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Re: Sleeping habits
Posted by Mike Bucklar on November 28, 1998 at 19:08:26:In Reply to: Sleeping habits posted by Roger on November 28, 1998 at 11:17:46:
Sudden withdraw from any benzodiazepam can be potentially dangerous. Standard withdraw techniques include the slow reduction in the amount of mgs taken over a several month period. If you are serious about eliminating these meds from you routine you first must begin taking them on a regimented basis. Do not wait until the middle of the night to take them. Take the med as indicated, such as right before bed. Then, after you doctor has agreed upon the reduction, very slowly decrease the amount you take. If you find a barrier in the reduction. Maintain at the barrier. I will illustrate using Ativan as an example. Step one: You know that 1mg of Ativan makes you sleep like a baby. Step two: Take the one mg every night at the same time, one hour before bed. After a week, begin taking .75 mg Ativan one hour before bed. If you still sleep well on .75 mg continue taking this dose for several weeks. Step three: move to .5 mg. You may notice that you do OK for the first few nights but then the insomnia returns. You have now established a barrier somewhere between .75 and .5. Move back to the .75 for a few weeks, then return to step three. This time .5 mg may work. The key to breaking new barriers is once you have established a new barrier, you stay on it for a longer period of time than the previous barrier. It is not unlikely to spend six months eliminating a benzodiazepam from your system. Hope this helps
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