Ativan Withdrawal

Posted , 6 users are following.

I understood that Ativan should be tapered slowly. I was on 4mgs daily for maybe 10 or more years.

I was in detox for two weeks and tapered to Valium for a few days. That was a month ago. Now nothing. I thought tapering would be weeks if not months. Was the Dr wrong that to me it's almost like going cold turkey.

I am taking 100mgs Gabapentin daily.

Gabapebtin can have difficult side effects.

I don't know if what I am experiencing are Ativan withdrawal symptoms or side effects of gabapentin or if there is something physical that needs to be addressed. No one including Drs seems to know.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Gabapentin is not a nice drug. May I ask you why it is prescribed? What dose of Valium are you taking at the moment. Can you see someone who specialises in tapering of benzos and opiates?
  • Posted

    Hi Peter. What symptoms are you experiencing?

    I took 3 months to taper off 1 mg of Ativan, I had been on it 2 1/2 years.  I’m not familiar with Gabapentin 

  • Posted

    Gabapentin messed me all up when I was on it for neuropathy. Only 100 mg too. I was on the 3 mg of ativan for 20 years and took me 5 months to go off with a slow taper of the ativan. At the end it took me about 6 weeks before I kinda felt normal after I was off it. But now I am doing great. Sometimes it is better to not go on another pill till after a couple months so you know if it is the withdrawal or a new pill. I was put on Nortriptyline the first week after no ativan and had to stop. Talk to your doctor and if it doesn't seem like the right answer then maybe find another one that will listen. Good luck and keep us posted. Only time will tell. Ruby S

  • Posted

    Ashton's manual on tapering is helpful. No more than 10% every 2-4 week's as a rule. I've been tapering Klonopin, 1mg for 11 months now. Benzobuddies and Benzodiazapine recovery group on Facebook very helpful.

  • Posted

    Hi there. Good job getting off of these terrible drugs.  I am also in the process of tapering off xanax. I built up a tolerance over a couple years use.  I was taking 1 mg nightly.

    I was having withdraws for quit some time. 

    dr has me on a  taper plan. and added .50 morning and .50 in afternoon to get back into system before the taper.

    I am now down to .125 at night. I'm having slight brain vibrations and sleepless nights , burning shoulders but I guess that normal.

    my taper -----  morning ,afternoon,  night.....

    week 1      .50 .50 .75

    week 2       .50 .25 .75

    week 3       .25  .25 .75

    week 4       .25  .25  .50

    week 5      0.125   .25   .50

    week 6     0.125  0.125   .50

    week 7     0.125  0.125  .25

    week 8     0.125   no pm dose  .25 night

    week 9     no am pm dose  .25 night

    week 10   0.125 night

    week 10 off

    this is where I was thinking about taking 0.625 a night  for a week. I not sure if it's too fast but I guess I will find out. She didn't want me to do the switch over to valium because my dose was pretty low. I have been on all the website and the horror stories are too much!!!! i hope you are feeling ok. I'm just gonna accept that all these symptoms are the drugs getting out of my pore brain. 

    Thank you for sharing your story and I hope the  light is shining for you at the end of your tunnel..😀😀😀

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