Benzos New on Lorazepam

[Man67]

After 10 years on Bromazepam l developed tolerance. It's happened gradually and in the end I felt absolutely nothing, despite the dosage. Yesterday had a talk with my Dr. and he prescribed Lorazepam 2.5 mg once or twice a day. I took one last night and managed to have 8 hours of sleep without taking sleeping pills. In order not to get too much during the day I cut several pills in half. Main reason for taking it is that I got agitated after every single problem and I needed something to calm my nerves down. Anybody here taking this drug for a longer period of time? If you got some tips or advice l would be very grateful.

 

[Neuroborean]

I don't like the idea of using a benzo everyday, my ex-gf did for quite a while and honestly tolerance and dependence is a shit, she was taking lorazepam, by the way, but not that much.
Have you asked for Buspar? seems more manageable, less problematic and good for long-term generalized anxiety, perhaps not so good for the acutes.
My expertise is natural drugs/substances, so I would recommend saffron extract, magnolia bark extract, mulungu... or ashwagandha. Skullcap is a very good nervine too.
if you consider this too weak or maybe you don't want to wait for a couple weeks to make it work properly (like in ashwagandha case), you may try some other stuff, l-theanine, high dose taurine, some glutamate inhibitor like NAC or perhaps an anxyolitic racetam like aniracetam.
Have you checked your T levels? I think a lot of men with anxiety issues are just running low on T.

 

[kokaino]

Lorazepam is a short-acting 3-hydroxy benzo. It is a powerful anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnesic, and a decent sedative-hypnotic.I personally would have stuck with the bromazepam due to its superior myorelaxant properties, but lorazepam is a good replacement. It is highly physically addictive. There is research which shows lorazepam withdrawal is incredibly severe, and may be amongst the worst along with similar short-acting 3-hydroxy BZD's, like lormetazepam and temazepam.

If you look through Dr. Ashton's manual, there were severe cases of withdrawal syndrome from temazepam abuse in the UK back in the 80s and 90s. One guy lost a limb for continuous temazepam administration via IV route, only to continue his addiction to temazepam....

Below is mention of this case:

In addition, benzodiazepines, particularly temazepam (whether obtained from capsules, tablets or elixir), are extremely irritating and likely to cause tissue damage. When arm veins become occluded due to local irritation, users may proceed to injecting in the groin, where inadvertent intra-arterial injection has led to amputation. The severity of the addiction which can develop to temazepam is illustrated by the case of a temazepam injector who needed his leg amputated but was later admitted for a second amputation since he had continued injecting into his remaining leg (Parrott 1995). A second subject, following a leg amputation, injected temazepam gel into his eye, resulting in bilateral blindness

Link to source

Since lorazepam is closely related to temazepam, although in my opinion, it isn't as "good" as temazepam. Be careful with these drugs. I think the withdrawals are probably the most severe of any drugs, perhaps aside from barbiturates.

Phenobarbital is often overlooked, but I think it could be a good replacement for BZD wd's.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Hey @Man67

The gist here is that substituting one Benzodiazepine for another in and of itself is not actually a solution to any problem.

If you're goal is just to move from an illicit source of Benzodiazepines to a licit one for whatever reason, then I guess there is an improvement in terms of safety, but you will still be faced with all of the problems that come with chronic usage of Benzodiazepines. 5mg Lorazepam (Ativan) per day is not on the crazy end of any spectrum, but it's enough to cause problems.

Benzodiazepines are not meant to be taken every day. They're really only effective for the short-term treatment of anxiety, typically no longer than 6 weeks. After this time, the benefits of the drugs become steadily outweighed by the drawbacks.

Is your goal to continue tapering? If that's the case, then this is a good place to start. You have someone willing to prescribe to you. This gives you access to a drug of guaranteed potency.

A lot of people feel this way about Benzodiazepines. Life is just too stressful. The feelings you have regarding Benzodiazepines are the norm. If you want advice for how to get off we can definitely help you out. The longer you take them, the harder it is going to be to get off.

 

[Sweet Jane78]

I used Lorazepam for about 20 years in an as needed capacity. The highest dose I was ever prescribed was 1mg. I rarely took them everyday. I really just considered them for those times of extra high anxiety due to a stressful event. It was great to have them on hand just in case. Kind of funny but not was that I would often not remember to take one in the moment because I was so caught up in the anxiety.
It’s my understanding that in the US there has been a steady effort to cut back on prescribing benzodiazepines at least in the last few years. My health clinic has stopped prescribing them all together.
So I’m trying Gabapentin now and it’s so hard to tell if it’s working. I miss the lorazepam because I could actually feel the effects right away.
My psychiatrist suggested Buspar as an option, since I can’t tell with the gabapentin. Maybe I just need a higher dosage.

Sorry I went off on my own story there.

 

[internalcrisis]

taking 1mg everyday to sleep aswell.. been a month and a few days i think. i lost count. at first it was ok but now it doesnt help me anymore as i smoked weed and kept taking it and i didnt need more than 1 week to fuck up my brain more and build tolarance to lorazepam. takes me 3 hours or more to sleep for... idk.. maybe 1 hour or 2
im feeling depressed more and more everyday as i dont get enough sleep. i rage took like 5mg one night and it still didnt help me to do its trick. its not a sleeping med but it is supposed to calm you down and then you sleep better

 

[Man67]

I used Lorazepam for about 20 years in an as needed capacity. The highest dose I was ever prescribed was 1mg. I rarely took them everyday. I really just considered them for those times of extra high anxiety due to a stressful event. It was great to have them on hand just in case. Kind of funny but not was that I would often not remember to take one in the moment because I was so caught up in the anxiety.
It’s my understanding that in the US there has been a steady effort to cut back on prescribing benzodiazepines at least in the last few years. My health clinic has stopped prescribing them all together.
So I’m trying Gabapentin now and it’s so hard to tell if it’s working. I miss the lorazepam because I could actually feel the effects right away.
My psychiatrist suggested Buspar as an option, since I can’t tell with the gabapentin. Maybe I just need a higher dosage.

Sorry I went off on my own story there.

Thanks for the detailed and useful answer. My body is apparently very resistant to all pills. I am prescribed 2.5mg pills and first night I took one and slept like a baby. The second night I had to take the sleeping pill because I took lorazepam too late. Won't happen again.

Hey @Man67

The gist here is that substituting one Benzodiazepine for another in and of itself is not actually a solution to any problem.

If you're goal is just to move from an illicit source of Benzodiazepines to a licit one for whatever reason, then I guess there is an improvement in terms of safety, but you will still be faced with all of the problems that come with chronic usage of Benzodiazepines. 5mg Lorazepam (Ativan) per day is not on the crazy end of any spectrum, but it's enough to cause problems.

Benzodiazepines are not meant to be taken every day. They're really only effective for the short-term treatment of anxiety, typically no longer than 6 weeks. After this time, the benefits of the drugs become steadily outweighed by the drawbacks.

Is your goal to continue tapering? If that's the case, then this is a good place to start. You have someone willing to prescribe to you. This gives you access to a drug of guaranteed potency.

A lot of people feel this way about Benzodiazepines. Life is just too stressful. The feelings you have regarding Benzodiazepines are the norm. If you want advice for how to get off we can definitely help you out. The longer you take them, the harder it is going to be to get off.

Thanks mate. I just said to my Dr. that Lexotan doesn't help any more. After 10 years of taking it every day its no wander l developed a tolerance. I just asked him to prescribe me something new that will calm me down ASAP. He prescribed lorazepam and told me to be careful and take them only when i must. That is the whole story. Its still early to say are they working or not but yesterday I have to take half (have a problem with my computer) and didn't feel anything. Then I took another half and just then felt some relief. I am trying to start slowly and not take the full dose (5mg p/d). I need more time to figure out the time and the right dosage.

 

[Man67]

taking 1mg everyday to sleep aswell.. been a month and a few days i think. i lost count. at first it was ok but now it doesnt help me anymore as i smoked weed and kept taking it and i didnt need more than 1 week to fuck up my brain more and build tolarance to lorazepam. takes me 3 hours or more to sleep for... idk.. maybe 1 hour or 2
im feeling depressed more and more everyday as i dont get enough sleep. i rage took like 5mg one night and it still didnt help me to do its trick. its not a sleeping med but it is supposed to calm you down and then you sleep better

I've been taking sleeping pills for 15 years and instead of 1 i have to take 3. I hope that lorazepam will help a bit. Just not sure what's the right time to take it? 1 or 2 hours before sleep? I also needed something to calm my nerves ASAP in order not to do something stupid. I'm a war veteran with PTSD and trying to cut down on pills. I was dependent on opiates (for pain) but started taking Suboxone about a year ago and got rid of that addiction. Subs also made me feel less depressed so I stopped using my morning antidepressant ( 20mg Lexapro). I didn't have any withdrawal or side effects. I am still taking my evening antidep. (150mg Endep). Sorry, instead of simple answer I wrote a book. In conclusion, everyone is different so I will have to figure out the right dose for myself. If it wouldn't work I will ask at the next appointment with my Dr. something else. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Man67]

I don't like the idea of using a benzo everyday, my ex-gf did for quite a while and honestly tolerance and dependence is a shit, she was taking lorazepam, by the way, but not that much.
Have you asked for Buspar? seems more manageable, less problematic and good for long-term generalized anxiety, perhaps not so good for the acutes.
My expertise is natural drugs/substances, so I would recommend saffron extract, magnolia bark extract, mulungu... or ashwagandha. Skullcap is a very good nervine too.
if you consider this too weak or maybe you don't want to wait for a couple weeks to make it work properly (like in ashwagandha case), you may try some other stuff, l-theanine, high dose taurine, some glutamate inhibitor like NAC or perhaps an anxyolitic racetam like aniracetam.
Have you checked your T levels? I think a lot of men with anxiety issues are just running low on T.

Mate I am just a patient and all l can do is tell that something is not working and that l need something else. My Dr. is a great guy who knows my full history so I trust his judgement. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Man67]

Lorazepam is a short-acting 3-hydroxy benzo. It is a powerful anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnesic, and a decent sedative-hypnotic.I personally would have stuck with the bromazepam due to its superior myorelaxant properties, but lorazepam is a good replacement. It is highly physically addictive. There is research which shows lorazepam withdrawal is incredibly severe, and may be amongst the worst along with similar short-acting 3-hydroxy BZD's, like lormetazepam and temazepam.

If you look through Dr. Ashton's manual, there were severe cases of withdrawal syndrome from temazepam abuse in the UK back in the 80s and 90s. One guy lost a limb for continuous temazepam administration via IV route, only to continue his addiction to temazepam....

Below is mention of this case:


Link to source

Since lorazepam is closely related to temazepam, although in my opinion, it isn't as "good" as temazepam. Be careful with these drugs. I think the withdrawals are probably the most severe of any drugs, perhaps aside from barbiturates.

Phenobarbital is often overlooked, but I think it could be a good replacement for BZD wd's.

Lorazepam is a short-acting 3-hydroxy benzo. It is a powerful anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnesic, and a decent sedative-hypnotic.I personally would have stuck with the bromazepam due to its superior myorelaxant properties, but lorazepam is a good replacement. It is highly physically addictive. There is research which shows lorazepam withdrawal is incredibly severe, and may be amongst the worst along with similar short-acting 3-hydroxy BZD's, like lormetazepam and temazepam.

If you look through Dr. Ashton's manual, there were severe cases of withdrawal syndrome from temazepam abuse in the UK back in the 80s and 90s. One guy lost a limb for continuous temazepam administration via IV route, only to continue his addiction to temazepam....

Below is mention of this case:


Link to source

Since lorazepam is closely related to temazepam, although in my opinion, it isn't as "good" as temazepam. Be careful with these drugs. I think the withdrawals are probably the most severe of any drugs, perhaps aside from barbiturates.

Phenobarbital is often overlooked, but I think it could be a good replacement for BZD wd's.

First thing my Dr. told me is that Lorazepam withdrawals are among the worst. But he certainly has a good reason why he prescribed it. I've been his patient for 15 years so it wasn't a mistake. I got my next appointment in 8 weeks time and until then I will know is it working or not. I don't intend to take them on a regular basis but only when I need it. Thanks a lot for your valuable advice.

 

[internalcrisis]

i manged to fall asleep today after a few hours feeling less tired.. i think i managed to sleep at least 6 hours. damn reading about lorazepam withdrawals makes me sad lol i dont want to experience withdrawals..
i hope with seroquel it will be easier to quit

 

[Man67]

i manged to fall asleep today after a few hours feeling less tired.. i think i managed to sleep at least 6 hours. damn reading about lorazepam withdrawals makes me sad lol i dont want to experience withdrawals..
i hope with seroquel it will be easier to quit

Mate l don't wonna scare you but my experience with Seroquel was horrible. I am usually tolerant to all kinds of pills and have to take more then it says on the pack. Long time ago my psychiatrist prescribed me Seroquel. I took just one pill and quit. I slept around 15 hours and after that was hangover for the whole next day. I am not saying that the same thing will happen to you. Just be careful and start with the lowest dose. Good luck.

 

[Man67]

i manged to fall asleep today after a few hours feeling less tired.. i think i managed to sleep at least 6 hours. damn reading about lorazepam withdrawals makes me sad lol i dont want to experience withdrawals..
i hope with seroquel it will be easier to quit

Sorry but I forgot to ask you about the withdrawals. How long do you have to be on lorazepam in order to become addicted? I was prescribed 2 x 2.5mg per day and don't intend to take more. Any idea?

 

[plumbus-nine]

Sorry but I forgot to ask you about the withdrawals. How long do you have to be on lorazepam in order to become addicted? I was prescribed 2 x 2.5mg per day and don't intend to take more. Any idea?

I was on 1- 3mg/d for around three months then the quack stopped it suddenly and I got some weeks of constant tension and panic, insomnia. Nobody told me that it was addictive, I didn't really realize that it was from the lorazepam at first. These benzos are as nasty as they can be a godsend for panic attacks.

 

[plumbus-nine]

You realize that's like 20 to 60 mg of Valium a day for 3 months.

I can't believe your doctor didn't tell you that anything longer than a few weeks you're going to have withdrawal.

I got the lorazepam as an inpatient in the psych ward because of social anxiety. Back then (almost 20 years ago) there was no pregabalin or other treatment than SSRIs and benzos for anxiety. The first ward handed me as many benzo dosages as I wanted without telling me anything about the addiction risk. Then I was transferred to another ward with an asshole doc who stopped me cold turkey and just gave me mirtazapine. I kept having panic attacks out of the blue for 3+months.

Never had dizaepam yet but I know about the dosage equivalence, yeah.

 

[Man67]

I was on 1- 3mg/d for around three months then the quack stopped it suddenly and I got some weeks of constant tension and panic, insomnia. Nobody told me that it was addictive, I didn't really realize that it was from the lorazepam at first. These benzos are as nasty as they can be a godsend for panic attacks.

Thanks mate. After just 4-5 days l realised that it makes me more depressed. But it helps for sleep. I don't know what to do?

 

[Man67]

So 5 mg a day? How many days? You need to let us know how many days.

Today is day 5. I am already sleeping better but my depression has got worse. By the way, what's wrong with Valium? Whenever I ask my Dr. about it he says "It's not for you". I just need something to calm my nerves but not to make me more depressed. Is there such a pill?

 

[Keif' Richards]

@Man67

Okay, I read through your replies on this thread. I wasn't aware that you had been taking "sleeping pills". I assume you're talking about Z-Drugs like Zolpidem (Ambien)? There are several, but they all begin with a Z, hence the name.

These drugs are fairly cross-tolerant with other sedative-hypnotic drugs like Alcohol, Barbiturates or in your case, Benzodiazepines. I'm not a pharmacist and my knowledge is basic, but I'm aware that this cross-tolerance has been fairly well-established. For years, I've operated thinking that these are basically short-acting, extremely hypnotic Benzodiazepines. I don't feel I'm far off in this description despite my lack of knowledge.

This explains some things. As we talked about, 5mg Lorazepam (Ativan) per day is nothing crazy, but it's right in the middle. Most people would feel noticeably strange/fucked up taking that dosage for the first time. Even if not fucked up, you'd know you were sedated and I believe this feeling would be strong and undeniable.

I'm sorry to hear about the depression. This is a recorded possible symptom for some with Benzodiazepines. @shugenja made a good point though. It's possible that other Benzodiazepines might be more helpful for you. However, I really don't think it's in your best interest to continue with these drugs. I'm not saying stop taking them immediately, but I think you should consider it. Your description of going from 1 to 3 pills is pretty textbook and once the first real tolerance episode strikes, it's a major fork in the road for folks in which they can stop or they can continue, experiencing continuing diminishing returns, escalating dosages and more side effects.

 

[Man67]

So 5 mg a day? How many days? You need to let us know how many days.

@Man67

Okay, I read through your replies on this thread. I wasn't aware that you had been taking "sleeping pills". I assume you're talking about Z-Drugs like Zolpidem (Ambien)? There are several, but they all begin with a Z, hence the name.

These drugs are fairly cross-tolerant with other sedative-hypnotic drugs like Alcohol, Barbiturates or in your case, Benzodiazepines. I'm not a pharmacist and my knowledge is basic, but I'm aware that this cross-tolerance has been fairly well-established. For years, I've operated thinking that these are basically short-acting, extremely hypnotic Benzodiazepines. I don't feel I'm far off in this description despite my lack of knowledge.

This explains some things. As we talked about, 5mg Lorazepam (Ativan) per day is nothing crazy, but it's right in the middle. Most people would feel noticeably strange/fucked up taking that dosage for the first time. Even if not fucked up, you'd know you were sedated and I believe this feeling would be strong and undeniable.

I'm sorry to hear about the depression. This is a recorded possible symptom for some with Benzodiazepines. @shugenja made a good point though. It's possible that other Benzodiazepines might be more helpful for you. However, I really don't think it's in your best interest to continue with these drugs. I'm not saying stop taking them immediately, but I think you should consider it. Your description of going from 1 to 3 pills is pretty textbook and once the first real tolerance episode strikes, it's a major fork in the road for folks in which they can stop or they can continue, experiencing continuing diminishing returns, escalating dosages and more side effects.

You are right. I take Ambien for sleep but it doesn't work anymore. Before that tried several different brands from several groups without success. I also think that lorazepam is not for me because I really don't want another addiction. If you got an idea or suggestion l would be grateful. Thanks for caring.

 

[Man67]

Tell him you did some research and you'd like to go on low dose daily Librium therapy for anxiety.

Thanks, l will.