Ativan what is it

This is known as a "pre-med". Lorazepam is available on prescription only. It comes as tablets and as a liquid that you swallow. It can also be given as an injection in hospital if you're having a seizure or fit.

Take our survey. Lorazepam can be taken by adults and children aged 13 years and older for anxiety. It can also be taken by adults and children aged 5 years or older as a "pre-med".

To make sure it's safe for you, tell a doctor before starting lorazepam if you:. Lorazepam tablets come as 0. The liquid contains 1mg of lorazepam in each 1ml. If you're older than 65 years or have liver or kidney problems, a doctor may recommend a lower dose. Lorazepam is usually prescribed for a short time, from a few days to 4 weeks. Your dose may go up or down until your doctor is happy you're on the right dose.

Your doctor may gradually reduce your dose at the end of the course of treatment before stopping completely. If you forget to take lorazepam, never take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet. Go to Get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance. Take the lorazepam packet or leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine, with you. Like all medicines, lorazepam can cause side effects in some people, but many people have no side effects or only minor ones.

If you get these side effects, keep taking the medicine and speak to a doctor:. It happens rarely in less than 1 in people, but some people have serious side effects when taking lorazepam.

Mood changes can become serious and are more likely in children or if you're over In rare cases, lorazepam may cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis. You could be having a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

These are not all the side effects of lorazepam. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet. You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. There's not enough information to know if lorazepam is safe to use in pregnancy. It might mean your baby is born with withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor can explain the risks and the benefits of taking lorazepam and will help you choose the best treatment for you and your baby. You may need to keep taking lorazepam during pregnancy as it's important for you to remain well.

If a doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, you can use lorazepam during breastfeeding. It's recommended that you only take a low dose occasionally or for a very short time. If you're breastfeeding or want to breastfeed, talk to a doctor or pharmacist, as there might be better medicines for you. It will depend on what you're taking lorazepam for. If you notice that your baby is not feeding as well as usual, seems unusually sleepy, has unusual breathing, or if you have any other concerns, talk to a health visitor or doctor as soon as possible.

Some medicines interfere with the way lorazepam works and increase the chances of you having side effects. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist before starting lorazepam if you take any of the following:. There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements with lorazepam. Do not take herbal medicines for anxiety or insomnia, such as valerian or passionflower, with lorazepam. They can increase the drowsy effects of lorazepam and may also have other side effects.

For safety, tell a doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. It works by increasing the levels of a calming chemical, gamma-amino-butyric-acid GABA , in your brain. Depending on your health condition, this can make you feel calmer, relieve anxiety or stop a seizure or fit. Lorazepam will help you feel calmer and it can help reduce your feelings of anxiety.

It can also make you feel sleepy if you're having trouble falling asleep. Lorazepam tablets and liquid start to work in around 20 to 30 minutes. It reaches full sedating effect after 1 to 1. A lorazepam injection works much faster but also lasts around 6 to 8 hours.

If you're having a seizure or fit, you'll only be given a lorazepam injection while you're in hospital. Most commonly, overdoses occur when Ativan is taken in combination with alcohol or other drugs.

Severe cases of Ativan overdose, especially when the drug was used in combination with other drugs, can be fatal. Make a Call Ativan is often abused alongside other drugs to either enhance or counterbalance its sedative effects.

Ativan can counteract the stimulating effects of Cocaine , helping users come down from the high. Methadone Many people will take Ativan to boost the effects of Methadone.

It is extremely dangerous to mix Ativan, a Central Nervous System CNS Depressant , with other Depressants like Methadone because of the potential of fatal overdose due to respiratory failure.

Alcohol When combined, Ativan and alcohol produce a quick, potent high. Mixing the two increases CNS depression, which can lead to over-sedation, respiratory failure, coma, and even death. Taking Ativan in combination with other drugs is very dangerous, as it increases the risk of overdose.

In some cases, excessive sedation from mixing drugs can lead to unconsciousness, coma, or death. Number of people who ended up in the emergency room in due to Lorazepam Ativan complications. Proportion of patients admitted to the hospital for Benzodiazepine abuse who were also abusing another substance. Learn More. Depending on your situation and needs, seeking out a support group or additional, individual counseling can provide the necessary tools to stay sober.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an Ativan addiction, contact a treatment provider to find rehab-related help. Galloway, NJ. View Center. Hollywood, FL. After graduation, he decided to pursue his passion of writing and editing. All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.

Theresa is also a Certified Professional Life Coach and volunteers at a local mental health facility helping individuals who struggle with homelessness and addiction. Theresa is a well-rounded clinician with experience working as a Primary Addiction Counselor, Case Manager and Director of Utilization Review in various treatment centers for addiction and mental health in Florida, Minnesota, and Colorado.

She also has experience with admissions, marketing, and outreach. As a proud recovering addict herself, Theresa understands first-hand the struggles of addiction. There is no limit to what Theresa is willing to do to make a difference in the field of Addiction!

Lancaster, SC. Asheville, NC. Wilmington, NC. Galax, VA. Atlanta, GA. Ball Ground, GA. Louisville, TN. Ativan and Valium have different FDA-approved uses, but they are both used to treat the following conditions:. Both Ativan and Valium work quickly. Valium may work longer than Ativan for some uses, but not as long for other uses:. Ativan and Valium are both brand-name medications. Both are also available in generic form. The generic name of Valium is diazepam. Brand-name Ativan usually costs much more than brand-name Valium.

The generic versions of Ativan and Valium cost about the same. Ativan and Ambien have some similar effects in the body. Both are considered to work as sedative-hypnotic drugs.

This means they both cause sleepiness and sedation relaxation. However, these medications belong to different drug classes. Ativan is a benzodiazepine, while Ambien belongs to a class of drugs called non-benzodiazepine hypnotics. Ambien is available as an oral tablet and as an extended-release tablet called Ambien CR.

Both forms are taken once daily just before bedtime. Ativan and Ambien have some similar side effects, and some that differ. The only condition that both Ativan and Ambien are approved to treat is insomnia. Ativan is usually considered a second-choice option for treating insomnia.

Ativan and Ambien are both brand-name medications. The generic name of Ambien is zolpidem. Brand-name Ativan usually costs more than brand-name Ambien. The generic versions of Ativan and Ambien cost about the same. Ativan tablets should be taken in the way your doctor prescribed them. Ativan is usually taken two or three times daily. These doses are usually spread out at equal intervals.

You can take Ativan with or without food. If it upsets your stomach, try taking it with food to help decrease this side effect. Yes, Ativan can be crushed.

Some Ativan tablets may also be split. Ativan is classified as a benzodiazepine. These drugs are typically used to treat anxiety and insomnia, but can also be used to treat other conditions. Benzodiazepines are often categorized by how fast they work onset of action and how long they last in the body duration. This chart includes examples of these classifications.

These medications work by boosting the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA within your body. GABA is a neurotransmitter that transmits messages between cells in different parts of your body. Increasing GABA in the body results in a tranquilizing effect that reduces feelings of stress and anxiety.

Benzodiazepines such as Ativan are categorized based on how fast they work. Ativan is classified as having a rapid to intermediate onset start of action. Ativan is sometimes prescribed by veterinarians to sedate an animal during surgery or to treat seizures.

If you think your dog or cat is in distress, see your veterinarian for an evaluation and treatment. This medication can pass through breast milk and cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication. Before taking Ativan, talk with your doctor about any medical conditions you have. Ativan may not be appropriate for you if you have certain medical conditions.

Yes, Ativan is a controlled substance. This means that it has an accepted medical use but may also cause physical or psychological dependence and be may be abused. The government has created special rules for how Schedule IV drugs can be prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist.

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more. Some people who take Ativan can become physically and psychologically dependent on the drug. The risk of dependence increases if Ativan is used in doses that are higher than prescribed, or for long periods of time.

In some cases, Ativan dependence can lead to misuse or abuse of the drug. The risk is higher with people who have previously abused alcohol or drugs. Taking Ativan may cause a positive result for benzodiazepines on urine drug screenings. Most of the effects of Ativan last about six to eight hours. However, this can vary from person to person. Ativan begins to work within minutes, but its maximum effect usually happens about 1 to 1. In some cases, the taper may last several weeks.

Talk with your doctor before stopping Ativan to find out the best way to taper the medication. Ativan can cause withdrawal effects in some people when they stop taking the medication. For people with severe Ativan dependence who abruptly stop taking it, more severe withdrawal symptoms can occur.

These can include:. Long-term use of Ativan can increase your risk of certain side effects, especially physical and psychological dependence. This can lead to withdrawal symptoms see above when the medication is stopped. Ativan is typically prescribed for short-term use of two to four weeks. When Ativan is dispensed from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle.

This date is typically one year from the date the medication was dispensed. The purpose of such expiration dates is to guarantee the effectiveness of the medication during this time.

However, an FDA study showed that many medications may still be good beyond the expiration date listed on the bottle. How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where the medication is stored. Ativan should be stored at room temperature in its original container. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist to find out whether you might still be able to use it. Ativan has a tranquilizing effect in the central nervous system.

Ativan binds to benzodiazepine receptors, which increases the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid. This results in sedation, skeletal muscle relaxation, anticonvulsant effects, and coma. Ativan has a bioavailability of 90 percent. Peak plasma levels occur about two hours after oral administration. Ativan is contraindicated in people with hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines or any component of Ativan. The use of Ativan can cause psychological and physical dependence. The risk of dependence is also higher in people with a history of drug or alcohol abuse.

The risk of dependence and abuse can be reduced by using appropriate doses for the shortest time possible. Disclaimer : Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.

The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.