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272729 tn?1194276957

Regarding Ativan & Clonidine

I am on day 21 c/t from Vicodin.  I have been taking Ativan for the persistent anxiety/restlessness/insomnia.   For the past 10 days or so, I have only taken 1 - 1/2  of a 5mg tab. in the evening so that I can relax, and then sleep.  It's worked out real well, but I don't want to do this indefinitely.  So I decided to stop today and instead took .1 mg clonidine in the evening.  I have had the clonidine for a week, but have never taken it because the Ativan works like a charm.  Also, I am scared to death to take any new med, since I unknowingly became dependant on the Vicodin.  (If you read one of my first posts, I had a surgery Aug 25, stopped taking everything as directed, and woke up from general anesthesia in full w/d mode!  Only after 4 days of hell, including a trip to the ER, did it occur to me that I was undergoing opiate w/d.  10 yrs of college, you'd think I could figure that out!!)
So .1 mg clonidine this evening, and I still feel wired; not sure if I'll be able to sleep tonight.  Do ya think I should taper the Ativan-- maybe take 1/2 a tab for a few days?
Any educated guesses would be greatly appreciated.
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272729 tn?1194276957
Thanks so much for your input.  I am 5'3", 100lbs (down from 106 - the hard way!) and my blood pressure and pulse run low (former competitive runner), so I'm afraid of "bottoming out" with more blood pressure meds.  Instead, I just took 1/2 an Ativan.
Time will tell....
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Avatar universal
Depending on your weight and blood pressure you could take 0.2mg of the clonidine and it should help take the edge off.  You'll want to taper off of the Ativan too - you  can't just stop a benzo and even though you have only been on the Ativan 21 days (I assume) you can develop a mild physical addiction in that time frame and you should taper off hat rather than going cold turkey.  Hang in there.  shari
Helpful - 0
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