I'm on it to but 1mg at night n only for ten days so I can sleep ..... The WD from opiates are horrible so dr thinks these will help I don't plan on taking them past that...... Hopefully by the time they r gone i'll be able to fall asleep on my own! I wish the best for u!
I just want to point out this post is quite old, and you will probably get more up-to-date responses if you post a new question.
You should be okay if you follow the doctor's taper, but if you are having symptoms, call the doctor and maybe they'll have a way to deal with it.
Been on Ativan - total 2mg per day for 1mo (taken 4 times per day .50mg
My dosage this week has been reduced by .25mg
SO TOTAL per day is 1.75mg.
Pray tell your experience coming off 2 mg ativan after a month.
I have alot of rebound anxiety, chills, muscle aches.
Does it get easier?
Glad to help -- I've been dow the benzo road too many times ...
That's quite the trauma you've had -- my advice is based on experience, with medical supervision, which is the only way to play this out. I've been dealing with hypertension issues (poorly; hope I don't blow a brain-pipe through negligence) as well, so I hope your doctor understands the Ativan issue as per standard guidelines.
You're not too deep into the benzo's; I expect you'll be all right there.
Again, best of luck. Life is a bit too much sometimes, but maybe this will work out for you.
Thank you very much, Hugh, for your extremely quick response to my post. Will stay on the .5 once a day until I get scrip from doctor for Valium taper. Hope to do it within the next few days. Went on the Lorazepam because I was so freaked out about the sudden diagnosis of VERY high BP 4 months after quite normal readings (nothing seemed to lead up to this) and then I got hit by a car that same day, which sent me into a spiral of anxiety attack. But now really, really want to get off the Lorazepam ASAP, but of course in a safe way. Will try to control anxiety in some drug-free way in the future. Years ago, I had a bad reaction to Paxil and swore I would stay away from all this stuff. Should have known better.
... I should add that you 're on a low dose of lorazepam (aka Ativan), and with hypertension issues, it's unadvisable to do this on your own.
Please keep your BP monitored, and perhaps you can escape this with a shorter diazepam (Valium) taper.
Then stay the hell away from benzo's -- stay on them, and your brain will be re-wired (research GABA), and you'll surely have more misery than anyone deserves.
--HB
Talk to your quack about a diazepam taper ... the last few days are rough, but this benzo's half-life (liike clonazepam-- 24-48 hrs.) allows you to withdraw in a more humane way. It's Standard Operating Procedure; lorazepam's half-life puts it up there in the notorious Xanax territory -- very short (~10 hrs.), and if you've only been in for two weeks, gives you this medically-approved route to freedom ... just be sure you follow your drs. advice -- seven to ten days, and you'll be out.
Then -- no more benzo's or "near-benzo's" -- the dreaded "Z" drugs -- Imovane being the main offender.
Good luck.
--HB