I have been going through withdrawl for 9 days. Is this normal? I still feel horrible and i am starting to think I will never feel good again. Wow I never expected this many days of misery. I knew it would be tough, but I still can't hardly keep my head up. I couldn't possibly work yet. I went to the Dr. yesterday and he said I wasn't dehydrated but didn't say much else. I got the feeling he wasn't that sympathetic, since I brought this on my self. Can anyone out there tell me about the medicine I keep hearing about that helps with withdrawl symptoms. If I am almost there I would hate to give up at this point ,but I don't know how much more I can take.
honestly honey..
i cant recommend you give your body some extra nutrients anymore then i already have...i feel so bad for you....
If you were to walk into a really good health food store and tell them what you feel like and why, im sure they will help you find the supplements ( vitamins) that were suggested...
did the Dr take your blood pressure??? He doesnt sound like a very good Dr..Is he the one that wrote you the Rx"s???
You need to start putting GOOD things in your body...have you been eating properly? My Dr gave me a shot of Vitamin B6 12 to help with the withdrawals..i cant believe yours wasnt more sympathetic...
You should be over the worst of the withdrawals...you were only taking the pain pills right? or were you on benzos as well.?? sorry i cant remember...
Hugs
Ali
i cant recommend you give your body some extra nutrients anymore then i already have...i feel so bad for you....
If you were to walk into a really good health food store and tell them what you feel like and why, im sure they will help you find the supplements ( vitamins) that were suggested...
did the Dr take your blood pressure??? He doesnt sound like a very good Dr..Is he the one that wrote you the Rx"s???
You need to start putting GOOD things in your body...have you been eating properly? My Dr gave me a shot of Vitamin B6 12 to help with the withdrawals..i cant believe yours wasnt more sympathetic...
You should be over the worst of the withdrawals...you were only taking the pain pills right? or were you on benzos as well.?? sorry i cant remember...
Hugs
Ali
Hi Ali,
I am taking 1 1/2 ativan to sleep, none during the day. Could that be holding me up? I haven't been able to keep much food down and vitiamins really make my stomach hurt even with I am not in this state... so I have been afraid to take anything. I wonder if a B shot would help. Last night I was really feeling horrible and really had to fight it. I just laid on my bed in the fetal position. Should I be able to eat by now?
I am taking 1 1/2 ativan to sleep, none during the day. Could that be holding me up? I haven't been able to keep much food down and vitiamins really make my stomach hurt even with I am not in this state... so I have been afraid to take anything. I wonder if a B shot would help. Last night I was really feeling horrible and really had to fight it. I just laid on my bed in the fetal position. Should I be able to eat by now?
Hi hon,
Yes in my opinion you should be able to eat SOMETHING by now...and with nothing in your stomach, many vitamins cant be absorbed properly, and especially with vitamin B, you can get SO nauseous with an empty tummy...made that mistake once and never again.....
Honey do you have an addiction Dr in your area that you can go see that will help you sort this out...you just seem to be really sick and this is an awful long time to not be eating and feeling lousy....
I dont know if you read about sub, or if thats even something that should be an option for you at this point if your not craving anymore, just sick....but if i were you I would definitely get a 2nd opinion on why you feel this bad....
Please TRY to eat something honey...just not eating a long time can make you feel like youve been hit by a bus at anytime..but after withdrawing? Crikeys...
Im worried about you...did you get your blood pressure checked?????
Wish someone else would come and give their opinion on this, maybe once i hit post and its up at the top again, someone will...
hang in there, you are stronger then you know...Im amazed how strong you must be,.,
Hugs
Ali
Yes in my opinion you should be able to eat SOMETHING by now...and with nothing in your stomach, many vitamins cant be absorbed properly, and especially with vitamin B, you can get SO nauseous with an empty tummy...made that mistake once and never again.....
Honey do you have an addiction Dr in your area that you can go see that will help you sort this out...you just seem to be really sick and this is an awful long time to not be eating and feeling lousy....
I dont know if you read about sub, or if thats even something that should be an option for you at this point if your not craving anymore, just sick....but if i were you I would definitely get a 2nd opinion on why you feel this bad....
Please TRY to eat something honey...just not eating a long time can make you feel like youve been hit by a bus at anytime..but after withdrawing? Crikeys...
Im worried about you...did you get your blood pressure checked?????
Wish someone else would come and give their opinion on this, maybe once i hit post and its up at the top again, someone will...
hang in there, you are stronger then you know...Im amazed how strong you must be,.,
Hugs
Ali
llh
Congrats on the 9 days. The ativan could be causing you to feel groggy during the day. I would give it up. It has to the potential to be habit forming, and you need to be able to go to sleep without using it. Its real easy to become addicted to those, so do yourself a favor now before that happens.
All those supplements didn't do a thing for me, but everyone is different. I have a medicine cabinet full of crap that was suppose to make me feel better and it didn't.
You have to keep moving, and keep yourself busy. I laid around for a whole month and it wasnt until I got outside and into some fresh air that I started to feel better. Try not to dwell on feeling bad, but think about how good your going to feel real soon. I know its hard, its probably one of the hardest things you will ever do, but the reward is so worth it. Keep moving forward.
Michelle
Congrats on the 9 days. The ativan could be causing you to feel groggy during the day. I would give it up. It has to the potential to be habit forming, and you need to be able to go to sleep without using it. Its real easy to become addicted to those, so do yourself a favor now before that happens.
All those supplements didn't do a thing for me, but everyone is different. I have a medicine cabinet full of crap that was suppose to make me feel better and it didn't.
You have to keep moving, and keep yourself busy. I laid around for a whole month and it wasnt until I got outside and into some fresh air that I started to feel better. Try not to dwell on feeling bad, but think about how good your going to feel real soon. I know its hard, its probably one of the hardest things you will ever do, but the reward is so worth it. Keep moving forward.
Michelle
I did get my blood pressure checked and it was fine. Do you think this could be double withdrawl from the ativan also. I did get some food down today, but I feel really shakey and hyper, like I can't calm down. I was taking 1 to 1 1/2 ativan in the evening and 1 1/2 at night during my taper before I stopped the oxy for about a month. Does anyone out there know what ativan withdrawl is like. I have only been taking it at night for the past few days now and don't know whether to just stop or reduce over the next couple of nights. What will that be like, should I just do it now, I am scared to go backwards. My body has just had it. Thanks for the responses.
If youve been taking it that long, it could be a reason you feel lethargic AND anxious! ..i have never been able to tolerate any type of valum myself, even one time use i will feel lethargic and feel like crying for the whole next day...i avoid valium anything like the plaque...
Cant you go see your Dr or see a new one? No one here is a Dr and can only tell you about our own experiences, which as you can see are varied...what really works for one doesnt necessarily work for another...
My absolute best advice, besides nutritional, is to see a new Dr, and preferably one with experience with withdrawal, narcotic addiction etc....
Im so sorry you feel so anxious...anxiety is the worst feeling i know....just remember that this too will pass, it will not last the rest of your life or anything..it just feels that way at the time....
Please keep us posted and if you can see a new Dr, let us know what he says..
Im so sorry you feel this way..i would do anything to help make it go away if i could,,,
Hugs
Ali
Cant you go see your Dr or see a new one? No one here is a Dr and can only tell you about our own experiences, which as you can see are varied...what really works for one doesnt necessarily work for another...
My absolute best advice, besides nutritional, is to see a new Dr, and preferably one with experience with withdrawal, narcotic addiction etc....
Im so sorry you feel so anxious...anxiety is the worst feeling i know....just remember that this too will pass, it will not last the rest of your life or anything..it just feels that way at the time....
Please keep us posted and if you can see a new Dr, let us know what he says..
Im so sorry you feel this way..i would do anything to help make it go away if i could,,,
Hugs
Ali
can anyone tell me what ativan withdrawl is like? I am taking it only at night and want to just stop, but I am afraid of what it will do to my body at this point. 1 1/2 at night the last two nights. should I go to 1 for a couple of nights.... then half... then off or will I just prolong the misery. I am done with my doctor, so I am on my own with this.
llh, Ativan is a bezno and if you are addicted, you can not, unde any circumstances, do it without a doctors supervision.
okay you just scared the crap out of me. I cant go back to the dr. at this point. I have only been taking the ativan for about a month and only at night for a week now. Now I really do feel like I am having a panic attack. I never took them for that, just to sleep and help with withdrawls.
llh
I doubt seriously if you are addicted to them at this point. You said you have only been taking them for the last two days. Can you call your doctor? Benzo addiction is different than opiate addiction. You can always call a Urgent Care facility and ask to have a doctor phone you back. Don't get yourself upset, I really don't think two days of taking Ativan is going cause withdraws if you quit taking them, but talk to a doctor to be sure.
Michelle
I doubt seriously if you are addicted to them at this point. You said you have only been taking them for the last two days. Can you call your doctor? Benzo addiction is different than opiate addiction. You can always call a Urgent Care facility and ask to have a doctor phone you back. Don't get yourself upset, I really don't think two days of taking Ativan is going cause withdraws if you quit taking them, but talk to a doctor to be sure.
Michelle
Based on your description, I would say you are not addicted. You never know but in all probability, you are not. It takes a month or so to become addicted but that is taking them regularily through the day. I think you are ok.
Hi llh,
Oxy w/d for me was very difficult and long lived. You will have to be patient. It won't be over this week or next, probably. It will, however, get better incrementally every day. You have to tough it out. Get out like Michelle said. Be around people. Distract yourself. It will make it easier then any vitamin. You're going to feel rough for awhile. Try to ignore it as much as you can. Don't focus on every ache and symptom. I know that is easier to say then do, but I promise it will make it easier. The best thing you can do it get some exercise. Walk, use a treadmill. Deep breathing. Get out.
Best of luck, Beck
Oxy w/d for me was very difficult and long lived. You will have to be patient. It won't be over this week or next, probably. It will, however, get better incrementally every day. You have to tough it out. Get out like Michelle said. Be around people. Distract yourself. It will make it easier then any vitamin. You're going to feel rough for awhile. Try to ignore it as much as you can. Don't focus on every ache and symptom. I know that is easier to say then do, but I promise it will make it easier. The best thing you can do it get some exercise. Walk, use a treadmill. Deep breathing. Get out.
Best of luck, Beck
IIh,
I have been reading your posts about withdrawal and it sounds terrible right now. I don't know if I caught everything right - but how long were you on the oxys for and how many were you taking at a time? I know you know that the timeframe that you have been using for can effect the length and severity of withdrawal.
My second question is how come you are detoxing alone? And not somewhere where there are people who can monitor your physical state? Do you have a support system of friends or family that could help you with this?
Also, at this point, it is doubtful that your body is "dependent" on the ativan. It is HIGHLY unlikely that having cut back from 1.5 twice a day to 1.5 once a day is causing further withdrawal symptoms. If you are feeling groggy, try splitting that 1.5 up into 0.5mg in the morning and then 1mg before you go to bed, and if you really don't want to be on it anymore, you have to taper off VERY slowly. Over a period of a few weeks so that if your body is at all "used to it" being there, you won't have withdrawals from that.
One possibility is going to the Emergency Room and getting some hydration and maybe some valium to help with the physical agitation that is going on (they actually usually use valium or another longer acting benzo with alcohol withdrawals, I don't know why they wouldn't do it for this). Maybe they can give you some anti-nausea medication (even if it's not nausea that you're feeling, if you can't keep anything down, then you're not going to get better).
Can you keep anything down at all? How much water or gatorade, etc. are you drinking?
It sounds like you're really anxious about returning to work and whether you'll be able to or not. I don't want to preach, but it sounds like right now your focus needs to be on you and what you need to do to get through this. The added guilt you are putting on yourself, even about "getting yourself into this" (what's done is done and you're doing your best to move forward, and you will move forward) and anxiety that it creates can't be helping.
The physical and emotional aspects of the anxiety (and beating yourself up over this) will make everything harder to deal with, and one of the priorities is helping to calm yourself down, in addition to making sure you are physically safe. So I would say keep taking the Ativan but maybe try breaking it up into 6 hour periods (even .5 .5 and .5), keep trying to stay hydrated, if you can't eat, eat clear liquids (like chicken broth and popcicles) keep resting, try to surround yourself with people who care about you and will help take care of you, and take a deep breath. If all else fails, try the ER... they are ethically and legally bound to help you and they will.
This will pass.
Please keep posting....
((()))))
I have been reading your posts about withdrawal and it sounds terrible right now. I don't know if I caught everything right - but how long were you on the oxys for and how many were you taking at a time? I know you know that the timeframe that you have been using for can effect the length and severity of withdrawal.
My second question is how come you are detoxing alone? And not somewhere where there are people who can monitor your physical state? Do you have a support system of friends or family that could help you with this?
Also, at this point, it is doubtful that your body is "dependent" on the ativan. It is HIGHLY unlikely that having cut back from 1.5 twice a day to 1.5 once a day is causing further withdrawal symptoms. If you are feeling groggy, try splitting that 1.5 up into 0.5mg in the morning and then 1mg before you go to bed, and if you really don't want to be on it anymore, you have to taper off VERY slowly. Over a period of a few weeks so that if your body is at all "used to it" being there, you won't have withdrawals from that.
One possibility is going to the Emergency Room and getting some hydration and maybe some valium to help with the physical agitation that is going on (they actually usually use valium or another longer acting benzo with alcohol withdrawals, I don't know why they wouldn't do it for this). Maybe they can give you some anti-nausea medication (even if it's not nausea that you're feeling, if you can't keep anything down, then you're not going to get better).
Can you keep anything down at all? How much water or gatorade, etc. are you drinking?
It sounds like you're really anxious about returning to work and whether you'll be able to or not. I don't want to preach, but it sounds like right now your focus needs to be on you and what you need to do to get through this. The added guilt you are putting on yourself, even about "getting yourself into this" (what's done is done and you're doing your best to move forward, and you will move forward) and anxiety that it creates can't be helping.
The physical and emotional aspects of the anxiety (and beating yourself up over this) will make everything harder to deal with, and one of the priorities is helping to calm yourself down, in addition to making sure you are physically safe. So I would say keep taking the Ativan but maybe try breaking it up into 6 hour periods (even .5 .5 and .5), keep trying to stay hydrated, if you can't eat, eat clear liquids (like chicken broth and popcicles) keep resting, try to surround yourself with people who care about you and will help take care of you, and take a deep breath. If all else fails, try the ER... they are ethically and legally bound to help you and they will.
This will pass.
Please keep posting....
((()))))
Wow, thank you so much for the responses. My husband has been helping me and I was taking the oxy for quite a while. Probably a year straight. I don't want my family or friends to know about this because I am pretty mad at my self. I guess I feel embarassed. That is why this forum has been so helpful. I really appreciate the info on tapering the ativan. I want to get off of it as soon as possible, but I don't want to tramatize my body any more then I have to. Is it better to break up the dose and take part of it in the day time even though I haven't been taking like that. Wouldn't that be like stepping backward? I did take it for about a month that way but havent taken it in the daytime for at least a week. I was maybe just panicing about the ativan because I thought, how in the world will I be able to go through withdrawl of something else. Maybe it is still the oxy working on me. I haven't had any urges for oxy at all, I was seriously so ill I can't imagine ever taking another pill in my life. I am sure it will come back and I will need to remind my self but I never want to go through this again, ever. I really want to know how to taper off the ativan in the safest...least stressful way. I don't want to take any chances. I have been able to eat a little today and It seems like the worst is over unless I have to face ativan withdrawl, just the thought makes my chest tight. You guys are really helping me. I can't say thank you enough. I couldn't have gotten through this without your help.
Just know that you aren't alone. Withdrawals are different for everyone, mine took forever this last time. Seems every time I relapsed, the withdrawals took longer and longer. I was so tired...for a couple of months I think. It just takes time. You've got to learn some patience and be kind to yourself.
One thing for sure, stop taking pills. Supplements didn't do a damn thing for me either, but some do help now. Your body just has to go through the healing process and it takes time.
Hang in there.
Cowgirl
One thing for sure, stop taking pills. Supplements didn't do a damn thing for me either, but some do help now. Your body just has to go through the healing process and it takes time.
Hang in there.
Cowgirl
Heres a site about benzos to checkout...it will list symptoms of benzo withdrawal.see if it describes what you are feeling..
Hope it helps...and hope you get another Dr that has more kindness and compassion...
Hugs
Ali
http://www.benzo.org.uk/
Hope it helps...and hope you get another Dr that has more kindness and compassion...
Hugs
Ali
http://www.benzo.org.uk/
How many mg of oxy were you taking a day?
Ali,
I know I'm super new and I don't want to be rude, but chances are many of the withdrawal symptoms from benzos are going to look like that of many other drugs (and alcohol). IIh really hasn't been on ativan (or enough of it) for long enough to be having physical dependence issues and I think the focus right now, especially for her sake, needs to be the opiate withdrawal and coping with that. I'm a nurse, and although nothing I say on this board can be taken as professional opinion, I think sometimes more information is too much information.
Don't get me wrong, I know you are just trying to be helpful... and I'm probably being a jerk, but I really super duper don't think the worry just yet is the ativan.
IIh, I think deep down you know that too and it might just be scarier to be facing the guilt/fear/anxiety/shame that you are holding on to, knowing that this is from taking the oxys for so long.
IIh, how are you feeling right now? Please keep us posted. And please, please go to the doctor if you feel like you are really sick.
My intentions here are good Ali, I swear... I just needed to say that....
SP
I know I'm super new and I don't want to be rude, but chances are many of the withdrawal symptoms from benzos are going to look like that of many other drugs (and alcohol). IIh really hasn't been on ativan (or enough of it) for long enough to be having physical dependence issues and I think the focus right now, especially for her sake, needs to be the opiate withdrawal and coping with that. I'm a nurse, and although nothing I say on this board can be taken as professional opinion, I think sometimes more information is too much information.
Don't get me wrong, I know you are just trying to be helpful... and I'm probably being a jerk, but I really super duper don't think the worry just yet is the ativan.
IIh, I think deep down you know that too and it might just be scarier to be facing the guilt/fear/anxiety/shame that you are holding on to, knowing that this is from taking the oxys for so long.
IIh, how are you feeling right now? Please keep us posted. And please, please go to the doctor if you feel like you are really sick.
My intentions here are good Ali, I swear... I just needed to say that....
SP
llh
You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Look around, your not the first person to screw up with opiates. Hell, this place is over run with them, myself included. LOL
I understand not wanting to share this with friends and family, and really it is none of thier business. However, there is going to come a time real soon when you start feeling great and then your mind is going to start playing games. Stuff like "come on llh, just one, you can control it this time". Your going to need someone to talk to face to face when this happens. If it wasn't for my doc, family and friends, I never would have made it. You don't have to do this alone, and there is no shame in asking for help.
Be good to yourself today, and keep moving forward.
Michelle
You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Look around, your not the first person to screw up with opiates. Hell, this place is over run with them, myself included. LOL
I understand not wanting to share this with friends and family, and really it is none of thier business. However, there is going to come a time real soon when you start feeling great and then your mind is going to start playing games. Stuff like "come on llh, just one, you can control it this time". Your going to need someone to talk to face to face when this happens. If it wasn't for my doc, family and friends, I never would have made it. You don't have to do this alone, and there is no shame in asking for help.
Be good to yourself today, and keep moving forward.
Michelle
