, primarily because the drug loses its efficacy over the long term.
You are unlikely to tolerate a direct Ativan taper, as any change in the dosage (even 0.25 mg), will result in severe rebound anxiety and protracted withdrawal phenomena. Therefore, I would not recommend it.
I would ask the doctor if he could switch you over to an equivalent dosage of Klonopin. 0.5 mg of Ativan = 1 mg of Klonopin. Klonopin is twice as strong, so keep that in mind.
Once you are stabilized on a long-acting drug such as Klonopin, you may taper directly from it (but not the Ativan). For Klonopin, 0.125 mg (1/8 mg), may be tapered every four weeks until the drug is discontinued. This would minimize or prevent the majority of withdrawal symptoms.
Follow-up with your personal physician is crucial. Only he can develop a taper plan for you. You should not attempt to make any changes in your prescriptions without prior authorization from your physician.
Ryan