Posted by Daveman on April 1, 2001, at 14:15:30
In reply to How do I withdraw from Ativan?, posted by J on April 1, 2001, at 11:06:19
Hi J:
Ativan is a short-acting benzo, as is Xanax. Ativan has a half-life of 8-24 hrs. The way I got off Xanax (admittedly at a smaller dose and a much shorter period of use) was to switch to Klonopin, which has a much longer half-life (19-60 hours). I was able to take only one dose per 24 hours and cover all Xanax withdrawal symptoms. Klonopin is more potent than Ativan, so you can probably take less than your Ativan dose and still cover all withdrawal symptoms. Then, you taper the Klonopin slowly, say by .25 every other week (due to your length of use, you'll need to go slower than I did). Good luck!
Dave
> I've been taking 4mg of Ativan for 1 1/2 years. I know that after chronic treatment at such a high dose, my body is dependent on it. So how do I go about stopping it? I've been taking new medication which eliminates any need to continue with Ativan as treatment. I just want to get off it, finally. If anyone has any experiences to share, or links, etc. to websites with info, I'd appreciate it.
>
> Keep fighting,
> J.
poster:Daveman
thread:58282
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010327/msgs/58291.html