lorazapam

[healthconcious]

I have been taking lorazapam for many years.  It was prescribed to help me sleep at night. I have been slowly cutting back on the amount taking at night.  I would like to know if are any withdrawal symptons if I stopped taking it all at once.  By the way, I have been on dilantin for many years.
thank you

[kimmieb]

Ditto for everything said above.  I, too, have personal experience.  Started taking .5 mg. of lorazepam every night to help me sleep.  Over time, it crept up to taking 2 mg at night for sleep.  It's stayed there for years....but I don't get the same kind of sleep anymore.  My whole brain chemistry has changed, I'm sure.  Anyway, I'd love to taper off, but I had a scary experience where I ran out and the dr. was confused and didn't call in the refill....so I went through full-blown w/d's from this benzo for days and nights.....and it wasn't pretty (or safe!)  Never, never do it.  Not in a million years.  Actually, I found out that in this situation, that doctor could have had a lawsuit on his hands.  Might have been why he was so kind (offered me free botox, for cryin' out loud!!) in the office after that w/d episode.  Anyway, don't go c/t.  Do taper.  But, it's pretty much a fact that even after you get off of them, you most likely will have the same exact sleep problems you had before you started taking the lorazepam.  That medicine doesn't fix anything -- it just masks it and allows you to function (in this case, sleep) while taking it.  Hope this helps!  Be careful....   K.

[lurker]

As a nurse, i can tell you that ggin is correct.  Seizures are a real possiblity if you go cold turkey from any benzo because one of their mechanisms of action is to lower your seizure threshold and your body will become very used to this drug very fast.  Tapering is the only way to stop this drug.  You need to let your doc know you want off - some docs will prescribe antiseizure meds even during the taper process to prevent them.  Good luck to you - be careful!!

[ggin35]

DO NOT stop taking lorazepam at once! Please! You could have a seizure or even die. I take the same thing and have quit too fast many times. It was before I knew anything about it. I ended up in the hospital each time. Now I have an addiction specialist tapering me. If you want I will give you my taper schedule. I'm sorry if I got upset but I worry so much about people doing this. (((Hugs))) Ggin35

[awakan]

You know once upon a time I was getting off of lorazapam and had a seizure woke up in an ambulance but I quit taking them cold so you may want to continue tapering. I am getting ready to stop taking them again as well just got off methadone now time for the lorazipam. so take your time and you will probably be alright..Hope all goes well for you good luck..a-wakan

[GA Guy]

Lorazepam is a benzo, and should never be discontinued c/t. I'd advise you to keep tapering, lowering dosages every 2-3 weeks until you're at a very low dose and then discontinue use. Stopping a benzo without tapering down to a low dosage first is extremely dangerous.