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Benzos withdrawal from short term use of ativan

ilych

Greenlighter
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Messages
21
i know this is probably minor compared to what some of you have gone through, but i feel like shit.
ive been prescribed ativan for a while and always just taken it now and again, but recently ive started taking another medication because i really needed a long term fix for my anxiety. The medication caused a spike in my anxiety while it is setting in and i took ativan 4 days in a row.
after these 4 days i find my self feeling terrible.
im having hot and cold flashes, having really bad physical anxiety symptoms, aches and pains, and flu like symptoms
all of these things seem to coincide with the symptoms of benzo withdrawal
from everything ive read previously it takes weeks for this to happen, so i figured i would be fine, but I am not.
I can take opiates for a week + in a row and not have any withdrawal but these things are kicking my ass
do you guys have any thoughts or advice on what the hell is going on?
 
Maybe you have the flu?

Have you tried taking something that isn't a benzo for anxiety relief?

well i thought that was a possiblity but the flu never gives me anxiety like this.
ive been getting a lot better ,and this is just out of control.

ive started on buspar in an attempt to help the anxiety, but IDk of anything that can help provide short term relief that isnt a benzo.
 
well i thought that was a possiblity but the flu never gives me anxiety like this.
ive been getting a lot better ,and this is just out of control.

ive started on buspar in an attempt to help the anxiety, but IDk of anything that can help provide short term relief that isnt a benzo.

Antihistamines can help take off the edge. Diphenhydramine, doxylamine, or hydroxyzine are good candidates.

Do you like weed? I think it is great for anti-anxiety.
 
Antihistamines can help take off the edge. Diphenhydramine, doxylamine, or hydroxyzine are good candidates.

Do you like weed? I think it is great for anti-anxiety.

i used to love weed for my anxiety but sadly it ended up turning my minor anxiety into a really bad problem. i smoked too much one night and had a humongous panic attack that landed me in the hospital because my parents thought i was dying.
since then i havent been able to smoke comfortably. i have some diphenhydramine from opiate potentiation so ill take that and try and get comfortable.

niacinamide and also l-theanine+gaba.

my doctor prescribed me niacinamide for anxiety and it has some great benefits.

http://www.helpyourselfcommunity.org/features/niacinamide’s-potent-role-alleviating-anxiety-its-benzodiazepine-properties-case-report

thank you ill look into this
 
niacinamide and also l-theanine+gaba.

Could you tell us a little bit more about the protocol you use, and the results thus far? I am on Ativan) and am very interested in augmenting or even replacing it, as I don't have complete control of my anxiety yet, plus benzos are probably not good for me physically or mentally long-term.
 
Theres a few things that could be going on hear. It may well be the new medication is altering your phychological state like so many do until they are completly processed in the system.Also you may have developed a tolerance to ativan and adding a new med but already havin a certin tolerance that the ativan is not helping so much because its use two treating your anxiety at a level without a anxiety provoking additional medication?. Also possibly it could be a case of you have developed a phychological addiction two ativan which is very common.What i would do is go see your doctor explain the situation and ask 4 a short term increase in prn ativan untill the drug is fully working in the system?. There after if you have no luck with that route disscontinue the medication if it is unbarable and ask 4 a other medication. or stop the medication and leave it for a couple of days and see if your anxiety levels fall. If not then you may well have a physical or phychological dependancy and will need a gradual tappering offthis powerfull anti anxiety medication hope that helps good luck
 
ive started on buspar in an attempt to help the anxiety, but IDk of anything that can help provide short term relief that isnt a benzo.

The symptoms you describe don't sound like w/d from ativan to me, rather common side effects from starting buspar.

When I first started buspar I went through about two weeks of hellish side effects similar to what you describe, also with vertigo, and no anxiety relief.

That being said, after the two weeks almost all of the side effects subsided and it did start working reasonably well for my anxiety for a time. Though, many other people have minimal luck with it.

An antihistamine is another option to consider as others have been saying but, that runs risks of other side effects such as excessive tiredness.

In any case, I hope you start feeling better, and be sure to keep us posted.
 
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