Taking Ativan. Ears Ringing Constantly. Have Muscle Ache. Can I Go For A Low Dose Of Ativan?

Posted on Tue, 1 Oct 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 1 Oct 2013 Answered on

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I have been taking ativan 0.5 daily for about 8 months. I have been trying to reduce it by skipping days and trying 0.25 . My ears ring constantly, I am getting muscle aches in back and neck, and have rebound anxiety that is awful. How long can I expect these symptoms to persist and can I get off this low dose safely?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
You can withdraw this low dose Ativan

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
Ativan 0.25mg is a low dose already. There should be no problem in stopping the medicine. The rebound anxiety that you are having usually subsides in one week after stopping the medicine. You can reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake to help in early improvement.
The ringing in the ears and a constant back and neck pain is likely to be due to a muscle pain and an inner ear problem. You can help these by taking a mild pain killer and doing a regular hot fomentation in the area of pain and stiffness. Do consult an ENT specialist to find out the cause of ringing in the ears for proper treatment.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar