lorazepam/ativan

[imageek]

Hey all,

Recently I had a mental breakdown. On the verge of suicide. Rushed to hospital because of depression and actively participating in attempting to kill myself etc etc. The anxiety and depression got far too much for me. I now have a mental health team who visit me every other day, and with plans to start 1-2-1 therapy once the home team have finished up.

Since my mental breakdown I have been doing fine this past week taking my Citalopram and Lorazepam. The Lorazepam chills me the hell out, but allows me to function, and I don't get any side effects from the 40mg of Citalopram as I've been on them a while now.

But, the doctor has prescribed pregabalin which he plans to keep me on and take me off the lorazepam. He said the lorazepam is short term use only. I am in total disagreement with him here because I've spoken to a number of people who have been taking them years. Yes, granted they are probably dependant on them both physically and mentally, but they take them daily to maintain a balance and function in life - and it works!

I discussed this with my doctor who said it wasn't ideal to keep me on them.

I have explained I struggle to swallow tablets, and the Citalopram and Lorazepam are both very small. But the pregabalin is huge and I've choked and vomited on them every time I've taken them. He wants to try and get me a liquid form.

I just feel it's pointless. The lorazepam works. I don't care about the physical addiction to them, because they make me feel so normal.

I don't get why some doctors are happy to keep patients on lorazepam, and others not.

The pregabalin is pointless, because I can't take them. I don't want to try other meds when I have a working combination here. So I'd rather stay on them until I've gone through my 1-2-1 therapy, and then when I've learnt to cope I'd rather come off the lorazepam and remain on Citalopram.

What is so wrong with this?

I just feel like if he's going to take me off them I'll end up buying them illegally because this is the best I have ever felt in the 12 years of battling anxiety and depression. I feel without this "normal" feeling I am just going to slip backwards again, as has happened many times in the past.

Any advice or help here?

[SarahH]

I think you should trust your Dr and mental health team.

I am on Citalopram/pregabalin and use Lorazepam very occasionally (0.5mgs dose) when my anxiety peeks. Any valium is HIGHLY addictive and you will have HUGE problems trying to come off it.
Trust the pregablin it is brilliant for anxiety and allow the Citalopram to get in your system.

I have been in the same place as you i.e I was in a psychiatric unit last year and very unwell.
Believe me you do not want to get into a Benzo addiction!


Sarah

[xBettyBoopx]

Doctors are supposed to be getting everyone off anything that ends in 'pam' it means it's a tranquillizer which is addictive.......der......... lots of things are addictive but I agree with you, if they work then why the hell don't they just leave well alone. They are addictive and quite hard to come off of but like you said you could take them for the rest of your life it wouldn't matter to you!

I have to say I am on them and don't know what I would do if my doc wanted me to come off of them because I have tried all this new medication and they make me feel ill.

Please don't buy them from anyone you don't know what you are taking.

I have know suggestions for you I'm afraid except maybe speak to another doc at your surgery!

[Emphyrio]

At the moment, Benzos are the only thing that truly help me (I have severe agitation/restlessness/anxiety) but I know that I would never want to take them long-term until all other options had been exhausted.

Put the three words "protracted" "benzo" "withdrawal" into google and have a read of some of the stories there. Coming off them sounds like hell on earth for many people.

[xBettyBoopx]

At the moment, Benzos are the only thing that truly help me (I have severe agitation/restlessness/anxiety) but I know that I would never want to take them long-term until all other options had been exhausted.

Put the three words "protracted" "benzo" "withdrawal" into google and have a read of some of the stories there. Coming off them sounds like hell on earth for many people.

I don't suggest that people google, they don't need to be even more anxious!

[yenool]

Everyone knows the risks associated with Benzo medications like Lorazepam, but I feel the borderline hysteria around them is very short sighted because somtimes for some people there really isn't a whole lot else that works.

Getting off them may be difficult but if done slowly it certainly isn't impossible.

The irony is that Pregabalin is a relatively new drug and it is rapidly starting to a gain a reputation as a medication that is abused - a medication with value on the street just like Benzos. It is also addictive in its own right and also has a whole host of side effects like weight gain.

So you can see your doctor is probably swapping you from one problematic medication to another. The pregabalin may or may not work as well, costs the NHS a whole heap more and will still require you to go through a slow and difficult tapering process when you need to come off.

If it were me I would argue the case strongly with the GP. But I do admit I am biased - I've been on Lorazepam for 8 months now and it is the best medication for anxiety I have found - this is after decades of switiching from one antidepressant to another. Just having the Lorazepam around means I am less anxious because I know I have the option of taking it if I need to - I started out being prescribed 3mg a day but lately I am actually using less and less - maybe .5mg per day if I get anxious in the evenings.

Maybe I am the freak exception to the rule that benzos are addictive? Or maybe the addiction thing is overblown.

[SarahH]

As a pregabalin AND Lorazepam user I can say they are completely different in how they work and what it is like to reduce the dosages of both drugs, I have tapered off pregabalin VERY easily and it is not classed as an addictive drug like Benzos are. I still use 0.5mgs of lorazepam occasionally.But I know which one I would rather have in mh system!!

Sarah

[yenool]

As a pregabalin AND Lorazepam user I can say they are completely different in how they work and what it is like to reduce the dosages of both drugs, I have tapered off pregabalin VERY easily and it is not classed as an addictive drug like Benzos are. I still use 0.5mgs of lorazepam occasionally.But I know which one I would rather have in mh system!!

Sarah

Well with respect I disagree.

Not everyone fits the typical, which was my point really as some people taper of benzos easily too. You only have to type "pregabalin and addiction" or "pregabalin and abuse" into Google to see that many people have issues with it and it is becoming more widely abused, unfortunately.

Are you saying that the Pregabalin has less side effects than the Lorazepam? Seems odd to me given pregabalin is known for the brain fog and weight gain.

Give me the Lorazepam any day; at least the doctors know it is dangerous and prescribe it cautiously. Plus for me has the least side effects of anything else I have tried.

I believe Lyrica/Pregabalin will be considered the modern day Benzo in 10-15 years time. It is being dished out like smarties for people with all sorts of conditions, just like the benzos were in the 1960/70s. It took the medical community years to catch up then and I think it will be a repeat process now.


Plus from the OP's perspective it must be frustrating to be forced to stop taking something that works, and have to change to something that 1) might not work and 2) virtually guaranteed to have more side effects.

[SarahH]

Well I think we will have to "agree to disagree" on this one

Sarah

[hanshan]

Hi yenool,

I did do a search on pregabalin and abuse as you said, and it turns out the abusers are taking two or three times the maximum prescribed daily dose in one hit.

These people are likely to be recreational drug abusers, not people seeking relief from an anxiety disorder.

There is no evidence that someone taking pregabalin at prescribed levels will experience addiction or abuse.