Weaning off Ativan for sleep

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SFMama
SFMama Member Posts: 16
edited February 2016 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I used Ativan to help me sleep about 80% of the nights while undergoing chemo. Since my last chemo was two weeks ago, I want to stop taking the Ativan, but the last three nights have been a disaster of almost total sleeplessness. I am a wreck today, so tired, and feeling really guilty. When I finally did fall asleep at about 5am I slept until the late morning and my kids (who are off school this week) played on their iPads for literally 5 hours. Any words of wisdorm re how to get some sleep WITHOUT Ativan?


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  • littleblueflowers
    littleblueflowers Member Posts: 2,000
    edited February 2016

    No real words of wisdom, but a lot of us experience the same thing. MO s give it out like candy, but never mention how incredibly addictive it is. Honestly, to me I stepped the Ativan down gradually, and also smoked pot if that's something you are willing to do. It helped with the withdrawal symptoms. It took a few weeks, but I've been off it for several months now, and don't use weed either. Good luck!

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  • pboi
    pboi Member Posts: 663
    edited February 2016

    I started Ativan 1 mg to sleep during chemo, used it every night. I did not realize how addicting it was and how hard it would be to get off, or else I would never have started it. I used it through chemo and rads. I figured at that time I needed my sleep. After rads, I started to taper, about 1/4 mg every week or two. I used a nail file to cut a tiny bit more every night. When I got to 1/4 mg stopped cold turkey and used Benadryl for about a week or two. I have insomnia I believe from my instant menopause or maybe the AI and knew I couldn't stay on the Benadryl long term so I tried melatonin with pretty good success, sleeping better. I'm not able to get enough hours of sleep with the melatonin so am now on Trazadone which works great for me.

    I have 3 young kids and I understand your frustration trying to get off the Ativan, take care of them,and still sleep. Please feel free to PM me with questions. I know how hard this is to do, but it can be done! Good luck!

    PB

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  • SelenaWolf
    SelenaWolf Member Posts: 1,724
    edited February 2016

    Ativan is not addictive, it's habit-forming. There's a difference. If it were addictive, you'd have to wean off it like you would a narcotic or you'd get very, very ill; however, you can stop Ativan right away without any side effects like nausea, vomiting, tremens, etc. But it is habit forming, which means that your body gets accustomed to it very quickly and the usual dosage becomes ineffective, necessitating larger dosages to get the same sleep effect. This, of course, is not desirable

    I have used Ativan for years - on- and off - for raging insomnia, which I have suffered for my whole life. I go off it to all my body to re-adjust without it, then start taking it again, when needed.

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  • ElaineTherese
    ElaineTherese Member Posts: 3,328
    edited February 2016

    Hi!

    I take a variety of things for sleep, including Ativan. I will take Ativan one or two times a week but otherwise rely on Melatonin, Clonidine, and Unisom. I figure if I vary my sleep aid, my body won't get too used to one supplement/medication. Good luck to you -- I have three kids, and it can be very stressful to parent and get other things done after a sleepless night.

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  • exercise_guru
    exercise_guru Member Posts: 716
    edited February 2016

    I added this to my favorites topic as I too am trying to wean off of Ativan. I will try the reduction like suggested 1mg,.75mg,.5 mg. .25 mg and see if I can get off of it. Switching straight to Trazadone did nothing for me so maybe I need to come up with a different plan.

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  • Outfield
    Outfield Member Posts: 1,109
    edited February 2016
    It's incorrect that Ativan has no withdrawal syndrome. People who have been on high doses of that type of medication have risk of seizures if they stop suddenly (1mg at bedtime is not by any means a high dose), which can be life-threatening. It's one of the more dangerous drug withdrawal syndromes, but luckily for oncologists they don't generally prescribe into that dosing range. Trouble sleeping is a much milder form of withdrawal.


    "Addiction" isn't the same thing as physical tolerance or dependence. You can be physically tolerant (the drug doesn't cause much effect any more unless you take a higher dose) or dependent (withdrawal symptoms if you stop, although this word can have other meanings) without having addiction. Addiction means craving the drug, inability to control behavior related to the drug despite it causing problems in a person's life, and inability to control use.

    Go easy on yourself. It doesn't sound like you are an "addict" although I agree, I hated the feeling of being dependent. I also reduced 1/4 mg at at time, but I went down once a month. I now use melatonin, which I take a few hours before bedtime. No withdrawal that I've noticed if I miss it, and there's not supposed to be one.

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