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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Pete Anderson on October 12, 2006, at 6:22:36
Is it possible to get withdrawal symptoms before you stop taking the drug? I took Lorazepam for about 4 weeks. My doctor started me on 0.25 mg for the first few days or a week. Then, he upped it to 0.5 mg. I took it only at night to help me sleep. Along with this, he also prescribed blood pressure medication.
The first three weeks, it was bliss. My blood pressure came down, I felt great, and I got great sleep. A few days into the fourth week, it crashed. I started getting extremely jittery. My heart would race most of the time. After taking the Lorazepam, it was now taking longer than it had taken for me to get sleepy. The second to last and third to last nights that I took it, I woke up very jittery, but got several hours of sleep. The last night that I took it, I only slept for about two hours and woke up very jittery again.
I finally started connecting this to the Lorazepam. The following night, I did not take it. It was the worst night of all. I had the shakes, and my heart raced. During these last several days, my blood pressure went back up. Is it possible that as my body was getting addicted to this drug, thus needing more of it, that by not increasing the dosage I was withdrawing from it?
After staying up all night on the first night that I took it, I finally went to bed at about 9AM. By breathing slowly, I started feeling calmer after a while. It took me a long time to get to sleep--an hour or two--and I woke up feeling much better. I thought my problem were over, but that night, I got the jitters again.
Since then, I've had one or two nights with several hours of sleep. The other nights, I sleep next to nothing after well into the morning hours, when I'm finally tired. I've now not taken it for about 5 nights, and though my last two days I've felt much better--almost back to normal during the day, at night (at around the time I used to take the Lorazepam), I start getting the jitters again. The night before last, I slept pretty well, but this night, I'm getting jittery while trying to sleep, so I woke up and wrote this. Sorry for the extremely long post, but I'm getting desperate. TIA
Posted by SLS on October 14, 2006, at 8:51:05
In reply to Lorazepam Withdrawal, posted by Pete Anderson on October 12, 2006, at 6:22:36
You pretty much figured things out on your own.
0.5mg of lorazepam wasn't enough to keep you asleep during the night and resulted in a rebound awakening along with a withdrawal phenomenon later on the next day.
When I was on long-term lorazepam treatment, 2.0mg was enough to keep me asleep throughout the night. I did this for months. I didn't have too much trouble discontinuing it, but I did take small doses during the day to prevent withdrawal symptoms at the end of the weaning process. I guess two weeks is about right for a short-term course of benzodiazepines for sleep.
- Scott
Posted by Pete Anderson on October 17, 2006, at 14:35:22
In reply to Re: Lorazepam Withdrawal, posted by SLS on October 14, 2006, at 8:51:05
Thanks for your input, Scott. It's now been 2 weeks since I started getting the jitters. Friday this week will be two weeks since I stopped taking it. I still feel better some days than others, but overall, I think I'm getting closer and closer to my normal self. Yesterday was the first time I woke up feeling completely normal. At night, I got a little bit of a light throbbing in my head. Today, I'm not as good as yesterday, but overall, I feel OK, just a little weird.
Posted by musky on November 10, 2006, at 18:33:17
In reply to Lorazepam Withdrawal, posted by Pete Anderson on October 12, 2006, at 6:22:36
>Hi Pete
yes it is so true what you said about getting addicted.. It IS an addictive drug..
I was taking it some years ago, and got the shakes, and sweating before it was time for the next dose.. just be patient and stay off of it. It is totally withdrawl.. it takes time ..
I had these symptoms while on it and again when i got off of it.. Eventually I was OK... Havent taken it now for over 2yrs... I mange quite fine without.. and sleep is normal..Good luck
MuskyIs it possible to get withdrawal symptoms before you stop taking the drug? I took Lorazepam for about 4 weeks. My doctor started me on 0.25 mg for the first few days or a week. Then, he upped it to 0.5 mg. I took it only at night to help me sleep. Along with this, he also prescribed blood pressure medication.
>
> The first three weeks, it was bliss. My blood pressure came down, I felt great, and I got great sleep. A few days into the fourth week, it crashed. I started getting extremely jittery. My heart would race most of the time. After taking the Lorazepam, it was now taking longer than it had taken for me to get sleepy. The second to last and third to last nights that I took it, I woke up very jittery, but got several hours of sleep. The last night that I took it, I only slept for about two hours and woke up very jittery again.
>
> I finally started connecting this to the Lorazepam. The following night, I did not take it. It was the worst night of all. I had the shakes, and my heart raced. During these last several days, my blood pressure went back up. Is it possible that as my body was getting addicted to this drug, thus needing more of it, that by not increasing the dosage I was withdrawing from it?
>
> After staying up all night on the first night that I took it, I finally went to bed at about 9AM. By breathing slowly, I started feeling calmer after a while. It took me a long time to get to sleep--an hour or two--and I woke up feeling much better. I thought my problem were over, but that night, I got the jitters again.
>
> Since then, I've had one or two nights with several hours of sleep. The other nights, I sleep next to nothing after well into the morning hours, when I'm finally tired. I've now not taken it for about 5 nights, and though my last two days I've felt much better--almost back to normal during the day, at night (at around the time I used to take the Lorazepam), I start getting the jitters again. The night before last, I slept pretty well, but this night, I'm getting jittery while trying to sleep, so I woke up and wrote this. Sorry for the extremely long post, but I'm getting desperate. TIA
Posted by Kimo on April 11, 2008, at 23:22:53
In reply to Lorazepam Withdrawal, posted by Pete Anderson on October 12, 2006, at 6:22:36
I feel the need to warn people about the unbelievable possibilities with lorazepam withdrawal, especially if it is handled by people who do not understand what the drug can do,
I had been taking lorazepam for years, in ever increasing doses, through a series of psychiatrists who just kept increasing it. In Sept. of 2007 I reached a dosage of 8 mg per day. I had no idea this was too much, only that my anxiety just wouldn't go away. When my psychiatrist abruptly left town, it took me 4 months to find another, and she turned out to be extraordinary. Her first visit with me caused her great shock at the amount of drugs I was on. I was also on 600 mg of Serooquel, as well as others. When I came back in two weeks she said she was so concerned she didn't even want me to drive home for fear I would have a seizure or be stopped for a DUI because I was so unsteady. She said I had to be treated in the hospital.
The only psych hospital she could find at that time turned out to be hell on earth. They knew nothing about Ativan withdrawal, and after abruptly having no Ativan at all for 3 days I sank into the most frightening experiences I could describe. In processing all this later, I believe I went through a long period of seizures, psychotic hallucinations, a body coma (can hear and see but can't move or talk). For weeks I lost all memory, which has slowly returned. All patterned responses were gone (like how to dry off after a shower). The hospital thought I just had to "wait it out", which is a dangerously wrong thing to do. There is of course much more that happened but here I am 4 months later, still unable to return to work. I am told that sometimes dosages such as this can take 6 months to get out of your system. Unbelieveable.
Why is this drug even on the market? I know this is an extreme case, but be sure to question your doctor when they bring up any benzodiazapine (they all end in "am"). It you do need to reduce the dosage, I am told that .5 mg per week is about right.
I have done so much research on this, and so has my therapist that I am full of info if anyone
Posted by hahndog on April 12, 2008, at 16:54:20
In reply to Re: Lorazepam Withdrawal, posted by Kimo on April 11, 2008, at 23:22:53
i friggin cried like a lilttle girl and shook for a few days. or ask doc about clonadine. It was originally for high blod pressure. Its an alpha-blocker for opiates and benzos. I take .03mgs when needed and it works great.oh smoking too. it's great, no buzz, but your feeling well
Posted by manic666 on October 16, 2008, at 13:23:27
In reply to Re: Lorazepam Withdrawal, posted by hahndog on April 12, 2008, at 16:54:20
HEY YOU LIGHT WEIGHTS, I WAS ON 10MG AND A BOTTLE OF BRANDY. THAT SHOUD KILL A HORSE BUT DIDNT EVEN TOUCH ME.TILL A LOONY SRINK STOPPED THEM IN ONE GO DEATH WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER,AN HE PUT ME ON 225MG OF VELAFAXINE,STAND BACK AN WATCH A MAN FALL APART. HOSPITAL SHOWER FLOOR DAYS ON END COLD WATER MATCHIN THE OUTPUT OF SWEAT, LEFT HOSPITAL WEEL LATER WORSE THAN WENT IN DRANK BOTTLE OF VODKA TO STAY ON PLANET . A DOC PUT ME BACK ON 4 MG LOZ AN LEVELED OUT IN 3 WEEKS BEAT THAT IF YOU CAN. MIND YOU I DONT THINK I WILL EVER GET OVER THE BAS/ARD.MANIC666
Posted by dock on November 12, 2008, at 4:09:48
In reply to Re: Lorazepam EXTREME Withdrawal, posted by manic666 on October 16, 2008, at 13:23:27
> HEY YOU LIGHT WEIGHTS, I WAS ON 10MG AND A BOTTLE OF BRANDY. THAT SHOUD KILL A HORSE BUT DIDNT EVEN TOUCH ME.TILL A LOONY SRINK STOPPED THEM IN ONE GO DEATH WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER,AN HE PUT ME ON 225MG OF VELAFAXINE,STAND BACK AN WATCH A MAN FALL APART.
>snipYou sound really kinda messed up dude
Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 19, 2009, at 15:58:33
In reply to Re: Lorazepam Withdrawal, posted by SLS on October 14, 2006, at 8:51:05
Good question. Scott nailed the answer. I'm glad you are feeling better.
This is the end of the thread.
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