Having Ativan withdrawal

[Jerry]

I have been on Ativan, 1mg. 2x/day for over 1 year now. From what I read off the net, they commonly suggest not more than 4 months as one can develope an addiction to them. When I try to stop taking them, I go through over half the following:
Ativan Withdrawal symptoms include but are not limited to:
insomnia
ringing in the ears
shaking
tremors
sweating
nausea
convulsions
abdominal and muscle cramps
vomiting
"The more severe withdrawal symptoms have usually been limited to those patients who received excessive doses over an extended period of time." Would mine be considered excessive or are they referring to dosage?
My FP basically says not to worry about it until I need to come off them. Would anyone who has taken Ativan, Xanax or similar just follow that advice? GW? I am not too bad when I take one per day but when I stop cold turkey, WOW. I have a bad day. Beginning to think Tricia, that is what I am experiencing when I don't take the Ativan. Except for the diarrhea part. Still think my motility disorder is not being looked after. I just want to get the stress ,anxiety and depression issue under control as I know I am experiencing that BIGTIME. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks and take care
Jerry

[Hallsy]

Jerry,

I've been taking Alprazolam (Xanax) for over two years - 1.5 mg per day during most of that time. Alprazolam is in the same class of drugs - benzos - as Ativan.

At the beginning, my Doctor warned me not to guit "cold turkey" - that should I decide to quit to taper off very gradually. Subsequent research on the web backed up my Doctor's advice - one can suffer withdrawal if he/she abruptly stops taking Alprazolam.

I'm currently taking 0.5 mg per day. Got to this level by cutting the daily dosage by 0.25 mg every three weeks. I did not suffer any real withdrawal problems - just a couple of very minor episodes of slightly heightened anxiety that were easily overcome.

I think that when quitting Ativan, one should also taper off very gradually.

Hopes and prayers.

Hallsy

[Jerry]

Originally posted by Hallsy

At the beginning, my Doctor warned me not to guit "cold turkey" - that should I decide to quit to taper off very gradually.

I think that when quitting Ativan, one should also taper off very gradually.

Hopes and prayers.

Hallsy
Thanks Hallsy. I read on the "net" also about tapering off slowly, but I wanted to try the same way I quit smoking-cold turkey. I know now that isn't going to happen. I am going to see if my FP can prescribe smaller doses of it or if not, I'll check to see if one can break a 1mg. tablet in 2 pcs. Probably not as they are already small. I tried Xanax .25 mg in the past. Hmmmm. Can't remember why that was stopped. Lol, too early in the morning for me if I'm thinking out loud on here.
Thanks again. Hope everything is well with you. Take care
Jerry