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Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals manufactures brand name Ativan. There are several generic Ativan (lorazepam) manufacturers.
Ativan is a medium duration benzodiazepine (minor tranquilizer) medication used primarily to treat anxiety disorders.
Although Ativan starts working within the first hour after ingestion, according to the manufacturer, it takes about 2 hours for peak concentration in the blood to be reached. And it takes about 12 hours for the system to break down 50% (half-life) of the active ingredient (lorazepam)
Ativan is initially more potent than Valium (diazepam) and lasts about one third to one half the time of Valium.
Many claim the shorter duration and greater potency cause the individual to take more pills more often, which can increase the rate of dependence.
Ativan can cause dependency and/or addition.
Ativan is a regulated Class IV controlled substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration
Usually it comes in .5mg, 1mg, and 2mg tablets
A realistic daily dose is .5mg to 2mg taken 1 to 3 times per day. (The manufacturer says up to 10mg per day may be used in certain cases.)
Sometimes a single dose before bedtime is preferred.
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TYPE: Personal Experience
GENDER: Male
EMAIL: PennEstates
I was prescribed ativan for my complaints of anxiety and stress. My doctor did warn me that it could be addictive. However, I thought I could only get addicted to it if I abused the medication and took more than was prescribed. I was taking 1mg once or twice a day (PRN). I thought it worked great at first. I was able to sleep better and got rid of the nervous shakiness I had in the morning hours. However, after about four weeks, I started feeling very tired at work. It got to the point where it was a big chore to handwrite a paragraph. I had been taking the ativan every day at this point because I felt a little nervous if I went more than 14 hours without it. So, I suspected it was the Ativan that was making me tired, so I stopped taking it. I reduced the medication by half and then half again after three days. Then I got very anxious -- even worse than before. Sometimes it felt like everything and everyone irritated me and at other times everything was fine. After about a 6 days, those feelings subsided completely. I'm not sure what to think of it now. Someone told me to take it but to take half the prescribed dose by breaking the pills but I don't want to feel dependent on it.
dfg
I am a Registered Nurse and would like to know more about the use of Ativan in the acute care setting vs. the use of Precedex; in relation to patients on ventilators, etc. What are the advantages and disadvantages? Cost comparison? Any additional information would be appreciated!
I started taking ativan just yesterday after having very intense withdrawal symptoms from the Xanax. I was then I realized how addictive these drugs can be. The anxiety was worse than I ever had before after going just two days without the xanax. I was on xanax for 3 weeks (.5 twice a day) and already felt the pain when I stopped cold turkey. The reason I was "cold turkey" was because I had doubled my doses earlier in the week because the calmness wore off so quickly. Well, then I was out by the end of the week. My doc switched me to ativan .5, which lasts about 2 hours longer than xanax. The ativan had a very different effect than the xanax. It took longer to feel the "punch" or peak effect of it. (about 2 hours vs 30 mins on Xanax). At first I did not like this, because I was going through Xanax withdrawal and needed something quick acting, but evenutally it kicked in and I felt better later that night. Also the .5 dose of ativan seems much weaker than the .5 dose of xanax- more like a .25 dose. I do like that it lasts longer though. And it does work to calm anxiety, just takes longer to feel. Xanax also seems to give more of a "buzz" due to its short half life which is why I'm sure its more abused than ativan or klonopin. I have not decided whether I will go back to Xanax, I'm just going to try this for awhile. I dont want to be on these meds too long. Its almost a month now, so I know Im gonna have to taper off when all is said and done. I have seen some web sites say you should not take it longer than 2 months. I'm also on Paxil, which has some bad anxiety inducing side effects unfortunately so the Ativan tends to calm those down too.
I am sending this out as a warning to all!!! You need to get off the ativan! You can beat the anxiety on your own...look deep inside yourself. I have suffered from anxiety for 10 years. One day I had a panic attack at work and the doctor prescribed me ativan. I was on it daily for three weeks (boy was it addictive) and then I attempted suicide. I couldnt handle the way it made me feel...I just wanted to die. It made me feel like I could not be alone, I could not even leave my house without a pill. Anyway, I went off them cold turkey and suffered major withdrawal and rebound anxiety from the ativan. I am 100% better now that I realize I have no choice but to do this on my own. I have seeked other resources like image therapy and positive self talk to feel better through my periods of anxiety. Please do yourself a favour...let your spirit shine and get off the ativan! With love.
This drug isn't prescribed to me but to my friends father. I'm trying it out to test the waters. All weekend i was on ritalin and i loved it and so a downer is a change. I wonder how it will go, i just took on tablet now, and i hear it takes about 2 fucking hours for it to kick in... wth...? Oh well... i shall report back on the results.
I'm writting on behalf of Mother (84 years) using ativan for over 8-10 years 1mg. twice daily. loss of memory,easily agitated. my question is now that she is down to .5 twice daily will her mind mend? should we get her off Atinan to something else? thank you Mike
Please erase above entries that have full names listed.
It just makes me sleepy.., rather drowsy and listless. Not an unpleasant sensation but something I feel I can do without. I've quit a number of times but my doctor thinks it's useful.
After suffering severe panic attacks in 1985, after having complete physical workups, going to several psychiatrists, and developing agoraphobia. I went from someone who routinely lectured to 350 businesspersons at one time, to someone terrified to leave her own house. Finally, I was finally put on 0.5mg of ativan/twice a day. This allowed me to go through therapy, and eventually to live a productive life. Maybe it's just me, but I have NEVER taken more than the total 1.0mg/day (I hate taking pills). In an extremely stressful event, like the sudden death of a close family member, I have taken the two 0.5mg at once ( and no more that day). Ativan helps to keep me steady enough to recognize anxiety triggers and to counteract them. It does not make me feel 100% calm, it never did, and that's a good thing.
I was prescribed lorazepam for bupropion insomnia. My doctor knew I was "sensitive" so she gave .5 mg pills with the instruction to cut them into quarters, resulting in crumbs that were about .125 mg each. I cut up about 6 pills, intending to take the smallest crumb, being cautious due to an unfortunate incident with trazodone (not good for poor metabolizers). There was a little dust on the counter from the pills, so I dabbed it up with my fingertip and put it on my tongue. It was kind of sweet-tasting. Then I lay down to watch TV at around 10:30 pm, prior to going to bed. Well, I got the full lorazepam with just that little dusting. First, I had the unpleasant sensation of slowed breathing and wooziness, then I zonked out all night and got up groggy. Managed to pursue my usual Saturday morning activities, down to the cafe and such, then went downtown for a haircut. By about 2 pm, the anxiolytic effects had kicked in and I was in a pretty good mood, which sent me shopping. I bought a few things I wouldn't otherwise have bought. And even though at first it wasn't all that fun, I started thinking about doing it again...hmmmm... Well, aside from being a cheap date, I decided dabbling with lorazepam was not a very good idea for me. My doctor insisted that my hyperreaction was impossible, but I think the possibility of an inadvertant overdose was all too real.
I have been on Ativan for anxiety with my neurocardiogenic syncope symptoms. I have been taking .5 mg for about 50 days. On rare occassion I would have 2 in one day. (not often). I decided I could deal w/my anxiety on my own and stopped one day. I developed a severe headache. I guess I'm going to try and take 1/2 a pill for 3 weeks straight/ and then 1/2 pill for 3 weeks every other day. I guess I'm wondering if I should just go cold turkey?
I'v been taking a low dose (.5 mg/day) of Ativan for 4 weeks for anxiety. Now that my doctor put me on an anti-depressant, it's time to get off Ativan. I went cold turkey today--I was anxious throughout the day, but I feel better now. It's been 19 hrs since my last 1/4 mg. Realistically, how long after I went cold turkey would I be able to consider myself finally "free" of this terrible drug?
I am seeing several doctors because I have an undiagnosed mysterious illness. I was given Ativan by one of my doctors because of my reluctance to take any SSRI's, SNRI's etc... I am constantly dodging the bombardment of having those types of pills thrown at me as a "solution" to my problem. Anyway I take the Ativan, a 1/4 of a 5 mg. pill at a time. It seems to help me on an as-needed basis. I don't feel addicted to it because I keep the dose low. I like it way better than Xanax. Xanax gives me a headache and knocks me out.
My girlfriend is terribly experiencing severe withdrawel. She can't even operate a car. She is so nervous and suffers from an extreme headache all day long, every day for 45 days now since she has went COLD TURKEY off of Ativan. She is shaky, irritable and is afraid to be by herself. The doctors did bloodwork and all came back normal. Would it be crazy to go back on them, then wean yourself off correctly? Is there any help for her?
My friends boyfriend had been perscribed sleeping pills (maybe even pills for anxiety), she doesn't know the name of them, she said they are lil and white and like an oval shape. He was told to take 1 b4 he goes to bed every nite, for about 2 weeks. He took 2 one nite and called her and was tellin her all this stuff like he didnt' love her or nething nemore and he never did. crying while hes talkin to her. and he didn't remmeber ne of it the next day. and the next nite he took 2 pills again and the same thing happened. besides the fact that he shouldn't be taking two because the blood concentrations accumulate day by day increasing the inital dose. could the pills be making him say sumthings that aren't really true? and would a sleepin pill cause him become depressed?
i had my first exsperence with ativan in county jail i was always a hyper child doctors said i had a learning disability but today the call it ADHDA IAM 35 NOW I FREAK OUT ONE TIME WHEN I GOT LOCKED UP FOR A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DISPUTE THING WITH MY FAMILY I WAS VERY BAD SO AT THE JAIL THE JAIL PSYCATRIST GAVE ME ATIVAN IN LIQUID FORM I DRANK IT I WAS CALM LIKE HELL THE REST OF THE NIGHT I SLEPT LIKE A BABY. IT WAS BETTER THAN ANY MARIUANA IVE EVER SMOKED TO CALM ME DOWN BUT I NOTICED THAT NAME BRAND ATIVAN IS MUCH BETTER THAN GENERTIC THE GENERIC BRAND MADE BY mylan PHARMACUTICALS SUCKS!any way i sufered from anxiety disorder since i was 12 and through the years i noticed that theres a major diffrence between name brand and generic in just about every medication ive taken i take ativan 2mg three times a day but you built a tolorence to them now i need 4 2mg tabs to fall asleep any advice what i should do edgnyearthlink contact me please thank you
Can Ativan be used for long term treatment of anxiety and depression? I am currently using Paxil and it works for minor anxiety, but does nothing for my depression or high-stress situations. It seems to make high-stress situations worse. Any advice?
To answer your question, Adivan can be used as long term for anxiety....it usually depends on your level of anxiety you experience. Your M.D. will prescribe adivan or xanax to you as a PRN (as needed only) meaning take it ONLY when you need to...you could only have to take an Adivan like once a month I am on Adivan 0.5MG And Paxil as well just like you. im on 10mg of paxil which is a low dose i dont know what yours is but i ALSO GO TO a therpist. my advice to you is to see one so manybe you can discuss what exactly is targeting your stress and get to the root of the problem then maybe you can soon ween off paxil and adivan as well. I dont mean to sound like a doctor but i am a Nurse and work in a Dr's office so i know some things....in my opinion all adivan does is covers up the problem kinda like a bandaid you know?? i mean its ok to take it once in a while.
email me if you like
I relapsed back on Ativan a year and a half ago and have only today been able to put together two full days off of it. If you are not sure whether or not to use Ativan-DO NOT USE. Fortunately, I had a team of medical support professionals who finally convinced me to move from 2 mg a day to .5 mg before stopping altogether and get back into a recovery program. I took .5 mg for over a week with a slip on Xmas eve (2 mg) and Xmas with 1 mg, then back to .5 mg. Last night (2nd night off Ativan) was awful--no sleep, almost-racing heartbeat, headaches--but after eating properly, asprin and fluids I'm feeling much better and I'm crossing my fingers that day three will not be as bad. If you can make it past day three you will probably be home clear-but don't go back! Thank you and good luck to all of you. Anxiety doesn't necessarily mean medication-look for alternative counseling before entering this pit of terror.
My Mom is currently taking Ativan. A drug that I hate because it seems like when she is on it, she is paranoid, she asks a lot of repeat questions and she has this starry look in her eyes. I fear that she is taking more than she should be. She also takes Vicodin for headaches. She carries both of these meds in her purse and watches her purse constantly, as if she is afraid that someone will steal from her. I seriously am at a loss as to what to do about this. When I try to talk to her, all she says is that she is not addicted. This is so not like my mother, She was a very productive, outgoing person, now she just stays in bed all the time. Anyone have a similar experience with this? Please email me. She is 54 years old.
Benzodiazepines, such as Ativan are the road to hell. I am not exagerrating. I am not doctor, but I honestly believe they are only good for TEMPORARY anxiety due to death in fmaily or trauma. When I say Temporary I mean less than a week. Even that needs to be done only after much research by the person taking it. I am amazed at how doctors just "up" the mg... Someday, you will go in expecting him to Up the mg and he may say.. well, we should taper off this. Um... YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!! I will NEVER, ever take another Benzodiazepine again. Never... I will find other resources to handle the anxiety. Maybe an antidepressant with anti-anxiety effects,,, but never a benzo. Xanax is a dead end drug too.. you couldnt pay me to take it. I know you have read this before, here, but PLEASE, FOR YOUR SAKE... invest some time to read about what you are putting in your body! Google with the terms Benzodiazepine dependence and see what comes up. FOR A TOTAL STRANGER TO PLEAD WITH YOU NOT TO START ATIVAN OR ANY OTHER BENXO, IT HAS TO HAVE HAD A REALLY BAD EFFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i TAKE ATIVAN FOR SLLEEP SINCE i WENT THROUHG MENOPAUSE AND HAVE TERRIBLE GERD FROM IT AS i TAKE IT AT NIGHT TO JUST TAKE THE EDGE OFF AND i CAN SLEEP. i TAKE .5MG. BUT AM NOW HAVING HORRIBLE GERD AND i JUST FOUND OUT THAT ATIVAN MAKES THE GERD WORSE SO i DO WANT TO GET OFF IT BUT i MUST BE ADDICTED AS i HAVE BEEN ON IT FOR OVER 2 YEARS AND WHAT DO i TAKE TO SLEEP? i HAVE NO ESTROGEN AND THAT IS ONE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS, NO SLEEP, WHICH IS TERRIBLE, BUT I MUST FIND AN ALTERNATIVE AND SOON AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OFF OF IT. IF ANYONE HAS SUGGESTIONS i WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
HONEST INPUT DO NOT STOP TAKING THESE SUDDENLY I have been taking Benzodiazapines for about a year and just about off them. I was prescribed Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin at different times to help with an inner ear problem and the anxiety resulting from it triggering a constant "fight or flight" feeling due to sensation of motion. The most Xanax I ever took was .5 mg 3 times a day for a week and I slept constantly. This was when the anxiety and dizziness were at their worst. Eventually I ended up in the mental health unit with severe anxiety and they related to me that the Xanax was the culprit. At first it was great then it had a detrimental nature. The up and down into your system like slamming ont he brakes and out of your system fast opening up the gates for nueral activity just makes the panic worse. Finally I settled on Ativan as it has the least side effects of the benzodiazapines (each person is different) and was taking 2 mgs a day spaced abou 10 hours apart. Using the data at Benzos.org.uk I am now down to .125 mg at night of Ativan. That's a quarter of a .5 mg pill. My advice is to not stop taking these medications suddenly. Believe me I have tried and failed on several occasions. I was never able to go more then a day or two and they were filled with headaches as well as increased anxiety. It wasn't until I took a slow tapering strategy that I had success and it has been much easier. You run the risk of seizure by suddenly stopping and also rebound anxiety that will make you down more. I've never had a problem with taking more then was prescribed because I was leery of the medicine. But, if you are on it take it as it is prescribed and consider working on relaxation techniques, therapy, mediation, binaural beats, diet, and excercise while you have this medicine as a tool to set you on your way. You can't come off of these meds plain and simple if you haven't learned to not need them. Because, if you do stop you will just be back to the anxiety you had before. I would recommend Lucinda Bassetts (stresscenter.com) course. Ativan and Benzos make t he GABA in your brain bind more effectively to the receptors making you feel tranquil. Over time you brain stops producing as much GABA because what it has is working with the aid of the drug. So stop taking it and you suddenly have a shortage and no magical GABA glue to do with what you have. You can mind over matter alot of the anxiety away with destressing but abrupt discontinuation is going to create a brain tidal wave of impulses you can't will away. I have found my anxiety to double just by going down a 1/4. Some things to aid immediate discomfort I found are whole grain pasta (releases calming tryptophan), warm milk, decreasing sensory input as if you had a migraine, magnesium supplements, chamomille tea, and Benadryl which makes you sleepy and safely takes the edge off (for short term use only). Finally, if you are tapering you may also talk to your doctor about switching to Valium. If I am not successful with coming off of Ativan for these final crumbs, that is if I have alot of discomfort I will go this route. Research shows that 1mg of Ativan is about 10mg Valium. So .125 mg Ativan is about 1.25 mg of Valium. Valium comes in smaller 1mg tablets so you can see it would be possible to taper the Valium even further then Ativan as the pills are more manageable. Valium also lasts for about 200 hours in our bloodstream where as Ativan is more like 14. This slow degredation will make the slope of medicine leaving the body more manageable giving your brain time to readjust. Good luck to you and finally if you have a choice don't start taking these medicines if you don't have to. If you do just think of them as a tool and get to work on fixing what the drugs can't in the meantime.
I am coming off Citalopram and Amitriptyline and found I was unable to sleep at night, (I had this even while taking the ADs but to less of an extent) I was given the citalopram for depression and the amitrip at dinner time to make me tired so I would sleep - The feeling of these was like a numb bubble surrounding your head, yes I didn't feel down anymore but I was contempt to live with nothing, do nothing and be nothing - These signs of depression are in most cases a emotional sign that something in your life is not right! and drugging up to null out the feeling may seem to work but really its getting you nowhere - unless you are really depressed for no reason you will be getting upset for a REASON. Are you lonely? Are you upset at your job? are there problems at home? before taking these drugs or any drugs at least try to figure out whats causing this - if you honestly cannot find a reason then yes try antidepressants but do not overdo it and still work on improving your life, buy a bike and exercise, spend time with other people, find a hobby, join a group/club..... Anyhow - I have been perscribed Lorazepam as I have trouble sleeping at night especially now just after going cold turkey on the ADs - And I have to say use with caution, do NOT drink alcohol while taking these drugs, I have and I started a Drink another beer/pop another pill loop without even knowing it until I went through 15 pills (15mg) - I couldnt even move or talk! You will lose parts of your memory and do the weirdest of things without even thinking - I tryed to get the hot water cylinder in the house to boil by using the fireplaces wetback by loading it up with wood for hours and other crazy stuff. And no it wasnt pleasant or fun or something recreational at all! So for what I'm going through now (insomnia) I take between .5-1mg at night - I do NOT do this everynight, only after lying in bed for 3 hours feeling tired but not being able to fall asleep. My doctor is very good in that he only gives me 20 pills at a time (and will NOT give me more than 20 in a month, and if I try to get 2 prescriptions in 2 months stright he askes about how aften I take them etc) He does this to protect me from becoming addicted and I know VERY soon he will give me a final dose of 5 pills and tell me that if I really feel the need for then to take 1/4 a pill.
Hi, I was given Loarazepam for anxiety a year ago with little warning of the addictive nature of this drug.By last christmas I was experiencing all the classic w/d symptoms as I tried to wean myself of it.Crippling pains and spasms in the top left of chest,stomach reflux,vertigo,nausea,extreme panic and anxiety,flu like symptoms,burning all over and in my lungs,coughing,chills,palpitations,legs buckling,headaches,spasms in liver and kidney areas,tearing feelings in chest and neck,facial spasms,etc,etc,etc!Been to hospital 3 times for chest pains and sent home again with no diagnosis other than stress related!Im fuming and mad at the doctors,at the psychiatrist,at the hospital and everyone else who fail to recognise the awful symptoms theses benzos generate!Im now weaning off gradually and down to 0.16mg a day and should be finnished by April! I was generally in good health before starting this awful drug.Be warned,it really can make you feel ill after a few months of use.
I have been on ativan for almost 7 years and boy let me tell you....if there is any other method for overcoming your anxiety/nervousness/stress/depression, attempt it. Ativan is extremely addictive, especially for people with obsessive personalities and EXTREME nervousness. I used to take 2mg 3 times a day and now i am able to take just 2mg a day...i either split it in half and take 1 mg in the morning and 1 at night or just a full one in the morning. When i tried to completely stop taking them, i felt as if i was going to die. I couldnt breathe, sleep or function like a normal person. I am very strong minded and usually succeed at what i do but this is the one thing that has consumed me in a sense. I do wonder if anyone out there has dealt with some kind of nervousness for no apparent reason....to feel like youve been shocked 100 times a day and cannot figure out the cause of it. I need help and if anyone has been on 2mg or more of ativan for more than few years and has been able to wean themselves of it, please help and share your experience. Thank You.
hi. about 5 years ago i began taking ativan 1mg two times a day. eventually the dose increased to 3 times a day taking 2 mg each time. this medication has helped me control my panic disorder and cope with things in life a lot better.i would just like to thank my doctor for helping me get back control of my life again.
Approximately 20 years ago, I started having seizures (related to injuries suffered in a car accident) and have taken Phenytoin Sodium (generic Dilantin by Mylan) for many years. By itself, this does not always control my seizures and due to the added anxiety, I started taking 1 0.5mg of Ativan per day about 10 years ago. I have never had a problem with Ativan. It allows me to function and has reduced seizures. However, as soon as I try to take Lorazepam (generic Ativan by Mylan) due to the cost, not only do I have small auras but extreme drowsiness, dizziness and confusion. This occurs even if I lower the dosage to 1/2 per day. The only answer I can determine is the difference in the manufacturing process and the report that not all brand and generic products are interchangeable. If anyone has had a similar experience, please feel free to email me with Ativan in the subject line.
STAY AWAY FROM ATIVAN!!! My 55 year old mom just had a seizure because her doctor wouldn't renew her Ativan prescription. It took three days of no Ativan to push her body over the edge. I had no idea of what she had been taking until yesterday. She started having these breakdowns during the day. (crying, shaking, etc.) Then, after dinner with everyone around, she just fell over and started to convulse. This was a terrifying sight. She was foaming at the mouth, unconscious, thrashing about, stiff as a board, incontinent, eyes rolling to the back of her head. All I could do was try and hold her still and try to communicate with her until the ambulance came. I thought she was going to die in my arms. She's now in rehab. They have her stabilized by giving her ativan again. They say she'll need to be gradually tapered off the drug. This experience has totally fortified my opinions about America and our pill-popping-for-little-reason culture. What bothers me is that she just hears from her friends whats THEY think she should be taking and then gets her doctor to write the prescription. What the hell is that!? What happened to the notion of facing your problems head on? I honestly don't even know why my mom was taking this prescription. She was obviously embarassed about her habit because she didn't tell any of us kids about it. In hindsight, it all makes perfect sense. She would often have this listless look in her eyes and wanted to take naps all day long no matter where she was. As for now, our family is rallying around my mom. But I can't help but feel regret, anger, sadness that this could have been averted somehow. Feel free to email me. Best wishes to you all.
Ativan (lorazepam) Topic Suggestions:
Opinion: Editorials on Positives or Negatives about it
Opinion: Why is it Right, Wrong, Good, or Bad?
What It Was Like The First Time You Took It?
A Detailed Description of What It Feels Like to Be on It
A Strange or Weird Experience while Taking It
Opinion: How Much Is Too Much?
Opinion: Religion, Spirituality and this Medication
How It Was then Compared to How It Is Now?
Unique or Bizarre Experiences with this Medication
Bad, Harmful, or Worst Experience Ever
Worries, Fears, or Paranoia
Opinion: Is this Medication Addictive?
(Any other Topic Related to this Medication)
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