Ativan withdrawls? Please help - Anxiety Message Board

daisy25 · 09-26-2006, 02:15 PM

Hi Everyone, I have been making alot of posts on here recently and I really appreciate everyone's feedback so much. I have so much anxiety that I think I am having physical symptoms as well. My doctor gave me 1 mg of ativan August 11 and I had 20 pills but I would break them in half to give me .5 mg. So I used about 20 in a month. I didn't take them everyday I spaced them out. So then my doctor just gave me 20 more to take to get some sleep at night. Well last week I was able to eventually drift off to sleep without the ativan but I have been taking .5 mg for the past 4 nights to get to sleep. Well last night I thought I would try not taking any and I couldn't do it. I had this burning all over my body like I had a really high fever. My skin felt hot to me if I touched it and I felt anxious. But that is the first time that has happened and I don't feel any withdrawls during the day. Does anyone know if this is withdrawl or is it something else related to anxiety? Thanks again!

j2006 · 09-26-2006, 02:33 PM

When I tried to drop Klonopin my body felt like that. I called my Dr. which you probebly should too, he suggested that I take .5 mg every other night or cut that in half and take that each night for a while. You should talk to him/her and come up with a plan.

daisy25 · 09-26-2006, 02:47 PM

Thank you for writing me back I really appreciate it! Last night was the first time that happened to me. Last week I was able to fall asleep without it. Can withdrawls happen like that? And during the day I feel okay. Is there anything else over the counter you could recommend? I bought simply sleep by the makers of tylenol and that is just like benadryl but I am scared it might make my anxiety worse but the pharmacist says no it just makes people tired. I am so confused. Does that mean that since I had problems last night that the same thing will happen tonight? I had this happen at midnight when I went to bed but up until then no problems. I guess I don't get how withdrawls work.

j2006 · 09-26-2006, 03:15 PM

When I tried to come off of Klonopin I felt great. I couldn't get to sleep though. At night 4 without sleep I started to feel the withdrl. symptms. I would get a relaxation tape of deep breathing or get one of those tapes with ocean or bird sounds and some headphones. Once you go to sleep again without the medication you will get back into a pattern. Benadryl worked for me - I just felt drunk the next day. also, don't go to your bed unless you are tired. If you so then you might just lay and think about trying to get sleep and get yourself worked up. That's what happened to me.

daisy25 · 09-26-2006, 03:26 PM

I just talked to the pharmacist and he said even though I have been taking it for a little over a month he thinks I could have the withdrawal symptoms. Do they always happen at night? That's the worst for me. Should I try to bit .5 in half and try to sleep with that? Or just stop cold turkey? I can't seem to get ahold of my doctor. He was going to give me ambien but the pharmacist says those can cause anxiety and panic. If I take the benadryl tonight does that mean I shouldn't take the ativan? So you also had the heat all over your body? That was the only symptom I seem to have and my muscles hurt. But last night was the first time I have experienced this. I am really scared for tonight.