# How long to taper off of Ativan?



## itsallanact (Dec 30, 2010)

I tried cold turkey that didnt go well so I have been taking 2mgs half of the original does, 1mg twice a day. I cant say that I am comfortable with the reduction but I am doing it for over a week now and sticking to it. Next I am going to start cutting pills and reduce the does by 0.5mg at a time (next I will try 0.5mg three times a day). Any suggestions on how long I should wait between reductions? I dont care if I feel like crap, I feel like crap anyway I am used to it.

Thanks


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## jonnynobody (Dec 3, 2010)

Everyone is different when tapering...I tapered off of valium a couple months back and it took me about 2 1/2 weeks to taper off completely and at that point I was down to 1/8th of a 5mg pill which is when I cut it off completely. I usually had a 3 day adjustment period each time I reduced and then I would reduce again so all my reductions happened at 3 day intervals...seemed to work well for me.


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## InterestinglyInteresting (May 7, 2010)

since were talking benzos i wanted to ask if anyone knows if its okay to once in a while take a high dose (2 mgs) while on an ssri or if it interferes with the ssri working. i know benzos decrease serotonin


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## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

google the ashton manual and follow her taper schedules. it's best to switch to a longer acting benzo.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Recipe For Disaster said:


> google the ashton manual and follow her taper schedules. it's best to switch to a longer acting benzo.


:yes

I can atest to this because my mother is tapering off lorazepam and was given the equivalent in diazepam and has managed to go from 20mg to 6mg in a short span of time (its done weekly) and so far she has been responding really well with no psychological side effects and very mild physical effects

so if u can, ask your GP about the ashton manual and the possibility of tapering off lorazepam by replacing it with diazepam and reduce the doses over time, rather than cut your lorazepam in half and then nothing...

all the best:yes:yes


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## d829 (Jul 29, 2010)

don't cut those pill it's too much shock to the CNS 
Do water titration.
If I was you I would taper off your
ativan more before switching to valium.

it's very doable you just need to get some equipment 
and have patience.


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## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

What are you feeling from it?


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## itsallanact (Dec 30, 2010)

Headaches, gastric pain, anxiety as well as general dysphoria.


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## likeabirdwhoflew (Apr 26, 2011)

this website will help you withdrawal from your Ativan. Good Luck!

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

peace


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## itsallanact (Dec 30, 2010)

Well I switched to Valium and went from 8mg to nothing as of today so far so good. I started exercising like crazy and that helped a lot. In fact the only reason I took no Valium today is because I was working out first thing this morning and forgot to take it. I am exercising three times a day since I have nothing better to do.

Does anyone think I can or should use Valium on the occasions when I feel like I really need it or should I just stay away from it completely?

Thanks


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## d829 (Jul 29, 2010)

I have read it takes a few weeks to feel the withdrawal symptoms when stopping Valium. 

What dose did you stop at ?

I am right behind you I am 80% off my original dose and feeling good
I hope I feel good when I quit. 

I am not against low dose Valium as needed 
But to take it everyday is a recipe for disaster
Been there doing that. 

Good luck


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## lionheart (Jun 16, 2010)

I cut from 1.5 mg to 0.5 mg, adding trazolone, .uck me, my brain acted strange, i didnt know what the hell i was doing, forgot everything, couldnt find the switch for the light.


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## lionheart (Jun 16, 2010)

Benzodiazepine will not take it again in my life, its not even a medicine, its pure trash.


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## itsallanact (Dec 30, 2010)

I stopped at 2mg. I sure hope it doesn't take weeks to feel withdrawals, I haven't been on Valium for very long and I went from 8mg to 2mg pretty quickly. It wasn't painless but what is? The Ativan withdrawal were almost immediate, I haven't felt anything like that yet. I think I am going to feel even worse about myself if I ever take any of that stuff again, I will just have to deal with feeling like a blithering idiot when I get freaked out.


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## d829 (Jul 29, 2010)

After being addicted / dependent on this poison I will never take it everyday again but in rare occasions if I was freaking out I would take a Valium. 

Hope you healsoon 2mg is not a huge amount but Ashton had her patients jump from 1mg and people have been quitting at lower doses. 

Hang in there.


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## itsallanact (Dec 30, 2010)

One week so far and nothing out of the ordinary. It is ironic that taking the pills eventually had little to no effect. The major problems arose when I tried to stop taking them. All of the symptoms that they were supposed to aleviate were amplified when I cut back. I believe that my improved diet and exercise really helped me. I still have problems but maybe one less now.


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## foxy (Jul 3, 2010)

ativan is a lot different than valium to cut down. its like valium is an air pistol an ativan is a ak47, A trillion miles apart. I have been through 1 -8mg tapper an still had 4mg buffer . i would soner shoot myself than do that again. 8mg is to much to taper an i had to do it cold , because all but 4mg ativan was withdrawn from me, so know other back up. they would need 80mg of valium to back me up an they wont give that, valium is about as stong as a standard head pain pill , unless your on at less 20mg a day , tapering of just valium say 10mg is a breeze,:yes


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## d829 (Jul 29, 2010)

With all the info on the web about these pills I can't understand why people want to take this s hit. 
There is nothing romantic about benzos and the withdrawal from them. 

If I had the web back when I started I would have been much better off not taking them.

You have got to Research every pill you take and the best lessons you can learn is from people who did it before you. 

Getting lower on my dose I am about equal to 1 mg of Valium now.


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## itsallanact (Dec 30, 2010)

d829 I fully agree. When I started this stuff I was pretty desperate and it did offer some pretty good relief when nothing else did. You shouldnt be on this stuff for more than a few weeks max. I was one them for years and I only found out about the downside from these boards. Thanks to you people I am free of this stuff.


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## foxy (Jul 3, 2010)

InterestinglyInteresting said:


> since were talking benzos i wanted to ask if anyone knows if its okay to once in a while take a high dose (2 mgs) while on an ssri or if it interferes with the ssri working. i know benzos decrease serotonin


 i take 4mg of lorazapam with 100mg of sertraline every day.


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## foxy (Jul 3, 2010)

All this carnt wait to get off benzo,s, what you going to do when off them, you will still have anxierty that made you take them in the first place. So what you going to take instead please tell me, i would love to know. Im not talking stress hear, if thats what you took them for you shouldent have. I am talking cronic anxierty ,whats your answer to that an dont say exersise, you would burn out like a comet . We can all slag off benzos, but what else is there.


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## d829 (Jul 29, 2010)

Biofeedback is working for me. 

Plus organic anxiety is nothing compared to rebound chemical induced anxiety 

In my case I am only taking the pill to stay out of withdrawal 
It's not doing anything else.


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## itsallanact (Dec 30, 2010)

Well I managed to get into a few situations where I had to take the valium again on like 5 different occasions. I dont think I will need them again but it got so bad that I was glad that I had them. 5 times in a few months is not so bad but I still feel like I screwed up.


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## Huk phin (Oct 30, 2011)

itsallanact said:


> I tried cold turkey that didnt go well so I have been taking 2mgs half of the original does, 1mg twice a day. I cant say that I am comfortable with the reduction but I am doing it for over a week now and sticking to it. Next I am going to start cutting pills and reduce the does by 0.5mg at a time (next I will try 0.5mg three times a day). Any suggestions on how long I should wait between reductions? I dont care if I feel like crap, I feel like crap anyway I am used to it.
> 
> Thanks


You really should check with a doctor. Benzo withdrawal can be life threatening. Good luck.


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## dlinda64 (Oct 18, 2012)

*help.4mg wants to stop*

I am susposto take 4 .5 Mg a day. I have been on these since 2005. Needless to say I have bumped it up to 3 to 4 Mg a day. I don't feel normal when I do not take them. I so want to get off of them but cant stand the withdrawel. I work in a Corp engulfment and travel often for work. At least once a month. I have to give meetings and training often and cant do this while withdrawing and often find I need more to feel comfortable to do my job. I go threw hell at the end of month when I have run out prior to refill. Help me get off please !


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