Help with my Lorazepam and Zopiclone Use if I can avoid withdrawal

[V82]

I've been taking lorazepam and avoiding withdrawal by taking 1.5 mg 3 times a week. And taking 5 day - 1 week break in between dosages every month or so.

Recently I moved into a place without air conditioning for the first time.

But lately there has been a heat wave where I live for the last week and because I am so used air conditioning (I guess I'm sheltered ha ha) I find it almost impossible to fall asleep without lorazepam.

I was alternating between lorazepam 1.5 mg and zopiclone 3.75 to 7.5 mg for a bit but I am just gonna take the Lorazepam.

I am at a point where I take lorazpeam 4 times a week somes now and the nights I don't take it the heat is killer.

Wednesday morning I woke up with free floating anxiety and tension and I was worried it was withdrawal. It dissipated by the end of the day.

I took 1.5 mg lorazepam last night.

So my dosage for the last week from the best of my memory since I am not keeping a list is:

July 25 Monday: 1 mg lorazpeam
July 26 Tuesday: 10.25 mg zopiclone
July 27 Wed: Nothing
Thursday: nothing
Friday: 1.5 mg lorazepam
Saturday: 1.5 mg lorazepam
Sunday: 7.5 mg zopiclone
Monday: 1.5 mg lorazepam
Tuesday: nothing
Wednesday: 1.5 mg of lorazpeam.

That's the last 10 days to the best of my memory

Before last Friday I had taken about a 6 day break from lorazpeam but was taking Zopiclone 3 days a week.


I plan on taking it 2 more times MAXIMUM before this heatwave passes and then taking a 2 1/2 month break.

I just hope I can avoid withdrawal.

 

[keeping]

if you want to avoid wd then start reducing your dose very slowly, in like 0.1's

 

[V82]

if you want to avoid wd then start reducing your dose very slowly, in like 0.1's

Should I taper even though I don't take it everyday.

 

[keeping]

if you aren;t experiencing withdrawals then you don't need to taper, just make sure you don't make a habit of it.

you should read something called The Ashton Manual - its an amazing, free to read (google it) benzo guide. it'll really help you

 

[Keif' Richards]

A slight, but noticeable increase in anxiety is most likely a symptom of withdrawal, albeit pretty mild. Your body is always trying to make it back to homeostasis and you probably got yourself slightly out of whack by taking the Benzodiazepines with frequency. Not only with Lorazepam (Ativan), but with non-Benzodiazepines like the Z-drugs, Zopiclone (Imovane) included, a common indicator of tolerance/dependence/withdrawal is daytime anxiety, irritability etc.

The fact that you've been able to take a full week off from the Benzodiazepines indicates that your situation is definitely not out of control. You're taking a fairly honest, introspective look at yourself and your usage, which is a good way to stave off addiction. Both Benzo's and the Z-Drugs are not intended for chronic consumption, they're meant to be used acutely, generally for a few weeks, although in practice, this is almost never the case. If you can manage to use them only when you really need them, you can avoid addiction and you'll probably find that your medication is more effective.

If by chance you try to stop and find yourself in withdrawal, there's no reason why you can't break your pills into halfs or quarters to really titrate your dose to the Goldilocks Zone.

 

[V82]

Hey guys thank for all the advice. I took 2 days off and then took it for 3 days. I felt fine on those 2 (really 3 since I took it at night). And I know it has a short half life so I felt I was okay. Would my next three days of use induce withdrawal?

I want to do a 2 month break starting now. I just hope I can pull it off without withdrawal.

So this would be my dosages:

July 25 Monday: 1 mg lorazpeam
July 26 Tuesday: 10.25 mg zopiclone
July 27 Wed: Nothing
July 28 Thursday: nothing
July 29 Friday: 1.5 mg lorazepam
Jul 30 Saturday: 1.5 mg lorazepam
July 31 Sunday: 7.5 mg zopiclone
Aug 1 Monday: 1.5 mg lorazepam
Aug 2 Tuesday: nothing
Aug 3 Wednesday: 1.5 mg of lorazpeam
Aug 4 Thursday: nothing
Aug 5 Friday: nothing
Aug 6 Saturday: 1.5 mg of lorazepam
Aug 7 Sunday: 1.5 mg of lorazeopam
Aug 8 Monday: 1.5 mg of lorazepam

 

[Snigie]

Don't forget you can also use a half zop, still eeffective for sleep and a good way I find myself to use to slowly wean myself off without the issues of coming off them fast.