Lorazepam Addiction Fear

[Lotsoflavender]

In 2008 I went onto Citalopram for anxiety and it was fabulous, last year in August I 'blipped' and didn't recover. Doc's tried higher doses of Cit. (60mg), Paxil, Cymbalta without success because I would be so sick I couldn't continue.

Changed Doctors and he found I have Coeliac Disease but I still have the anxiety/depression problem. He tried Prozac....same problem with mega sickness. Mirtazapine 15mg, no problem going onto it but it put on weight and I think it make me a bit down. Now he has me starting Escitalopram 2.5 mls/mg liquid as well as staying on the Mirt for now (helps with the sleep).

I've been only on the Escit. for 9 days and still lots of nausea and pings of anxiety so I'm taking .5mg - 1mg of Lorazepam (Ativan) prn and that is almost every morning so far. I seem to of developed a sensitivity to SSRIs that I didn't have when I first went onto the Citalopram without a hiccough.

I am most fearsome of becoming dependent on the Lorazepam. Does any kind soul have an idea of how much and how long you have to be on benzos to develop dependency? The way I'm going, it could be some time before I get to the 10mg therapeutic dose of Escit. so taking up to 1mg of Lorazepam every day is a bit scary.

It was my idea to try the Citalopram again but he thought Escit. might of been a better alternative.

I see him tomorrow for an evaluation. I would so very much like to take every SSRI I have in the cupboard and toss them down the loo......
Cheers folks

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi ya lavender

I would have thought that you can get addicted to a certain degree to any kind of meds tbh. I know that people worry like hell about getting addicted to tranquillers becoz of all the 'bad' things that some say about them. But I have twice come off of two different ones in the time I have been suffering which is many many years:mad::ohmy:

If you cut down slowly, you'll have less withdrawal symptoms or you may have none at all. My experience with withdrawal after many many years on being on them was slight agitation and that's it. I withdrew from 3mg a day of lorazepam, got down to half mg. Just lately I have withdrawn from diazepam with no problem whatsoever and I had been on them during the day since 2006.

Hope this helps.

Els
xx

[Lotsoflavender]

Thx Els, yep it does help a lot. I've had two doctors trying to put the fear of Ativan into me when it's the only med that quells the nausea and anxiety the ssris generate.
Maxolon is useless. Tried the pepperment teas, ginger and all that other stuff, nup, nothing works. Deep breathing for the anxiety has some effect at the time.
Many thanks

[Lotsoflavender]

Well after a visit to Dr Jesse, he's canned the Escit and I'm to stay on Mirt.15mg for now. He didn't like the way a react to such a tiny amount of the Escit. (2.5mg). So I'm hoping the Mirt will be able to do it's job all on it's own.
Be nice not to feel sick every darn day, though. :roflmao:

[karenp]

I've been on 2mg's of Lorazepam 3 times in the past and never had a single prob coming off it, I just waited till I felt ready and tapered by chopping the pills into bits. I was fine coming of Diazepam too but had terrible withdrawal from the ad Mirtazapine ):