I have been taking Ativan for 3-4 weeks and cannot sleep without it. How do I taper off?
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Recently, since 08/02/2019 I have been experiencing insomnia.
The first week or so I was sleeping less than 5-6 hours every night but hoped it would go away without any medication, which it didn't.
The second week I took Magnesium Citrate 330mg and Melatonin 3mg. It worked for a couple of days, but then that stopped working too.
The third week I made efforts to block light and make my room soundproof, no difference with that either.
Finally, after three weeks of no respite, I went to my GP and he recommended I take Ativan 1mg for 4-5 days to break the pattern, and set my sleep schedule.
Ativan 1mg helped my sleep onset Insomnia but sleep maintenance was still a problem so he suggested increasing the dose to 2mg and taking that for a week. I did that and barring one or two nights, I got about 7 - 7.5 hours of sleep. However, I was still waking up before my alarm.
After consulting with my GP again, he suggested stopping the Ativan altogether, which I did but then couldn't sleep for 4 hours after tossing and turning in bed so I took Ativan 2mg to sleep. I called him the next morning and he suggested continuing it for another week.
In the meantime, I took an appointment to see a psychologist for CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). He recommended some tips for sleep hygiene which seemed to have helped my sleep onset Insomnia and he also recommended tapering off the Ativan.
So far, I have been unsuccessful in tapering off and even my sleep onset Insomnia is making a comeback. How do I sleep like I was with Ativan 2mg without Ativan 2mg?
0 likes, 3 replies
michelle70460 harjeet28367
Posted
Hi there. The only thing i can suggest is keep taking the ativan. Take one every night for one week. Then on the second week take one every second night. Third week, one every third night & so on until you bo longer need them anymore. This is the problem with sleeping tablets is that whilst they do serve a purpose for the short term but it can very quickly lead to a dependency problem. Good luck.
harjeet28367 michelle70460
Posted
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your kind response. Should I take 1mg or 2mg while doing this?
michelle70460 harjeet28367
Posted
Hi. The truth is i can't really answer that question definitively. I think for safety more than anything i would suggest you consult with your doctor who will be better to guide you in the right direction. I don't want to say take 1mg when maybe it should be 2mg if you follow what i'm saying. I'm reasonably confident your doctor will recommend what i have suggested. As far as mg's go. If 1mg is enough to get you to sleep than try that. Try & keep dosages as low as possible.