I actually started lorazepam to help with a relapse of a toxic fish poisoning called ciguatera which causes itching and pins and needles. I've had ciguatera for 8 years-it affects nerve endings-thus the lorazepam. When I tried to taper myself, I experienced itching, pins and needles, plus some pretty strong chest tightness/pain which I've read can go with withdrawal. I think I tried to taper too quickly in the past 3 months, so I had to go back to my original script of 1 mg a day. I take 1/4 mg a.m.; 1/2 mg noon; 1/4 mg eve. I've been doing that for two weeks and feel good, but of course I want to get off. I see a psychiatrist just for support for withdrawal, but he hasn't been very helpful in creating a schedule for me. So I'm thinking of cutting down in the following way for the next two weeks: 1/4 mg a.m.; 1/2 mg noon; 1/8 mg evening. Does that sound reasonable?
What is the best way to taper from 1mg of lorazepam? I have been on it for 16 months?
Question posted by clong1946 on 4 Jan 2017
Last updated on 11 October 2018
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Hi, how are you doing on your reduction? I would be very interested to know! I've also been taking 1mg a day and am desperate to get off this medication. I take 1mg at night before bed, and started taking it when my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer, it really helped me through a very tough time but I no longer want to be taking it. I stopped it completely without realising how bad the withdrawals would be. I lasted 3 days. I've now (yesterday) gone to taking half a tablet at night now, as suggested by my doctor. I'm fully expecting anxiety and panic to set in, and of course insomnia, but I'm hoping as I will be taking half it should take the edge off. I hope you are doing well.
Hi EvaMolly-
First I am very sorry about your mother. Actually, some years ago, in 2006 I started taking Ativan occasionally as our middle son was dying of brain cancer. He died in 2007 and for maybe a couple of years I took a little just to sleep, but not regularly. However one day I just stopped and for whatever reason I was ok, but that was because I wasn't taking it regularly. For the past 16 months, I have been taking it regularly-every day. I'm doing just ok on my reduction. Nine days ago my husband suggested I rejigger the dose to 1/4 a.m.; 3/4 noonish; and 1/4p.m. so that when I feel adjusted to that without the painful chest tightness I get and itching, I can just go at 1/4, 1/4, 1/4. I'm not there yet and I expect I won't be for another couple of weeks.
In my experience of trying to get off this for the past 4 months and going to a psychiatrist to help in the dosing (he really hasn't been that much help) and reading, I can tell you that dropping by 50% is much too fast. Is your doctor an addition specialist? If not he/she may not be the best guide. I am dropping by 1/8 mg and I still have itching and the chest pain. I take Claratin in the a.m. for itching and Benadryl at night if I still have itching, along with 5mg of Melatonin at night to help with sleep. My situation is complicated because it was the symptoms of a relapse of ciguatera, the toxic fish poisoning I've had now for almost 9 years, the itching and pins and needles for which I started Lorazepam, but when you try to withdraw you can get itching, pins and needles and other bad side effects.
Bottom line EvaMolly, I recommend dropping by no more than 1/4 mg and doing that for weeks until you feel ok and then on to the next 1/4 for weeks and so on. Turns out withdrawal from Benzo's is brutal and takes months to wean off.
Hey not sure if your on here anymore but I was wondering how reduction went I’ve been taking 1 mg lorazepam 7 weeks now for insomnia . Doc told me to reduce 10% a day after 9 days have been so unwell . I read 10% a week how did yours go
Hi, I’ve just seen your post. I feel for you. Any help is good help as I see it. I’m completely off it now but it took a while. I stuck with it. I read up about it lots and the best advice I ever had was to switch to Valium and taper down from that. I’ll go into that in a minute. I made a deal with myself that once I’d cut the dose (and I did this by small amounts) no matter what I would not put it back up again. Every drop is a step in the right direction, and the terrible feelings when you lower the dose do pass. I have to say in hindsight it was terrible coming off the lorazepam/diazepam, worst thing I’ve ever been through, but once you are totally off it you do return to your old self and you improve each week. All benzodiazepines are the same but Valium is a longer lasting one so easier to come off of.
Lorazepam is actually the worst one to withdraw from as it’s very short acting so that’s why you are having to take it throughout the day to not start feeling anxious etc. Diazepam (Valium) has a 24hr half life so you can take it once a day. 1mg of lorazepam is equal to 10mg of diazepam (you can google this to find the right dose for you) you will need to find a sympathetic Dr that is willing to support how you want to do it. Almost impossible to cut lorazepam tabs up equally and the lowest dose they come in is 1mg. The lowest dose tablets you can get of diazepam are 2mg so it’s very easy to break them in half and control the reduction. I actually found that I could cope ok with 6mg of diazepam to start with (this is equal to just over half a lorazepam 1mg tab) You want to form a plan. First switch to diazepam and settle on that, maybe 10 days, I started on 6mg and I took it in the evenings, then after a couple of weeks I went down to 5mg (2 and a half 2mg tabs) felt ok on that, then went down to 4mg, felt the drop to 4 quite a bit but stuck to my guns. Loud noises bothered me, the itchy skin would start, awful anxiety and couldn’t go out much. But these symptoms I learnt, lasted about 2-3 weeks and then levelled out. When you are in that state of mind you feel horrendous but it does pass. Each time once I’d levelled out I gave myself a week or 2 and then dropped the dose again. Once I was down to 3mg I then broke the 2mg tabs into quarters so the drop was slightly less each time. Are you in the UK? Blue nytol tablets were my absolute saviour through all of this, they def do help to calm down the withdrawal symptoms, don’t get the green herbal ones, it must be the blue 25mg ones. I can give you more info about these if you want it. Also cut out caffeine completely as it exasperates anxiety and panic. I really hope I’ve helped you and given you some hope and some info to think about. Please let me know how you are and how you are getting on X
Oh I’m doing my cuts with medication scales and a razor I’m gong to ask if I can have .5 mg tabs . I’ve got a hair studio that I’ve had to shut 2 children amazing husband family and friends thank god
Would love to contact you x
Related topics
pruritus, ciguatera, lorazepam, nerve, poisoning, taper, paresthesia
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