Lorazepam withdrawal

[invisible7]

HI,

I have been taking 1.5 mg Lorazepam for a year at night to help me sleep. My doctor didn't want me taking it anymore and didn't prescribe it at my last appointment. I asked if I needed to taper off of it and he said that since I was taking it only at night I should be fine. Well, I have not taken it for the past two nights and I am sweating all day long, feel totally zoned out, and have muscle pains in my legs. Do you think this is withdrawal from Lorazepam? If so, how long are these symptoms going to last? Do you think my doctor was wrong is saying I would be fine because I only take it at night?

[EricPaul]

Your doctor is very wrong.

1.5mg of lorazepam is equivalent to 15mg of diazepam/valium and this amount needs to be tapered.

Can you go back to your doctor and tell it that you are suffering withdrawal and would like to taper off this drug in a safe way?

Read the Ashton manual to learn about what benzodiazepines do to the body and brain and how to get off them safely. Then, make a safe taper plan and then take this info to your doctor and ask for him to help you to taper off this drug safely.

Benzos should never be stopped cold turkey or abruptly. This so called doctor should know this.

Here is the Ashton manual and some other resources for info about how to get off benzos. You will need a doctor to prescribe the drugs and to supervise a safe taper.

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002

Welcome to benzo.org.uk

benzo : Benzodiazepine(benzo) Withdrawal Support

BenzoIsland.org

The Tranquilliser Recovery and Awareness Place

Here is a good book to read about benzo withdrawal.

http://www.thebenzobook.com/benzo/pd...nzo-book11.pdf

THE BENZO BOOK--getting safely off benzodiazepine tranquilizers and sleeping pills

[windysan]

since when did you become a doktor, eric?

[emmer]

Well sure your going to have withdrawals, it doesnt matter if yer taking it at night or in the day.

I've come off this same amount before and felt sick for about a week.
I've kicked 20 x this amount too (actually more than that) and the withdrawals were like someone opened a door into hell and threw me in.

This had been my experiance with benzos over a (off - on )ten year stretch.

[tennchick9598]

""""""""windy shows his sarcastic side"""""""""""""

we love you windy

[tanyapmc]

I would talk to my doctor if I was you. Benzo withdrawl is tough.

[EricPaul]

Originally Posted by windysan

since when did you become a doktor, eric?

Here is something to keep you busy for a couple of days!

How to keep an idiot busy

[emmer]

How old are you eric?

[yearofthesnake]

Your doc couldn't be more wrong. I am having withdrawal from Tramadol. I only take 2 daily so some might think it would be easy to stop. Well, they couldn't be more wrong! I hate this anxious feeling I am getting all day long. I would go back to the Dr. & tell him that it is addictive and ask him to help taper you off of it.



Good luck & hang in there....
each day will get better.

[StayinAlive]

Leave Eric alone he provided some valuable info. The politicaly "correct" advice would be to go back to your Doctor and tell him to do a little research on that candy he hands out. I wandered the streets for 24 hours and ended up being escorted to the hospital by police. Sudden benzo with drawl.

[invisible7]

I don't want to go back to this doctor because he must be clueless. I have been off this drug for 2 full days......will withdrawals get worse or will they diminish? The lorazepam helped me sleep, and for the last two nights I woke up every hour, so basically I"m not getting sleep. The doctor prescribed 2 mg Lunesta (sleeping pills) and they did nothing for me. I am completely out of lorazepam so tapering off of it is not an option right now. I am also taking 75 mg Effexor and want to get off of it.

[EricPaul]

Originally Posted by invisible7

I don't want to go back to this doctor because he must be clueless. I have been off this drug for 2 full days......will withdrawals get worse or will they diminish? The lorazepam helped me sleep, and for the last two nights I woke up every hour, so basically I"m not getting sleep. The doctor prescribed 2 mg Lunesta (sleeping pills) and they did nothing for me. I am completely out of lorazepam so tapering off of it is not an option right now. I am also taking 75 mg Effexor and want to get off of it.

Psychiatric drugs such as lorazepam and effexor need to be tapered very slowly in order to avoid nasty withdrawal reactions. They are not like street drugs such as heroine or cocaine that are stopped abruptly and then people recover quickly from them. The drugs that you are taking need to be tapered slowly under the supervision of a doctor who understands these drugs.

It is not possible to predict how anyone will react to cold turkey from lorazepam. The withdrawal symptoms may end soon for you, or can go on for months and for some, like me, they go on for years (benzodiazepine protracted withdrawal syndrome.

Insomnia is a very common withdrawal reaction to benzo withdrawal.

Here is an excerpt from the Ashton manual about insomnia caused by the ingestion of benzos.

Insomnia, nightmares, sleep disturbance. The sleep engendered by benzodiazepines, though it may seem refreshing at first, is not a normal sleep. Benzodiazepines inhibit both dreaming sleep (rapid eye movement sleep, REMS) and deep sleep (slow wave sleep, SWS). The extra sleep time that benzodiazepines provide is spent mainly in light sleep, termed Stage 2 sleep. REM and SWS are the two most important stages of sleep and are essential to health. Sleep deprivation studies show that any deficit is quickly made up by a rebound to above normal levels as soon as circumstances permit.

In regular benzodiazepine users REMS and SWS tend to return to pre-drug levels (because of tolerance) but the initial deficit remains. On withdrawal, even after years of benzodiazepine use, there is a marked rebound increase in REMS which also becomes more intense. As a result, dreams become more vivid, nightmares may occur and cause frequent awakenings during the night. This is a normal reaction to benzodiazepine withdrawal and, though unpleasant, it is a sign that recovery is beginning to take place. When the deficit of REMS is made up, usually after about 4-6 weeks, the nightmares become less frequent and gradually fade away.

Return of SWS seems to take longer after withdrawal, probably because anxiety levels are high, the brain is overactive and it is hard to relax completely. Subjects may have difficulty in getting off to sleep and may experience "restless legs syndrome", sudden muscle jerks (myoclonus) just as they are dropping off or be jolted suddenly by a hallucination of a loud bang (hypnagogic hallucination) which wakes them up again. These disturbances may also last for several weeks, sometimes months.

However, all these symptoms do settle in time. The need for sleep is so powerful that normal sleep will eventually reassert itself. Meanwhile, attention to sleep hygiene measures including avoiding tea, coffee, other stimulants or alcohol near bedtime, relaxation tapes, anxiety management techniques and physical exercise may be helpful. Taking all or most of the dose of benzodiazepine at night during the reduction period may also help.

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002

Here is info about why you need to taper off benzos.

(1) Dosage tapering. There is absolutely no doubt that anyone withdrawing from long-term benzodiazepines must reduce the dosage slowly. Abrupt or over-rapid withdrawal, especially from high dosage, can give rise to severe symptoms (convulsions, psychotic reactions, acute anxiety states) and may increase the risk of protracted withdrawal symptoms (see Chapter III). Slow withdrawal means tapering dosage gradually, usually over a period of some months. The aim is to obtain a smooth, steady and slow decline in blood and tissue concentrations of benzodiazepines so that the natural systems in the brain can recover their normal state. As explained in Chapter I, long-term benzodiazepines take over many of the functions of the body's natural tranquilliser system, mediated by the neurotransmitter GABA. As a result, GABA receptors in the brain reduce in numbers and GABA function decreases. Sudden withdrawal from benzodiazepines leaves the brain in a state of GABA-underactivity, resulting in hyperexcitability of the nervous system. This hyperexcitability is the root cause of most of the withdrawal symptoms discussed in the next chapter. However, a sufficiently slow, and smooth, departure of benzodiazepines from the body permits the natural systems to regain control of the functions which have been damped down by their presence. There is scientific evidence that reinstatement of brain function takes a long time. Recovery after long-term benzodiazepine use is not unlike the gradual recuperation of the body after a major surgical operation. Healing, of body or mind, is a slow process.

The precise rate of withdrawal is an individual matter. It depends on many factors including the dose and type of benzodiazepine used, duration of use, personality, lifestyle, previous experience, specific vulnerabilities, and the (perhaps genetically determined) speed of your recovery systems. Usually the best judge is you, yourself; you must be in control and must proceed at the pace that is comfortable for you. You may need to resist attempts from outsiders (clinics, doctors) to persuade you into a rapid withdrawal. The classic six weeks withdrawal period adopted by many clinics and doctors is much too fast for many long-term users. Actually, the rate of withdrawal, as long as it is slow enough, is not critical. Whether it takes 6 months, 12 months or 18 months is of little significance if you have taken benzodiazepines for a matter of years.

It is sometimes claimed that very slow withdrawal from benzodiazepines "merely prolongs the agony" and it is better to get it over with as quickly as possible. However, the experience of most patients is that slow withdrawal is greatly preferable, especially when the subject dictates the pace. Indeed, many patients find that there is little or no "agony" involved. Nevertheless there is no magic rate of withdrawal and each person must find the pace that suits him best. People who have been on low doses of benzodiazepine for a relatively short time (less than a year) can usually withdraw fairly rapidly. Those who have been on high doses of potent benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Klonopin are likely to need more time.

Examples of slow withdrawal schedules are given at the end of this chapter. As a very rough guide, a person taking 40mg diazepam a day (or its equivalent) might be able to reduce the daily dosage by 2mg every 1-2 weeks until a dose of 20mg diazepam a day is reached. This would take 10-20 weeks. From 20mg diazepam a day, reductions of 1 mg in daily dosage every week or two might be preferable. This would take a further 20-40 weeks, so the total withdrawal might last 30-60 weeks. Yet some people might prefer to reduce faster and some might go even slower. (See next section for further details).

However, it is important in withdrawal always to go forwards. If you reach a difficult point, you can stop there for a few weeks if necessary, but you should try to avoid going backwards and increasing your dosage again. Some doctors advocate the use of "escape pills" (an extra dose of benzodiazepines) in particularly stressful situations. This is probably not a good idea as it interrupts the smooth decline in benzodiazepine concentrations and also disrupts the process of learning to cope without drugs which is an essential part of the adaptation to withdrawal. If the withdrawal is slow enough, "escape pills" should not be necessary.

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002

[EricPaul]

Originally Posted by invisible7

I The doctor prescribed 2 mg Lunesta (sleeping pills) and they did nothing for me.

Lunesta/eszopiclone is a z drug. Be careful with this drug as it has the same adverse effects and withdrawal reactions as benzos do.

Benzodiazepines and Z Drugs - Patient UK

[EricPaul]

Here is a link with information about effexor and what may happen during rapid withdrawal. Do not stop this drug abruptly. You need to taper it if you want to get off it and you need a doctors supervision and help to taper off it. It is dangerous to stop any psychiatric drug abruptly. If you get increased severe withdrawal reaction to the lorazepam cold turkey, then go to an emergency dept. at your local hospital.

| the Effexor Activist|

[tanyapmc]

Originally Posted by EricPaul

Here is something to keep you busy for a couple of days!

How to keep an idiot busy

:rof

[Orele]

Excuse me but...

Originally Posted by EricPaul

Psychiatric drugs such as lorazepam and effexor need to be tapered very slowly in order to avoid nasty withdrawal reactions. They are not like street drugs such as heroine or cocaine that are stopped abruptly and then people recover quickly from them.

Did you just copy and paste? Or are you very stupid? Learn to spell it right, HEROIN, no e mate. Well, no you cannot abruptly stop them, in some cases if you do it can lead to death.

[emmer]

one drug at a time..huh.
be carefull with effexor ..I have been on it for maybe 15 years and tried to c/t the stuff
(300mg) per day. I got off 150mg but had to stay on 150 mg cause the withdrawal is kind of severe. Not near as bad as benzos but no picnic either.
My doctor said there would be no withdrawal from effexor but the specialist said that there certainly is withdrawal from effexor.
The whole thing left me shrugging my shoulders and wondering who to believe.

The amount of benzo you were on made me sick for about a week.... peaking in 2-3 days.

[EricPaul]

Originally Posted by Orele

Excuse me but...

Did you just copy and paste? Or are you very stupid? Learn to spell it right, HEROIN, no e mate. Well, no you cannot abruptly stop them, in some cases if you do it can lead to death.

Get some manners! Or are you just rude AND stupid? Have you heard of typos?

No one should quit any street drug cold turkey, including heroin and cocaine, without medical supervision. But, the withdrawal symptoms from those drugs, whenever a person is forced into abrupt or cold turkey withdrawal for whatever reason, are over pretty quickly compared to benzos and psych drugs.

[invisible7]

Eric - I have read about the withdrawals of lorazepam compared to withdrawals of heroin and cocaine are longer on several internet sites.

It is 12:45 A.M. and I started going to bed at 8:30 because I get up for work at 4:00 AM to be there at 6:00 AM. So at 8:30 PM i took 2 simply sleep tables (dphenhydramine) and have be in and out of bed trying to sleep in my room, then in the family room and I finally gave in and took a Lunesta at 12:30. NOthing is happening! I can't get to sleep so I am thinking of taking another 2mg lunesta.

In the morning when the doctor's office opens I am calling to get back on lorazepam so that I can sleep and then slooooooowly taper off. This has already affected my job because it is the most busy time of the year and I have to miss tomorrow because I can't drive to work at 5:30 when I just took a LUnesta at 12:30 since I have to give it at least 8 hours to get out of my system. I am so frustrated and just want to sleep...that's why I went on lorazepam in the first place. Has anyone else taken lorazepam to sleep and didn't take it during the day?

[ccgirl2]

Benzos shouln't be fooled with. Call or go back to your doctor.

[windysan]

the encyclopedia writer googlestalker is back. my regards to the aquaphobians.

[windysan]

invisible7. lack of sleep will not kill you. benzo abuse will kill you. find another doctor with addiction experience. careful with faux interwebz doktors of polybozology.

[bvaljalo]

The length and severity of the withdrawal effects of various drugs depends upon the individual, their brain/body chemistry, their state of mind, pain/misery tolerance, and most of all, how much they were taking, how long they took them, and the half-life of the drug being taken. Whether they are 'psych' or 'prescription' or 'street' or whatever doesn't make a hell of a lot of difference. Benzos, barbiturates, opiates, and alcohol withdrawals are all considered among the worst, longest lasting withdrawals. Among those four, getting off of opiates is considered the least likely to cause death, but the reality is that it's statistically pretty unlikely for someone to die from withdrawals from anything unless they've been abusing huge amounts of a substance for many many years.

In any case, seeing a doctor for benzo withdrawals and executing a taper plan under their supervision is always a good idea. The lower the dosage is when you 'step off' any substance that produces physical withdrawals, the less you are going to suffer and the safer it is going to be. It's really that simple.

[bvaljalo]

Let me also say it again for the record ... diphenhydramine is friggin USELESS for putting a person to sleep when they are in withdrawals. In fact, it just makes you more jittery and anxious and annoyed with your inability to sleep. You need unisom at a minimum, I personally recommend ambien if your doctor is agreeable... one 10mg ambien every four hours put me down when I was in horrible opiate withdrawal (well, I was also on clonidine and neurontin, to be fair) and when that ran out I switched to unisom for a little while, then I quit taking sleeping pills and have been sleeping fine (and staying clean) ever since.

[windysan]

hey bvaljalo. ain't seen ya in awhile.