Ativan taper

Welcome.

I am doing a taper myself at the moment.

Google The Ashton Method. It explains how to come safely off benzos.

Ativan is a very short-acting benzo, so you need to taper using diazepam (valium) since it has the longest half-life of all the benzos.

I was lucky to find a specialist doctor who runs a clinic for drug addicts - heroin, crack, benzos, anything. He is an expert.

I had been on zopiclone, which also has a very short half-life.

Specialist immediately changed me to diazepam and the only way to do a taper successfully and without withdrawal symptoms is to do it VERY SLOWLY and with diazepam.

I started at 30mg diazepam daily for two months. Then we gradually went down 2mg a fortnight. (so I went from 30mg daily to 28mg daily, for a fortnight. Each fortnight I see him and we go down another 2mg. I am currently on 14mg daily and about to go down to 12mg daily for a fortnight.

I am also a Registered Nurse.

Your PCP clearly doesn't understand how to do a safe and effective taper, in which you DON'T have withdrawal symptoms.

I've been tapering for seven months now.

Professor Asshton is the guru of tapering off benzos and Zs. She has recently said that she believes the tapering should take even longer (she is quite elderly now.)

My specialist says that getting people off benzos and Zs is harder than getting people off heroin.

Hope this is useful to you. Any questions, PM me. Click on the little envelope under my name and we can have a private chat if you would like to.

All the best and love, Tess xxxx

Hi I followed the Ashton Manual for dosing and information. My doctor didnt agree that I needed to come off gradually. Listen to your body, I stayed at some doses longer than others. Did you tell your doctor your having withdrawls at that dose? I was taking 1 mg daily for 2 1/2 years and it took me 80 days to get off.

I hope your doctor listens to you, God bless.

Hi there,

I was on 1mg/ day for 15 years until a few months ago. I went off slowly, reducing the dosage a little every couple of weeks until I was down to .5 mg every 4 days, and then I stopped, with no ill effects except some insomnia.

Take it slowly.

Best wishes,

Shul

Hi

I was on about 2mg for a year.  I found that 1/4 mg per fortnight was OK the first couple of times then as I lowered the dose the worse it got.  I had shocking anxiety for 2 weeks each time even if dose reduced by say 1/8mg.  Also no sleep.  

I did the transfer to Diazepam.  THe transfer wasnt that easy, i still felt the loss of lorazepam but it was much easier than without.  I did this over 3 weeks.  

I think with Lorazepam once you go below a certain dose you pretty well withdraw every day.  

At the time of transfer I was down to 0.65mg lorazepam but was struggling.  I am now down to 3mg diazepam.  This wasnt so bad but have just gone through a bad week coming down by only 0.5mg. Again lots of anxiety but sleeep OK. Not great but take Melatonin 3mg.  I have also noticed that withdrawal from diazepam lasts about 8 days whereas lorazepam was about 11.  It has been bad but not extreme.

I think what I would say is that as long as you can get sleep do as much as you can at a time then have a few days off.  Personally I get anxious whatever the dose reduction so am wondering whether to increase reduction to 1mg and get on with it on basis it will be over sooner.  Also considering asking for a beta blocker from Dr next week.  

I think for the last ,say 2mg I might just take a week off work, or maybe even 2 and just be stress free.  I rush at work when I am anxious and dont concentrate fully.  I am also much more susceptible to stress amd am  walking basket case basically.  

Best of luck.  I cant wait to be off the effing things