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Benzos Discontinuing ativan with no withdrawal

C

count_choculitis

Greenlighter
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Apr 4, 2011
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I've been on a prescription of Ativan for probably about 2 years or so. I don't ever abuse it (never found the recreational value because anything over 0.5 mg put me to sleep). I take it regularly, sometimes daily, but sometimes every other day or every third day. It really is dependent on how I feel. I never took more than 1 mg a day, and generally not more than 0.5 mg a day.

I am wondering about withdrawal. I haven't been feeling great lately. Really hazy feeling, hard to describe, but kind of like I'm very tired and my eyes are heavy, but I can't sleep. Just out of it, like being drunk without drinking. I don't know the culprit behind this, whether it be allergies or something else, but taking the ativan just seemed to make me feel worse, even more out of it. So I decided now is as good a time as any to stop taking it.

I've read horror stories online about the withdrawals from benzos. I was never too concerned about seizures because I was taking such a low dose compared to people who experience that because they seem to be taking upwards of 6-10 mg per day, and generally seem to be abusing it.

I'm on day 5 of not taking the medication, and I haven't noticed any withdrawal symptoms. That hazy/tired feeling is still there, but I can't attribute that to withdrawal as I was experiencing it prior, and taking the medication just seemed to make it worse. I had a minimal amount of abdominal pain yesterday, but I really can't say that was from withdrawal either, as I feel it was more coincidental, and if there are other marked symptoms, I am not noticing them.

As I said, I've read so many horror stories about withdrawal and how terrible it is. But I haven't read any first person accounts where the person stopped taking it and had very little or no effects. I wonder if there is anyone out there who was on a low dose (or not) that didn't experience any withdrawal? Or have I not been off the drug long enough to know yet? I've read it can start in as little as 2 days on short acting benzos, but I've also read 7 days, though I think that was more for the long acting ones like Valium.

Any insight would be appreciated! I just want to know if I'm in for something awful in a couple of days!
 
I'm on day 5 of not taking the medication, and I haven't noticed any withdrawal symptoms. That hazy/tired feeling is still there, but I can't attribute that to withdrawal as I was experiencing it prior, and taking the medication just seemed to make it worse. I had a minimal amount of abdominal pain yesterday, but I really can't say that was from withdrawal either, as I feel it was more coincidental, and if there are other marked symptoms, I am not noticing them.
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You're taking a low dose and weren't increasing your dosage, 0.5mg lorazepam is approx equal to 5mg diazepam, which isn't a lot. That being said, if you haven't noticed any WD symptoms at this time, you should be okay.
 
Yes, since you had been taking a low dose as prescribed, stopping may be a little uncomfortable, but definitely manageable. Rebound anxiety/insomnia would be my biggest worry, but like NT said if you have made it five days and are OK so far, you're probably gonna be fine.

2 years is long enough to become phyiscally dependent, but your dose was very very low so stopping should definitely be bearable.
 
Thanks guys. I'm on day 8 now and haven't noticed anything unusual. I haven't had any trouble sleeping either, but I never really used it at night to sleep anyway.

I'm grateful at this point, since I read so many things from people who took it for less than a month and they were talking about these crazy withdrawals they were having. I have a feeling people abuse it a lot more than they let on. I just can't imagine having taken this more than two years and having nothing noticeable and people taking it for two weeks and having crazy effects!

Thanks again for your input. Much appreciated!
 
Not a problem :)

I've been using lorazepam (generic Ativan) for the past 14 or so months for panic disorder, I'm prescribed 1mg a day, but I take 0.5-1.0mg a day. Only minor tolerance has appeared, so I think you're at least mostly right, benzodiazepines can be used effectively as long as moderation is the name of the game.
 
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