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Positive withdrawal stories please

Posted , 20 users are following.

Cleora3
Cleora3

I have been taking lorazepam 1-3mg for 3-4 months and am now tapering off. The land of Google is a terrifying place for info on this subject. Please could anyone share any positive experiences coming off of this drug. Please no negative ones I've seen too many.

3 likes, 49 replies

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  • gary96225
    gary96225 Cleora3

    Posted

    Cleora3, I am going to tell you things about benzos that you probably did not know. First of all, most of the early benzos like Valium and Librium, etc. have very long half lives. Valium has an 8 day half life. Ativan is one of the modern ones. It has a half life of just hours. So what is really happening to people is that they are perpetually going into withdrawal EVERY DAY of their lives. This can go on for years. In other words, after a few hours you need another dose. Your doc or therapist will just say that you need to increase your dose because you are becoming more anxious. In reality, and you can quote me, benzos CREATE MORE ANXIETY THAN THEY CURE. So you are better off pacing out your dose of ativan evenly throughout the day and night and you see the difference. In my day, people were switching to Valium because of the long half life. They would just take one valium a day and not go into withdrawal from dose to dose. Not all docs will do that for you. Mine did. Benzos attach to the GABA receptors in your brain and they ARTIFICIALLY calm you. So your brian says after awhile, why should I manufacture GABA when it is coming into my body from the outside. So when you w/d it takes several months for you brain to start making GABA again. That is why the w/d is so long. Alcohol also attaches to the GABA receptors in the brain. That is why there are so many alcoholics. They are artificially calming themselves with alcohol and then the brain stops making the GABA. So they continue to drink to lower their anxiety levels.
    • Gillian433545
      Gillian433545 gary96225

      Posted

      Well done Gary for this. Thank you for responding to help me and others on this forum. I was on four six weeks ago a day now I am on two. The advice on here is very valuable as we all need to help each other. People who have gone through this and people who are going through this have a special relationship. I myself have not been too bad headaches a few stomach cramps and my heart rate has gone up. But I have just gone through shingles and I have a thyroid problem and on medication so not sure if these are a cause of heart rate increase.
    • gary96225
      gary96225 Gillian433545

      Posted

       When I was on the Ativan I had a lot of heart issues. Pounding hard and such. Also during withdrawal. During withdrawl I would get this weird sweaty forehead thing when I would go into a store and I was standing in front of the cashier. Go figure. That ringing in my ears and other problems. They all went away. Don’t forget once you’re off benzos and you are through withdrawal you’ll have less anxiety than you had before. That was my case. 
    • chelsea46220
      chelsea46220 gary96225

      Posted

      Gary did you come all the way off Ativan or did you switch to Valium like so many say to do? I don’t want to do this, since I am already on such a lose dose at .25mg of Ativan that I just take at night. I plan to take a razor blade and shave off just a 1/4 of that tonight to start tapering. Any advice you can give me would be great. I am so scared! I just want this evil drug out of my system but I want to do it safely. I need to be able to take care of my boys. I think I am already in tolerance withdrawal. I have extreme anxiety in the morning and shaking all day. Oddly I get better towards the night once the Ativan is out of my system. This has been going on for the last month or so and all the doctors keep trying to do is put me on anti depressants. Not one of them thought it could be the Ativan! I’ve been taking it for about a year now. I have also been dry heaving and some times vomiting in the morning. 
    • gary96225
      gary96225 chelsea46220

      Posted

       If I remember the ratio of Valium to ativan was 10 to 1 so if you were on .25  I believe it would be a 2 1/2 mg Valium. Dr. Ashton I’m sure you’re familiar with her gave the exact ratio. Yes I converted to a Valium towards the end of my taper because it was so much easier to cut a 2 mg valium pill instead of an ativan. An ativan is the size of an old-fashioned saccharine tablet. 
    • anna_20967
      anna_20967 gary96225

      Posted

      Hi I know this is a somewhat old thread but did find it encouraging and wondered how everyone is doing. I took lorazepam 2.5mg for about 8 months then tapering in diazepam. Tapered too fast by accident and ended up with quite a few withdrawal symptoms but really don’t want to go back up! Shaking and muscle weakness and big adrenaline rushes when under stress. My hands shaky and this bothering me psychologically. All on this thread seem sensible and determined. Anyone ‘recover’ after too fast a taper and tips for how to carry on working and look after my two gorgeous kids as a single mum? 
  • valentina72419
    valentina72419 Cleora3

    Posted

    Hi everyone, i came here because i have no idea where to go.

    I was taking xanax 0.25mg for 2 months every day. I have a bad anxiety disorder.

    Since i tought it was safe to go off cold turkey because it is such small dose and small period of time - i did so 1 weeks ago.

    I had horrible symptoms. Constant leg cramp, complete insomnia for 3 days, throwing up and vertigo (more like i can’t keep my balance properly).

    Anyway, all off the symptoms passed except vertigo that makes me desperate. All my anxiety came back (the worst is when i wake up).

    Google scares me that i am going to get some seizures (i have no hallucinations etc). Maybe just a little derealization at times.

    My q is: anyone have any idea when this vertigo will pass? I know its been only 7 days, but i am very worried.

    I am sorry its not a happier story but idk where to go and look and ask anymore.😢

  • kate_51756
    kate_51756 Cleora3

    Posted

    hey all positive comments needed ive been taking 1 mg lorazepam for 7 weeks im very sensitive to medication . Im taking after having insomia caused we think my antihistamine . dics tried sleep meds but made me feel awful . i was awake 6 days before doc gave me any meds . never had sleep problems . after a few weeks doc said he needs to start me on a antidepresant incase nothing works for sleep . Im now trying to withdraw lorazepam ended up out hours doc last weekend i was nervous and had tremors was awful id reduced as doc said 10% every other day what a mess ive been in . Im using a razor ans scales going to start a 10% taper a week or 10 days im now taking .75 mg any help from you woukd be great need postive recovery vibes on how long you all went between drops and how long withdrawl last please kate xxx

  • alen61344
    alen61344 Cleora3

    Posted

    I have been using benzos for years, I started taking clonazepam 9 years ago, and after 3 years of very heavy use i stopped cold turkey, no withdrawal at all. 3 years ago I started to take Lorazepam, I took it for one year then stopped cold turkey and I stood clean for 11 months. No withdrawal once again. I have been taking a low dose (Lorazepam) for the last 18 months and I am thinking about quitting. I am not advising anyone to stop cold turkey, but in a community where many dont even try out of fear, I think is important to remember that we all have different experiences.

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