Cold Turkey From Ativan/Lorazepam - Digestive Issues

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Hi guys and girls,

Sorry I haven't been around for a while. I've been very busy recently trying to get my business set up etc. Hard work.

Anyway so I've been on Lorazepam/Ativan for 4 months. Had ups and downs with doctors and psych getting them to give me them. Had another issue where doc said no, and I had to jump through hoops to get a doctor from hospital to come to my house to give me some.

After that I thought no more. I can't go through this all the time. I'm the one who is facing withdrawl each time they refuse. So I knocked them on the head. I have 2 left for emergencies should I need them. But I'm 48 hours going cold turkey.

My dose (1mg) and the length of time I've been taking them doesn't warrant serious concern for adverse withdrawal symptoms. And currently I am doing fine. Obviously I am having some withdrawal, but it's manageable. Whether or not it's actual withdrawal, or my body adjusting to no lorazepam is yet to be seen, but I am doing fine. A bit of cannabis helps calm any worsening symptoms.

But I am having so many bowel movements the past 48 hours. I've had about 8 today. No joke. And sorry to be gross, but they are not hard. They are together, but not hard. they seem to come in bouts, bits at a time. And smelly.

Again, forgive me for the gross description.

Is this just withdrawal/body adjusting? I have read that benzo's bind to gabba receptors, and there's many in the gut, the main receptors are there. Which can have an effect on the digestive system.

I'm slowly getting my appetite back and eating more. On the meds I never felt hungry, and the meds actually ruined my taste for food because I can no longer eat chocolate, crisps, or sweets without disliking them. Certain foods make me feel sick too. But others I will enjoy.

People warned me on here about them. I should have listened. You were absolutely correct!

Any advice?

P.S. I am coming off these, regardless of how bad withdrawal gets. Even if it warrants a stay in hospital for monitoring lol! These are the devils drug.

P.S.S I have quit smoking for 2 weeks today too. Yay me Feeling pretty positive in life, even without the meds!

Is the Lorazepam/Ativan an anti-depressant?

Okay, I can give you some advice on the frequent bowel movements. From a couple of sources, 50% water and 50% gatorade. Maybe take a swig of gatorade (or any other sports drink) and then a swig of water. You want an overall fluid intake with a modest amount of salt and sugar, and the sports drinks just tend to have too much sugar.

Now, the standard medical advice for diarrhea (and I suppose near diarrhea) is to continue to eat as this speeds recovery of normal intestinal function. May sound counter-intuitive but this is the standard advice.

I will try and post a medical source confirming this.

Okay, so it's for short-term use for anxiety. The doctors most probably should have been better listeners and communicators throughout and when you used it longer, probably should have helped you wean off. But I guess that's neither here nor there, have to deal with current reality.

So, you do get most of your daily calories in one meal. I think a lot of people do that. As hunters and gatherers, I think that was probably one pretty common pattern, although not the healthiest.

I guess just be middle-of-the-road and try to put food before you and coax yourself to have small meals at other times.

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PS I am going to post the source about continuing to eat. It's a WHO source with the general title on diarrhea (diarrhoea I guess the British spelling!) Now, it does mostly emphasize children. Well, they're most at risk from dehydration and/or malnutrition. And in poorer countries, what to us in richer countries is mainly just a source of embarrassment, can literally be life or death.

In any case, probably good advice for adults as well.

I would say keep hydrated, when you're going to the washroom that much you need to have fluids in your system.

I would say maybe take a gravol (I don't know what it's called everywhere else), those usually help calm your stomach down as well as make you feel at ease.