Hi Everyone - (Scott or Subs maybe you know the answer to this)

I was DX'd with Vestibular Neuritis 2 yrs ago and have made slow but steady progress and have been feeling almost 100% lately. In the early stages of this junk I experienced extreme anxiety and panic which, as we all know, can make the recovery more tedious. I was offered Lexapro but held off because I was fearful of the side effects, etc. Instead, my Neurologist prescribed Ativan which I now take .5mg twice daily. I have been taking it for over a year now and want to get off of it as I now think it may be causing some depression and feelings of apathy. I have been told that as long as I took less than 3mg a day it wouldn't be addicting..... What I am experiencing now, as I try to go off this medication, is increased dizziness. I am attributing this to withdrawal.....It's confusing to me why one Dr. prescribes it as a vestibular suppressant and now my family Dr. says it's just for anxiety! Her suggestion was to stay on it if that's what it took to get over this. So my question is this. Has anyone been prescribed a benzodiazapine as a vestibular suppressant? If indeed it is commonly used for this purpose I may not want to get off of it since I have been feeling so great. On the other hand, if I am building up a tolerance for it I may be dealing with other more serious issues like drug withdrawal.....

I know that taking Ativan or Valium isn't recommended while you are doing VRT since it inhibits the vestibular system from recovery BUT, I can now drive without problems and I can even walk at night and close my eyes and move my head without any symptoms. That's a far cry from where I was one year ago.

Any thoughts?
Best wishes to all.....
Linda

I've never heard of Ativan for vestibular suppression. It's a strong anti-anxiety med, and I believe it even affects the central nervous system as well. I heard that it's much stronger than Valium. They gave it to me when I had an MRI, and I was high as a kite. Superaddictive though. Lexapro might have withdrawal symptoms but I don't think it's physically addictive like Ativan. That is to say, the Lexapro withdrawal is annoying but you only want the drug to get rid of the annoying stuff. With Ativan or Valium you NEED the drug and the feeling that it produces. Your body and mind crave it. Like an addiction to Percoset or OC.

Hi Stitcher,

Here's the story on Ativan:

Uses/Indications: Anxiety disorders or short-term relief of symptoms; anxiety associated with depressive symptoms; preop medication.

Contraindications: CAL with respiratory failure; sleep apnoea

Precautions: Prolonged use; abrupt withdrawal; hypotension sensitive conditions; myasthenia gravis; narrow angle glaucoma; cardiorespiratory, renal, hepatic impairment; depression, psychosis, schizophrenia; epilepsy; addiction prone; elderly, debilitated; pregnancy, lactation, children < 16 years

Adverse Reactions: CNS disturbances incl. impaired alertness, sedation, dizziness, weakness, unsteadiness; amnesia; dependence, tolerance.

Pharmacokinetics. Ativan is readily absorbed when given orally. Peak concentrations in plasma occur approximately two hours following administration. The half-life of Ativan in human plasma is approximately 12 to 16 hours. At clinically relevant concentrations, Ativan is approximately 90% bound to plasma proteins.

This drug (as you know) is a benzodiazepine also called lorazepam. Yup, it's a vestibular depressant, in fact it's a CNS chillout. I personally think it's a good idea for you to try and get away from the stuff if you feel you are ready to do so. According to the literature, these meds slow compensation and that's not advisable obviously. It also acts as an anti-anxiety. I use valium very rarely if I feel too wound up from this inner ear stuff. I'd say coming off the drug may increase the dizzies especially if you've been on it daily. See if you can reduce it slowly and wean off like that. I'm currently cutting Cipramil down now but *very* slowly. My symptoms have definitely increased as a result but nothing I can't handle thankfully.

Good luck....Scott :cool:

Hi Scott,
Nice to hear from you again and thanks so much for the excellent information. I am doing a water titration reduction and have calulated the total withdrawal from my daytime dose will take about 200 days. Long and slow. I will then do the same with my bedtime dose. I may be taking it a bit too slow but I figured this way it would help my brain compensate while starting my VRT exercises again. Just can't believe how great I was until the depression and depersonalization set in. I am also still having occasional MAV symptoms but maybe that too, is the Ativan. I am determined to get off of it and keep it just for emergencies. I know my 1 mg Ativan equals 10mg of Valium, much more than I think I would need to get through this.

Scott, I am happy to hear you continue to feel well. Hopefully I'll get to this point again but without meds. On a side note, it really makes me a bit angry that my Dr's didn't warn me that I could get addicted and suffer withdrawal from the "low" dose they put me on. They both said keeping my daily dose under 3 mg was A-OK. Baloney! I agree with you in that the Lexapro would have been easier to deal with and would have kept me a lot happier! LOL.....

Linda

Again, my thanks to everyone for your support and suggestions.

Hi Linda,

I didn't realise it was you at first. Are you sure you might be addicted to this med? Maybe you are OK as the doc says but then if the ativan is similar to 10 mg of valium then perhaps not. The most I've taken at a time is 5 mg but usually just 2 mg. Maybe you can substitute valium for the ativan? Might be easier as the half-life is much longer and therefore you might not rebound so hard (half-life is 20 to 48 hours depending on age).

Thanks for the thoughtful wishes. Keep in touch on your progress with these meds.

Best...Scott

Hi Scott,

Yes, I am thinking I am addicted because on the few occasions I have missed or tried to go without, I found I became very lightheaded, spacey and agitated.

I have also been subscribing to a forum on benzo withdrawal and have read Prof. Aston's Manual on Benzodiazepine Withdrawal. Switching over to Valium and then tapering down would be a smoother ride if I wanted to accomplish the withdrawal over a shorter period of time. I am just trying to make it as gentle as possible. As you know from previous posts, I have a very difficult relationship with hubby and the Ativan helped so much with that anxiety and the dizziness. I really don't know where I am at this point in my recovery from VN. I have found myself wondering whether the original dizziness was actually VN or maybe a severe case of anxiety instead. Everything pointed to VN with ear pressure, and positive ENG, etc., so must assume the anxiety was caused by that initially. Also, I am not totally opposed to staying this type of medication, just want to lower the dose and maybe switch to something like Valium in a lower dose that lasts longer. I've read about people who have been taking Valium for 20 yrs without any problems. I am 63 years old and if that is what it takes to free me from these symptoms, then so be it.....BUT.... I am going to withdraw from the Ativan and see what vestibular symptoms I am left with...If still experience residual dizziness, I'll decide at that time how best to handle it for me.....

Bottom line is that I want to be DRUG FREE permanently!

Cheers,
Linda