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Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South NJ Pine Barrens
Posts: 16
New here
Hi,
I recently came to realize I was addicted to ativan. I am terrified of the withdrawal symptoms and am a wreck. I attended an NA meeting and cried the whole time. I want to taper off but my pcp is acting as if it is no big deal. Please help me!
I recently came to realize I was addicted to ativan. I am terrified of the withdrawal symptoms and am a wreck. I attended an NA meeting and cried the whole time. I want to taper off but my pcp is acting as if it is no big deal. Please help me!
JoyisacatCommunity Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,560
Hi Joy! I'm not familiar with it either - I'm an alkie - but I'm sure someone will relate.
Regardless, it's wonderful to have you join us. This is a great place for friendship and support. You are not alone.
Regardless, it's wonderful to have you join us. This is a great place for friendship and support. You are not alone.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 98
Does PCP mean your doctor? I would see another doctor if possible. One that can outline a safe, slow, tapering plan. Not sure how much you're on, but Ativan does not play around if you've been using it awhile and suddenly stop cold turkey.
I'm on 1 mg Ativan per night right now, and if I should stop taking it, I would want a slow taper over months. Typically I believe they recommend taking benadryl while you are slowly lowering the dose to help you sleep.
Welcome to the forum.
And I LOVE your username!! I too agree that Joy is a Cat! lol <3
I'm on 1 mg Ativan per night right now, and if I should stop taking it, I would want a slow taper over months. Typically I believe they recommend taking benadryl while you are slowly lowering the dose to help you sleep.
Welcome to the forum.
And I LOVE your username!! I too agree that Joy is a Cat! lol <3
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Probably my living room. Maybe my bedroom if I'm feeling lazy
Posts: 1,085
Were you prescribed it for a reason or were you just buying it off the street?
If you are prescribed it, why do you want to stop taking it now?
Benzo withdrawal can be tough and dangerous. Just as bad as alcohol and can last for weeks, depending on how much you were taking. It is not advised to taper without the supervision of a doctor. If your PCP isn't on board, you may want to see someone else.
Good luck!
If you are prescribed it, why do you want to stop taking it now?
Benzo withdrawal can be tough and dangerous. Just as bad as alcohol and can last for weeks, depending on how much you were taking. It is not advised to taper without the supervision of a doctor. If your PCP isn't on board, you may want to see someone else.
Good luck!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South NJ Pine Barrens
Posts: 16
No, I was prescribed it and only took it according to direction. But I started to realize I was getting anxiety when I didn't take it. I also take tramadol for pain but had not problem stopping it. I'm just really confused and afraid. I stopped cold turkey for three days and almost had a psychotic break.
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Probably my living room. Maybe my bedroom if I'm feeling lazy
Posts: 1,085
Well if you were prescribed it for anxiety, it is not a surprise that you would have anxiety breakthroughs when you missed a dose.
I currently take klonopin for generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. I take it as directed and never abuse it. If I don't take my meds, then yes, I will have anxiety.
If you want to get off the ativan, do you have a plan in place to deal with your anxiety? This is just a general statement, so I'm not applying it specifically to you, but sometimes people need meds to regulate chemical imbalances, whether it be for depression or anxiety. Now if you were abusing your meds, that would be a different situation.
I currently take klonopin for generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks. I take it as directed and never abuse it. If I don't take my meds, then yes, I will have anxiety.
If you want to get off the ativan, do you have a plan in place to deal with your anxiety? This is just a general statement, so I'm not applying it specifically to you, but sometimes people need meds to regulate chemical imbalances, whether it be for depression or anxiety. Now if you were abusing your meds, that would be a different situation.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Northeast, US
Posts: 2,073
Im not a doctor but I have a lot of experience with this. Ativan, like Klonapin are addictive. And they do cause you to have more anxiety than before when they wear off.
Talk to your DOC and do this the right way. And don't screw around with it, take it from me, if you drink or anything it will mess the whole thing up.
They will taper you very slowly so that you do not have a really rough time. It might not be easy, but a lot of it is your nervousness about it. It is possible to simply taper the Ativan, but a switch to a longer acting benzodiazepine(that you don't feel wear off as much), that also has a greater dosing options for more and more tiny doses would help. One such drug is Valium.
Schedule 3 of this link will show you how they can switch you to Valium and taper you off. This kind of taper should cause little discomfort.
benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002
Why switch to Valium?
REASONS FOR A DIAZEPAM (VALIUM) TAPER by Professor C Heather Ashton DM, FRCP, April 2001
1) Diazepam [Valium] is one of the most slowly eliminated benzodiazepines. It has a half-life of up to 200 hours, which means that the blood level for each dose falls by only one half in about 8.3 days. The only other benzodiazepines with similar half lives are chlordiazepoxide which are converted to a diazepam metabolite in the body. The slow elimination of diazepam allows a smooth, gradual fall in blood level, allowing your body to adjust slowly to a decreasing concentration of the benzodiazepine. With ore rapidly eliminated benzodiazepine e.g. lorazepam, (Ativan) (which has a half-life of 10-20 hours) the blood concentration drops rapidly and withdrawal symptoms can occur between doses, because your body has little time to adjust to low concentrations.
2) Diazepam comes in the smallest dosage levels of all benzodiazepines – 2mg tablets which can be halved to give 1mg doses. This means you can reduce in stages of 1mg every 1-4 weeks or more. It is difficult to obtain such low doses of other benzodiazepines. For example the lowest dose of lorazepam in the UK is 1mg, equivalent to 10mg of diazepam. (In the US 0.5mg lorazepam are available, but these are equivalent to 5mg diazepam).
3) Many other benzodiazepines are more potent than diazepam. For example lorazepam (Ativan) is 10 times stronger and it is difficult to reduce from this gradually. Temazepam [Restoril], though less potent than diazepam, has a shorter half-life and the smallest tablet is 10 mg (equivalent to 5mg diazepam).
4) Because of the slow elimination and small available dosage strengths of diazepam, it is often advisable to switch to diazepam when withdrawing from other stronger or more rapidly eliminated benzodiazepines. This switch allows you to tail off your benzodiazepine dosage smoothly and gradually and minimizes withdrawal symptoms.
5) When making the switch it is important to do it gradually, replacing one dose at a time and at approximately weekly intervals and making allowance for the difference in potency. For example, if you are taking lorazepam 1mg three times daily, first change the night dose to 10mg diazepam. (This can be done in two stages if necessary e.g. lorazepam 0.5mg (half a 1mg tablet) plus diazepam 5mg; then drop the lorazepam and go on to diazepam 10mg). A week or two later change one of the day-time doses, and two weeks later change the other day-time dose.
Hope this helps and don't worry, you can get off it.
Talk to your DOC and do this the right way. And don't screw around with it, take it from me, if you drink or anything it will mess the whole thing up.
They will taper you very slowly so that you do not have a really rough time. It might not be easy, but a lot of it is your nervousness about it. It is possible to simply taper the Ativan, but a switch to a longer acting benzodiazepine(that you don't feel wear off as much), that also has a greater dosing options for more and more tiny doses would help. One such drug is Valium.
Schedule 3 of this link will show you how they can switch you to Valium and taper you off. This kind of taper should cause little discomfort.
benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002
Why switch to Valium?
REASONS FOR A DIAZEPAM (VALIUM) TAPER by Professor C Heather Ashton DM, FRCP, April 2001
1) Diazepam [Valium] is one of the most slowly eliminated benzodiazepines. It has a half-life of up to 200 hours, which means that the blood level for each dose falls by only one half in about 8.3 days. The only other benzodiazepines with similar half lives are chlordiazepoxide which are converted to a diazepam metabolite in the body. The slow elimination of diazepam allows a smooth, gradual fall in blood level, allowing your body to adjust slowly to a decreasing concentration of the benzodiazepine. With ore rapidly eliminated benzodiazepine e.g. lorazepam, (Ativan) (which has a half-life of 10-20 hours) the blood concentration drops rapidly and withdrawal symptoms can occur between doses, because your body has little time to adjust to low concentrations.
2) Diazepam comes in the smallest dosage levels of all benzodiazepines – 2mg tablets which can be halved to give 1mg doses. This means you can reduce in stages of 1mg every 1-4 weeks or more. It is difficult to obtain such low doses of other benzodiazepines. For example the lowest dose of lorazepam in the UK is 1mg, equivalent to 10mg of diazepam. (In the US 0.5mg lorazepam are available, but these are equivalent to 5mg diazepam).
3) Many other benzodiazepines are more potent than diazepam. For example lorazepam (Ativan) is 10 times stronger and it is difficult to reduce from this gradually. Temazepam [Restoril], though less potent than diazepam, has a shorter half-life and the smallest tablet is 10 mg (equivalent to 5mg diazepam).
4) Because of the slow elimination and small available dosage strengths of diazepam, it is often advisable to switch to diazepam when withdrawing from other stronger or more rapidly eliminated benzodiazepines. This switch allows you to tail off your benzodiazepine dosage smoothly and gradually and minimizes withdrawal symptoms.
5) When making the switch it is important to do it gradually, replacing one dose at a time and at approximately weekly intervals and making allowance for the difference in potency. For example, if you are taking lorazepam 1mg three times daily, first change the night dose to 10mg diazepam. (This can be done in two stages if necessary e.g. lorazepam 0.5mg (half a 1mg tablet) plus diazepam 5mg; then drop the lorazepam and go on to diazepam 10mg). A week or two later change one of the day-time doses, and two weeks later change the other day-time dose.
Hope this helps and don't worry, you can get off it.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Northeast, US
Posts: 2,073
I think you should stay where you are until you get to a Doc, and try as best you can to calm down. I don't want to break site rules and offer too much advice, but I will say this:
I know from personal experience that sometimes the stress causes things to feel worse then they are.
You are on very low doses of these drugs it seems. But that does not mean that it is something to be taken lightly and you should not go cold turkey, thats just always bad.
I am confident that a GOOD doctor will take this seriously and help you out. Get to one on MONDAY. Or go to the ER if you are really bad.
I know from personal experience that sometimes the stress causes things to feel worse then they are.
You are on very low doses of these drugs it seems. But that does not mean that it is something to be taken lightly and you should not go cold turkey, thats just always bad.
I am confident that a GOOD doctor will take this seriously and help you out. Get to one on MONDAY. Or go to the ER if you are really bad.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: South NJ Pine Barrens
Posts: 16
I am having intrdose withdrawal. Took 1 mg at ten thirty last night and it's not even twenty four hours and I'm withrawing. Called the county and they said I should just take more. Called drug counselors and they didnt call back. No health insurance, no $ for rehab, no where to turn. Terrified and miserable. Feel so alone.
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There are a lot of free or low cost clinics around - if there's one in your local area you might get some medical advice there?
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: MN
Posts: 20
Your not alone
When I first found this site I felt very alone and scared. When I found this site I realized I am not alone in this. There are people out there who understand and care. I know I don't post a lot, but just being logged on and reading other encouraging stories me helps a great deal.
Keep your chin up and keep moving forward 1 day at a time.
Keep your chin up and keep moving forward 1 day at a time.
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