[triplewater11]

Hi again!
I've been posting all over the place about my rough week last week and what I resorted to (panic attack the night before starting a new semester at job, took an ativan from an ER script', then ended up taking 1 each night for the next 3 nights (1mg). I then skipped friday, and didn't sleep. The next day (saturday) I slept maybe 4-5 hours. The following day (sunday) I slept maybe 2 hours. I ended up taking another ativan just to get sleep Monday, slept 7 hours. Tried going without tuesday (tried some different melatonin) and didn't work, got all panicky about sleeping and took ativan but only got like 3 hours this time. Next day went to doctor, got told to stop taking them (duh, of course) and got prescription for Trazodone. At first I couldn't sleep but I ended up getting 5-6 hours. Will be taking this again tonight and seeing if I can get normal sleep Friday since it's the weekend.

My doctor said I may have already developed a psychological and physical dependence on the ativan. I thought my not sleeping was because of panic/sleep anxiety (related to health anxiety) but perhaps using the ativan was too reinforcing and made it worse. From what I read, withdrawal symptoms can start between 1-3 days after you stop. And I was taking 1mg for several days in a row (with a few days off) which isn't exactly a small dose (I had no idea... I just took it. I didn't research it..given to me by ER doc after heart palpitation episode in ER). The symptoms I had over the weekend after 4 days in a row of use were mainly insomnia, and some increased anxiety on the 3rd day - I also restarted sertraline, which I know can increase anxiety temporarily when you first start taking it. I think the sertraline is a good buffer though, AND I am on a beta blocker too (metoprolol) which is also a good buffer from what I read. Am I going to be okay? I think it's a good sign I slept last night, and I feel as though I actually got myself to sleep, not so much the trazodone. I didn't just pass out, I laid there for awhile, got up a few times, and ended up focusing on syncing my breathing with my husband. I do feel like my head hurts, and when I think about this situation, my anxiety rises, but otherwise I feel calmer than usual (maybe sertraline is working already?). I did have some weird face tingling, numbness but I read sertraline can do that too?The only think I worry about is whether or not I'll sleep! I have the weekend to get through any potential more withdrawal symptoms, which is comforting I guess, but I am so scared of all the things I have read. The last time I took it was 10pm Tuesday night.

I hope someone can reassure me. I am sure it definitely messed with my already stressed chemistry, but I am hoping it won't take forever to detox. A taper isn't an option, my PCP is against it and didn't prescribe it -ER doc did. Plus, I just want to be done with this. I have to get a medical procedure done next month, and that dr said they use a synthetic valium sedative. I was like NOPE and he is using general anesthesia instead, ha.

Everyone says I did not abuse it, I am just scared that I did this to myself! Damn anxiety!

Originally Posted by triplewater11

Damn anxiety!

The damn anxiety may be part of the ativan withdrawal. As a dedicated and high-volume consumer of benzodiazepines, I've found that I can stop and restart them as needed, but I can sense the danger and I urge you to be careful. Benzos scare me.

[triplewater11]

Originally Posted by Lefty the Salesman

The damn anxiety may be part of the ativan withdrawal. As a dedicated and high-volume consumer of benzodiazepines, I've found that I can stop and restart them as needed, but I can sense the danger and I urge you to be careful. Benzos scare me.

Thank you for your response, and I agree! I do not want to restart them and I want to get past this whole scenario. Do you think that the way I stopped is safe given my short term use? I'm just worried about things getting worse before they get better.

[Eleora]

I experienced more anxiety and panic attacks when my Clonazepam dosage was reduced. I think that is part of the process and I know it is listed in the symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawals.

Don't just quit a med entirely - titrate down slowly over a longer period and it should reduce symptoms or at least the severity of symptoms.

[kecanoe]

It would be quite unusual for you to have withdrawal symptoms after only a week on Ativan. The psychological dependence makes more sense; who wouldn't get to sleep easier if they were more relaxed? So, yes, the difficulty falling asleep could be a result of not having the meds. But the other symptoms? Not likely. Probably they are a result of the new meds you are taking, or perhaps anxiety.

You might want to try taking benadryl to see if that helps you fall asleep. It is available here over the counter.

[triplewater11]

Originally Posted by kecanoe

It would be quite unusual for you to have withdrawal symptoms after only a week on Ativan. The psychological dependence makes more sense; who wouldn't get to sleep easier if they were more relaxed? So, yes, the difficulty falling asleep could be a result of not having the meds. But the other symptoms? Not likely. Probably they are a result of the new meds you are taking, or perhaps anxiety.

You might want to try taking benadryl to see if that helps you fall asleep. It is available here over the counter.

Thanks for your reply!! After 5 days of not taking it and not having any symptoms except not being able to fall asleep, I am starting to think that I am not physically dependent either. I am re-training myself to fall asleep naturally. I did try benedryl a few nights, it didn't do much except make me feel drugged! I think the difficult sleeping is related to sleep anxiety/regular anxiety + side effects of starting new medications. The past 4 nights I have gotten myself to sleep but trying to relax and take the pressure off (the dr prescribed trazodone but it doesn't really work and I hate the effects of it). I am sleeping in short shifts of a few hours at a time, but collectively getting more like 4-6 hours now so I am gradually feeling better. Hopefully soon it will keep improving.

[-jimi-]

I'm not sure it's a good idea to restart an SSRI at the same time you are getting off a benzo. You never know what symptoms you get at a restart, it is not like starting it the first time. Did you start at a small dosage? It does sound weird to get hooked on a benzo that fast, but it really does sound like withdrawals. If you get hooked that easy it is probably a good idea to stay away from all benzos in the future.

When you toughen this through, keep an eye on your blood pressure. And too much tingling can be a warning sign too. Now I remember it is not easy to split Ativan but if you can, it is probably a good idea to take a really small dosage and then discontinue. Even if it doesn't make you fall asleep it might soften the blow of the withdrawals.

This is just what I had personally, but taking an antihistamine while withdrawing made the withdrawals much worse!

[triplewater11]

Originally Posted by -jimi-

I'm not sure it's a good idea to restart an SSRI at the same time you are getting off a benzo. You never know what symptoms you get at a restart, it is not like starting it the first time. Did you start at a small dosage? It does sound weird to get hooked on a benzo that fast, but it really does sound like withdrawals. If you get hooked that easy it is probably a good idea to stay away from all benzos in the future.

When you toughen this through, keep an eye on your blood pressure. And too much tingling can be a warning sign too. Now I remember it is not easy to split Ativan but if you can, it is probably a good idea to take a really small dosage and then discontinue. Even if it doesn't make you fall asleep it might soften the blow of the withdrawals.

This is just what I had personally, but taking an antihistamine while withdrawing made the withdrawals much worse!

Thanks for your reply. I am DEFINITELY never taking a benzo ever again after this experience! As far as the zoloft, normally the starting dosage is 25mg and then gets increased to 50mg after a week or two, which is what my Dr did last time around... but this time he started me right at 50mg because he said I was on it before and I really needed it. I suppose that may be part of the problem!

The tingling seems to have lessened, or at least I think so. It was worse after the first time I stopped (after I took it 4 days in a row and had just restarted zoloft and the beta blocker). About 8 hours after I take the zoloft, I get super keyed up and restless and like a hot flashy feeling (I read sometimes side effects happen at this time because of the peak serum time or whatever). At night before bed, I get a weird tightness in my throat, sinus pressure, headache and feeling like something is going on in my lymph nodes. Not sure if this is withdrawal, side effects, or just anxiety about going to bed.

We do have a blood pressure cuff and I have been taking it a lot. It is generally in the low to normal range and my heart rate is always okay (resting between 50s-60s). I am a runner + on the beta blocker so that kinda helps heart rate. Blood pressure WAS a lot lower in mornings before this all started (like 98/58!) and now it's more like 110/60s-70s but it's still okay. I am sure stressing about this is not making it any better/easier.

If this is withdrawal, I wonder how long it will last for, and if it will get worse or get better soon? Since I wasn't taking it very long, I hope I won't have to go through this for a very long time.