Ativan Withdrawal Symptoms: When a Supposed Anxiety ‘Cure’ Actually Causes Extreme Anxiety
Sometimes I am truly shocked how many good people become accidentally addicted to benzodiazepine medications such as Ativan (Lorazepam). I seem to get many emails about this subject, and unfortunately, I’ve also been through it myself. Even though Ativan and it’s sister benzodiazepine meds are known to be dependency causing, doctors in the US continue to routinely prescribe them to unsuspecting anxiety sufferers.
I remember well the extreme anxiety and physical pain of Ativan withdrawal; and in my case, my doctor never even instructed me to taper off of the drug gradually (like all the experts say you should), so I just quit cold turkey. Bad Idea.
My physical suffering, panic and anxiety after quitting Ativan was like nothing I had ever known (and this from a guy with anxiety problems from age 13!). The sad fact is that most doctors are simply ignorant of the tremendous damage that benzodiazepine dependency can cause. And if you quit using them cold turkey, as I foolishly did, there is a risk of suffering life-threatening seizures.
There are message boards all over the Internet where former Ativan users discuss the nightmare of benzodiazepine withdrawal. Symptoms such as severe panic, agoraphobia, extreme fatigue, blurry vision, heart palpitations, muscle spasms, trouble breathing, extreme insomnia, nausea, upset stomach, depression and painful cramps are not uncommon. And the most debilitating thing of all: benzodiazepine withdrawal can easily last six to 12 months, with a smaller percentage of users experiencing extended post withdrawal symptoms that can last up to five years! Talk about living through hell!
I wanted to point out the extreme risks involved in “popping” Ativan or other benzodiazepines as a way to reduce anxiety and panic attacks. Yes, you may get some immediate relief from your symptoms, but it’s a fools paradise, and the down side is potentially devastating.
More than once, I’ve had e-mails from former Ativan users who became dependent on the pills in as little as two weeks of regular use. Pharmaceutical companies are only now beginning to admit that benzodiazepines can cause dependency in such short periods of time. But unfortunately, most doctors are STILL not aware of this fact.
While it is true that Ativan can be helpful in certain very specific situations to control anxiety, a certain percentage of people seem to become addicted to this drug very quickly. Other individuals may better tolerate benzodiazepines, and be less likely to become dependent on the drug with short-term use. But who wants to take that chance?
Personally, I believe it is wise to be very skeptical of about taking any benzodiazepine. If you or any of your loved ones are considering taking Ativan or another Benzo drug, PLEASE have them visit some of the benzodiazepine withdrawal forums online (I can recommend http://benzowithdrawal.com/) and read a few of the personal accounts of former benzo users, and particularly those who became addicted very quickly to Ativan. And then run, don’t walk, away from these pills.
TIP: The ‘Instant Tranquility’ guided visualization session from www.easycalm.com has proven effective in helping benzodiazepine withdrawal sufferers to relax. You can try the “Instant Tranquility” guided visualization here.
Technorati Tags: anxiety medication, Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
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October 4th, 2009 at 8:04 am
I bookmarked this. Thank you for good job!
October 13th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
It use to take hours for me to fall asleep as I am a hyper person (which I guess makes sense being a personal trainer), I find it hard to relax. In a weird way this music open’s up my mind and I feel like I am in some natural dream land of complete peace. All I know is that then next morning I am refreshed and energetic for my clients
October 16th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I started on the mangosteen & minerals Jan. 2006 to see if it would help my anxiety & depression.
During the first week I noticed I was sleeping through the night instead of tossing and turning. I then realized I actually had energy that lasted all day. My Depression lifted and my feelings of anxiety went away. My doctor cut my zoloft from 100 mg. to 50 for now and hope to get off it all together soon. I
now drink 2 ounces of the juice every day.
Dickman , Mary
Normal , IL
November 7th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I advise everyone considering taking ativan or other benzos to really take this article serious. I’ve lived through the hell of benzo withdrawal and I can vouche that he is telling you the absolute truth. It was hellishly tough. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
[…] while back I posted a blog about my experience with Ativan withdrawal, and the hell I went through trying to “get off” of those “evil little […]
November 9th, 2009 at 7:38 am
I am going through ativan withdrawal for the past 4 weeks after being on 1-2 mgs per day for the past 9 years. I am receiving acupuncture but hardly sleeping at all which creates huge anxiety, thankyou for this page and can you please offer more tips, I have felt so alone in this and truly on the edge.
November 16th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I am also going through ativan withdrawal for the past 3 weeks after being on 0.5mg ativan for 18 days for treatment of anxiety. My psychiatrist took me off this drug suddenly and there was no slow withdrawal as I was told that I was not addicted with such a short term use. I can say that I had and still have some difficult withdrawal symptoms, from insomnia to high blood pressure, rapid pulse, palms sweating. I now take Metoprolol for B/P and this does help also I take melatonin supplement 1/2 tab and this helps with sleep although it is still interrupted
November 16th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Troubling yet informative. Withdrawal from Ativan has been a grueling battle for anxiety attack patients. i believe any form of withdrawal from any substance can be as troubling as this. First, it is taken as a cure for anxiety, and now, the problems get knee-deep by adding up another truckload, as problems from ativan withdrawal poses yet another ordeal. I hope there are experts who could advise us on this matter.
This post is really helpful. Thanks a lot!
November 30th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I can relate to the Ativan withdrawl. I have only taken 0.5 mg at night for sleep and I tried to stop abruptly. I finfally got 5 hrs of sleep after taking one at 2:00 am. I will taper to 1/2 for three nights and then 1/4 for three nights and see how that does.
Thanks for the sight.
December 12th, 2009 at 7:52 am
best article I read about this yet!
January 6th, 2010 at 4:25 am
This is a really good read for me, Must admit that you are one of the best bloggers I ever saw.Thanks for posting this informative article.
February 4th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Ativan has really been a big help. i am happy with this product. i bought it in www.medsheaven.com
March 30th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Thanks for your info. re Ativan withdrawal. I am in that group of people. Just wondering: Where did you get the info. about withdrawal taking up to 5 years for a small percentage of people?
Thanks again.
Beverly
April 3rd, 2010 at 6:35 am
This is insane reading these commments about ativan withdrawl. I thought I was going crazy. I’ve had anxiety since I was a child and have recently become aware of the horrors of trying to taper off this drug. I would have extreme panic attacks about a week after the drug was almost completely out of my system. I couldnt breathe, racing terrifying thoughts, sense of impending doom, and I could not stop crying uncontollably. I am done with benzos!
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:19 am
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April 4th, 2010 at 7:27 am
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April 6th, 2010 at 10:07 am
To Tammi on November 16th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I am wondering how do you do now. I took 0.5mg Ativan every day before sleep for 40days and I withdrwaled it. This the the first day of the 4 weeks and I can sleep 5 hours a day but I have high blood pressure140/90. I am wondering how you deal the high blood pressure and how many weeks do I have to suffer from high blood pressure? I appreciate Tammi or anyony could answer me.
April 10th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Umm.. your post point out the obvious but not much else. People, if at all possible do not wait for your doctor to cut you off from benzo’s do it yourself. I lost a 5 yearold daughter and started having panic/anxiety attacks about 2 years later, to put it in perspective you think you are dying and WILL seek medical attention. I tried several drugs like zoloft cannot remember all the names but none worked. Doctor gave me Ativan, it was a miracle drug, started sleeping again not worrying about dying in my sleep..etc..etc and the attacks went away. I was on .5 mg 3 times aday. Very small dose. Eventually I noticed I was living in a ” I don’t give a shit fog” excuse my french. I decided to start reducing my Ativan levels on my own, I’ve always been curious and knew while taking ativan, withdrawls could be a killer. I was on the initial dose for 6+ months, I forgot to add that, anyways Ativan is a fast acting drug from what I’ve read and putting it under the tongue like nitro for heart patients really speeds up the effect for quick acting relief from symptoms of anxiety/withdrawl. What i did was stop the mid day .5 mg cold turkey but knew that “IF” my symptoms got out of hand I had my fall back .5 mg to use, it really helps knowing you have a fall back dose like that. The first few weeks I really cannot remember needing the .5 mg emergency dose to be honest. I didn’t feel the effects of withdrawls until I after a month of just taking .5mg aday morning and night i decided to knock off another .5 mg. I did this differently by still taking a small dose morning and night but using .25 mg but keeping in the back of my mind I was down to 1/3 of my initial prescribed dose and could still use my emergency blanket dose of .5 mg in a pinch. I will admit I did need that emergency dose off and on for months (yes months) but tried to keep it to .25 mgs and not the full .5mg but somedays well it was necessary. Anyways to make a long story short, I found the initial reduction of my initial prescribed dose by 1/3 cold turkey was easy, the second reduction 30 days later by 1/3 allot tougher and after 6 months at the 1/3 dose ( .5mg, .25 morning and night) and needing the emergency under the tongue .25mg less and less I was finally able to convince myself I no longer needed the drug everyday but only a .25mg or in my case 1/6 intial prescribed dose on an as needed bases but this only worked when I felt the attacks/withdrawls coming on and put it under my tongue and used “NO WATER” to wash it down for at least 10-15 minutes, i disolved it under my tongue. I am happy to say my doctor has not tried to take me off my dosage of .5 mg 3x aday but we have had long talks about how I’m taking it if at all and I told him to reduce my prescription to 30 mg a month and only used as needed. I also should note I never use the stuff anymore. but have that blanket around me “IF” i need it. This all took at least 8 months of work, this may or may not work for everybody but it did for me and I initiated it on my own terms when I felt I was ready. I hope this helps some of you and I feel for anybody who was removed from it cold turkey by there doctors. If you’ve heard of the singer Stevie Nicks, you’ll know if you search on the web she stated getting off ativan was harder for her than Coke. If you fail the first time try ..try again. And my advive from experience is never ever fall all the way back to the max dosage your doctor prescribed for you and it will get easier I promise. Good luck and if you have been to the emergency room thinking your dying and wer diagnosed with anxiety do not be embarassed you are not alone. When this all started with me I went twice and the doc said this happens to allot of people. And sometimes for no reason you can point to. talking to someone also helps allot shrinks never did it for me just someone whos a good listener worked and helped me through my darkest days..
May 4th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Iv had my first panic attack about two months ago.I am 16 yers old.I thought i was going to die.I went to the E.R and they told me i had a panic attack.They gave me 8 1mg ativan pills.I took 2 mg a day for three days.One in the morning and one at night.I stoped taking ativan because i was feeling calm but confused and spaced out.About three days later when i stop taking ativan I felt like i snapped.I felt like my life was a dream.Iv been through hell but im not sure if its withdrawl symptoms from ativan.can i get withdrawl symptoms after taking ativan for that short period of time?plzz anyone i need an answer because im about ready to give up.my email is johnnyv_07@yahoo.com
May 19th, 2010 at 7:33 am
I was put on ativan for sever alcohol withdrawl and was taking 6 mg a day for two months and then 8 mg for a month and a half Did not know anything about this drug or how powerful it is.Dr’plan is to reduce 1 mg every two weeks, sure hope it works.I have been without over a weekend and by monday morning thought I was ready for the nut house or the grave.After reading many posts I am pretty full of fear because I have gone threw sever withdrawl already and dont want to go threw it again.
June 17th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
I am experiencing very clear withdrawal from taking .5mg once a day for just over four weeks (I tapered to half that for five days). I asked my doctor if my dizziness could be caused by this withdrawal and she said that that dose was too small to do this. She is wrong.
Thank you so much for this beautifully written and beautifully intentioned blog post.
October 26th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Anne d..your doc. is wrong. I started experiencing withdrawal symptons from this drug only after using it for 4 weeks. My symptoms include dizziness, light headed, nausea, axiety attacks, shortness of breath. Pretty much like i have a really horrible flu. And how do i know it’s symptons of withdrawal? Well beacause when i start to feel like crap, it all goes away when i pop a pill. Im almost tapered off so im happy!
October 26th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Not to mention very weak and disoriented
October 29th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
please help me, I weened off ativan the past year I was on 2mg x 4 a day, now two weeks have passed and my upper back and chest hurt something awful, I went to my Dr’s today and they wanted to give me muscle relaxors and I said no, is this going to be a long process? I can not even wear a bra!! please let me know if any of you experience this awful suffering in your upper and and chest God Bless~janice
November 1st, 2010 at 11:09 am
@Jaime and Anned: In my experience, I began experiencing inter-dose withdrawal symptoms in less than 4 weeks. These included dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, unusual skin breakouts, shortness of breath and severe anxiety. I also began to have agoraphobia (fear of being in open spaces–outside my comfort zone), which was something I had never experienced before.
My doctor scoffed at the idea that it could be caused by benzo withdrawal. I had full bloodwork and other tests done twice and both times the doc pronounced me completely healthy. He was at a loss to explain my symptoms, but still didn’t believe benzo withdrawal could be the cause.
But after reading the stories of hundreds of others with the exact same symptoms online, I came to the conclusion that I was indeed experiencing benzo withdrawal. There was simply no other explanation. It’s frustrating that most doctors don’t recognize it (especially in the US). UK researches like Ashton (of The Ashton Manual) have much more experience with this.
Unfortunately, I quit cold turkey, and this probably made my recovery time longer than necessary. It’s a gradual process, but it DOES get better. And the recovery is not linear–it gets better and then worse, and then better….etc.
What helped me most in recovery was distraction (funny, mindless movies, etc), rest, taking NO pills or supplements of any kind (except a single ibuprofen capsule here and there), avoiding hot weather and hot showers, and eating very bland food.
Hang in there guys–it DOES improve. After 7-8 months I was markedly better (but not 100%). There’s nothing to do but be patient and ride it out, while making yourself as comfy as possible and put as little stress on yourself as possible.
~Jon
November 8th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I started taking Ativan after a surgical procedure on October 2. I had been taking it until November 3 rd and stopped taking it that day. By Friday I had almost every withdrawl symptom. Not knowing that you have to ween yourself off this pill. I really thought that was going to have to go emergency as I felt like I was going to die. Without knowing what the withdral symptoms were I had and still have quite a few… severe abdominal pains,aching,anxiety,constipation and distended abdomen,flu like symptoms,increased sense of smell,insomnia,shaking, headaches,tinnitus,sensitive to sound and light,heart palpitations, thoughts of suicide and nausea. It has been almost 5 days and I am still very sore in the rib cage and middle back, Nauseated and flu like symptoms,anxiety once in a while, sleeping is starting to come back , heart palpitations when I get upset. Resting when I need to helps and drinking a tonne of water to flush my system. Going outside to sit in the sun really helps as does being with someone supportive. Eating a bland diet also help eg. brown rice, fruit and veg and fish. Porrige for breacky helps soothe the stomach. I hope this will help …..
November 15th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
I need some help, I have been taking prn ativan for a year, only using 1/4 to 1/2 of a 1mg tablet daily or every other day….sometimes even longer periods but recently I increased for sleeping to 1/2 a 1mg tablet at night for sleeping been doing that for a couple of months, I tried to stop not knowing all this infomation and went into a complete panic state that I’ve never known….I started taking this when my son died to stop heart racing and palpatations and anxiety….now with all I know I want to stop, I am down to 1/4 in the morning and sometimes at night, how do I taper properly, can it be done…..I am really scared….
November 24th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
I GOT OFF ATIVAN COLD TURKEY 10 DAYS AGO IAM VERY DEPRESSED I WAS NEVER DEPRESSED BEFORE I STARTED TAKING ATIVAN 2 YEARS AGO ON AND OFF SOMEONE PLEASE HELP
January 4th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
I have been taking small amounts of ativan for a about 2 years, maybe 1/2 max to sleep but usally 1/4 of a 0.5 mg tablet. i had no idea that i would experience withdrawl symptoms but now realize that the severe abdominal pain ive been experiencing is withdrawl. ive tapered off before and will now start the process all over. after reading the posts i realize that the flulike symptoms, body aches, anxiety, panic attacks, chest pain, excruciating abdominal pain are all symptoms of ativan withdrawl and I’d rather not sleep than go thru this any longer. i just shaved off a tiny chip to hopefully take the edge off but starting tonight will do the same. i was on antidepressants - zoloft then celexa - for almost ten years and it forever to wean completely off. I started by cutting down by half from 40 to 30 mg which i took for about 3 weeks, then went down to 10 then had to use a razor to cut down to what i estimated was about 5 mg. after staying at each level for about 3 weeks i spent about a month taking literally a chip every day then every other day until finally i was able to stop completely. good fun! i had no idea i’d become addicted to such a tiny amount of ativan but i guess i need to start this process again.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:15 pm
I was taking small doses of Ativan (1-2mg/day split into 0.5mg doses) for 2 weeks. I think the anxiety was party brought on by some antibiotics I had been taking, cephalexin. Anyways, when I tried to stop the Ativan I found I couldn’t. So I weaned myself off of it over 8 days and then had two absolutely horrendous days. But it is 9 days now and I still experience anxiety. Part of this I know is worrying about the discomfort in my throat which is Globus Hystericus (or Cricopharyngeal Spasm). The anxiety is what perpetuates Globus, but the discomfort is so, that you get anxious about it, and create a never ending cycle. So I am wondering now how much of my anxiety is from the Ativan still and how much it is just myself? I still suffer from insomnia as well, but the nausea and diarrhea have gone away.
Nobody seems to know how long the process takes. Will it ever really end?
January 20th, 2011 at 5:23 am
I had started taking Ativan about 2 years ago not knowing anything about it. I used it when i was welding, it seemed to really steady my nerves. I was taking anywhere from 1mg to 3mg a day. I was in San Fransico Welding in a Oil Refiniery, this is like 6 months in on Ativan, i started having CRAZY anxiety, Unreal feelings, numbness is legs, so i freaked out left back to Oklahoma, quit a job that i was making 3000 dollars at and came home thinking that i was loosing my mind!!! but impossible I am only 24 years old this cant be! So 1 month home i had to have my Gall bladder removed, then i quit Ativan cold turkey for a month, but the symptoms were still there, so i was even more convinced i was going crazy!! I even filed for Dissability!! Drastic change in my lifestyle, i was homeridden. i didnt drive anywhere, no traveling in general, no wal-mart, no NOTHING…. I lost Hope, I lost Faith, I lost MYSELF. Until one day i did research on Benzos and was Shocked! People’s blogs all over the net!! It was like i wrote them, So i knew what i had to do….I took 1mg a day for 2 months then 1mg every other day for a couple of weeks, then one once a week for 2 weeks then NO more. Its HARD. I had the most mental strength a human could have, I spent 2 days in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on life raft after Katrina destroyed my Rig…..No problem. But this is the true test. I have been off of Ativan for 5 weeks now, And the symptoms have calmed down alot. The best thing to help with the symptoms is plane jane natural Marijuanna. Now, dont go and take a Bong Riff, But just a pinch in a fake metal ciggerette, then take a deep breath, And remember you cant feel this way forever, its only temporary! Go outside and take in God’s beauty and remember your not alone. talk to friends or family about it, keep reassurance of what your going through. Anxiety is a natural human emotion, it will not ever go away…But We have been dealing with it for thousands of years. So take a deep breath…..your fine, Trust me. Jesse, Oklahoma. lou_dog777@hotmail.com
February 21st, 2011 at 9:09 am
dear everyone;
i fully understand i’ve been on ativan sine may of 2009 when my mom passed away …never had any issues took stress like noone could then the unfortunate happenfirst it ed and i got prescribed ativan was 2 mg but made me sleep too much so i got 1 mg three times a day but i took it twice instead now recentlyi said okay im done i tried doing it my self took one pill eveday skipped one dose then found myself in a situation…..i could not breathe it was hard to swallow my heart was beating so hard and fast i felt it coming out my chest uncontrollably i thought i was going to pass out my feet got so cold and sweatyand the chest pains like i was having a heart attack i went to my doc hes slowing me down to one pill and then half for the afternoon it is so hard and i tell my husband but he looks at me like im some kind of crackhead i feel embarrased to tell him what i feel anymore everytime i say this or that hurts i feel like hes saying oh here we go again or how sad i feel all the time and how much i cry he’ll just say snap out of it thats the thing …i dont know if i can
March 5th, 2011 at 3:43 pm
This has helped me so much. I have been lorazepam free since September 21, 2010 and I am getting better everyday. I started on .5 mg 3 times a day and ended with taking 2mg 3 times a day for a total of 2 1/2 years. i was a mess. Insane is more like it. I am a 38 yr old single mom and knew I had to get off of these pills. I lost my job which enabled me to get off of them. It was a living nightmare getting off but I’m so grateful I did. I did it cold turkey. I don’t recommend it. But it worked for me. I only slept 2-3 hours the first 2 months. I watched light hearted comedies, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyers and thanked God for my healing every day. I still do the same and it’s been 5 months. I avoid any stress or triggers. I still have pain that goes from shoulder to shoulder and down in my back like a pattern. My brain is healing and I know this. The pain was so intense in the beginning it was overwhelming. I was determined to stay off of these pills. I have lost 26 lbs. I do light excersize. Eating healthy has helped me so much as well. Positive affirmations daily, continually. Any negative thought I replace with a positive one. I say them out loud. I journal and write a list of things I am grateful for. My brain is healing and I can’t think like I used to. I feel like its in slow motion. But from all I’ver read this will pass and it’s part of the healing. I just take it easy on myself and trust the process.
March 17th, 2011 at 10:10 am
I have bee taking Ativan 1-2mg’s per day sometimes less for general anxiety and after about 10 years of taking this off an on I didn’t like who I was, I was lazy and would experience anxiety on occasion but thank God I didn’t take more of this. In any case without knowing the withdrawal symptoms I stopped cold turkey and experienced these symptoms; I had a slight case of colitis, hypertension, sweats, shakes and muscle pain in the neck and chest. I researched for a natural anti-anxiety supplement and did find a natural vitamin to supplement the Ativan as studies have shown that Vitamin B3 or Niacinamide provides the same benefits to the neurotransmitters in your brain to help relax you and is also good for lowering blood pressure and several other health benefits, it’s know as the anti-aging vitamin. I brought this to my doctor and he said it’s a good vitamin to take especially if it helped me with these symptoms. If you have naturally low blood pressure you may not want to take these, consult with your doctor or internet (WebMD) for suggestions. In any case check it out as this has helped me significantly to relax, it’s also water soluble and can be safely taken up to 3000mg’s daily. I only took 400-500mg two to three times a day and it helped me for sure. You can buy this at your local GNC in 100mg tabs. Don’t take my word for it ask your doctor or check out the benefits of this on WebMD or other medical sites or Google Niacinamide and anxiety.
Working out daily and eating healthy will also help to reduce this anxiety as this is what I do faithfully, it surely changed my life to better myself, physically, emotionally and mentaly and spiritually. I pray that you too are free from this burden.
May God Bless, give this to Him and He will take this burden from you.
April 4th, 2011 at 5:47 pm
i need help i took ativan and and having bad withdraws i need help can you possible help me thank you
April 29th, 2011 at 8:49 pm
I’ve taken Ativan on and off for anxiety for a whole week, haven’t taken it for a day 1 1/2 and I’m having really bad anxiety….chest pain and headaches. Went to dr and all tests are normal. Is it too soon for withdrawal symptoms?? How long will these lasts??
May 4th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
I am 39 year-old single mom. I went to see my doctor in 0ct/2010 because I was not able to sleep and experienced some tingling of lips and fingers. She told me that I had too many things going on in my life, it was a stressful condition for me so she prescribes 1.5mg/day for me to help me to sleep. After 3 wks on ativan, I stopped when I ran out of it with no idea about the withdrawal symptoms. A few days after I stopped, I experienced panic attack, burning tongue, extreme muscle pain from back of the skull to middle back, flu like symptoms, Insomnia, headache for the whole day. I was in this condition for about 4 months; I was back and forth to visit my doctor for different reasons and my blood wokrs was normal;I also visit the chiropractor trying to get rid of my muscle spasm and headache - nothing works. My doctor gave me another prescription of ativan and paxil in March to reduce my anxiety. This time I took it for 2 months and felt like I was doing better. I decided last week that I needed to wean myself off this drug (still did not aware of the w/d problem). I tappered off for a few day from 1mg to 0.5mg and then a few day from 0.5mg to nothing. This time I experienced pain from head to toe, burning tongue and lips, tingling on my face and was not able to sleep for 4 days. I started doing reasearch on benzo w/d and found this site. This is very informative since I have never imagined that the w/d symptoms can be so severe and thought that I am sufferred from serious health problem!!! It’s scary but at least I am thankful to read so many good posts over here. I know that I am not going crazy and I am not alone.
May 4th, 2011 at 6:44 pm
I am 39 year-old single mom. I went to see my doctor in 0ct/2010 because I was not able to sleep and experienced some tingling of lips and fingers. She told me that I had too many things going on in my life, it was a stressful condition for me so she prescribes 1.5mg/day for me to help me to sleep. After 3 wks on ativan, I stopped when I ran out of it with no idea about the withdrawal symptoms. A few days after I stopped, I experienced panic attack, burning tongue, extreme muscle pain from back of the skull to middle back, flu like symptoms, Insomnia, headache for the whole day. I was in this condition for about 4 months; I was back and forth to visit my doctor for different reasons and my blood wokrs was normal;I also visit the chiropractor trying to get rid of my muscle spasm and headache - nothing works. My doctor gave me another prescription of ativan and paxil in March to reduce my anxiety. This time I took it for 2 months and felt like I was doing better. I decided last week that I needed to wean myself off this drug (still did not aware of the w/d problem). I tappered off for a few day from 1mg to 0.5mg and then a few day from 0.5mg to nothing. This time I experienced pain from head to toe, burning tongue and lips, tingling on my face and was not able to sleep for 4 days. I started doing reasearch on benzo w/d and found this site. This is very informative since I have never imagined that the w/d symptoms can be so severe and thought that I am sufferred from serious health problem!!! It’s scary but at least I am thankful to read so many good posts over here. I know that I am not going crazy and I am not alone.
June 3rd, 2011 at 10:31 am
Hi just finished weaning off ativan. Took 4 months…still not sleeping well and feeling very nervous all day and burning tummy. Had been on it for 9 years, never told anything about this med, it did help me feel better from the depersonal disorder I have at first, but my brain wanted more and more to feel ok, I found other sites and relized I was having a rebound effect. So I started the weaning. It has been hard, but am thankfull I am making it, hope my body will feel back to normal soon. I don’t remember ever feeling this nervous before I started taking ativan, but it was 9 years ago. Have heard about so many people going through this since I found all this out 4 months ago. Don’t know why doctors would put people through this. I use Calms, it helps alot. I did also very very crazy the first 2 months of the weaning.
June 5th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
I had been taking lorezapam off and on for a month for anxity. I stop same thing doctor said it was to quick for withdrawal. I’m feeling so sick my body feels like I have a hangover everyday in the morning. I travel a lot for work and this has stop me from doing so. How long do I need to deal with this if I only took it for a month? Anyone
June 27th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
have been on Lorazepam for 2 years. first 2mg. one in a.m. & one in p.m.,
then dr. increased to 2mg x 3 daily, i started going crazy, way more anxious than before going on them. can’t concentrate,no sleep,shakes,mean-yelling at everyone even animals..this is NOT me at all. can’t breath, feel like i am going to die @ any moment. i have ALL the symptons of withdrawl. over a 2 month period i have droped dose from:
2mg x 3 daily.
now taking 1mg. x 3 daily. (tried 2mg. in a.m. & 1mg. in p.m., cut out afternoon dose, this made me WORSE). now 2 months later i am taking 1mg. x 3 daily. … called my dr. to help me wean off, he hung up on me for calling on his cell phone(he had given me the #), his office said he would not be back for a wk., i have appointment for july 6th, 2011. will see what happens…………..am trying to find a Phycharist to help me, none so far. ended up in E.R. couldn’t help, said i was very sucisidal then he wanted to just keep me in the E.R, so i said i wasn’t. THIS HAD MADE ME NUTS, I WANT OFF THIS STUFF, NO ONE WILL HELP ME?? WHAT DO I DO???ANY HELP will be appreciated, i feel like it will NEVER end.i’ve been trying for 2 months to get off this.and keep getting the symptons WORSE.ANYONE PLEZ HELP ME, HOW LONG MUST I GO THRU THIS???
contact email: miss.picky@hotmail.com THANX & GOD BLESS U ALL…
July 1st, 2011 at 6:19 pm
Miss Picky you need to find a new psychiatrist who will switch you to clonazepam (a longer-acting benzo and thus easier to come off), and then supervise your taper. It’s important to have a dr. who’s empathetic; not one who is going to hang up on you. Mine gave me his cell and insists that I call anytime. Maybe this is rare, but they are out there. Also, taking a different anxiolytic might help. Remeron (mirtazapine) has worked for me, and in the past, Topamax, which I originally took for migraine prophylaxis. Neurontin (gabapentin) is another option. All of these help with anxiety and none entail the tolerance and addiction problems that benzos do. Non-pharma approaches that have helped me include daily exercise (swimming is best for me), yoga, and meditation. Hope this helps! I know it’s hard.
July 22nd, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Hi everyone, thanks for sharing. I had a horrible panic attack in September 2010. 1st one ever. I had it at work on a Thursday then mini ones all weekend. I went to an urgent care appt at the hospital on Monday. It was Labor Day and I had no indurance but I just couldnt take it anymore, as usual I thought I was dying of something horroble. My BP was over 200. They did and EKG to be safe and it was normal. They changed my BP medication and I asked for a prescription of Lorazapam. I needed something urgently to take the panic away. I couldnt get it fillied for a couple of days, all the while still having panic attacks. Finally I got the drug. All better, right? Wrong. It is now July and the last 6 months have been nothing but panic attacks. Mostly little to medium but the occasional whopper. I take 1/4 of a .5 mg pill as needed, on my toungue. What confusedme so much isthat I had the panic attack before the drug so it took me awhile to come to the conclusion that the drug itself was contributing if not actually causing my anxiety. And the side efects appear to have worsened. All of a sudden I am much dizzier than I was in the begining. My question is this-since I took such a low dose, will my withdrawal symptoms go away quicker? I didnt ween off since I have been at a 1/4 of a dose for a couple of weeks. I am trying not to let the symptoms panic me into taking a pill and I have been off for 4 days. I feel just as sick as Idid when I was taking them. Dizzy, naseaus, always on the verge of a panic attack, strange tastes and smells. But in other ways I feel better. When I panic my BP does not go up as high and I am less anxious overall, just on occasion throughout the day. I can still taste the drug and smell it. I want more than anything not to take anymore.
July 23rd, 2011 at 12:09 pm
I felt really horrible today. Very dizzy and foggy and off balance. I decided to take an 8th of a pill to test if I was experiencing withdrawals and my symptoms lessened. I am shock and appalled that I am having W/D symptoms when I rarely took more than a quarter of a .5 mg pill. I guess I am going to have to taper off after all. Unbelievable.
July 25th, 2011 at 3:46 am
I am 18 years old and have suffered from anxiety and depression my whole life. My doctor prescribed me ativan a few years ago and I began regularly taking it a year and a half ago. I started 1 mg and was taking it to help me go to school. Before I realized it, even now I don’t know how it happened, I was taking 8-11 mg per day of this drug. I recently stopped, cold turkey (approx 3 weeks ago) and I am suffering from extreme stomach cramps, mood swings, nausea, vomitting, back spasms, depression, panic attacks etc. Ativan has ruined my life, or my abuse of the drug anyways. I am just here for help. Everyday it is harder and harder not to take it because of the withdrawal symptoms. Is there anything I can do to make this any easier on me? Or do I just tough it out?
-jessica, vancouver BC
August 26th, 2011 at 8:14 am
i don’t know about you , but in my experienced, i never had any big problem with ativan…
August 28th, 2011 at 7:00 pm
ok. Heres a thing to point out about benzos. They are taken for anxiety right? They don’t eliminate the anxiety in your life. As the blogger put it, it’s a fools paradise and it only band-aids the symptoms… but I can say, I was on these things for 6 months or so (2mg per day sometimes more)and I had VERY LITTLE side effects when tapering off. I believe that a lot of these people have these terrible stories because they are anxious people and paired with anxiety is lots of hypochondria! I know this because when I first started tapering, I had somewhere in my conscious/subconscious mind had convinced myself that this was going to be an uncomfortable experience and guess what?… it was! I was sweating, headaches, insomnia, paranoia, you name it. Even little mini panic attacks that seemed to be a more watered version of the big one I had that started this whole mess. I figured that I needed help. I then started going to a therapist for a 2 hour session once a week (expensive but worth it!) She worked with my psychiatrist as a team and got me to a point where my anxiety was controllable. It didn’t happen right away. It took a lot of good days and bad days to really start being on level ground again. Lots of waiting and lots of anxiety. When my symptoms started decreasing, I tried again to taper and had almost NO symptoms!! I tapered off about 1/8 of a pill per WEEK! This is such a slow taper that your body barely notices. It does take a while but it happend to me and I got off of it! Moral of my story: benzos aren’t bad if you are in the right state of mind to discontinue them (that usually means facing and dealing with your anxiety)…
September 14th, 2011 at 1:02 am
I was taking 2mg of lorazapam once a night for one week and stopped after they were done as told by my doctor and the last one I took was 10 last night and I’m feeling a little wired thinking it ma be withdrawal but my doctor said taking it as directed for only one week I should not have any symptoms what do u think ?
October 19th, 2011 at 3:27 am
[…] before acting on any information or product in the above post.Thank you. Current Tips Around The WebAnyone who has been misfortunate enough suffer the unpleasantness of panic attacks will have no prob…condition in the first place. My anxiety build up’s were quite random to start with, well prior to […]
October 21st, 2011 at 11:13 pm
I have read many of the posts here and i totally understand this whole hot mess of benzo’s.i have been on lorazapam for a lot of years cant even remember how long i just know a long time.so i have tried 4 times to get off it and failed i just couldn’t do it. so recently went to a new doctor and i am really doing this! it’s never easy, i know
but possible. was at 2 mg’s 3 times a day now down to 0.5 mg’s
so i am doing the tapering a month at a time. so now it’s 1/2 in the morning 1 mg afternoon i mg at bed doing this for i month. so far i have experienced flu like symptoms like i caught a bug or something? a little increase in depression hotheadedness and just a hair of panic. i was given trazodone to help with sleep 150 mg’s one at bed. it totally works for me, and i take 60 mg’s of celexa daily.. we all need to keep trying it’s a battle but it is possible, may each one of you have success!
October 30th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
Ativan is an excellent drug for what the psychiatrists call anxiety. It makes you feel really nice, happy and relaxed. For me, there are no side effects. I have been taking 1mg pills for about 3 years. My only problem is when you start to run out, then you can get really sick-for me I gag. Users must make sure they have enough for one month, otherwise you can get really sick. Other than that, it is a great drug.
November 2nd, 2011 at 8:00 am
I am very mad at the puritanical people who are against Ativan.
It is an excellent drug and makes you fell really good.
The puritans should shut up about how terrible Ativan is.
It is a privacy issue and none of their business. There are way too many anti drug puritans out there.
November 6th, 2011 at 10:30 am
people out there should learn about the chemistry behind Ativan before attacking the drug.
November 9th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
not against anything just saying………………..
November 10th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Wonderfully written to begin with.
I believe I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms after sparingly using ativan for about one month (last 2 weeks I actually took a 0.5 mg tablet every day). What makes me so sure it’s withdrawal? I have some strange symptoms that keep coming and going: headache, lightheadedness, buzzing in my legs and arms, pins and needless almost allover my body … and guess what … they all go away as soon as I “pop a pill” and come back as soon as the effects of the pill are gone. It’s as if my brain is begging for more of the “happy pills”. I’ve undergone extensive medical tests and none of them showed any cause for the symptoms I’m experiencing, so I can only think of one thing to be responsible for them: Ativan.
After all pharmaceutical companies have to make a living, don’t they???
November 15th, 2011 at 9:23 am
PLEASE EVERYONE OUT THERE READ BOOKS ABOUT BRAIN CHEMISTRY AND GABA RECEPTORS AND ATIVAN
THESE BOOKS ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT BRAIN SCANS AND ATIVAN.
November 21st, 2011 at 1:07 am
[…] downs. Martin Elmer is the editor of Rygeafvaenning. Here you can also read about Rygestop hypnose. Before you quit smoking, you have to be mentally ready. It is meaningless to start the smoking cessa…t. While you mentally prepare yourself, make sure to take appropriate action against the physical […]
November 21st, 2011 at 1:07 am
[…] downs. Martin Elmer is the editor of Rygeafvaenning. Here you can also read about Rygestop hypnose. Before you quit smoking, you have to be mentally ready. It is meaningless to start the smoking cessa…t. While you mentally prepare yourself, make sure to take appropriate action against the physical […]
November 24th, 2011 at 11:20 am
I am amazed at all the anti Ativan people on this blog. For me, it really helps to feel good. I guess all the above people are against all the psychiatrists prescribing the drug. Yes, Ranbaxy etc. makes money off of Ativan, but like I said Ativan makes you feel good. Is there something wrong with that?
November 24th, 2011 at 11:26 am
Alex above may hate Ativan, but it works really well for me. He should mind his own business. My books state that the genetics of individuals can determine how well Ativan works in the brain. I suggest that Ativan haters read more books about brain chemistry and gaba receptors. These people above are just anti benzo.
November 26th, 2011 at 9:13 am
I don’t think people are necessarily against Benzos in this post for very short term use. I think what they are saying is that they were unaware that when you try to stop taking them (especially cold turkey), you can have severe withdrawal symptoms that can last a long time and might even be worse than the initial problem you were trying to fix. The biggest concern I have read about is seizures. Most articles say to try to taper at most 25% per week for 4 weeks. Often it is helpful to switch to a Benzo with a longer half-life like Valium for tapering. Many say you should try 10% or even less using water titration to ever so slightly reduce the dosage over a long period of time to get off as easily as possible. Even still, some people experience withdrawal symptoms for a very long time after discontinuing the pills depending upon the amount and length of time they were taking the medication as well as their individual physiology.
November 29th, 2011 at 5:12 am
[…] […]
November 29th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Scott says read the axious brain, the neurobiological basis of anxiety
neurobiology of additions, scientific american brave new brain,
psychopharmacology, psychiatric pharmacogenomics, neurogenetics,
neurogenetics of psychiatric disorders, plus many other neuroscience texts to understand
December 1st, 2011 at 9:23 am
READ PHARMACOGENOMICS IN PSYCHIATRY, FUNCTIONAL MRI, BRAIN SCANS, PICTURES OF THE MIND, CLINICAL HANDBOOK OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS, ANXIETY AND ITS DISORDERS, MOLECULAR NEUROPHARMACOLOGY, PSYCHOPHARMACOGENETICS, THE GABA RECEPTORS, PHARMACOGENETICS OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS,
NEUROPSYCHIATRY AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCES,
THE MOLECULAR AND GENETIC BASIS OF NEUROLOGIC AND PSYCHIATRIC DISEASE, PSYCHIATRIC PHARMACOGENOMICS, NEUROGENETICS OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS, THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF ADDICTION, ALL THESE BOOKS HELP EXPLAIN ABOUT ATIVAN
December 7th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
[…] […]
December 19th, 2011 at 10:05 am
Fundamentalist Christians have an anti ativan web site where they claim that some people have gotten hearing loss from benzos. I have been taking them for a few years and my hearing is fine. These extremists may be lying and are anti drug!
I notice that many extreme Christians are very much against Ativan etc. If it makes you feel better they are against it.
December 20th, 2011 at 1:03 pm
[…] […]
January 2nd, 2012 at 1:56 pm
I have over the past few years been suffering with a lot of differant things in my life that has and is still causing me anxiety. one day i was in the middle of a panic attack went to my doctors he put me right on .5 mgs of ativan 3 x’s a day it was helping then my mom passted away they up my meds to 1 mg. 3 x’s a day it was working but like every drug my body got use to it. so i express to my doctor what is the next step low a behold he up’s my ativan to 1.5 mg 3 x’s a day ok ok working now other stress pops up… marriage falling apart (not that it was ever solid) but hubby going crazy started hitting me life sucked at home go back to my doctors he says i’m in a deep depression up’s my to 2mg. 3 x’s a day i started drinking (fyi that’s not a good combo) i was so depressed i didn’t want to get out of bed was drinking everyday my kids suffering my family didn’t have the go to person anymore work was suffering (almost lost my company) …..depression got worse or so i thought (i’m not the doctor) what do they do up me to my now dose 2mg. 4x’s a day…. i was tired of depending on pills so when my pills ran out it was a friday i could of call my doctor to get a refill he never turned me down before!! but said to myself lisa it is time….day 1 ok little anxiety but i breathed in and out calmed down after a good 15 minutes sleepless night got up went to work next night anxiety set in again got me through it (again drinking through all this) sleepless night again day 3 i got the shakes chest pains tinggles can hear my heartbeat in my ear go to the er they treated me like i was a junkie until the doctor came in the room and i told him my story he’s first words to me were didnt the doctor ever tell u how bad these drugs are for you and cold turkeying them can kill you I said no what do you mean he said ativan is the one drug there is no help to get off of …..so i have to pick between going to a rehab with dope users or weine off 8mg.s a day i think i’ll do that i have stopped the drinking (yeah me) now i am going to weine myself off this monster of a pill because the withdraw is worse then ur first systems were to begin with….
January 2nd, 2012 at 3:28 pm
i was put on ativan when i was pregnant, my son was born deaf…and he had withdrawal symptoms. i am 21 months off the drug, i didn’t even take it every day. my mind races non stop, and i don’t feel like myself. i am on SSI because i can’t work. my famly has turned their backs on me…for a few days use yeah ativan is fine but anything longer than a week..better watch out. Its the devils pill and it will get you.
rainbow_in_the_dark_1978@yahoo.com
if anyone has recovered from a ct or rapid taper please contact me i need support and encouragement.
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:12 pm
I feel horrible about your son Ari, but Ativan really is not the devils pill.
It makes me feel better every day and less horrible.
January 11th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
I find these comments very interesting to read.My daughter suffered with epilepsy since she was 7 months old,and when she became a teenage she started suffering from depression.She is now 42 years old,and at times she is on here reading all the side effects of the tablets she is on.I know going to a doctor he try his best to help you,but many tablets got side effects,and wonder since she been taking ativan and diazepam gone worse.Iwas even told the the ativan are not suppose to take them for more than 4 weeks ,when my daughter been on them for 4 years,and she was taking 1 and a half mg a day.Though she is on all these drugs she still cannot sleep at night and at times she becomes very down and cry.Wonder if the tablets are making her worse.About 3 days ago went to see her doctor and he stopped her the ativan all completely and gave her half a mg of diazapam instead.She is not sleeping properly and swetting alot.Now she got a cold and even tempreture ,wonder if this is to do with the withdrawals of the ativan.Iwish she was never put on with all these drugs,as when she reads the side effects i wonder if she gone worse with the drugs
Thanks to this site as now we know about the symptoms withdrawal
January 12th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
I am truly sorry about Marys situation, but I want people to quit blaming Ativan for everything!
January 14th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
I know I am dying from ativan. My mother put me on it 22 years ago. I can’t breathe. I cry allay. I can’t go anywhere or do anything. I am on disability. I have lost all my friends and family. I am hopeless. I have chemical sensitivity and cant take other meds. I am not going to make it. My life is over. Death is right next door. Nobody will help me. My body and mind and head is on fire. I am so dizzy. What would be the easiest way to die. I pray all day. No help. I am all alone. Good bye.
January 16th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
The above angers me alot. She should see a several Psychiatrists! Ativan works great with me. I can do many things on Ativan.
THIS WOMAN NEEDS TO GET PSYCHIATRIC HELP.
January 16th, 2012 at 7:31 pm
THE WOMAN ABOVE SHOULD EXPLAIN HER WHOLE SITUATION AND NOT BLAME A GREAT DRUG FOR IT!
January 26th, 2012 at 8:19 am
I took .5 - 1.0 mg of ativan a day for a week and a half to deal with anxiety attacks, and now that I’ve run out the anxiety is back worse than before, and I feel depressed and depersonalized. I can’t sleep more than an hour or so at a time, and it’s very disturbed sleep, with racing thoughts. I’m going to see my primary care doctor(not the one who prescribed me) this weekend to hopefully make a plan for dealing with the anxiety and the withdrawals. While it helped temporarily, I don’t recommend getting on ativan even for short periods of time, as it can make things worse in the long run.
January 30th, 2012 at 6:21 am
bullshit if you take ativan at low doses for just a week theres no way you will experience extreme withdrawal symptoms, unless you have an underlying anxiety problem, the more you worry about bad withdrawal symptoms, guess what the worse they will be, thats what anxiety is, over worrying, the more you obsese about your fears the greater they manifest, so taking ativan for a week at low doses the withdrawal is all manifested fear, stop being afraid and you will be fine, in saying that if you have been taking large amounts of lorazepam for a long time your fucked, excuse the french, but for just a week, come on people i think people on this site saying they have crippling withdrawal after a week of low dose ativan are just looking for attention, ior they have something wrong with there brain, get over yourselves.
January 31st, 2012 at 9:04 pm
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February 3rd, 2012 at 8:57 am
I am 47 and suffered my first panic attack in my life about 14 days ago. I took myself to the ER thinking I was suffering from a heart attack as the heart palpitations were horrible. I am on a low dose HBP pill for my blood pressure and when I left the ER, the DOC gave me a 15 day supply of Lorazepam. After taking 9 pills over the past 13 days, I can say it helped me sleep but now being off of them for only 2 days, I feel like hell. Why in the world was I prescribed this? hard to believe getting hooked on medication after just 9 days. I am going to fight through this and see how it goes. My GP prescribed Zoliclone to help me sleep and I am off Lorazapam. Is this a viable option? I also heard that Valerian also acts like a Benzo but is not addictive. I am going crazy here and need someone to calm me down. Is this the way to do it? Help and thx!
February 3rd, 2012 at 5:54 pm
I am a 42 year old woman who suffers from depression and anxiety. Back in 2010 6 months after my husband had a heart attack and Quad by pass surgery, I started throwing up bile and acid! This sent me to the ER as my face, arms, chest would go numb and hurt, thought I was having a heart attack. After many nights of this and 5 trips to the ER, EKG’s, chest xrays the say GERD!! Welcome to the wonderful world of acid relux medications. After months and now a year and half laster I was diagnoised with severe depression and anxiety. Doctor put me on 10 mg of prozac and 1 mg of Lorazepam, at the beginning I was not sleeping at all prozac gave me insomnia so I take Lorazepam at night now to help me sleep. It works for me from day to day, somedays I wake up feeling ok and others where I hurt and ache so bad and am not sure if its the prozac or lorazepam? I have talked to my doctor about this and she thought the prozac was exacerbating the anxiety, cut my dose in half and then I felt really down, now back up to a full pill and going on day 31 not to bad. Still fighting with a light case of anxiety which has made it hard to work or function at times. Sometimes I feel it’s working and other times I feel worse than before all over my body. Any suggestions?