Will I regret taking Ativan?

Medications
1

I was telling my new pdoc about all the anxiety I’ve been feeling lately, and to my surprise, he wants to start me on Ativan. I’ve never taken a benzo before and have heard terrible things about getting addicted to them and going through withdrawal, plus cognitive and memory issues, but this guy was basically like, oh that’s not going to happen to you because you’d be on such a low dose. He was kind of dismissive about it. He wants me to take it two times a day.

Needless to say, I’m skeptical. I have bad anxiety, but I don’t have actual panic attacks. It would be nice if I took something that helped, but I don’t want to start down this road if I’m going to regret it.

Is this a bad idea?

2

Yeah. You’re right to be skeptical. They’re only for very short term use. They stop working after a while. Plus they are addictive.

If your anxiety is permanent like mine then I suggest trying L-theanine.

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3

I’ve taken benzos everyday but became tolerant to them after some time and they stopped working. (Klonopin)

Benzodiazepines work better and become more effective if you take them only when needed.
prn basis.

Discuss this with your doctor.
Good luck with them!

I no longer take benzos.

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4

I got addicted to Klonopin and started abusing it :frowning:
It didn’t help, either, but maybe your experience will be different.

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5

I have been on 1mg Ativan 3x a day since 2012.

I reduced my Ativan to 1mg 1x a day a year ago and I had REALLY bad problems. My pdoc told me to take 3x per day as prescribed and my problems went away.

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6

I’m on 1 mg three times a day of klonopin as needed. Been on it since 2006 works great

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7

I have been on them for years now and I am not addicted. I only get enough to take one a day and it’s the lowest dose you can take. .25 mg Xanax once per day.

I am not going to say there haven’t been days where I have taken two but there are also days where I haven’t taken any.

My paranoia was disabling all by itself and I lived in constant fear everyday. I kept waiting and waiting for something bad to happen. I was even scared to talk. So I say I had alogia but I don’t really know if that’s what it was. I was just scared everything I said was recorded and someone was going to use it against me. So I just didn’t speak. Not even to my family.

One Xanax a day alleviated that anxiety and paranoia and I can talk now. I still think I am being recorded but I don’t care. Let them listen. It turned my life around and I think the 5 years I spent sick without a benzo were just unnecessary torture. Someone should have prescribed them to me in the beginning. I would not have dared to post anything like this on an Internet forum then. Even anonymously and now I post here all the time.

Some people get addicted but I haven’t and they help me immensely. They may help you too.

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8

Not everybody who takes them becomes addicted. Doctors know they are addictive and will try to prescribe them responsibly. It’s up to you to take them as prescribed.

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9

I’ve been taking klonopin for five years and have not become addicted. This time, I am prescribed up to two 0.5 mg tablets a day but I usually only take one. In previous times, I’ve taken two a day like clockwork with my other meds and never got desensitized.

I don’t think you’ll regret it. Your pdoc says he’s giving you a low dose, so give it a try. On the days I need it, the klonopin is a big help. One or two days a week, I don’t take any. Just take it when you need it.

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10

My previous pdoc prescribed Ativan morning, noon and night, 2.5mg each.
I stopped it on my own cos I didn’t want to get addicted. When I stopped I had catatonic episode

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11

I am prescribed 0.5 mg 3x a day of Ativan, I take one at 5:30 am, one at 11 am, and one at 8 pm .

I have been taking them this way for a year and a half and I feel that it has helped with my anxiety.

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