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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jose gonzalez on November 10, 2001, at 1:56:08
I had 2 panick attacks 3 weeks ago.I have stopped taking lorazepam cold turkey not knowing I was going to experience withdrawls.
I was taking 1 meg at bed time for 2 weeks. And did
not know I should have reduced it gradually, but now
I have the diziness, blurred vision and it has been about a week since I stopped taking it. Can someone please tell me how long the withdrawls last?
Posted by gilbert on November 10, 2001, at 17:14:19
In reply to lorazepam withdrawls, posted by jose gonzalez on November 10, 2001, at 1:56:08
Wow,
What a bummer you were on quite a low dose and should not have experienced that difficult of a time coming off such a low dose, this is about the same as coming off .5mg of xanax and that is what I titrate down to when I quit......but everyone is different. Technically the drug is long gone from your system but if you continue to stay dizzy and such maybe go see your doc it could be unrelated to the med withdrawal. Typically benzo withdrawal symptoms at worse last 1 month per every year you are on them and that is like the worst case scenario. You were oly on ativan for 2 weeks so a couple of days outta be it but maybe you react badly to benzos....sorry I could not be more help but your situation is very atypical.
Good luck
Gil
Posted by michael on November 10, 2001, at 17:48:15
In reply to Re: lorazepam withdrawls, posted by gilbert on November 10, 2001, at 17:14:19
Another idea might be to discuss something like clonazepam with your doc - it's also a benzo, but its half life is much longer - which I think is supposed to make it easier to taper off.
At least I think that's the theory. Hopefully someone else here with a better understanding of psychopharmacology will either confirm, or correct me. Good luck. michael
> Wow,
>
> What a bummer you were on quite a low dose and should not have experienced that difficult of a time coming off such a low dose, this is about the same as coming off .5mg of xanax and that is what I titrate down to when I quit......but everyone is different. Technically the drug is long gone from your system but if you continue to stay dizzy and such maybe go see your doc it could be unrelated to the med withdrawal. Typically benzo withdrawal symptoms at worse last 1 month per every year you are on them and that is like the worst case scenario. You were oly on ativan for 2 weeks so a couple of days outta be it but maybe you react badly to benzos....sorry I could not be more help but your situation is very atypical.
>
> Good luck
>
> Gil
Posted by Alan on November 11, 2001, at 19:12:06
In reply to Re: lorazepam withdrawls, posted by michael on November 10, 2001, at 17:48:15
I've had the experience of withdrawl related anxiety before at a slow, even taper - even after a short term on BZDs.
What you may be experiencing are side effects of going cold turkey which could bring on a whole different subset of side effects.
Your doc should definitely send you to a neurologist to make sure something isn't going on physiologically that you may have developed while just happening to be on ativan - but after that it's probably just going cold turkey. Try going back on it and slowly taper off of it if nothing else works. Or at least discuss this idea with your doc.
Alan
This is the end of the thread.
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