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Will Taking Lorazepam Help Deal With Tremors And Sleep?
I am in good health. Age 69. I exercise and eat well. I am trying to stop taking Lorazapam. One reason for this decision is that I have to go to my doctor to get each refill. No long term RX for this drug any longer. I live a long way from my doctor. This is the 7th day of stopping this medication (.5mg. three times a day). I have experienced sleepiness all six nights as well as persistent small tremors (one sharper-longer tremor last night). How long will it the sumptoms last? Should I take small dosages instead of complete ceasing the drug? I have managed to last for one whole week. I hate to give in now but I would love to be able to get some sleep. Thank you so much, Norma
Wed, 6 Feb 2019
Hello,
It is almost always best to wean slowly from a benzodiazepine such as lorazepam. And if the reason for your previously taking it has not resolved (such as anxiety), then it should be replaced with something else.
When people have difficult withdrawal symptoms, we sometimes recommend returning to taking the medicine but at approximately half the dose that was last used. Or sometimes we return to the dose that was last effective and then start over but weaning more slowly.
I would strongly recommend that you ask your doctor to help you with this process. He/she may think it best to replace the lorazepam with something else, or, if the original problem that you take it for has resolved, then a suggestion might be to take .25 mg during the day, and .5 mg at night. Then after a few weeks, cut the night dose to .25 mg. Then after a couple more weeks, discontinue the daytime dose.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh,
General & Family Physician
It is almost always best to wean slowly from a benzodiazepine such as lorazepam. And if the reason for your previously taking it has not resolved (such as anxiety), then it should be replaced with something else.
When people have difficult withdrawal symptoms, we sometimes recommend returning to taking the medicine but at approximately half the dose that was last used. Or sometimes we return to the dose that was last effective and then start over but weaning more slowly.
I would strongly recommend that you ask your doctor to help you with this process. He/she may think it best to replace the lorazepam with something else, or, if the original problem that you take it for has resolved, then a suggestion might be to take .25 mg during the day, and .5 mg at night. Then after a few weeks, cut the night dose to .25 mg. Then after a couple more weeks, discontinue the daytime dose.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh,
General & Family Physician
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