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Benzos Doc wants me tapering off of ativan + zopiclone habit using xanax?

R

ReggieTheCat

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Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
46
I've never heard of a doctor wanting to taper someone off a high dose ativan habit using xanax. Of course I've heard about the Ashton valium taper... but this seems very odd.

Basically, I've been on a 2 month benzo binge taking 5 mg ativan a day or 5-6 tabs of 7.5 mg zopiclone. I came clean to my doctor since I was scared of serious withdrawal stopping cold turkey. He suggested 0.5 xanax 3 times a a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then he's going to reduce the dose every 2 weeks.

Has anyone else tapered off of any benzo with xanax? I haven't seen a single report of this.

I should also mention that I also added etizolam to my binge for a week. Not sure of my exact dose since it was powder.
 
hmmm interesting you don't usually hear of xanax being used as a taper medication as much because it has a shorter half-life, i would expect something like valium or klonopin. but it's a fair shake and if he seems willing to work with you to kind of determine an optimal starting dose and pace, and maybe adjust the med if necessary, might as well give it a go.
 
Id think klonopin would be much better cuz it last so much longer. If the goal is to keep you from having wds and heart probs Im surprised he gave you such a short acting benzo. It comes on quick and all but it doesn't last long. Did he give you clonidine or any heart medicine?
 
I was on 2mg ativin daily for a good 8 months years back. I didn't know it was addictive and really wouldn't have cared. I lost my health ins and had to quit. I had 3 weeks of insomnia.

Really I don't remember any other problems, but it was only 2mg. Try a taper of the ativan and get off when your down to 1-2 mg.
 
I have done something similar so don't worry this worked for me. I was taking 4-6mg of ativan /day (which is 2-3mg of xanax, however breaks down differently) Also i have been told that ativan metabolite can last 4-6hr which is less than xanax. so in this case it might be. This can work as it alows for quicker and more fine tuning of a taper. I would be surprised if you said you had been on these for long term. Because if you have not been using them for many years then xanax is ideal, as valium can open a whole new can of worms due to the 3day lasting effects urrgh
 
Good to hear that at least one person has done something similar with success. It will be interesting how this plays out and I will report back. I've been going on benzo binges on and off since I was about 16... I'm now 23. But I've never had withdrawal symptoms from benzos until the last year. When I was younger, my binges would go on for a week at a time max. In the last year or so, they have been going on for about a month or two at a time, and I've been having scary withdrawals when stopping (extreme anxiety, literally no sleep for 3 days, tightness and pains around the heart, RLS, muscle twitches, fear of going outside... the list goes on)

Am I correct in thinking that going from 5-6mg lorazepam taken in one bunch a day to 0.5 mg alprazolam 3 x a day is a bit of a drop? I've looked at the equivalency charts and it looks like 0.5 mg is equal to only 1 mg lorazepam which would mean I've dropped nearly 50%. I'm curious because yesterday I got a little excited and took my 3 doses at once (total of 1.5 mg xanax) and I had an amazing high/euphoria that I've never had with other benzos (except high dose zopiclone which is my DOC.... I know it's technically not a benzo, but there is indeed cross tolerance) I was surprised because my tolerance is fairly high to these drugs.

Today I am taking them as directed. My doc also gave me 15 lorazepam which I gave to a friend to administer only if I have a severe panic attack. I also take 30 mg mirtazapine daily.
 
I used Xanax to taper off of Klonopin to great success (was at 3mg). I personally find Xanax to be very forgiving. Everyone is different however, so YMMV.
 
Gyrospeck said:
I used Xanax to taper off of Klonopin to great success (was at 3mg). I personally find Xanax to be very forgiving. Everyone is different however, so YMMV.
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Great to hear. Was that something that your doc prescribed, or something you did yourself?
 
Man, that's f'd-up. If you smoke get some high cbd {blueberry train-wreck, or good medicine hold me quite well} That high-dose benzo withdrawal got me airlifted to a hospital. I wouldn't stop the Ativan,slowly taper and best of luck.
 
ReggieTheCat said:
I'm curious because yesterday I got a little excited and took my 3 doses at once (total of 1.5 mg xanax) and I had an amazing high/euphoria that I've never had with other benzos (except high dose zopiclone which is my DOC.... I know it's technically not a benzo, but there is indeed cross tolerance) I was surprised because my tolerance is fairly high to these drugs.
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This is the main reason I can not see why a doctor would use Xanax to taper off of Ativan. Both are short acting, and really, IMO, Ativan has little or no recreational value or euphoria at all where xanax is possibly the most addictive. IMO, you would have been better off doing a slow taper of the Ativan. I just hope you don't trade up in your addiction bud, they may both be Benzos, but Xanax and Ativan are totally different in terms of addiction IME.
 
My doctor has only given me enough to last 2 weeks. I know I can't abuse it because I don't want to screw myself over and not have any benzos for a day. I'm too afraid of the potential risks.

I think I should be fine if I do the 0.5 at breakfast, lunch and dinner. If I take all 3 at once here and there, it shouldn't hurt the taper process too much, right? I'd only do that if I'm going out to meet friends or something since I have social anxiety.

I smoke weed daily and I think that it's helped a lot with sleep. I have a medical card so I always get 100% indicas. I've added some Kava tincture to the mix also. Gonna try to get the powder as well. I think the mix of this + the mirtazapine is what's finally getting me to sleep.
 
I do know this: benzo wd can kill you. That being said Id go with the doctors advice.

If you wanna be on benzos for anxiety speak to a doctor about it . They give it to people who need it.
 
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