How do you taper off lorazepam safely?
Episode notes
Lorazepam (Ativan) is one of the most prescribed anxiety medicines, and thousands of people come off it every year with a planned taper. This episode walks through what that looks like: why the brain develops physical dependence even when the medicine is taken exactly as directed, why stopping suddenly can bring on a dangerous withdrawal reaction including seizures, and why a gradual, supported reduction is the safer path.
We cover the shape of a taper: small steps, holding a dose until you feel steady again, and gentler reductions near the end, where liquid lorazepam or a compounding pharmacy can measure very small cuts. We also look at the two routes people plan with a provider, either slowly lowering the current lorazepam dose or switching to an equal dose of a longer-acting benzodiazepine, usually diazepam (Valium), and then tapering that.
The episode closes with what helps alongside the medicine, including therapy, protecting sleep, gentle movement, telling someone you trust and keeping a simple log, and with the red flags that mean urgent care: muscle twitching you cannot control, confusion or seeing things that are not there, and a high fever with severe sweating.
Read the full guide: How to Safely Come Off Lorazepam (Ativan). Find a provider trained in deprescribing: mydeprescriber.com/find-a-provider. The hosts of this episode are AI-generated from the written guide.
Educational only, not medical advice. Never stop a medication without your provider. If you are in crisis in the US, call or text 988.