What a rip off.....you don't say it costs money. I spent all that time writing out my question, assuming it would be free. You should tell people up front that it costs money.

My mother is 101 yrs old with a history of anxiety and depression, sleep problems, prescription drug abuse and suicide attempts....around 60 yrs ago (the suicide attempts) She has been on every anti-depressant known to man....and does much better when off all medication (in my opinion). She is bi-polar (my diagnosis) (mild manic/serious depressions).....and has been hospitalized for depression, usually short stays, none in the last 15 years. So when she feels good....sleep and anxiety are not a problem. She has been pretty good for some years now....which is typical, maybe a little better than before thanks to a great counselor, still with her. She has been taking 0.5 mg Ativan at night to help with sleep, and she can take another 0.5mg if she wants...which she is now doing. So she is going through another extreme anxiety time, and hasn't been able to sleep for weeks she says, which always puts her over the edge crazy and she is not coping right now. The Ativan is not helping with the anxiety or sleep problems and we don't want to up it, since we are already concerned about how addicting it is, and all the bad side affects. My brother and I are alternative people and don't take even OTC medication. We are trying to find a way to help her with sleep that is non-drug. She says she has been taking some homeopathic remedies for sleep and they are not helping. I know Valerian Root is very good, i have used it. My brother found a great supplement with about 10 herbal ingredients that might really help her....including Valerian......but i just looked it up on a drug / herb interaction chart....actually several of them, and it is considered a dangerous combination....Ativan and Valerian......too much sedation is very possible. I wish she would get off the Ativan, it's not helping and her cognitive ability is certainly declining...altho when she feels good, she's still pretty sharp...but falling apart right now. Do you know of any other herbs that might be safe with Ativan? Also, if she tapered off that amount of Ativan....how long would you recommend taking to taper her off.....how much reduction over how long a period of time? Sorry this is SO long. thank you.