ATIVAN ( lorazepam )
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Ativan has saved my life. I was panic stricken everyday since I was 19. I was finally diagnosed with Panic disorder with agoraphobia, after numerous ER visits, and countless tests(EKG, o2 sat, Labs, Echo, stress test), last year, when I was 20. I have been on Ativan for a year, and it has been a tremendous help. No anxiety, no worries, and i haven't had to up my dosage once. I am now 21, and I feel like ativan gave me my life back. If you are concerned with taking this medicine, please don't be. It has done nothing but assist me, and I am having no withdrawl symptoms. I may just have a non addictive personality, and what works for me may not work for everyone, but please give ativan a try.

I have a bad panic disorder according to my Dr. I take methadone treatment, for 15 months now..I just got switched from Xanax to Ativan. I am scared to take the Ativan. Will it be like the Xanax? Is it moreso, dangerous, to take with the methadone than the xanax? I cannot help but to question..can you help?

I JUST RECENTLY WAS PRESCRIBED SUBOXONE FOR WITHDRAWALS FROM A HORRENDOUS VICODIN ADDICTION. I WAS USING 20 TO 40/50 IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD AND IT WAS LITERALLY KICKING THE CRAP OUT OF ME PHYSICALLY, FINANCIALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND WAS TEARING ME APART FROM MY FAMILY. I HAVE BEEN PRESCRIBED ABOUT TEN ATIVANS FOR SLEEPING AT NIGHT.. WITH THE COMBINATION OF THE SUBOXONE AND THE ATIVAN I'M HOPING FOR AN EASIER COME DOWN WHEN IT COMES TIME TO GET OFF EVERYTHING...I STARTED TAKING THE PAIN PILLS FOR BACK PAIN...I'M A UPS DRIVER AND THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF MY JOB STARTED TO CATCH UP...DOESNT MATTER NOW, I'VE FINALLY WOKE UP YESTERDAY MORNING AND SWEAR TO GOD THE MENTAL OBSESSION ABOUT HOW AM I GONNA GET MORE PILLS, OR HOW AM I GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH THE MORNING AT WORK WITH NO MEDS HAS DISAPPEARED... I'M A RECOVERING ALCHOHOLIC AND BOOZE WAS EASIER TO QUIT PHYSICALLY...ANYWAYS THIS ATIVAN IS KICKIN IN , I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR A HIGHER POWER AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING ANYONE AROUND ME WHO MIGHT BE IN THE SAME PREDICAMENT.

It's an amazing drug. I love the way it makes me feel. I feel drowsy yet can't sleep. Everything is so soft and fluffy. My walking abilities aren't so good. I can only seem to focus on one thing at a time and only for such a period of time. I enjoy this. My vision is alot different. If I move my head to fast to look at things it kinda knocks me back and I'm like what I've already done this before perhaps.

I have been on Lorazepam 0.5 mg. for about 7 years with no problems. But I worry about withdrawal if I ever decide to come off of it. I have heard that most of the bad withdrawal symptoms are from people who have taken large doses. I have never gone over the 0.5 mg once a day. Does anyone know if a withdrawal at this dose would be easy if attempted? Thanks, Linda

tried ativan on and off for years works great for insomnia, and anxiety. Only used as needed but sometimes high doses, 5mgs at a time. In my opinion best benzo and much cleaner than xanax.

I have recently been prescribed Ritalin (fairly low dose - 5 mg/2xday.) Also I am taking small doses of ativan for my anxiety (about a 1/2 - to 1 mg as needed.) It seems to be working okay, so far ( a slight edginess along with increased focus). Does this seem like a recipe for disaster?, or something that makes sense. Would love opinions -- I don't talk about this stuff with anyone, excepting my always-in-a-hurry-doc. Would be greatful for experiences and insights (actually the combo seems pretty good -- but find the balance between feeling focused and energized while managing my anxiety is tricky. In advance, bless you for helping me. Liz

Ativan / Lorazepam Information Video

-Originally Submitted September 7, 2008

Ativan has really helped me with agoraphobia. Before using this medication my anxiety was so severe that I couldn't focuse on my college studies or work, it has made such a positive difference in my life. It will not cure your condition but it's a wonderful tool in overcoming anxiety...

after 35yrs of heavy drinking,..the last 20 of which I've been drinking every day,..except maybe 4 or 5 days of the year,..I finally had to try a new approach to my insomnia. I work graves,..and the only way I can sleep during the day is to get stoned on vodka. Soo, I went to Tijuana to the Farmacia Americana where I know the guy who runs/owns the place and got a big bottle of Ativan, 2mg. Now, instead of drinking 7 days week, I drink only on my weekend,.. I do 2mgs of Ativan about an hour before bed and I feel like a brand new person now. Gads, I forgot what it's like not to have a constant hangover at work,..I thought feeling sick and dizzy was normal. I plan to stick with 2mg a day before sleep, 5 days a week. Heck, even if I do get addicted,..I can already see my liver enzymes have gone down precipitously AND I don't feel my swollen liver all stuck up into my diaphram anymore. Life, for now, couldn't be better. Luis.

sense i was about 16 i started dealing with anxiety. i would have an attack here and there some random some brought on by something (you know the hypervenalating, numbness..blahblah) Anyways about 2 months ago ( i am now 18 ) i started feeling sick. i felt like someone was sitting on my chest constantly. my heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. it all came on one night. i went to the ER the next day and they told me i had an allergic reaction.. i've never been allerigic to anything in my life. so they gave me steroids and an inhaler. i felt a little better for a couple days, went to a follow up with my dr. he gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way. a couple days later i was back in the ER.. this time they told me i had bronchitis and sinusitis, although i didn't feel sick in that way, no coughing no wheezing. so they gave me another inhaler an antibiotic and another steriod. then it was back to the dr for a follow up, he gave me ANOTHER inhaler and ANOTHER antibiotic and sent me on my way. ... so then a litle time goes by im still not feeling good. then about 7 days ago (new years eve) i was in wal mart feeling fine and out of nowhere it felt like my heart tigtened up i could breath, tingly in my face and fingers, kinda liek an attack but not exactly.. i felt liek i was gonna pass out. my mom came and got me right away and went back to the er. they did a lung xray, everything was fine.... ekg...everything was fine. So he told me that this whole time it was anxiety, actually causing the physicall symptoms. I knew i had to deal with the attacks, but i didn't know it would lead to actuall all day everyday symptoms. So all these dr. visits, all the medicine, nothing. So he put me on 0.5 Lorazepam 2 times a day. i started feeling better but still not back to normal.. yesterday i visited my dr. for a follow up, i told him my concerns on how im still not feeling completely better, he just gave me a nother perscription of that. also suggested i get a ekg (altrasound of my heart to check the valves) just to ease my mind. So all in all, my mind is still not at ease, im not my normal self, any given moment i start feeling horrible again.. so i guess the point is, i realy hope this medicine helps, and soon..

Ativan is addictive after 2 weeks, suffering so bad hard to type this. DO NOt take this drug!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ativan should not be taken every day! Your body will get used to the effect and will require more and more. When you stop ativan, you must stop slowly, cut 1/8 less each week. Ativan can cause a panicky feeling when your body requires more. Getting off ativan is no picnic. Behavior modification is best, and looking at what's up with your life can avoid the prescription all together.

ive been on activan for 5 months now, i absolutly hate it keep getting withdrawel symtoms and a deep depression in which i have felt suicidal more than once. i take 4mg a day and desperatly want to come off i have got a programme off the internet to try with my doctor changing over to diazapam, but earlier this year i tried to come off and i have never been so ill in my life i had abreakdown and wanted to kill myself i am terrified of trying again please help.

I was given a script for lorazipam for anxiety. The whole time I was on it, I have little or no memories from that time. My son said I was very agitated and kind of mean to everyone. All I can say is No Thanks, I'll deal with it on my own

I had been taking inderal 60mg time release for about five years for anxiety/hypertension. I got pregnant and they switched me to methyldopa. After the pregnancy for some reason I needed double the inderal. My daughter is now four months old and I want to have energy for her so I tried to stop the inderal and do herbal blood pressure meds. I ended up in the ER, heart rate 132, BP 160/100. This could have been due to inderal withdrawal or an overdose of the herbal stuff. I don't know. The ER gave me 2 mg ativan and a few hours later my blood pressure was 117/76. They said we cured you and sent me home with a small scrip for ativan. It said on the bottle to take one every 6 hours so I did. When I was out, I substituted my moms xanax that she no longer needed. When I finally went to my doc, he gave me a scrip for lorazepam and said that the two were relatively interchangeable. I talked to his nurse and she said 4 mg is WAY TOO HIGH a dose and told me to take only 1 mg a day in divided doses. I am doing this but I have been having a huge headache and sore, weak feeling. Painful jaw. These benzo meds are crap. Very hard to get off of and control. I forgot about the nightmare my poor mom had when my sister forgot to pack her xanax and she came back to the states. She got home on a Friday night and we were absolutely unable to get her more as it is controlled. The pharmacist felt really bad but would not budge. My mom thought she was going to die. Said it felt like knives stabbing her in the head. The ambulance picked her up and in the ER it was confirmed xanax withdrawal. Ugly stuff. Now I don't know how to taper down, and get off of these meds. and i really don't want to take anything for blood pressure. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I'm taking about 1 1/2 now, down pretty quickly from 4 (a few days) but I'm afraid to stay on a strong dose. It has been about 4 weeks since I took the first one. Thoughta?

i have safely used ativan for 10 years now at one mg. 3x a day. I have PTSD and panic disorder with agoraphobia. I can go for weeks and not leave home for fear of having a panic attack in publc. I also am majorly depressed.

What I would like to know is can I use it with about 20 mgs of methadone for pain each day? Some say its safe in smaller doses; others not so much.

I stopped taking Ativan about four days ago. Took for about 60 days. I stopped because it made me too sleepy and groggy and depressed. Anyway, withdrawal has been difficult, overbreathing, really bad depression (flashbacks to really bad experiences from my past). Things seems kind of hopeless for me now. I do not like to take anti-depressants because I get really bad side effects from them.

My physician has not been very helpful but my pharmacist has been more helpful. He said that he felt my depression was caused more than my lifestyle bad experiences that withdrawal from Ativan and that made sense to me.

Tonight I feel very tired.

I read some ideas that after stopping Ativan, no caffiene, no naps, to exercise a lot, take a hot shower, if you cannot sleep at night after 30 minutes get up and read, work a puzzle, anything to keep busy and keep doing that until you can fall asleep. Other idea was to drink Himalayan Guji Juice and lots of water and take Benadryl to fall asleep.

Ativan ruined my life. After 6 mo. of taking a small dose every 2-3 days I was addicted without knowing it. It caused strange behavior accompanied by complete memory loss. I had casual sex with strangers (I think) after 13 years of faithful marriage. I have no idea what I did while on it, but I do know I had outbursts of rage, episodes of confusion, and an increased need. My withdrawls were horrible and long lasting, and I will never touch the dirty stuff again. There are no studies on the saftey of Ativan use beyond 4 mo. I believe I began to experience a buildup in my system resulting in these overdose symptoms. For anxiety try herbs, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, NMT, anything but these dangerous psychotropic drugs.

i have anxiety attacks but i havent been diagnosed with them cause i cant afford to go to the doctor but my mom has ativan 1mg thats she dosent take so she gives them to me to try and help me since ive been taking them sometimes they help and sometimes they dont now i have always heard that the bigger u r the more dosage u need im just wondering if i take more at one time will it help me or hurt me

I started taking larazepam after my fiace had a brain anurism and a stroke. He was on life support and i was panicking i was going to lose him. I had to go to E.R. They gave me 0.5 mg and it put me to sleep. I only take a fourth of the pill each day now. My fiance survived the brain anurism and i take care of him in my home now. Thank god. But when ever i get anxiety i just take what my dr. told me to take and i feel great. No more panicking. I've been taking it for a year and a half. I wish i would of had it when i was younger. I am not depressed. i just get anxiety. My fiance keeps getting better and life is good. I never take more than 0.5mg a day. It has saved my life. I feel normal.

I've been taking Ativan for 20 years, but the dosage is still low. I started at 1/2mg per day at bedtime; I'd been going through sleepless nights, up to four whole nights with zero sleep, and it was a relief and a blessing. However, I am still the same person, wired and anxious much of the time. Lately I am even more physically anxious with chest tightness and fears. I don't take much more, but I do take 1/2mg twice or three times daily. A couple of times I went out of town and ran out! That was my sign. I went into full and embarrassing fearful mode, rooting around among my friends for anything to help me sleep. I want out of this, but I am not sure how to do this. I want my freedom back. What are effects on nerves and the rest of the body/mind after 20 years?

It's important to note that different people will react differently to different drugs. Don't just blame it on the drug, it might work well for some people. That said, I can provide a second account of ativan amnesia. I have similarly have little to no memory from during the time that I took it. People will recall events to me and I have to spend a moment reflecting or be reminded of when/where they happened. Keep looking for something that works and good luck!

I am 18 years old and i have been taking Ativan for about 2 years. I started suffering from severe panic attacks multiple times a day. They would be so bad that my throat would close up and i would pass out from not being able to breath. After going to the doctor i was given .5mg xanax. I took these for about two weeks and got off. They stopped the panic attacks but just made me fall asleep. Then i was given Ativan .5 mg which i took 4 times per day. This med helped me tremendously. Although it still makes me a little tired, the benefits far outweigh. It keeps me calm and relaxed. I am also able to actually focus better because I am not so worried about things. Since then I have gone to 1 mg 4 times a day and it still is working great.

I need to get off Ativan but do not have insurance to go to MD to get off, I am on the medication due to bad panic attacks, and I have been on 2mg. prn (as needed)for 2-3years. I do not want to be depended on a medication..................Had no idea you could depend on this, per my doctor it was safe......................Please help

I've been on lorazepam for 3 years for performance anxiety (1 to 3 mg depending on the occasion). It has help me a lot. When I taped off, I have withdrawal, but it is a small price to pay compare to what all it allowed me to do.

took ativan for anxiety (following concussion which gave me PTSD) Taken .5mg every night for the past 30 days. Don't want to take the pill anymore...trying alternative route for my anxiety... doctor said i could half pill for 3 nights and then stop, as it is a small amount. will i have side effects I should know about?? can I supplement with anything holistic or homeopathic? Debbie M

I want to get off the .5mg of Ativan I take once a day, at night,consistently, for the last 3 months. Please tell me the best way to wean. My shrink wants me to substitute .5mg Klonopin for the Ativan. I disagree. You have any suggestions and quick?

I had a carodit body tumor. It was a serious procedure. As it got close to my operation. I started to wonder if I was going to make It, because of all the risk. So I kept going to the ER at least twice a week before my procedure was done. So the ER doctors gave me 1mg ativan. I knew it was addictive my famliy members also have been taking it for years. And did not want to start taking them. My anxiety got so bad that I had to take them. It's been almost two months taking 0.5mg twice a day.And my body is addictive to them . It's like I can feel when it's time for another dose. I start getting nervous and jittery. And that's not what I wanted. They do keep me calm. I Haven't had a panic attack , it's just a matter of going through with the withdrawal stages to get off of them.I wish I would have took herbal instead of chemicals. Could anyone help me to do the change from the ativan safely. thanks S.D.R.

I suffer serverly from Elbow and leg restless syndrom...does anyone know if Ativa increases these symtoms or it helps.....I take Mirapex for my RLS and Ativan for panic attacks and anxiety specialy when I get into a car. I dont have fear of driving but I always feel nervousness and fear of passing out in daytime drive...any ideas to help me understand my case..thanks

I started taking Ativan about a month ago. I was having severe anxiety and had trouble interacting with anyone. I was very short tempered, impatient, and nasty. I was grinding my teeth and clenching my jaws so much that my teeth were loosening and i would get horrible headaches. If it weren't for the Ativan, I would have been either drinking or worse. I take 1mg BID PRN.

BROWNMAC, First I am proud you have taken the firsts steps towards your recovery. Opiate detoxing alone is a painful process. The suboxone will block almost all withdrawal symptoms. The Ativan will help you sleep. I can only speak to experiences that I have been involved with, the night sweats, drug dreams, muscle pains. Will slowly dissapar. You have an opportunity to turn your life around. Drug addictions ruin relationships, famlies, finances, dreams, and in some cases the morals that are inside us that we lost along the way. The higher power always guides us one day at a time. God Bless

BROWNMAC, First I am proud you have taken the firsts steps towards your recovery. Opiate detoxing alone is a painful process. The suboxone will block almost all withdrawal symptoms. The Ativan will help you sleep. I can only speak to experiences that I have been involved with, the night sweats, drug dreams, muscle pains. Will slowly dissapar. You have an opportunity to turn your life around. Drug addictions ruin relationships, famlies, finances, dreams, and in some cases the morals that are inside us that we lost along the way. The higher power always guides us one day at a time. God Bless

I have been perscribed Ativan for about a year now. Last year I had a breakdown due to large amounts of stress. My doctor prescribed me 0.5 mgs of Ativan to take as needed and she warned me that is is addictive. That year I only took it on and off with no side effects, however, this year my anxiety has gone over board and I rely on the Ativan to get me through it. The doctor refills my perscription for 0.5 mgs but I found that I felt nothing after a while so I upped my dosage to 1 mg, then I find that I have upped it to 2 - 2.5 mgs at a time. The great news is that it does help with my anxiety and provides a very good calming effect. Bad side is that the body gets used to it rather quickly and I had to up my dosage to feel the effect. I sleep very well through the night but wake up rather groggy in the day and I tend to feel rather tired for most of the day, but it helps me function without feeling anxious. I am beginning to suffer from addiction to Ativan by noticing when I do not take it, I get sweaty and nervouse feeling. I get aggitaed and can be rather aggressive and have out burts of rage. I get very emotional and feelings of not being able to cope with things. I am trying to come off this stuff by downing my dosage but it is very hard and withdrawl is very powerful. Ativan can be very helpful with anxiety and is great, but I do not reccommend long term use as the withdrawl can be rather debilitating and can change personality quite a bit.

I have taken every kind of medicine there is for anxiety.. Panick attacks and anxiety attacks are quite different.. I have been med free with only a Xanax here and there for 17 years, until my father became ill.. I went on Lorazepam about 2 months ago, up until when my father passed.. I only take .5-1mg a day, and my anxieties are at an all time high.. I am going back to then library to again read how to keep yourself calm on your own. I am getting off this stuff- i should have went to Xanax, but that gave me a few scary heart episodes when i quit taking it for good.. Best advice- if you feel anxious on something- wean yourself off- avoid all and any caffeine and alcohol during this time. If I can do it- trust me anyone can.. Its called taking your own mind back in control. You can control this on your own without drugs!

Ativan has helped me a whole lot!! I went to the ER everyday for 6 weeks straight and the docs could not find out what was wrong with me..w day a nurse came in and gave me a dose of ativan thru my IV and it kept me calm.Before that I would get so nervous that I couldn't even eat anything. After taking ativan I was more relaxed and able to do day to day things...

I becan taking zoloft and ativan almost a month ago for severe anxiety and agoraphobia. I was tired of not being able to take my 2 year old daughter to the park because there might be people there. I wouldn't even go to the store for my husband because there might people there. Anyways, both medications seem to be helping. At first the Ativan made me so tired. Now It just relaxes me and it helps when needed.

I have been on Lorazepam for over a year now. I was put on Lorazepam when I was in the hospotal for anxiety, and trying to kill myself. I am on 1mg 3-4 times a day, and at night when needed. It works better than anything ive ever been on before. I was started on meds at a really young age, im 27 now. The only bad part is when I try to go a day withought it I get very bad anxiety & the painc attacks come back. Probably because when I do that im cutting back too quickly, but then if I can make it a day without, then it works better the next day when I take it again. Just not a good idea to do though if im gonna be in a stressfull situation that day, so I usually only do that if I know ill be staying home that day not doing anything, or if im sick in bed or something like that.

I have been prescribed ativan .5mg to take as needed...I suffer from sever panic attacks and constant anxiety. I am also on zoloft 50mgs.....at first I had to take an ativan everyday but now I only take when necessary...it helps a great deal and usually takes 15 to 20 min to kick in...I don't feel it is very addictive. If you abuse it and start taking more than prescribed than just like with any drug I'm sure you will get dependent on them. I do not suffer from any memory loss as people say or any other side effects. It simply just calms me down and stops me from breathing erratically.

I had an attack of vertigo several years ago, and was treated in the ER with a 1 mgm does of Ativan, then given a prescription for the same. I took 1 mgm at night, and, for the first time in years, and I mean YEARS I actually slept through the night! Prior to that, I woke up every 2-3 hours, felt tired, and always restless at night.

I take Ativan about 5 days out of 7. I used to use the PM over the counter medications, which altered my sleep with bad dreams, and I woke up feeling tired. But, with Ativan, I find my sleep is improved, and I'm much more alert during the day as a result.

Ativan is an anti-anxiety medication, and I believe I have an underlying anxiety which prevented me from feeling sleepy or drowsy, and had insomnia. Ativan has been beneficial for me.

I started taking a half a mg once per day about a year ago. I am now up to 1 mg 3 x a day and it has been horrible. For anyone who wants to withdraw from this drug without the use of other prescription medications, please visit www.pointofreturn.com. I am going to start their program on Tuesday, so I am wishing for the best! Ativan makes the anxiety worse after long usage.

Few months back i had a serious head trauma. Ever since than i have massive anxiety attacks, very scary as we all know. Anxiety for some reason makes me feel sick, liek flu liek symptoms, have had many blood work to see if anything is wrong but every doctor says blood work comes back fine and so does uriine samples and ultrasounds. When I feel sick or anaxious i take a ativan and it helps me and makes me feel ten times better, but i dont want to depend on them? what should i do? I am a nineteen year old male and this should not be happening i should be able to live life, as should everyone else fairly, please give some advice or a past solutuion figured out, thank you

I was given ativan due to paranoia and phobia, I was prescribe 1.0 mg as needed, i only take this medicine when I feel myself losing it I have to say it does calm down all my anxiety and give me a euphoric sensation too, probably out of the 30 I am prescribed a month, I might take 5-8 of them and only 1 at a time in a 24 hour period...its just all what u make it...just dont abuse it

I started on .5mg twice a day for anxiety then after 2 months I went to 1mg . My doctor said it would be ok as long as I didn't exceed this after six months I just felt I needed to get off this stuff. I am 72 and the first day off was ok now I am on my third day. I am really panicy and I didn't sleep last night I may have to go back and start again by decreasing slowly.this stuff is really tough. I have had shock treatments before and it really helped me with my anxiety for about 3 years.

I recently started house arrest for some trouble I got myself into a while back. I've smoked marijuana on a daily basis for around fourteen years. I'm naturally a pretty high-strung individual and the pot always seemed to help tremendously with my anxiety, concentration, sleep, appetite, etc. I haven't been able to smoke in about 10 months and noticed much more anxiety and sleeplessness for the first several months, but the inability to fall asleep at night gradually got better. I just started my house arrest sentence a few weeks ago and it's like I'm back to square- one. I went to my doctor a few days ago and asked him for xanax to take as needed, specifically for sleep and stress at work. He prescribed me to ativan instead without explanation. It seems to be helping the anxiety throughout the day, but is not necessarily helping me to fall asleep at night with a million things going through my mind. I've taken xanax before and it always helped me to sleep. I'm just nervous about taking a benzodiazepine on a regular basis, period. I have about 5 more months left of home detention, and I don't want to be dependant on any pills when I'm free again. I was prescribed to .5 mg's twice daily, but I've only been taking them as needed, one or two some days, none at all on others. I've been tempted to just take two a few hours before I need to go to sleep, but I feel like I'm playing with fire if I get in that habit. Any suggestions???

I was being treated by a number of physicians at a hospital for chronic back pain. I was sufficiently doped up that I could join an aerobics class, strengthen my core and lose 20 pounds. Then, I lapsed into a coma. I was given Ativan in the hospital, and IV vitamins. that was 4 years ago. After my coma and hospital stay, I developed anxiety, and panic attacks. I did not know what was happening to me. I would drive on familiar freeways and get a panic attack driving around a curve. It was like my hands, steering wheel and road were all disconnected. Rapid heart beat, pressure on chest, tingling in face and fingers became the random norm. I took St John’s Wort and other herbs with minimal to no success. After 3 years of this living nightmare, I went to doctors who put me on Ativan (1 mg twice a day), Buspar and Propanolol. I wake up with some diffuse anxiety around 7 AM and take the meds. I am confident and strong till about 5 PM, and I take the afternoon doses.

I may never know what the full scale of damage may be from my coma (memory is a bit shoddy, and I have difficulty picking out words...speech is slowed a bit), but I am thankful for Ativan and Buspar and Propanolol to keep me functional. I feel like I can do this for a long lifetime. I do get an occasional night terror, and I take an extra Ativan then, but that is my only increase. Oh yeah, for residual back pain (not as bad as it used to be) I take 100 mg Tramadol 3 times a day, and an occasional cortisone spinal block or acupuncture.

My mom was placed on Ativan by her doctor 2 years ago for slight panic attacks due to a problem with swallowing. She is 89 years old. It caused so many side affects and she was so dependent,that she could not get through her days without it. This drug changed my mom into someone I had never met before, it was a very scary and stressful time. Ativan was causing lots of side effects that we did not know how to deal with. As a result of frequent nightmares and dizziness she decided to go cold turkey 3 weeks ago. Now she is dealing with migrane headaches but has realized that she is actually feeling better in other areas. I hope the headaches pass soon and she is able to get back to the way she was 2 years ago. Be careful with using Ativan.

This drug has helped me so much. I have been taking .5mg when needed, sometimes for two weeks straight and was able to come off it without a problem. I take it before important meetings and presentations and it really keeps me balanced and focused.

I've been diagnosed with severe anticipatory and social anxiety disorders, OCD and bipolar and I've been put on Depakote, Celexa and Ativan (of which I'm taking all three generics including lorazepam.) I'm taking 2mg per day of the lorazepam and so far so good. It certainly has a sedating effect but it has helped curtail the immediate high anxiety issues. I'm a 33 year old male and as I've said I haven't been on anything for more than a couple of weeks but so far so good with lorazepam.

Hi I've been on Ativan for 3 weeks to sleep and am now weaning off of 2mg down to 1mg at night. Don't start it if you don't have to. I am also on Seroquel to help with the withdrawal effects and insomnia. It's extremely addictive even after only three weeks. I am glad that I am getting off of it now rather than later. Any suggestions for weaning off? Am I cutting my dose back too quickly. This was recommended by a doctor 1mg for four days, .5 mg for four days and .25 mg for four days Thank you

hi, i'm 33 years old and i have been taking ativan for 7 years now!!!!! i started when my sister passed away in 2000,and my husband in 2003, boyh of whom i loved dearly...i started thinking was i next??? being that my sister was so young when she died. so i found myself constantly in the emergency room with feelings of panic and hoplesness,thinking everyday that i was going to die. i would always feel nervous,scared,over worried ,embaressed to leave my house because i thought that i would have an episode and that i would lose control of myself,and that no one would understand what i was going through. i hated that feeling. i was always thinking what the HELL was wrong with me? so i finally went to see a doctor and he perscribed me ativan,at first i was a little apprehensive about taking it because my sister had takrn the same thing right before she died...so i ended up taking them and now i feel the need to STOP!!! but it is so hard to do...i have tried and the withdrawls are horrific!!!! i have three kids and i want to be around to see them become sucsessful contributing citizens....i love them more than anything and i want to be here for them as long as i can. also my boyfriend has been the best thing that has happened to me in a long time...and i dont want anything or this stupid medication to come between us...i love him with all my heart and i want us to be happy and joyful. he is a wonderful man,and he has helped me to realize that i dont need this medication. i love him so much!!! he is all the medication i need..

hi, i'm 33 years old and i have been taking ativan for 7 years now!!!!! i started when my sister passed away in 2000,and my husband in 2003, boyh of whom i loved dearly...i started thinking was i next??? being that my sister was so young when she died. so i found myself constantly in the emergency room with feelings of panic and hoplesness,thinking everyday that i was going to die. i would always feel nervous,scared,over worried ,embaressed to leave my house because i thought that i would have an episode and that i would lose control of myself,and that no one would understand what i was going through. i hated that feeling. i was always thinking what the HELL was wrong with me? so i finally went to see a doctor and he perscribed me ativan,at first i was a little apprehensive about taking it because my sister had takrn the same thing right before she died...so i ended up taking them and now i feel the need to STOP!!! but it is so hard to do...i have tried and the withdrawls are horrific!!!! i have three kids and i want to be around to see them become sucsessful contributing citizens....i love them more than anything and i want to be here for them as long as i can. also my boyfriend has been the best thing that has happened to me in a long time...and i dont want anything or this stupid medication to come between us...i love him with all my heart and i want us to be happy and joyful. he is a wonderful man,and he has helped me to realize that i dont need this medication. i love him so much!!! he is all the medication i need..

My sister took .5 mg Ativan a day for 10 years, for anxiety and depression. After a new doctor refused to keep supplying her with it, she ended up in detox. She's been off it for two years, yet still craves it. She drinks heavily and talks of nothing but Ativan. Psychiatrists have given her many different drugs to combat her problems, but she won't take them more than a couple days. She refuses to let them work, because all she wants is Ativan. It ruined her life.

I have taken Ambien, Ambien CR,Visril,and Lunests and nothing seem to help. I changed my doctor and she said the after a long days rest my mind needed to rest. I have Fibromyalbia,working 12 hours as a nurse is hard. I Also take Lyrica 300mg 2x day and Cymbalta 60mg 2x day and which all makes you sleep. Ativan has been the best the to help with my imsomnia.

Hi my name is jonathan.I am 16 years old.I had my first panic attack.I was taking ativan to help control my anxiety(1mg pills twice a day)I took ativan for one week.Ativan helped me calm me down but i didnt feel my self when i was taking them so i stoped after that week.The next day i felt i was starting to feel myself again.3 days past on the fourth day i went back to the dr. because evry thing i eat i would through it up and i felt i was dieing.The doctor told me i had symptoms of a brain tumor.I couldnt get it off my mind that i was going to die.I felt so fkn bad i picked out a 9mm bullet and told myself this is the bullet thats going to take my life.Thank god my dad took all his guns when he moved out.Three weeks past i felt my symptoms were gettin better and disappearing.On the fourth week i felt my self again but not for long.I had another panic attack but this time i was prepared to die.I got so fustrated i stop caring because i was in alot of pain mentaly.I am now currently on the fith week now.I havent had any more panic attacks and i realy feel im getting better now.Hope it stays that way.I just wanted to say that taking ativan is the worst thing i could of done and the most pain i ever felt in my entire life.If anyone wants to contact me or have any questions my email is johnnyv_07@yahoo.com plzzz contact me if u expirence anything like this.It would help to see that i am not alone.

Ativan was prescribed to me to use as needed; however, my job became extremely stressful, and I found myself taking it daily for about 2 months. I did notice that I became jittery and nervous, maybe I needed more, as I was taking a low dose. I ran out, and filled a prescription for Xanex, which makes me tired, not good for work. I noticed a pattern in which I became stressed out mid morning. I realized that my blood sugar was dropping, and thought maybe I don't need the medicine every day. I am trying to eat more protein in the morning, and since then have noticed my mid morning panic and stress lessening. Meditation is helping with the anxiety too.

The one time I had to take Ativan, about 10 years ago I believe, wasn't for anxiety or sleep. It was given to my by my oral surgen before a surgery to have dentures put in. I was prescribed three 1 mg pills to take around 2 hours before I was to go in for the surgery. I woke up, took them, and dozed back off for a couple hours. When my roommates woke me up to take me, they said it was the funniest thing they had ever seen me do. I wasn't making any sense, walking backwards, putting my toes in my shoes and telling them I was ready to go. They pretty much had to carry me to the car, and on the drive there while they were talking they said I told them to shuuuuuuuuush because it was rabbit season. So I get to the surgery, have it. Only memory I have of it all was I remember hearing the surgeon tell me not to fall asleep no idea why. But I know I didn't feel a thing, until after of course. I had no anxiety or anything about the surgery. I was looking forward to it actually. Bad, brittle, and crooked teeth are painful and horrible. I just wanted to share this with others because I've read so much that it's used for anxiety, sleep, etc. And in my case, and I have never heard of any others, it was used to have all of my teeth cut out of my mouth. I do know, I have no memory of the event other then hearing my doctor tell me to stay awake. But I have to say while I don't remember it, I have this lasting feeling of how enjoyable it was. It feels wierd when I think about enjoying something I don't remember. Hope this helps, or if anything is informative for somebody!

I have been taking Ativan 1mg twice a day for a year now. My initial med after being diagnosed bipolar was Abilify and Lexapro. The Abilify made my mania much worse so the doc put me on Trileptal. He gave me the Ativan because I told him that I am going to visit my mom and I would need something for the strain (at the time my mom was a very mean mom). It worked very well. My visit lasted about five months, so I got another psychiatrist. He told me that he did not like keeping patients on Ativan for more than a few months. Things were going pretty good. One day he asked me how was I doing and I told him better but not good. So he prescribed Wellbutrin. About one and a half months go by and I started halucinating. At that point I figured yeah you are definetly crazy. You know I figured everyone else does not halucinate. So he prescribed me Seroquel. 50mg once a day when I went to bed. Well it did nothing. He doubled the dose, I was taking 50mg twice a day. Well, three months later I was up to 100mg twice a day with the halucinating getting worse. At this point I started hearing stuff and seeing stuff in the daytime. I now take 300Mg twice a day. So you may say what does this have to do with Ativan. Well for some reason I got it in my head that these halucinations are from the Ativan. As a matter of fact when I first got the visitors in my bedroom (halucinations) I quit taking the Ativan alltogether. The first day I was off of it I was driving to the store with my mom and I started feeling disoriented, I was having trouble breathing, I was light headed, kinda like the beginings of a panic attack. So I am still taking 1mg of Ativan once or twice a day to avoid the affects like i had before. I still have halucinations, but only if I wake up at about 3 or 4am which has been the norm the past week. A couple nights a go I woke up and Humpty Dumpty was sitting on my couch I tried to knock him off but then that evil cat from the Netflix commercial jumped in front of him. Has anyone heard of long term use of Ativan causing halucinations?

I was put on ativan by a doctor for no reason. I went to see a doctor who was replacing my regular doctor and I wasn't there for any anxiety reason that I was aware of. He started talking to me about it like when you have any stress or contempltating any stress,(since I had two jobs at the time, school teacher and commercial Sea Plane pilot) you might be interested in this little green pill you put under your tongue which will make you feel at ease. I think that he said that he took them himself. I wonder how many doctors do take them themselves. I took them once in awhile but without noticing it I was taking it more and more till my prescription said: one .5 three times a day. My wonderful wife didn't want me to take it and I told him so. He said, you can take ten times this amount and it won't hurt you. He wrote me a note to give to my wife as to how safe they are. He is still doctoring. He should have his licence revoked. TODAY I TOOK ONE .5 AND HOPE TO GET OFF COLD TURKEY STARTING TOMORROW. HOW LONG? I WONDER.

Hi i been on ativan 2mg for aprox 40 days and damn they been so hard i have panic attacks and phobia to the blood pressure monitor not that i have it .its just my brain reacting to it . dr prescrive me ativan 2mg for 60 days and come back to see how you fell its been 40 days and i feel like shit or whorest know his giving me zoloft 100mg half for 6 days then hole pill next vistaril 50mg that shit dont work,today i end up at kaiser er i suffer a bad panic attack my blood pressure elevated .. I was not like this before maybe since i started ativan2mg 1 a day

Started taking ativan about 6 weeks ago o.05 mg 3 time a day it was great the problem with the stress in my ears from muscles tension was gone. Then about 3 weeks ago I began to have bloating stomach & dizzy & nausea. I knew something was not right. I decided to get off the stuff before I got in to deep. yesterday evenign about 8 pm i got stomach cramps bad and stayed with me all night. I have now learned part of the withdrawal. I call my pharmist & explained and how to get off? Did I do it to fast? I am going to get back 0.05 mg once a day so hopefully by end of week it will be be better. This is not good. I hate coming off meds. Good Luck To All

5 years ago I suffered from Acute Stress Disorder. After being prescribed Ativan and an SRI, it took several weeks for the medication to really make a difference, but after 4 years the Ativan has never had any side effects. I believe that every person is different and each persons mind and body reacts differently. Ativan has worked for me for over 4 1/2 years. I take a .5 mg dose every night before bed and it takes effect usually within 1/2 to 1 hour. I also take a 3mcg melotonin which also helps with a restful sleep.

I have heard that Lorazapam can cause addictions, and my own experience is that you will build up a tolerance quickly. I have acute anxiety attacts.

My primary doctor would prescribe Alprazolam 1 mg which seemed to me to work better, but my therapist prescribes Lorazapam. I do see how it may develop a dependency in alot of people, however I think that it also depends on the person. I don't have a really addictive personality but I do feel the Lorazapam are beneficial to me, so when I feel like I am having a panic attack and the Lorazapam is not working, I don't take them for a week or more and live with the panic attacks. Then after a few days, they will start working again. I like the Alprazolam better but I feel like if I discuss it with my therapist then they may view it as drug seeking which I am not, I always take just as prescribed. So I just stop taking them for a few days. That has been my experience and I would love to hear from someone else if this is safe to do or if there are other medications for acute anxiety attacks (I will pass out etc).... Thanks Lola

If youve never been perscibed xanax, antavan, or any other kind of benzo stay the fuck away from that shit no matter how bad your anxiety is!!!!!!!!!! You will get aticted. They do not help at all in the long run. See a therapist, excerice, meditate, do deep breathing. Do anything except take one of those drugs. Benzo addiction is hell. The addiction and withdrawal are a thousand times worse then the axiety is was originally percribed to help. I know this from experice. Stay away from those drugs. Most doctors don't even know much about them.

I just started Xanax and so far it's been anxiety producing for me. Maybe just too strong.

Ativan was better for anxiety and panic in my opinion, much more subtle and relaxing.

hi ive been taking ativan for three days now. and i just skipped today because of some drinking and smoking i did at the beach. it has been 6 hours since my last drink and feel the need to take ativan because of this stupid anxiety heart pain or sharp chest pain. is it safe to do so? plz any body can help? and also can you smoke weed and take ativan or can it be dangerous/??

Ativan = Lorazepam which I take, Ativan is just easier to type.

My experience with Ativan.

I went to the emergency room cause I couldn't urinate (no clue why). I was given two Ativan's (2mg) for some reason. I was also given a prescription that last about a week, I forget the dosage, but 1 mg tablets. Why I was prescribed Ativan I have no clue, anxiety and personal problem were never mentioned, maybe for it's muscle relaxant ability.

I took them for a few days and had Valium dreams I call them, dreams of incredible detail, color, and intensity, always good dreams, till I became use to Ativan; three days. They then seemed effective so so I quit taking them.

Things had changed for the worst at this time, thoughts about not being able to visit my son due to the distance, as well as other things.

My sister had Valium and those would of helped. It was very important for me to get relief from this anxiety. I was headed out the door to drive to her place, when I took an Ativan just to see if it would do anything. When I arrived at her house, I noticed I was a peace with myself, didn't need anything anymore, I felt fine and the situations didn't bother me.

I was hooked! :) these were great, to the point I didn't want to be without them and afraid of running out. I got a Dr. appointment and was prescribed Ativan 1 mg - 3 times a day. but I took them as needed usually one or two a day. So I was unintentionally collecting them to where I had a substantial surplus.

While they helped, I figure by breaking a thread of thought, so I didn't dwell on a subject to long. I also noticed I was getting very forgetful.

I've taken them for a few years, they never made me tired, just calmed me down. I read (en.wikipedia.org) you can take them recreationally, I can't see how or why. They do nothing for me but relieve any anxiety I might have. I'e actually had to think about what was bothering me in the first place. The forgetfulness makes that hard to do sometimes.

I also read Ativan has a relatively high addictive potential, I don't think I am addicted. I've gone weeks without remembering or needing to take any, but I went that route in case.

So I read up on breaking the Ativan habit, Valium was the recommend way to go. I was prescribed both Ativan and Valium, when things go wrong Ativan helps. Valium puts me to sleep or can, so I only take them at night to help sleep, I've read they last forever in your body (like up to 8 days). So taking them at night help me through the next day.

-There's story in it's self, I was proscribed Ambien for sleep, and after 3 months of taking them. Went to bed, got into my car and ran in to two cars a few hundred feet down the road and have no memory of it. I would suggest avoiding Ambien and Lunesta.-

So Valium is my sleep aide, I just recently told the Dr. that it was time to stop the Ativan, as I didn't take them any more (and I have a ton of them left (G)).

Bottom line: Ativan are great for relieving my anxiety, I've often referred to them as a miracle drug, they took care of me when I needed the help.

They have an added bonus for me, I don't need to start drinking alcohol again, that was part of my youth and over now. If I ever feel a need to drink, I take an Ativan and the feeling or need disappears.

Ativan also makes me stupid or forgetful, in a conversation when a name is needed, park, town, person most of the time I couldn't remember it at the time, but later it might come to me (to late).

I have Bipolar I - mixed state. A very serious mood disorder. I maintain a critical job role working as an IT Systems Security Analyst and also do some Project Management. My bipolar medication has been adjusted to keep my moods level for the most part. I manage the Bipolar with Trileptal, an anti-convulsant and I try to stay away from sugar, caffine, and stress. Stress is a big trigger so I de-stress by doing things I enjoy. However, there is always that chance that I can experience a 'trigger' that will send me into either a manic or mixed state, which can elevate into anxiety or even panic. My doctor has prescribed .5 Ativan, once daily and as needed for anxiety. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I do not. Mostly I do not. Today I have taken the .5 dose twice. Once at 2:00a.m. to get back to sleep, due to racing thoughts, and again about an hour and 30 minutes before a meeting with a group of executives and upper management. There are some people who know of my mood disorder because I have told them. Generally, I am very functional and my co-workers are unaware of my mood disorder or anxiety issues. I have been taking Ativan for over 2 years. I can go several days or even a week without taking any and don't notice any difference. I didn't even think about Ativan over Mermorial weekend. I just know that I would not be able to manage the bipolar and my stressful work life without a way to control anxiety if the need arises.

I have been on 2 1/2mg of .05 activan for 40 years. Saved me from nervous problems. Now because of added stress of a loved one, put on 1 10mg paxil to help aniety and had to up my activan to every 6 hours. Now that I am feeling better and now less stressful,how can I go to my original amount of activan and how can I deal with these withdrawal symptoms.

My husband was prescribed Ativan 1mg 4 x daily prn after the death of his father- he has been taking it habitually for the last 2.5 years- unfortunately- the only way to wean yourself off of it it by taking a beta-blocker- which he has been on since he was 39 after having angioplasty..so he can't take any additional doses ....both he and his mom have OCD and anxiety- my problem is: he gets pissed at me for having maybe 3-4 drinks- I've had problems in the past..I've never been convicted of a DUI and there have never been any issues in the last 13 years- my problem is: he won't even let me drink more than 3 beers ( I don't drink liquor)without giving me a ration of shit--I'm tired of it- I've already yelled back at him : go ahead, take another Ativan- but I'm at an impasses- and it really sucks at home

I takee ativan at 3 mg at night. Becuase it is has a short half life I experience withdrawal sysmptoms the next day (12 hrs later) unless I take a little more, 5.mg These sysmptoms include tremor, sweating, nausea, muscle twitches and, the worst, very high anxiety level. I have only been on the product for 3 - 4 weeks but already I suffer withdrawal due to its short life. The symptoms aree not relieved by Klonopin or xanax, which only seem to make them worse, that's way I know it's related to Ativan. Last niight Ativan did not put me to sleep at all at 1.5 mg, which had worked prior. Tonight I will return to 3 mg and cross my fingers. All thiese benzos seem to stop working stone cold at some point and then I mee to find anotheer seep med. Sedatives like Restoril, Dahlmane, and Prosom I don't feel at any dosage. They are like eating MMs candy--no effect. It would be easy if I can find a product that works without side effects and then tolerance losses.

Due to problems with depression, anxiety, and problems sleeping, I was prescribed Ativan. I have used this drug for 10 yrs. I have never gone over 1 mg. in a 24 hour period. Sometimes I worry that I might die if I try to get off of this medication. The one time I didn't take one, I was wide awake but suffered no physical symptoms. I am in my mid 50's, been through menopause, and have a great life now. There are days that I worry about taking it and days when I am just so thankful I have it. My job is highly stressful and I think that Ativan has helped tremendously. I also take Lexapro (low dose). I have seen so many horror stories about this drug, but my doctor swears that it is okay at low doses. I am experiencing some light headedness after exercise. Maybe I need to get off of this drug. Does anyone know of permanent damage Ativan can do?

I've been taking benzos for years. For a long time it was alprazolam. My Dr. suggested I try switching to ativan (I'm a psychiatric patient). They both can work for me but my experience with ativan is much more positive. Ativan seems to last longer, does not peak so quickly. And generally I feel better, which is the goal in the first place.

I took it at first simply to fy I am scared of planes. It worked like a charm. I feel the more nervous you are the better it seems to work. I have had anxiety attacks since I was five years ol. They are full blown attacks with vomiting and diarreah. I also started to get the chills and shakes when I got older. The doctor told me no more caffine at all and that does help but about 3 or 4 times a year I wake up and bam or encounter a situation that makes me have one. I told the doctor I was taking the remaining pills when such problems occurred. I have never upped my dose from 1mg tablet. Ten tablets typically will last me the whole year as I use it as a last resort. The only side effects I have ever had is a sore throat and it can be hard to shake off in the morning. It has been a wonder drug for me. I can go places I wouldn't of been able to handle without it. I have heard of how addictive it is but I think if taken I moderation and only when really needed it's perfect. I find most of the time I will take half and judge how I feel from there.

i have been prescribed ativan 1 mg.........its prescribed to take one daily but i know for a fact that taking a prescribed drug daily can cause dependence and well your body gets used to it and it fails to work correctly. i only take it when i need it. i suffer from acute panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorder.........i have no complaints with ativan. if im going to be running erands and such than i will take one an hour before i leave anywhere. if im just home with my family or running to the store i dont take it. i try to get through my anxiety alone and if i need some relief i take ativan.

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I've taken anywhere from .5 once a day to 2mg three times a day and have only had one instance of withdrawal symptoms severe enough to cause any kind of distress. It's best described as taking every problem you were enduring that led you to the Ativan in the first place and misplacing it, only to go -- Oh shit, THAT'S where I left all that misery. Point being yea, withdrawals are tough, but so is anything worth a shit in life. Human beings aren't built to be consistently happy, they are built to be consistently chasing a balance. Eternal happiness is like an ever replenishing orgasm flavored ice-cream cone. Which is disgusting. Shame on you.

I just got off Ativan three weeks ago. All of a sudden for the past three days I have been experiencing Migraines with Aura and heart palpitations. However, the palpitations have been with me for the past 15 years so I can't really count that, they have just been worse. However, if you have never experienced the Aura with a Migraine, that is some scary stuff. Anyone else have this issue?

I guess what I have is separation anxiety . I take a 1/2 of a 1 mg lorazepam when I get this way and some times for about 5 days or so . After that I usually am fine again when my husband comes back, I am doing better. I used have it really bad. I lost my first husband years ago, always had a house full of family and then there was no one. that is when the anxiety really started and so I guess this is why it has continue though the years even when I remarried and moved out of state. So I guess I need to know is it additive to take the lorazepam the way I am. It does get me through the day without all the problems I used to have. Your help is appreciated. I only get this way when I am alone for long periods of time.

I have a diagnosed panic disorder. I have suffered from this since I was a child - diagnosed in my 30s. I have been in therapy and receive meds from my medical dr. Antidepressants never worked, always caused terrible reactions, but Lorazepam was a gift from God. It took several years to find a daily dosage that works - 1 mg. 3x a day. This does not keep me from having panic attacks, but it has tremendously reduced them. My dr. always fills the prescription for a few more each month to cover the attacks that do still come. Because Lorazepam also helps calm your stomach (it's given to cancer patients dealing with severe nausea), it is doubly helpful for me - my anxiety is always accompanied by belly sickness; a panic attack brings severe sickness. I understand that I have a dependence on this drug, but it means I can somewhat travel, it means that if I suffer a sick attack I am not ill for days, only a couple of hours or so. I don't expect it to cure me, but am grateful every day that it exists.

a dentist put me on ativan for tmj in 1992 until 1995. my medical doctor didn't want me to take it , so my dentist took me off of it. my head, neck and jaws hurt so bad constantly that my pain was unbearable. i called the makers of ativan and they told me that 4 months was the maximun time to be on ativa. also cold turkey could lead to seizures leading to permanent damage to the brain.the dentist didn;t know what to do. he then sent me to a psychiatrist. the psychiatrist didn't know waht to do so he tried buspar. and it didn't work. so he told me he would not under any circumstances give me any ativan. he then told me to go back to the dentist that precribed the ativan. i did and the dentist refused to give me the ativan.he said that i had a psychiatrist now, and to go back to him. i was then in so much pain that i would do anything to get relief. i went babk and he cold turkey'd the ativan and start giving me what i found out later was antipsychotic drugs and antidepresants. then he said that i was bipolar. he drugged me up so good that i went around telling everybody that i was bipolar. that seemed odd. i was 45 and never been to a psychiatrist. never had a manic attack, every once in a while ,i had a ltiitle depressionthen it hit me. a depression that in truth. nobody could live with. i suffered with that for 17 years. i often wonder how i made it through that. i was so tired of not being able to laugh. to cry, to feel that i got off my medicine. i was know happy . i forgot to tell you that when i started taking the medicine that i lost all of my friends. my sisters avoided me since they couldn't take watching me in this state completely opposite from my outgoing happy personality. ithought that i have lost everyone but i still had a husband and 2 kids. last july my husband said he couldn't take it anymore, living with a mentally ill person. then our kids forrowed him. now i have nobody. i might not have a home, a car, nothing. i feelthat someone has ruined my life for financial gain and hiding what really happened to me. by the way , the dentist and psychiatrist were close friends. i should have known it when the dentist sent me to the psychiatrist that i went to. if anybody has a solution to my problem, i would appreciate it. i really would like the life before and have my friends and family back. guyanne glidewell 3704 bayside circle fort smith ar. 72903

I have been taking .5 mg of lorazepam for the past five years. I can take it twice a day if I wish but I never do. Only in the mornings but not every day. It is very smooth - I think it is a great sedative. No side effects at all.

While some have posted horror stories while using lorazepam, I have had the opposite experience (so far anyway)

When I was first prescribed lorazepam, I was in college and experiencing horrible anxiety attacks. 2 of which ended me in the ER convinced that I was having problems with my asthma. I finally began to understand my diagnosis (which is generalized anxiety disorder) and began to take the medication when I would feel anxious. Being able to gauge my anxiety level definitely helped with knowing when to take a pill.

6 years later......I take 1mg nightly. My prescription is written to take 1mg twice daily as needed. If I would take 2 daily, I'd be sleeping all of the time. I used to take half a pill but noticed that I was tolerant to it and needed more.

As much as it's helped, I do worry that I am becoming too reliant on it and will one day have to detox from it :/

I was prescribed ativan 2 1/2 years ago due to positional veritgo. I don't feel the same. I am very depressed and if I don't take it I won't leave the house. I take 0.5mg once daily. I now have 4 spots that appeared on my brain MRI. I did not have them 6 months prior to taking the ativan. Is ativan the cause? I originally had MRI due to severe migraines. I also keep getting bruises on arms and legs for no reason. I am going to try and stop ativan before my MRI is repeated in October. I with ENT doctors would have never put me on it. I found all the stories of others experiences with ativan very helpful. It made me think hey I'm not crazy maybe its just the drugs. Good luck to all and God Bless.

I have read countless forum entries cautioning people against lorazepam and other benzos and finally decided to add something to all of this. Lorazepam has made my life liveable. I have anxiety to everything, real or feared real. I have been on the same dose of lorazepam for 6 years now, never increased it. I know it can be addictive so I keep a close eye on what I take. I know its effects and they truly benefit my life. I am now able to get excellent grades in school, maintain a good healthy marriage, raise well behaved dogs and do anything else I need to because I no longer suffer from panic attacks every day which used to keep me in my apartment and too scared to leave, vomiting sometimes. Now I just do what I need to do. I take very small doses of lorazepam, only when I need it (.5mg 2x/day) and more if necessary but never exceed my prescribed dose. It doesn't get rid of anxiety completely, but it allows me to think clearly and most of all, function. My advice, be very cautious if you decide to take this drug. It can be addictive, withdrawal can be worse than the original symptoms, but it can also save your life. It sure helped me. It takes a responsible and disciplined person to manage this prescription. Only take it if you need to and if you know for a fact that you can be strong and don't let it control you.

Hi. I have suffered from panic attacks for almost 20 years now and I have found that taking Ativan has really helped me - saved me. I also should mention that I have a family history of anxiety - at least 4 generations that I am personally aware of. I have asked many times about getting off of the drug and my doctor continues to tell me the same thing - it helps you - you don't abuse it - and there is no cure for anxiety yet - to just hang in there. I do not like feeling tied to a pill to cope and I wish there were better ways to deal with panic and anxiety. My doctor said if you had diabetes you would take medicine and I said of course - i guess to me it has a lot to do with the shame of taking the medicine. BUT BUT BUT I can honestly say it works for me. I take 1 mg of Ativan 2x a day. Over the years I have taken as much as 4mg a day - this was due to unexpected family tradegies. I say take Ativan if it helps you but be responsible in how you dose. The laws have gotten much stricter over the years on how much can be prescribed and the pharmacies also police when they can be refilled. I am not uncomfortable taking Ativan for almost 20 years - it has really been a life saver to me. But I would never cold turkey the drug either. I have tried other approaches to deal with the anxiety/panic and nothing has came close to helping me. So I guess Iam an advocate of the drug and it's benefits - I can only speak from personal experience and say I believe in it and thank you to all my doctors for controlling the panic/anxiety. If I have to deal with Ativan addiction v. panic/anxiety I will take the Ativan addiction any day - for anyone who has had panic attacks and/or anxiety to deal with they know it's the worse feeling in the world.

I have been taking Ativan for 25 yrs.Two years a go my dr. thought it would be best that I stop taking the Ativan.Well OMG was all I could think of,because the reason I was was put on the Ativan was It was either that or wear a bag on my side because my next choice was a colostomy.Before I was put on the Ativan I tried everything known to mankind.Thank god the ativan worked for me.I am being backed off the ativan with kolonopin but its been a living hell!!!!My IBS is back ten fold,the pain I get in mt stomach are so bad my body convulses,Who has the right to say I have to stop taking the ativan,but no one will perscibe it.I hope there is a disability for spastic colon.this pain is to much for anyone to endure.I need help with this,I had my last bout last night and Im still weak and in pain but not as bad,I cant even workI was in labor for 28 hrs with no medication,I know what pain is,this isnt right,Please help me

My son loved to take xanax, he said it helped with his problems. Always using the excuse that he was suffering from anxiety. I tried to tell him drugs only made the problems worse, especially at the amounts he was taking. And no, he did not have a prescription. Unable to get a good job d/t drug testing. One drug led to another and another and another. He said he started when he was 10 years old and is now 21. The night my son finally decided to try and end his life I took him to the Emergency Room.He had xanax, clonazepam, norco,crystal meth and weed in his system. He was then transferred to a psych unit for a week where he was being brought down off the drugs. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,tremors, seizuers, passing out, abdomnial pain, sweating on the outside but feeling so cold on the inside. It has taken 3 weeks to ease him off the drugs. And he was transferred to a inpatient rehab for 2 months. It has caused heart problems, high blood pressure and not to mention all the problems with his family, friends, girlfriend and 10 month old daughter. He liked the high from the xanax also. Now he has told me he would rather put a gun to his head than go throught the withdrawals again. He said he had no idea how these pills were destroying his body, mind and life until he quit taking them. He is a totally different person now. Laughs and enjoys his family again and his family enjoys him. He said there was no other way to describe how he felt other than to say his head is not so full anymore and the world is a better place without the high. I am so proud of my son and family. When I thought all hope was gone God gave us all another chance. Medication can be a wonderful help if prescribed and used the way it is intended for those who truly have a medical condition. Otherwise you may start out having fun and end up like my son. It was almost to late for him. Please think about your futures and if a temporary high is worth the risk of it becoming a permanent high.Life is worth living sober.

I'm a 39yr old female who started having bad night time anxiety and heart palpitations due to stress. My doctor who is now retired prescribed me ativan 4yrs ago...it was great for my night time anxiety...I loved it! Its however 4yrs later and even though my new doctor dusnt want to prescribe it to me I request it. I take 0.5mg every night but I want to get off it. My anxiety is so much worse if I don't take it, I hate it! I was so healthy 4-5yrs ago, now I'm over weight, stressed and a nervous wreck. I agree with so many other people and think there are better ways to deal with anxiety and sleep disorders...like eliminating any stress you can...I know its easier said than dun in most cases. The first time I got off ativan I did a lot of night time breathing exercises, cut out all caffeine, walked almost every day and found time for myself...I'm gonna have to find a way to get back on track now and I know it won't be easy....but I wanna feel like my old self again! Who would have thought I'd have anxiety?? Like really!!!??? One other thing that has been happening is my heart stops beating and I start to faint but come through within a few seconds...not sure if that's a side affect of ativan?? Anyway, I'm going to bed now...and I'm not taking an ativan...I'm not!!!!! I will watch funny movies all night if I have to, sleep with the lights on...I don't know, but once I beat this addiction I'm never going back....

I have been on Ativan for over ten years. At one time I was so happy to find it. I went through menopause with panic attacks off the scale. Ativan saved my life! After weeks of no sleep, I was sleeping and functioning again. Ten years later with no warning from any shrinks or doctors, I started building up a tolerances, needed more AND I started getting symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, dizziness, cognitive dysfunction and blurry vision. I have started researching and discovered the Ashley manual which can be read door free ar www.benzo.org.uk and found out what is really going on, how this drug creates a neurological malfunction that takes along time to fix. I suggest if you are looking for a way to get off these drugs, go read her manual, she explains the whole thing and how to get off. She has had a hi success rate in her cli ic and she is the only who ha made any sense to m, ever. I start the program after I educate my doc and get him on board. There are some waves being made in the UK about this and finally some countries are outlAwing it's use. For many, this drug is dangerous and really hard to get off of. I hope my journey is easy and without I incident. Get help, get off these benzodiazepine drugs!

over the past few years I have been suffering minorly from anxiety, and the odd time panic. I knew of ativan for quite some time now but was somewhat scared to take it. Today I was having some anxiety issues and decided to man up, and ask my mom for one of her's. I noticed within the next 30 minutes my anxiety was gone. However, that being said, I wasn't feeling any of side effects of the drug which i heard of. I wasn't drowsy or zoning off into space. I was able to walk fine and operate a vehicle. The drug simply did what I wanted to do and that's all. Take my aniexty away. would recommend to someone with a similar minor anxiety issue like myself.

my dad past away 2yrs ago, i lived in hawaii and flew back 2 oregon for his funeral. i packed up a suitcase of his with memorabilla of his and without knowing there was an empty shell case of a grenade from the korean war underneathe the sheet part of that suitcase. well lets just say i shut down the medford airport and now was surrounded by tsa, cops and the bomb squad, they detained me for 5hrs. after being released, i was sooooo sick and full of anxiety, so my friend gave me a fenergen and an ativan. i slept for 3days straight with no memory of anything that i had done for those 3days. i was still sick, but had 2 go back home to hawaii. i continued 2 take the few fenergen and ativan that my friend had given me and then ran out. 3 days later i was in the e.r. with symtoms i had never had before. i couldn't stop throwing up even after there was nothing in me. i had been throwing up for at least 26hrs by the time i went to the e.r. i kept blacking out where it felt like all of my senses where heightened, but all in the worse way possible. the e.r. pumped me with morphine, ativan and zofran and then released me once i stopped throwing up 10hrs later. 3 days later, my symtoms started all over again, but now i was scared of that feeling. its been 2yrs since that day and i've now been 2 the e.r. every 2wks and twice in that wk and have been misdiagnosed by my dr. who said it was all in my head, e.r. dr. that just treat the symtoms and by my family who now thinks of me as a burden. HOW DO I WEEN MYSELF OFF THIS HELLISH LIKE FEELING?

symtoms: depression the worst anxiety attack taste like a dirty penny in my mouth stomache tightens nasea/serious vomiting shakes chills fever crawling out of skin wishing i would either feel better or just die blackouts senses hightened in the worse way dizziness serious fatigue mood change irritable flu like symtoms tongue and jaw feels like it did 5000 pushups headache joint ache sounds like breaking a cobweb in finger joints and hurts like hell even a happy moment is 2 much and sends me into a panic attack

i use to be a very chill easy going person and on my good days i still am, but the majority of my life in the last 2yrs is full of the symtoms above and i am writing this only 5days out of the e.r. peace and aloha... coco

Although I am diagnosed with general anxiety, (I'm 21/female) there are times when I am much more anxious, upset than others (periods of say, a week, give or take). There are rare occasions which my anxiety is extremely severe. Unfortunately, I tried quite a few antidepressants that claim to be anti-anxiety as well, but they made me feel terrible and did NOTHING for anxiety.

In my most recent experience with ativan, I went to my doctor basically begging for anything-- I hadn't slept in 3 days, I couldn't eat because of the pain from clenching my jaw, my muscles hurt, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. She prescribed me 2mg 2x per day. I did suffer from some rather large gaps in my memory during this week, but what I do remember I was happy/slept well (my boyfriend was keeping watch over me during this week).

I don't think that I would consider taking this regularly, because I feel like I can deal with a moderate level of anxiety at this point in my life (which I think people should at least try to do). But this is a good short-term solution for a break from anxiety. I did not feel more anxious after one week of taking ativan, I felt like I had been on a vacation from it.

I have been on Ativan for 8 months for the anxiety/panic attacks I experienced following a heart procedure. I desperately want to get off this med, but so far a unable to do so. I've tried anumber of other anti-anxiety meds but have not beenable to tolerate them ( Xanax, Cymbalta, Celexa, Klonopin, Busparinone ). I've tried cutting my 1 mg dosages in half and in quarters and trying to go as long as possible without taking one. It's not working. I normally take a pill around 8-9 PM before going to bed, but will wake up around 2-3 PM needing to take another one. I then feel fairly OK until noon or early PM, then begin to feel the need to take another one to relieve the withdrawal symptoms I seem to be experiencing. Trouble is I then feel loopy for the rest of the day. Trying to tough it out and take nothing results in my feeling absolutely horrible by night time. My best description of how I feel is like having the flu, minus the fever (exhaustion, muscle aching, headache, upset stomach, tingling/burning sensation on my arms and shoulders etc. Is anyone else having a similar experience? How do I get off this endless merry-go-round? I want to have a normal life again!!

I was recently put on house arrest. I had been drinking and smoking weed for over ten years. Day one of sobriety my life came crashing down. The walls caved i'n and my mind was doing a million miles an hour. My chest hurt I had a shortness i'n breath it felt like I was having a mini heart attach. I went to the er and the doctor put me on 1mg ativan I had tried Xanax and clonipin before for anxiety and lack of sleep and they worked well. I never have had a withdrawal from anything but quiting alcohol and weed at the same time and being locked up was to much for me. The Ativan worked great but I have a high tolerance for just about any drug I've ever tried. Two a day turned into three then four to five. Eventually I couldn't feel a thing from the pills. I went without for a few days and felt no side effects weird. What I learned was to only take when needed. Wether that means five i'n a day or a couple days without. Inconsistency is key. Don't devolop a pattern. I may be an exception having no side effects when having not taken for few days i'n a row. But the Ativan got me threw the withdrawals of alcohol and weed much easier than I had thought possible. Sleeping however is still a problem and always has been i'n my life.

My story is this. I was diagnosed with extremely anxiety, and social anxiety. FOr some reason I always thought I was having a heartattack even checked my pulse constantly.. so annoying, but anyway. I was put on Paxil and ativan at 14 took them both until I was 21 and took myself out paxil cold turkey, had whoosh feelings, and like electic jolts, still have flashbacks every so ofter Im 28. Then came the ativan I quit cold turkey in 2008. Had anxiety really bad for the first week, took tylenol pm to sleep.(Benadryl will help with anxiety too its the drowsyness effect that does it) I stayed at the house mostly for 3 weeks, I wouldn't drive for fear of a seizure. Other than that it wasn't as bad as the paxil as for sideeffect go. You can quit cold turkey just have a person you trust with you to make you feel safe, get something to help you sleep, keep your mind occupied. you will be just fine 13 years and did it not that BAD at ALL. I swear deal with the uncomfortbalness for 13 days and your home free guranteed. recklesshabitat@gmail.com

I was recently hospitalized for rapid withdrawal from ativan. I thought it would be easy to do, but I was WRONG! First of all the hospital told me even thought I didn't have insurance they would accept me. While I was there they gave me phenobarbitol to help me with my withdrawal. I wasn't doing too bad at that point because of the phenobarbitol. Then on the third day, the doctor's physician came in and said they had to release me because I guess they only picked up 3 days of stay there. By the way it was St. Vincent Charity Hospital and when they released me they told me to go to IOP Intenstive Outpatient Program which is their aftercare which would have cost me $3600 all at once, no payment plans available. So I went home. The first day wasn't that bad but the second day I went into this HORRIBLE withdrawal. I couldn't sleep for 8 days straight, couldn't eat and paced the floor constantly. My whole body was tense, so tense that I could not relax at all. I lost about 12 pounds and had this horrible smell coming out of my body, like burned wood....can't explain the smell but it lasted 2 weeks. After the third day of being home I called my psychiatrist to ask him to help me. I told him I went through rapid detox and he started yelling at me and asking me why I did that. He thought I was doing fine with my 3mg a day. He told me to see another psychiatrist because he no longer wanted to see me! I felt so hopeless. I also went to the emergency room and they couldn't do anything for you He said I would just have to to rough it out. He was very upset that some doctors prescribe these medications becasue they are so addictive. I also called my niece who is an internist and she asked me why I went through rapid withdrawal. She said I could die, but she couldn't help me either because of the phenobarbitol in my system...and besides that I was not ethical for her to treat me. Because they gave me the phenobarbitol so that I would not have a stroke or seizure, I had to wait another 10 days to take another ativan. That was my plan. In the meantime I had to find another doctor, which was very hard to do. Everyone I called turned me down. Finally I found a new doctor who put me back on ativan immediately and told me that I could have died. She is going to try weaning me off. As soon as I took my first ativan all my bodily symptoms went away and I finally slept that night. Ativan is so evil, I cannot even begin to tell you what I went through. I was seeing things when I closed my eyes, I felt detached from myself and I was so scared to be alone. I couldn't even walk into another room because of this fear. PLEASE, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER take ativan or any other benzos. Also, if you don't have insurance in this country they just throw you out without caring what happens to you. I kept calling the hospital back for help and they just told me to wait it out! How sad it is that you can't find any help for addictions in this country without insurance. Even the free clinics turned me down. They say that benzos are harder to get off of than. I'm sorry I had to learn that the hard way. I wish everyone out there luck in getting off these evil pills, but please do not go off cold turkey. Have your doctor wean you off. God Bless!

Hello, I've been on Ativan 1mg 2 times a day, but I usually only take 1 mg later in the day or at around 2pm if I'm under stress...I've been on all SSRI's SNRI's MAOi's and other crap I can't think of right now... at least this stuff makes me stop from crawling out of my skin and EXTREME anxiety and irritability (I'm talking homocidal and suicidal). So I can' stay I haven't tried everything natura or trying to calm myself down, I've been on ST. John's Wort, Omega 3, Gaba, L-Glutemine...what else is there? REALLY some people need it and they should take it.

.5mg Ativan was prescribed to me to help me cope with my divorce preceedings (high stress). I started it almost a month ago and it is doing a great job at relaxing me. Sometime though, i feel the need to take a double dose when 1 pill just aint cuttin it. I just take them as needed though. Sometimes twice a day, other days none. I don't take them to sleep, however if I take one in the late evening, it can help me get to sleep quicker. I can't amagine getting withdrawls from it, but this is the first pill ive ever taken(besides an asprin). I'm middle aged. Just eat right, exercise, and take meds cautiously

UM( i'm very sorry to all of you who had bad experiences w ativan or any benzo but if it honestly did not help you, YOU DID NOT NEED IT!!!!!!! This medication is 4 ppl who have serious panic and anxiety disorders ex: are afraid to leave their home a lot of times due to PTSD and other trauma. This drug has completely made my life livable again. i take 1 mg 3 x a day every day and i can breathe and i dont shake and im not afraid. I thought i was dying :( If u need it take it, if it doesnt help u, u dont need it period.

I took Ativan for a short period of time due to a panic attack. Went off cold turkey and suffered the worst withdraw in the world. I had small seizures the first night and had rebound anxiety for weeks. I also suffered tight burning muscles, bad head sensations, vivid thoughts and dreams, insomnia, lethargy, mood swings, depression, de-realization, and I couldn't drive for two weeks. Its now almost three months and finally starting to stabilize but still feel some of it. Never going to take this or any benzo again. My advise once you get off is let it run its course without adding anymore medications or supplements, you will return back to normal with time.

Job loss anxiety. Ativan helps alot with panic attacks. For me there are no side effects. It can help with loneliness, depression, anxiety and concern. The drug simply makes you feel better. You can get through tense meetings easier. You can ride bart late at night with few problems. If your heart starts to pound due to emotional problems, Ativan does help calm me down. It works by stabilizing the Amygdala in the brain. Just ask your friendly Psychiatrist. Talk to your Psychiatrist about the Amygdala and Ativan and you will understand basically how the drug works. Again, it helps alot with emotional stress.

I'm 50 years old and occasionally have, what I was told, anxiety/panic attacks. I recently went to the doctor and was prescribed Ativan. He wanted to prescribed Xanax, but I told him no, I would not take it. I can't understand why Valium is such a bad drug, for someone who only wants to take it as needed. To clarify as needed, only when I have my attack. My attack usually occurs after I have completed a time pressing project, and my main symptom is a rapid heart beat. I wake up with my heart racing from between 140 - 150 per minute. Normally, I am a calm person WITHOUT MEDICATION. So why can't I get valium instead of Ativan and how can I get the Doctor to understand that I do not take and don't want to take anti-anxiety drugs daily, only when one of my attacks occur?

I've read lots of these posts about people planning on quitting Ativan Cold Turkey. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!! It is very dangerous and can even cause seizures. I was in the hospital when they said cold turkey was fine, and I ended up having a seizure right there, so they put me back on it-and increased the amount. Now I have to go back to the hospital again to be watched and WEANED off of the ativan. I want them to take their time and do it right. Withdrawls are terrible I can tell you, so PLEASE team-up with your M.D. when you are ready to stop taking this horrible med. While it may make you feel better with anxiety, etc, the long-term risks aren't worth it!

Ativan is a terrible pill for long term use it holds you hostage and causes the inter dose withdrawal symptoms and also is harder than hell to get off you have to switch to a longer acting benzo to get off it so why not just go with the longer acting pill in the first place ? IMO this is a terrible evil little pill but all benzodiazepines are.

HI EVERYONE, MY STORY BEGAN WITH 9/11 TRADEGY AND I WAS GOING TO TAKE A PLANE TRIP TO MEET MY FIRST GRANDSON, MY DOCTOR PRESCRIBED ALPRAZOLAM .25MG TO TAKE 1/2 HOUR BEFORE THE FLIGHT. I TOOK IT AND I LIKED THE WAY IT RELAXED ME, GAVE ME A NICE HIGH. THEN MONTHS LATER I COMPLAINT TO MY PSYCHIATRIST THAT I FELT TWITCHING IN MY LEGS SO HE PRESCRIBED ALPRAZOLAM, BUT IF THE TWICTCHING CONTINUED TO SEE A NEUROLOGIST. WELL TO MAKE THE STORY SHORT, I HAD STRESS IN JOB AND THEY NEVER GAVE YOU MOTIVATION TO SAY THAT YOU DID A GOOD JOB, WHEN ISSUES CAME THAT I COULDN'T HANDLE I WOULD GET PANIC ATTACKS SO SEVERE THAT I HAS CHEST PAINS, SO IN ORDER TO FORGET MY PROBLEMS FOR THE MOMENT I STARTED INCREASING MY MEDICATION AND THEN I WAS GIVEN LORAZEPAM, WELL THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN FACE A PROBLEM OR PANIC ATTACK IS BY TAKING THIS MEDICATION, I AM NOW TAKING 12MG OF LORAZEPAM, PLUS OTHER MEDS FOR MY DEPRESSION, I WANT TO GET OFF IT BUT IT IS HARD. IS THERE ANY HELP OUT THERE? I WILL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL.

Ativan, Lorazepam, is very addictive as are all benzos and z-drugs. I only took 1mg as needed and that was every few days. You can still get hooked doing this and was howling and weeping in despair with 'interdose withdrawal' needy to take more. This was very out of character for me. I'm off now for two weeks and consider myself very fortunate. I'll never take it again. Just do loads of research on the Internet, this stuff is bad news.

Hello,

I have been taking Ativan basically every night for the past 2 years or so to help with insomnia. I had gone through a devastating breakup, was severely depressed and prescribed Anti-Depressants and Ambien to help me sleep at night. I did not like either of the pills and stopped taking the ADs,, but continued to take the Ambien since I just could not sleep. I tried to wean myself off the Ambien but found I was psychologically addicted. I then asked my Dr. if I could try something else, just to help me sleep at night. He prescribed a couple of different things, but nothing really worked. When I was going through the depression, I also suffered serious panic attacks. So, my Dr. then prescribed Ativan. I took it only when I had the panic attacks and then a small dosage (.5mg) at night to sleep. Eventually, as I got over the depression and the panic attacks subsided, I started to take it only at night. I was taking up to 1 mg each night, but, concerned about addiction, I now only take .5mg, no more. I tend to sleep pretty well now, waking up still, but usually falling right back to sleep. I also feel pretty rested the next day. I wish I could sleep naturally like I do with the Ativan, but I don't. I exercise regularly, don't consume caffeine past 12 noon, practice relaxation before bed, etc.., but it I just do not sleep well unless I take my .5 mg of Ativan. I have tried going a whole week without taking it, but I just did not sleep, so went right back to taking it. If anyone knows any other way to naturally improve my sleep without medication, I would love to know. I don't like having to rely on a drug to sleep and know that eventually my Dr. will probably stop prescribing it for me.

Lost my job unexpectedly and that job had me anxious, nervous, and angry. I spent the last eight months of that job sleeping only two to three hours per night. Saw a few doctors with not relief, then saw a psychiatrist. He gave me a few meds and lorazepam was one. I quickly got another job and step dosed myself off all meds after a year. But after six months I again started to have trouble sleeping. I asked my family doc for lorazepam to sleep and I have a script for one mg per day. Two years later I sleep fine most nights without it and take one when going to bed only about once or twice a week. Or for example last night, when I awoke at three am buzzing and anxious. Took one and just woke up at 8:30. Today's Sunday so sleeping in is cool. To me lorazepam is a wonder drug. No side effects; only the effect of calm sleep. I have taken on during the day when something terrible had got me anxious. BTW lorazepam does mix very well with weed too.

Relax, we all die...

From 1997-99 a series of severely stressful events eventually caused me to get really sick in '99 (age 51). I doctored all summer and nobody had an answer. I kept asking them could it be stress, but they told me it was an ulcer and gave me meds but I kept getting worse. I had vomiting, diarrhea, fast pulse, tingling, lightheadedness, etc. I couldn't leave the house, couldn't go to work, couldn't eat, could hardly talk on the phone, because the symptoms would just get worse. I had fear of people, of situations, etc., and since this was all pretty sudden, I knew that I was losing my mind. I kept thinking well if I get hit by a car, it'll all be over, and similar thoughts. I was prescribed a couple other meds before a doctor finally prescribed Xanax, which seemed to help, but he severely restricted the dose, saying it had potential danger. My psychotherapist and the family doctor told me Ativan was better, and switched me. I could take more of it because it had shorter life in my body. Initially I took up to 6 .5mg/day, and I had to have someone with me to go places and do things, because I was still so full of anxiety and panic. After a few months, knowing I had achieved things, I had more confidence in myself, and reduced the dose, and have reduced to dose to a present .5mg 4xday. I saw a psychotherapist 2x month along with this, because talk therapy is as important as the meds. I think back to my childhood and I know now that I was always anxious and had events that triggered this. So in '99 my body had tried and tried to keep readjusting its chemistry to stress, and failed. What Ativan does for me (I take the generic) is make me feel more normal. I realize I may take it all my life, but so would I take a med for any other debilitating illness. It helps me to cope, and it's not that stress has gone from my life, but it reduces my body's overreaction to the stress. I can eat, I can work, I can interact with people. I have had no side effects as I did with other meds I took. I take it a regular times of day. When highly stressful things happen (which they seem to do in my life a couple times a week), they affect me less than they would have, event though they still affect me. I have found that sitting quietly or talking to someone helps a lot. I do not drink and have limited caffiene (4 cups of tea/day). I smoke, but have reduced the amount by more than half. I believe each person reacts differently to Ativan, and the reason it was prescribed is important. For me it was a chronic and severe anxiety disorder. I have kept my dose strictly to the 4x day. I believe that it doesn't go to an addiction, it goes to the illness. Sometimes people's body chemistry can go back to normal after stress, and sometimes not. I don't think mine has and I don't know if it ever will, but as long as I have my meds to help, I just keep going. The worst thing is my regular doctor retired and the new guy I was referred to sees Ativan as evil and keeps talking to me about getting off it. He treats me like I'm part of an assembly line and doesn't listen to me or read my case history. My psychotherapist writes him periodicaly to keep him up to date on the issues I deal with, and sometimes he seems ok with the Ativan, and next time I go for a prescription refill he is against it. He is inconsistent and not as knowledgeable about pharmaceuticals as my psychotherapist is. What I say is, it's helped me tremendously over the years, I am scrupulous about dosage, I also see a psychotherapist, and I probably would be totally incapacitated without it. The best part about Ativan has always been it seemed to have no side effects whatsoever. The people who write about memory loss puzzle me because I started little bits of memory loss (spelling words, names) after 1997 and before I started on the Ativan in 1999. I know this is because stress causes brain cells to die. I make notes and find other ways to get around this. If I am on Ativan for the rest of my life that's ok with me, because it restored my sanity to me and gave me and still gives me the ability to cope with my life, my work, my family, and other people, without going off the deep end. If and when my life ever simmers down, I will be in a position to taper off the med and maybe just take it at times of severe stress, but right now, I need it on a regular basis. It's been 12 years, and I don't see any problems. It addressed a biochemical disorder and is still doing so.

My doctor prescribed Ativan 0.5 mg last week to replace the Klonopin 0.5mg I had been taking for about a year because the Klonopin made me very hyper and was not helping with my temper. It has only been one week and I wouldn't say I am addicted, but I can definitely feel when I need another one. My doctor never even mentioned that one could become addicted, he just switched my meds. I only knew it could be because of what I learned through my own reading. For the past 3 days I have felt horrible - very angry off and on, agitated, out of it when driving, facial tremors, foggy feeling off and on, grinding my teeth (during the day), my head hurts, and I can not concentrate at all.

I have been on many meds for anxiety and depression in the past, but I don't remember any being quite this bad, this fast. If I had know I could even possibly feel this bad on it I never would have started it. Now I am worried that coming off of it may be just as bad if not worse. I am calling my doctor first thing Monday am and finding out what to do. I wish I just came off the Klonopin and left it at that.

As a Vietnam Vet, still suffering from PTSD (anxiety), I was prescribed Lorazepam to use for anxiety and sleep disturbances. The script was PRN but, never took it during the day. I found it useful only at night. I take 1mg and that is all. Within about 20-30 mins. I can feel a slight drowsiness and know it is time for bed. It allows me within a few mins. to doze off and get a restful sleep. I have no hangover affects from taking it. Nor do I feel addicted to it. It has been a great help without all the tossing and turning from anxiety. Initially, I started with 1/2 of 1mg and eventually went to 1mg and that has worked for several years now. Hope this helps some of you that struggle with it.

I have general anxiety.I have had it for 40 years off and on.Mostly on.At first I was prescribed Valium which was very big at the time and it worked very well.After about ten years it stopped working at all.No matter how much I took.I never had any withdrawal symptoms at all.The most I ever took was 100mg,s.Along with several beers.I did get very sick all at once and threw it up.But that was after at least an hour.So after that I just delt with my anxiety as best I could without any drugs for a while. Then I tried xanax.It just put me to sleep.I would nod out at dinner.Next on my agenda is Ativan.My dentist prescribed me 8 1mg tabs. 4 to take the night before my appointment and four the morning of it.It worked very well and my appointment was a breeze.I wish there were some long term studies done on benzos but I have yet to locate any.I would be willing to be a guinea pig if anyone is interested.One of my main questions is if I keep switching to different benoz's every couple months would it make a difference in my tolerance to benzos in general or only the particular ones.Since they are all the same class of drug would my tolerance be the same for valium as for xanax say?Or Ativan or Klonopin or whatever? Can any expert answer this question for me? If so contact me anonymously at mrmarks@juno.com

I went to the ER on Jan 24, 2011 for Kidney stones and needed a ct scan and had a bad reaction to the contrast put in y system. I was given oxycodone pain. I'm not sure but after taking oxycodone, I had anxiety. I was given Ativan 1 mg. I am now trying to come off the ativan and i am having a really hard time. i also have asthma which was under control before i started taking ativan. i went to the er 3 times with panic attacks. I went to my Dr. to say I want off of this drug. He suggested Klonopin, but I dont want any drugs like this in my system as I have never sufferred or been diagnosed with Anxiety before. i am now seeing a biofeedback nurse who has given me breathing exercises to help me cope. When my asthma flairs up i get nervous and the ativan helps. I am now taking .5 3x per day as opposed to 1mg 2x per day. My Dr. and biofeedback nurse suggested going slowly to come off and to look at the drug for what it is and that they are confident that I am not addicted to it, but coming off if this drug is very difficult. I even had to cancel a trip to the carribean because I feel aweful. I hope and pray to come off of this drug soon. they say it could take a few weeks to a few months. I am ready to get back to my self because it worries me and i am just trying to stay positive about coming off of this drug. Good luck to all who are suffering from this..

I have been on Ativan for several years. Recently, my Dr. decided to take me off of it because it is addictive, and with prolonged use can cause falling in older patients. I have since gone from 1mg 1-2x a day to only 1mg 5x in the past month.

Lately, I have been experiencing a buzzing/dizzy sensation in my brain that even keeps me awake at night. It's somewhat akin to that feeling one might experience after having too much cough syrup or Nyquil during a cold.

Today it came to me that it's possibly a symptom of my withdrawal from Atavan, so to test my theory I took a dose. Within the hour my brain's buzzing had stopped.

I'm not sure what can be done at this point, but it's information I can share here in the hopes it will help someone else gain understanding.

I want to write about my experience because I believe it will help me cope with the experiences I have had with benzodiazepine use then abuse, then withdrawal. About 8 years ago, I was getting out of a relationship and in my opinion I had an underlying disorder of OCD, which kept me up at night, finding it difficult with the loss of somebody I cared about. My first encounter with benzos was at the sleep clinic where they gave me ambien 10mg (1 pill) nightly, which in time turned into 2-3 pills a night. This, after 3 to 4 months was abruptly stopped and I can only imagine that this is when it all began with the secondary issues that soon developed as a result of benzo (z-drug) abuse. I can only imagine this happened because the drug made me feel better, took away the issues that were present in my life. Regardless of what happened, I was soon sent to the hospital because of appendicitis, where I was introduced to ativan, excessive amounts of ativan pumped into my body at specific intervals. I believe this is when hell began. This was 4 years after my encounter with ambien, and in my opinion the ativan made it worse. After I left the hospital I was given a prescription for ativan 1-2mg daily, which was then ABRUPTLY stopped again after about 2 months. The reason I’m emphasizing abruptly is because this is when the hell begins, you need a smooth and relaxing taper from these types of medication, and in my assumption many doctors are unaware of this transition that appears from benzo withdrawal. Anyhow, I was in a stage of utter panic, social anxiety, phobias, and in college at the time, my life was absolute hell… couldn’t talk to people, had trouble studying, and couldn’t focus the energy that was necessary to be successful. I focused my energy on getting better; I constantly believed I had diseases, etc. Everything they tell you happens with you have protracted benzo withdrawal. The medicine they make now (xanax, ativan, klonopin, etc.), is way too strong to be given to people, and turn addictive in no time. I felt better, however it was my judgment at the time that the ativan was helping me, I HAD NO IDEA that the reason I was crazy was because of the protracted benzodiazepine withdrawal. So, I told my new doctor that I needed BOTH ambien and ativan to help me sleep at night, ativan during the day for anxiety, and ambien at night. I soon found that ambien DID NOTHING FOR ME, as the ativan was overpowering the ambien, so I found myself taking 9-10 ambien a night. The turning point for me was realizing that the pharmacy wasn’t refilling my medicine and looking at me like I had a problem. I started doing my research, found that ativan is THE WORST MEDICINE TO EVER TAKE FOR ANXIETY. I’m telling you, fix it on your own, and if you can’t fix it on your own, it’s something YOU ARE PUTTING INTO YOUR BODY, or protracted benzo withdrawl, which you may have forgotten about because it lasts for many months to even a year+. Go to the doctor, tell him/her that you are concerned about previous benzo use, and let them know about the truth of benzo withdrawl, tell them you need to be on a week benzo for a specific amount of time, (but only if you have been on ativan/xanax/etc.) I have been through hell and back from ativan, I am telling you from personal, subjective, real time experience that the symptoms you are having are not you going nuts, but from the benzo withdrawl, it’s your brain trying to recover from a shock to your system. It’s going to take time, but if you follow the diazepam taper it helps greatly, and you won’t lose the years of your life. Right now I’m on 20mg diazepam, which equals 2mg ativan, the goal is to taper down, and so far I feel like I’m gaining my sanity back. If you are reading this and you are considering benzos, DON’T TAKE THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY MAY HELP YOU IN THE BEGINNING BUT THEY LEAD TO MENTAL INSANITY.

I've just started taking suboxone, 24 mg a day, and have found that lorazepam compliments it wonderfully. I'm sure you would be wise to exercise judgment as to dosage, but the suboxone got rid of my jones and the lorazepam (.5 ml every 4 hours) took care of any anxiety. If I had had to live with that anxiety, the hell with suboxone, I'd have had to go back to heroin just to function. I am aware that lorazepam is terribly addictive itself, so I an planning on using it sparingly. I'm in the middle of a transition from a 15 bag heroin habit to suboxone, and it's been pretty rocky. Glad I found out about the lorazepam. Hopefully I will only need it for a couple days.

I've been on and off lorazepam for the last 25 years, so feel quite well qualified to comment on it. Firstly, different medications can affect different people in different ways, so some of the horror stories you read here may not occur in your particular case. Second, non-drug solutions are always preferable. I would say ALWAYS try a non-drug based treatment like relaxation training/therapy first! Third, lorazepam, like other benzodiazepines, is potentially highly addictive. It can bring problems of tolerance and dependence; that means you may need higher and higher doses to get the same effect as the weeks and months go by. You may find withdrawal symptoms highly traumatic. NEVER go cold turkey. Always taper off gently over a period of 2 to 3 weeks minimum. Don't drink alcohol with these drugs; it multiplys their effects, makes you very careless - even reckless - and can even result in death. Basically, this drug can be highly effective when used OCCASSIONALLY. The problems begin with REGULAR usage. If you take this drug every day, you are much more at risk of becoming dependent on it. Where it really comes into its own is for one-off purposes, like for people who are phobic towards dental treatment for relaxing them before an operation and such like. For applications like this, it's brilliant. You really need to watch your intake. If you take this stuff every day, which is NOT advisable, you need to be on permanent guard against the dosage creeping upwards.

Three years ago I had a nervous break down! I wont go into details but it was HELL on earth. I first tried Xanx but my anxiety was so bad that it just didnt work. My careless doctor at the time kept telling me to take more until it subsided and the anti-depressant kicked in. Needless to say I was pretty much living off of Xanx. This went on for two months before I was taken to the hospital for attempting suicide. The doctor there took me of xanx right away, said it was too much. He put me on Klonopin. This was a great change and worked wonderfully!!! I thought I found a magic pill. I only had to take it once sometimes twice a day and it lasted and made me feel human again. After a year on it I started to get bad side effects, all the sudden I was mean and irritable! So I was switched to ATIVAN. It worked well. I started off on 1mg for 6 months then bumped up to 2mg. I've been on this dose for little over a year now. I take it twice to three times a day. I dont feel I'm addicted, although if I dont take it I become very anxious!!!!! and hyperventilate. I've had to go through some extremely stressful events in the last three years! depending on my stress level determines if I take 4mg a day to 8mg. I dont know how I'd make it through the day without it even though they seems to be working less and less for me. Another thing I've noticed is they help stabilize my moods if I'm crabby and hard to get along with I just take one and I'm nice again. lol imagine that, but thats been an ongoing thing since I started taking them. I dont know if I'll ever get off Benzos. I used to think I would and wanted to but now I'm not so sure and dont really care. I feel like if it works go with it. Lifes too short to be miserable from anxiety!!!!! I think people should stop worrying if they're addicted and just live, even if it means taking a little pill everyday. This wasnt always my view but I've changed a lot as a person, not from the drug but from the freedom it has given me to live my life and enjoy it when I can. Sorry this was so long didnt mean for it to turn into a navel.

I HAVE BEEN TAKING ATIVAN FOR 25 YEARS,8 TO 10MG A DAY.I HAD TERRIBLE SPASTIC COLON AND YES IT WORKED.TWENTY FIVE YEARS LATER I THEY WANT ME OFF OF IT.IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS AND............JUST TO LET YOU KNOW,I HAD NO IDEA THE DOSE I WAS TAKING WAS SO HIGH,BUT BECAUSE OF LAW SUITS I CANT FIND A DR. IN THE STATE OF CT TO HELP ME.I HAVE NO LIFE ANY MORE.ITS NOT ALWAYS THE PATIENT THAT ABUSES THE ATIVAN,ITS THE DRS.PLEASE IF I CAN SAVE ONE LIFE,VERY LOW DOSES AND NO MORE THAN TWO WEEKS,ITS NOT TO LATE FOR YOU,IT IS FOR ME.

I started having bad anxiety about 3 weeks ago. I had a closed MRI and that night I thought I was losing my mind. It was bizarre because I had never really had these feelings and thoughts. It was scary. I took the next day off and was still out of it the next couple of days. Then I got better, it was like a fog was lifted. But, then it all came back again a few days later. So, I called me doctor and he gave me Lorazepam, for when I needed it. It has really helped me. I'm taking .5mg, as needed, which has resulted in taking 17 pills in 13 days. I try not to take it and just work through the anxiety, sometimes I can, but sometimes I just feel awful, so I take it and it does make me feel better. But, I don't want to get addicted. Im trying holistic approaches as well, but who knows....God Speed to everyone....

Recently i went through a vary tramatic event in my life. My house was burned to the point hwere it had to be gutted. This was A house I had been working on for five years. Whenit caught fire i was burned alive i spent a month in critical condition at hcmc burn clinic in St. paul MN. You couldnt even recognise me at first. Now I Am taking ativan 1 mg. 3 times a day and it has beem a life saver ijust wish it would last longer I'M TRYING TO GET MY DOCTOR TO UP THEDOSEAGE but he wont err. sometimes i wish the pateint had mor control over what and how much he puts in his body. IM A BIG BOY

i read an entry on this site that said Ativan saved my life. I find it hard to believe that someone can get on this drug for a year and not have any withdrawal symptoms. I used to work for a public relations firm and we used to go to sites and lie about how good a product was. I am not calling anyone a liar but I felt compelled to let anyone know that Ativan is a benzodiazepine-google it! You need help to safely get off of this drug-I did! This prescriptive drug is very hard to kick if you do have anxiety attacks ask your doctor about propenolol it is a beta-blocker ( yes it is a drug and can effect your liver over long-term use but it is not habit-forming). Withdrawing from Ativan I had to check into a hospital and whatever you do DON't try to stop cold turkey you can get a seizure. coming off this drug will give you insomnia, tremors, flu like symptoms ect. I am not making this up go to drugdetox.org, benzo.org.uk(here you will find the ashton manual), hell even wikipedia talks about it. You got to run, walk, do yoga, get therapy(mental hygiene is a great theurapeutic approach that work for me), stop drinking that coffee and sugar, try Mary Ellen Copeland Wellness Recovery action Plan, this non-drug therapy takes time but it works. I understand that if you have kids to feed you got to take medication to get out of bed, drive and pay the bills but I promise you that the medication is like a pay-day- loan it's easy to get but you gotta pay it back with interest. Don't worry about what other people say or think about you for going to a yoga class, or hiking or running because ultimately when you die only YOU will be in the coffin with yourself NONe of these onlookers will be joining you. So you do whatever you have to do to love and take care of yourself so you can love and take care of others. Remember, I am a good person I am training my mind to select my thoughts in a positive way so as to be my own source of tranquility and self- esteem, I am very pleased with me for making this very wise choice of thougtMEMoRize this and repeat it 300times a day. If you are in the car and or behind a computer tighten all the muscles in your body, count to 20 and then release, start worry count BACKWARDS from 500. These techniques work try it! I am not anit-medication I am just endorsing you use other methods along with it. Thank you for reading

I've suffered from anxiety and depression most of my life. I currently take 300mg of Bupropion (generic for Wellbutrin) and .05mg lorazepam daily (in the evening). I've tried Lorazepam, Xanex, Valium and klonopin over the past several years and Lorazepam seems to work the best for my anxiety followed second by klonopin. Xanex and Valium seem to give me a buzz, which increases the chance for undesirable side effects. I've been taking .05mg of Lorazepam & Bupropion daily for two years now and things are going fine. My personal experience for long term low dosage has been working. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the next. We are all different

IT'S BEST FOR YOU NOT TO EVEN GO THERE!!

After two months, extreme vertigo, feeling of passing out every time I walked around, out of it feeling, terrible depression (it made me physically frown after a month and a half) whether in between doses or taking it!! Nasty, nasty drug, and I was only on 2 mg a day for exactly two months. Just like Xanax, there is a very good chance you will have side effects WORSE than your original anxiety.

My Dr. put me on .25 mg of Ativan once a day nine days ago and said not to take it for more than two weeks. I hate it and am ready to not take any more. Will I have withdrawal from this small amount? I'm nervous about it and am willing to taper off if necessary, but I don't want to extend my relationship with this drug if I don't have to.

I was prescribed ativan 3 years ago to take before doing a few presentations I had to do for work for about a week..although it did not completely eliminate the anxiety I think if I did not have the drug I would not have been able to go through with doing the presentations and would have probably ended up leaving my job from the fear. Since it worked so well I continued to always have ativan on me, although I rarely ever take it. Like nowadays, I would say on average I take maybe half a pill once a month, in order to manage some sort of situation that makes me panic a little bit better. The drug works (makes you a little sleepy) but it does make you feel more relaxed and decreases the anxiety level. The key is not to take it all the time, just on an as-needed basis. Keep in mind I do not suffer from full-blown anxiety. If you are one of these people, ativan is NOT the right drug for you as you will end up addicted to it if you take too much of it. Hope that helps, good luck!

If I was to go back in time I would have never taken Ativan - I would have chosen Valium instead- Valium is easier to Taper off- Thank God I am on a Low Dose but still this is not easy to do - Ativan should only be used in the hospital.

I have been suffering from depression & anxiety for years. After experiencing really bad anxiety attacks, I decided to seek help. My doctor prescribed Ativan. I felt it did nothing, but continued to take it, in hopes of it doing something. It could of well have been a placebo, as long as I thought it was going to be the answer to not freaking the heck out...all the time. Anyway, I discontinued the use of it, and had no negative consequences..until recently. I've been flying off the handle with my toddler and soon after, being apologetic...crying, and just generally screwing up his childhood. I'm considering checking myself in for a psych evaluation. I know that stopping meds cold turkey is never good. That is most likely the cause of my rage & insanity... However, Ativan did nothing for me...and now I'm crazy, depressed, and anxious. The medication may help others, which is great, but I think I'm done with trying to find a cure- all. I just wish I could take back the terror I allowed my child to witness.. His innocence is fading with every bad decision I make, and all I want is to rewind his life and give him what he deserves. I might as well kill myself, I am already dead.

I took Ativan for many years for panic and anxiety, then my heart would race not from the Ativan but the severe stress i had been under for a couple years.

Anyway the racing heart 24/7 was making my anxiety worse and I went to a doctor who was amazed at how fast my heart was beating and I explained my anxiety and panic. He told me we are going to put an end to this right now. He wrote me a script for Tenormin a beta blocker.

Well the next day i woke up a new person and I had my life back. And I did not even take the Ativan anymore and no withdrawal either. I actually felt like a brand new person. I never took another Ativan after that day and I had been on them several years.

It is very hard to get a panic attack when you are on Tenormin, very hard, and if you get scared your heart will not start racing which leads to a full blown panic.

This is what saved my life as i was so severe with the anxiety I lay in bed 24 hours a day but once I took this I was up and driving and shopping and my fear was much less.

I think if you are having a very hard time talk to your doctor about Tenormin and see if it might be right for you. It sure saved my life at the time.

You can also stay on the Ativan for mild anxiety if you think you need it. Ativan helped me a lot and without it I would not have made it. I never got any withdrawals from this drug and to me it was very mild.

Xanax is the drug I had a major problem with getting off of it and thats a whole other story but not a fun one. Xanax is not for everyday continuous use, it is ok for full blown panic or severe anxiety attacks but you do not want to take this everyday for years or you will be addicted to it, trust me I know my medicines as i have been on almost all of them for 50 years.

I started having anxiety at about 8 yrs old and have been treated for it since then which is about 50 years to be exact. Ask me anything and I can give you an answer on this subject.

Try the Tenormin it will work and maybe Ativan for occasional anxiety. Ask your doctor please.

Ask me questions. as for as long as I have been dealing with this subject 50 yrs of it. I can pretty much give you lots of information.

I think you will be pleased with the results. God bless

you can email me katiekay115@live.com

Please state in the subject line panic attacks or I will just delete them

My 90 year old mother was mentally sharp and in good shape. She came down with pneumonia and had to go to the hospital where she became anxious. On the second day of her hospital stay she was alert, walking, responding to antibiotics and getting better. They injected Ativan because she was suffering some anxiety about being in the hospital. Shortly after the Ativan, she went into respiratory arrest and died the next day. Do NOT take Ativan in you are older and suffering from respiratory problems!

I am sitting here reading all the stories and know the great fear of what next. I became very sick two years ago and was given xanax for the fist time. I only took it when felt panic. I then by my husband suggestion 1 1/2 later took it to sleep, i decided to quit and did cold turkey, later he suggested again why I did who the heck knows, but I did and was on it for about a month and all hell broke lose, heart racing, can't breath, stomach pain, nausea, dizziness, no sleep for three days, and the xanax did not help! So, was it the xanax that contributed to this, I don't know, so then at the ER I was given ativan, then ativan from the doc, all while test after test is being done. I am now 6 months from that date, no appatite, extreme wieght loss, I can't hardly eat, when I do extreme side effects. I am taking 1/4 mg day, I will not let myself go further but, I need to get off them to find out what my true health symptoms are and aren't. I feel as though I am dieing but no one has found what is going on in my body. My symptoms are very vast, too many to list and I wish to God I would have never taken these drugs because dealing with my symptoms are harder because now I have a drug partly controlling me. Tapering seems easy in your mind but when I even try to skip a day it is hell, I go through torture daily with my mind and body.

Hey everyone , Iv been taking Ativan 1mg 3x times a day for about 18 months and before i started for many many years id had bad panic attacks almost every day with agoraphobia and its not a fun life when your scared to go most places because your thinking what it would be like if you had a panic attack there. For ME Ativan has changed my life i can now do things i wouldnt even want to think about doing before and iv only had a few very minor 10min anxiety attacks in the last 18 months so i really feel free now and can live my life. been on the same dosage so i cant say anyting about withdraws but i dont seem to need to increase my dosage. I willsay the fisrt week i started i felt abit tired but after a little time getting use to it i felt great and i feel like a normal person again , thank the gods for Ativan!

4 years ago, I was rx'd .5mg Ativan for severe anxiety. A few months later, I was rx'd 1 mg... It didn't seem to work, so I was rx'd Xanax... And boy do I regret that! Tolerance built up so quickly that when one 1mg used to work, I now needed 4mgs of Xanax (would knock most people out). Ran out of scripts, had to go to ER because I was delusional (never was before). Detoxed with Valium for a few months, and had a few months here and there without any benzo. Switched to Klonopin after that and it didn't work. Last year, I started back on Ativan 1mg 2x per day, then 2 mg 2x per day, and was rx'd 2 mgs 3x per day yesterday (though me nor my pdoc are comfortable with this).... Not a fun story. I've been through withdrawals, muscle aches, twitches, insomnia, heart palpitations, paranoia, rebound anxiety... Never had agoraphobia before I took any benzo. Now I need at least 2 mgs of Ativan to get past my front door. I'm merely on a maintenance dose... Can't wait until I can detox for GOOD!

I was in a car accident in 2000, I was rear-ended. I was on vicodin and became very addicted. I suffered a break-down, was locked up and went through a horrific detox. In 2003 I was rear-ended again...yes again. My depression and anxiety was so bad that I would not go outside, drive, be a passenger...nothing. I have been on a never-ending supply of depression and anxiety drugs...ativan for one. I am ALWAYS tired...I sleep 16 hours a day...I have no life. My family doesn't have a wife or a mom...I am a fixture. My doctors tell me drugs and therapy versus terrible symptoms and therapy. I need help! I want my life (or some sort of one) back. If you have suggestions, e-mail me at allymcl809@yahoo.com. Thanks!

I fucked up with ativan. I wasn't informed about how quickly you can be become physically addicted. I was gona be on it for short term as needed. I took the whole bottle in 3 days. Had withdrawels, went to group therapy, they sent me to the ER because they thought I looked like I was about to have a a siezure. A doctor filled me another script for ativan and htis time I was more carefull. The past week I was taking .5 mlg a day the last day I took half. today I am light headed, tense, anxious, shaky, I cant stop shaking my legs and I look like I am a junkie going through heroine withdrawels. After eating and drnking water, and walking around having a few cigsI feel like I can function, sort of, I slept 5 hours last night and i know I wont sleep tonight, its my second day of ativan. It fucking sucks. I thought it would be safe from withdrawels but I didn't wean myself off it properly this time either I guess. I wasn';t given any instructions by the doctor on how I shouyld do it though. I just really sucks, really badly, I hate benzos, I know I did this to myself, but this is fucking awful I cant imagine major withdrawels for a month. I would fucking kill myself. I am seeing my doc tomorrow at 1. For an emergency appointment I dont know if he will even see me any more since I got pills through a second doctor. I just hope my brain recovers from teh damage that benzos do to your GABA recptors, I am 23 so I should feel fast I hope. U hope to god my brain heels faster I am so fucking unnhapy right now. I just want this be over with. and I keep getting hot and cold falshes and sweating, and then Ill feel sort of fine for like 5 minutes and then panicky again.

I was prescribed clonazepam, lorazepam and alprazolam non-stop from 2001 until 2010. My dosages varied, but never more than 2mg lorazepam a day (or equivalent of the others.)

They were initially prescribed by my pdoc, alongside Effexor (a common practice) but I had to give up the Effexor due to terrible side effects. I did, however, stay on the benzos because they were the only meds I've ever had that combated my OCD, PTSD and resultant hyperanxiety, which I experience 24/7. All SSRIs I have tried gave me bad side effects. In 2009, with the help of my pdoc, I cross tapered to diazepam because it's longer lasting, and after six months on that I took no more benzos. My withdrawals were not the worst thing in the world, lasting about 4 weeks. I developed (or possible unmasked existing) high-pitched tinnitus, and had some bouts of anxiety, derealization and depersonalization which went away. I was fine for 14 months, until a personal trauma triggered a very prolonged anxiety attack (weeks) which kept me housebound. I found a new pdoc who put together a plan, which involves a short course of lorazepam 0.5mg x 2 daily for a few weeks (alongside some other yet to be determined medication and counseling.)

So... it IS possible to come of benzos, and not all people will experience the upper limits of the worse side effects. Another way of looking at it is that we have all had some sort of profound condition that benzos have helped, at least initially, and then when we come off them, some version of those problems re-emerges. Not unlike taking insulin for diabetes perhaps?

It also amuses me that somehow SSRIs and the like are held up as breakthrough medications, when all they do is alter brain chemistry (like benzos, though differently) and when you try and come off them, you go through withdrawal problems too. Seems like the only real difference is that benzos have 'abuse potential' meaning the potential for others to use them illicitly and therefore they fall into some sort of sordid category.

Possibly, just possibly, there ARE people with a particular brain chemistry problem for whom benzos - prescribed and monitored under proper care - offer something more than a band-aid solution.

I took 1 mg. Ativan this morning. Last night, I took like 3-4 mg over the course of the day because my breathing was so bad (I smoke also.). So I slept fine for me at least and slept hard. I took 1 mg this morning and I feel very odd. Like depersonalized and having urges to cause myself bodily harm. My OCD is also acting up and I hate being alone so I call my grandmother and my boyfriend but then I tune them out, unintentionally, because I feel so off and distracted. I have only had I cigarette today but I think I'm having withdrawal symptoms finally after months of taking this drug and increasing the dosage gradually. After reading this forum, I've realized that for the past couple of months I've felt very dopey at times and tune out a lot. I'm going to start quitting this drug as well as smoking...gradually. I just feel absolutely awful right now. DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG.

Hi, Iwould like to get off this med.. I wouldn't mind to take it until I die, but it is now giving me a bad quality of life, rather than helping my social anxiety at this point. I am at 1 mg twice a day and my doc does not wnat ne to go any higher, but when I ask him about stopping the meds, he says that I will need to be on it for the rest of my life.I am now 41 yrs old..This med helped me a lot, however, I am not so sure that the doc that gave it to me when I was a teenager gave me the right meds.. Both my parents also take this medication and have anxiety issues, and my mother doesnt even know that I have been taking this for so long.. I dont want to tell her and stress her out more...This med took away anxiety, and now it is giving it back and also taking away memories, I have a lot of trouble remembering things.. Anyhow, to the people who say that it's ok, I can just take it the rest of my life... well I don't think you can, your body is not made to take this for so long , and at one point, things will get worst..I have very bad mood swings lately, just don't do anything anymore... tired of this roller coaster of different feelings & thoughts & guilt, and just would like to be happy with life the way it is..So now as my doc does not want to up my dose (either do I), I woould rather quit and get my body healthy, but now he has me on Cipralex.. I don;t like anti-depressants AT ALL, but I feel I have no choice ..will stay on for 1 more week and then well who knows anyhow, just saying, if you dont really need this med, skip this one.. I have tried to stop on the past, even tapering off slowly and the withdrawls are sooooooooooooooooo NASTY. Take Care

I have been taking ativan .5mg along with paroxitine and trileptol. Unfortunately I do not feel any difference when I take the ativan. I feel like I'm putting a chemical in my body for no reason. I'm on my second month of these three medications and I don't feel much different than I did before. Most of the time i don't take the ativan because I honestly feel like it has no affect on me. I have tried a few other anti anxiety medications in emergency situations that really helped. I hear that this drug is strong but I just don't feel it. It doesn't even make me sleepy. I have a Dr appt at the end of this month and I'm hoping maybe he will change something. I have really bad anxiety often.it has affected my everyday life, jobs, relationships.. Im tired of my anxiety having control over my life, I want to get control over my anxiety..

I am currently trying to wean off .62 of Ativan. For the last 2 days I've been taking .5 a day and I feel like hell. It helps to know this feeling is from withdrawal and not anxiety, but it doesn't make it less painful. Started taking 1 mg of klonopin 7 months ago only to be switched to ativan when I got pregnant (had miscarriage 1 month in) I then was taking 1.5 mg a day but mostly just 1 mg. I went on the benzos back in Sept. when I weaned myself off 10 mg paxil too quickly. Panic, Anxiety, etc. Was scared of being on paxil and trying to conceive. 8 months later after trying wellbutrin, lexapro, celexa,I am back on paxil. I don't believe my doctor from Columbia Pres in NYC warned me enough AT ALL. I was trying those other meds and then taking away the benzo when I would feel better. then have horrible anxiety again. She thought it was because I needed the paxil more than the others. So I listened to her but now question her method. I can't believe it's 8 months later and I'm going through this hellish experience STILL and now having to taper off an anti-anxiety med. Makes me furious that there is not more info out there and we have to trust in the medical community. It's not fair! Check out my paxil withdrawal video on you tube under amydanielle1027. That was before I even knew I'd have a problem getting off the ativan.

I am an Army Veteran. I needed pills to take me off the daily panic, anxiety, agoraphobia, etc. I have been switched from pills to pills and usually have only a short time in which I feel well. I've never had withdrawl symptoms from anything. If a drug they gave me didn't do it's job. I would stop cold turkey and flush for example the valium down the toilet. Now I am on Ativan, and despite the horror stories about withdrawl symptons etc., I am going to give them a try. I am also meditating now though I had to get ritalin from my doc too since I could not concentrate. My mind was all over the place and the worries cycled over and over. I am willing to give this ativan a try. I hate feeling dread,panic and overall helplessness. I don't drink or smoke nor have I ever used illegal drugs. So I feel that I know deep inside of me what I need to do. I am using this with caution and only when I need it. Hopefully healthy daily meditation will help me with everything. Good luck to all of you, I know drugs are scary!

Dear Makers of Ativan, My grandfather was prescribed your pill for mild anxiety 3 months ago. Last week he shot himself. Bravo on making such a fine medication. I hope you all get rectal cancer and die a slow and painful death. Sincerly, The Gomez Family

I JUST WENT TOO THE DOCTOR TODAY AFTER A TERRIFYING LAST 2 MTHS OF CHEST PAIN ANXIETY AND CONSTANT ER VISITS.I ALSO HAVE CERVICAL CANCER WHICH CONCERNED ME AS WELL.THEY DID EKGS AND CAT SCANS NUMORIOUS TESTES THAT ALMOST HAD ME FEELING LIKE I WAS GOING CRAZY. WITHOUT A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.IT GOT SO BAD I COULDN'T STAND AT WORK. BUT, THE DOCTOR PERSCRIBED LORAZEPAM AND I TOOK IT FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY IT FELT AMAZING TO FUNCTION NORMALLY TODAY AS I DID IN THE PAST. I CRIED BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WOULDN'T HAVE A NORMAL LIFE OR SEE MY SON GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL JUST BECAUSE OF THE SEVERE CHEST PAIN AND ANXIETY. ITS JUST THE FIRST DAY BUT I FEEL ALOT BETTER AND PRAY FOR MANY MORE BETTER DAYS. WITH ME ALREADY BATTLING OTHER HEALTH ISSUES THIS REALLY TOOK A RELIEF OFF OF ME. AFTER 4ER VISITS IN A MONTH AND TONS OF MEDICATION I'VE FOUND AN AID TOO MY PROBLEM......THANK YOU TOO MY DOCTOR HE TOOK ME SERIOUSLY!!!

I have been on Ativan or Lorazapam since i was about 13 for sleep. I had to go for sleep studies to prove I was staying awake for a week or so. I am now 49 years old and now they don't want me to take ativan. I'm back to not sleeping again and this time it takes my body to shut down to sleep. I'm not taking it for anxiety cause it does nothing like that for me, I was using it for sleep. They want me to see a phys...I'm not looney tooned or any of that but I do want to sleep. I do have trouble remembering things for short times but long term memory is ok. If you stop for a little bit an then you will experience insomia...an this drug does not leave you druggy head feeling. I have been on other medicines otc (over the counter) an prescription medicine an nothing else works. It has been the best medicine in my life other than requip for restlest leg syndrome.

I've had severe anxiety for almost ten years now and within the past year, my father died and it was the worst it's ever been, my first time taking Ativan, it was given to me via emergency room and it was the first night in weeks at that point that the heavy weight on my body lifted and I was at ease, even if for a short period of time. Against the advice of my psychiatrist, I went to my primary care doctor and had them write me out a prescription because the citalopram and hydroxyzine were not helping at all. I took myself off the hydroxyzine because it did nothing and began taking 0.5 mg of Lorazepam at night. I developed a habit of taking it every night to the point that I did become very dependent on it, one night I had a bad night on the medication and decided to quit cold turkey which resulted in various ER visits over debilitating panic attacks that seriously were the worst ones I ever had in my existance, I thought I was dying before but those attacks were a walk in the park compared to the ones I had when I stopped taking it. It was a good six-seven months on citalopram alone before I finally gave in during another panic stricken ER visit and took it again. Ativan/Lorazepam is helpful and does do the trick when needed but only if you don't abuse it or take it on a daily basis to the extent that you start relying on it at all times. It has been over a year now since I was introduced to it and it's the only benzo I've ever taken. I have learned how to deal for the most part, it's a daily struggle as we all know but I only take Ativan sparingly, sometimes even less than once a week now, I just take it as needed, as really needed, when my attacks become too severe to control and my blood pressure goes through the roof. However, I've also seen it in another situation before I started taking it as well, my father went into a coma due to congestive heart failure and was on a ventilator for two years, they gave him Ativan through IV the entire time and although they told us there was no hope, he was our miracle and miraculously pulled out of it, however two years on Ativan with no breaks caused temporary memory loss and a haze that he dealt with for a few weeks and then he was back to himself, personality wise. He had no physical side effects from being on it for so long.

I was addicted to Lorazepam for about 3 years. I could not sleep at night because I was worring about my teaching position (I had a very bad experiece with parents trying to get rid of me and putting the old teacher back into my position and bacause my district was laying off newer teachers). I started taking my wife's Lorazepam and it was wonderful. The panic attacks I had went away and I could make it through the day with much greater ease. I was also sleeping at night. I would get a full nights sleep and wake up refreshed. So, I talked to my doctor who perscribed 2 pills a day for me (4 mg). I took these at night and felt so much better. BUT... there is always another side to the coin.

I wish I know now what I didn't know then. Lorazepam is addictive (which is putting it mildly). It is one of the most addictive perscription drugs because people can become addicted to Loraepam in less than a week. I did not even know that I had become addicted to it. Don't get me wrong. There is a place for Lorazepam. Many peolpe have been helped with Lorazepam. It helps calm people down when they have panic attacks (like me). I just believe the public should be aware of the risks in taking them.

The main problem with Lorazepam is that it has a very short half life. The shorter time a drug become half as affective, the more a person will take. The second problem is becoming tolerant to the drug. When your body becomes tolerant to a drug, it takes more of the drug to have the same effect on the body (especially the brain). This is a dangerous one- two punch, especially to people that have addictive tendencies.

I went fron 4mg to 8mg daily in no time at all. Then I went from 8mg up to 12mg. I still did not believe I was addicted. Even when I became short (as I often did) and lied to my doctor so i could get more. Lorazepam did not make me high so ther is no way I could become addicted to it. right???

WRONG!

The truth is... I had become very addicted to the drug. I found this out when I had to go a night without it. These were nights of HELL that I would not even wish on Birdie Madoff. Imagine the emotions that it helped protect me from suffering getting shot back at me like a boomarang turning into a bullet. That is exactly what withdraw is like. To top it off, I could not sleep at all. If I was lucky enough to sleep (which was rare), I would remember every dream and they were not pleasant at all. They were very disturbing dreams!!!! Dreams that would sour milk. And, I would remember every dream from the short time I did sleep.

I finally admitted to myself and eventually to my doctor that I was addicted to this drug (which I think he already knew). He put me on a gradual decrease in the dosage. Let me tell you right now... DO NOT TRY TO GET OFF THIS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE DRUG WITHOUT YOUR DOCTOR. I learned the hard way not to go cold turkey. Have you heard the expression pay backs are hell? Well withdrawl symptoms from Lorazepam are the NINETH LEVEL OF HELL. I can not even describe the physical and emotional roller coaster ride I have been on trying to go cold turkey.

The ONLY way to get off this drug is very gradual tapering off. I would take half a mg less a week. The more medicine you take and the longer you have taken it, the longer it is going to take to get off this drug. It took me two months to taper down enough to get off of Lorazepam.

It has been a week since I took the last dose of Lorazepam. I did not have problems with shaking or panic attacks, but I did have a very hard time falling asleep. I became so dependent on Lorazepam to put me asleep that I think my brain has forgotten how to just relax and fall asleep. Once I do fall asleep (4-5 am most nights so far) I do sleep. It is still light sleep but at least I can sleep. I am starting to remember my dreams less and less (which is a BLESSING since they were very disturbing dreams).

I am starting my second week off of a drug I had become so dependent on for years. I am just wondering when I will be able to fall asleep without a struggle. That is the hardest part. The last thing that is making kicking the habit so hard.

I lie awake at night thinking how easy it would be to just start taking them again and finally get a good nights sleep. What stops me from taking them? I think to myself if I take them again... I would have to start tapering down again. Taking lorazepam is something I CAN NOT AND WILL NOT DO ever again. So I keep moving forward a day at a time waiting for my brain to get back to normal. I hope it is soon!

Given for stomach spasms and pancreatitis .5 mg twice a day. Used for over a month and then off and on as symptoms recurred. Cut back to .25 for a month twice a day. Decided to quit because they weren't working effectively. Wound up on the living room floor in the most incredible agonizing pain on hands and knees curled into a a tight ball. The worst pain that I have ever experienced for over a week. Could barely walk, could barely breath, and could not straighten up. Blood pressure soared out of control 188 to 212 over 100. Could not eat, or relax the pain enough to fall sleep for over a week. Started second week, and continue to have fever, chills, and shaking, with legs and arms tingling, and cramping, but have slowly managed to start straightening up. Still feeling extremely week and debilitated, with fatigue beyond belief. Just starting eating again yesterday. This medication was a nightmare into hell. Physical pains coming and going but decreasing. This is a wonderful drug for no more than a week. Highly addictive physically. I did not particularly feel it was beneficial enough for continued use or to ever use again. Did not even realize that this was such an addictive drug, and was never told anything by the prescribing physician. The anxiety was driven by all the pain that occurs when quitting. Get professional help with trying to get off of this medication, and avoid ever taking it. All the good that it does, when coming off is nothing but a train wreck, and definitely not worth the end result. This stuff needs to be removed from the market, and only used when any and all other options have been exhausted, and Only Under the Most Controlled Circumstances. Shame on the pharmaceuticals who place its availability on the market so recklessly.

I have been on Ativan for over 5 years. I take it only for anxiety attacks due to my bi-polar disorder. I might take 2 a day one day and then not take it again for a week. Never had any side effects or problems.

I started stealing lorazepam pills from my husbands prescription after my sister committed suicide. It seemed to help get my mind off it. I took 1.5-3 ml per day and often mixed them with 2-3 alcohol drinks at night. This went on for 3 years. Looking back over that time I recall doing things I would never have done while not on these drugs or just the alcohol alone. I recall vaguely going into bars, as married woman, and trying to meet men for sex. I recall passing out in my car after going back into bars after departing from friends at restaurants for casual dinners. Lorazepam removed my inhibitions and made 'me feel okay with making really poor choices. My husband told 'me 2 months ago that the Dr. Has cancelled his prescription. He said he wasn't taking them, and that he's no seeking any refills. I had to go cold turkey off these things. My withdrawal has included consecutive bad hair days- my hair is actually thinning, profuse sweating, weight gain with a pushed out tummy, head aches, and insomnia. It's been rough. I'm now trying to eat better, to exercises, improve connections to friends family and spouse. But I'm regretful that I allowed this to happen to 'me. I wish I'd never seen those pills because for close to 3 years I've been able to live with making bad lies and even worse choices. Good luck to all those that are getting off this crazy rollercoaster.

I've been taking Ativan for the last 3 months (only take .05 mg once a day instead of twice a day) but did not feel good about having to take it every night. Although it did help with my anxiety and helped me sleep, the .05 mg.once a day scares me...after reading all these experiences of people who have been helped but can't get off, I continue to have mixed emotions but i'm leaning towards weaning myself off. My mom tells me that many of family members have taken it for years including herself for panic attacks. I've spent many nights with unsteady sleep and only sleeping a few hours per night even though my doctor prescribed Trazodone HCL 50 mg. for insomnia. I'm going to continue to wean myself from Ativan but keep it to use as needed for anxiety.

About 9 months ago I went out one night with friends and everything was fine, the next morning after a heavy night of clubbing I had went to work and found my self feeling like I had the flu for a straight week, except with no signs of fever. As the second week came around , I started getting heart palpitations and nervousness. After a few ER visits they told me I had anxiety and gave me 1mg of Ativan taken as needed. In the first month or two I was basically homebound and did not take the ativan. I started therapy and also saw a psychiatrist who prescribed me .5mg of ativan..from there on I tried everything from valerian root to meditation and nothing worked until I finally started taking the .5mg of ativan for the days I had to go to work. In the beginning I felt a bit lightheaded but from there on the Ativan got me through work, school and sometimes going out with friends. I thought it was great! Except for the part where it wears of in 8 hours and then your anxiety starts to come back. I am 21 , a part time college student and a part time worker with lots of friends who I have realized are not very good friends at all. Therapy has helped a lot but I find myself trapped within my what I now call ativan addiction. I wont go to work , class or out with out it to the point where I keep the bottle with me. I always find a way out in case my medication wears off and when I take two .5mg tablets in one day I feel groggy. I am now taking it everyday because one or two days of not taking it leaves me feeling light headed,sensitive to light, crying spells, irritability and severe constipation for a whole week. I finally decided its time to get off of this horrible pill because it runs my life and generally makes me more depressed due to the fact that I have a medication that IS running my life. My new (and much better) psychiatrist suggested that I taper off the ativan by taking half of a .5mg pill everyday until i feel less and less withdrawl..If I feel that I can deal with my anxiety without ativan then its a great success...otherwise I will be moving onto an SSRI which may be worse but is not addictive and can get me through my last year of college. Yours truely, anxiety ridden psychology student. =]

Hi folks I was given .5 ML of ativan to take for postpartum sleep and panic problems. I began to take it nightly around 1 month postpartum and took it for about 8 weeks. I now understand that what I thought were hormonal problems was actually the ativan, especially as it would began to near the end of its 15 hour half life each day. Terrible! Everyday I would fight these feelings of agitation and irritbaility that would come on. It also interfered with my bonding with my baby. Alerts to all: After seeing a sleep specialist at a high level research hospital and other doctor I learned the following: !) Ativan actually can worsen sleep problems because it keeps you from entering deep sleep 2)NEVER go off Ativan suddenly--you must taper off just as others have said. My doctor recommended that I go from .5 to .25 for 5-7 days and then half of that for 5-7 days. At that point it takes 5 half lives (i.e. 5 x 15) or 3 days to completely leave the body. BUT the sleep specialist said it still would take me 2 or 3 weeks to return to my baseline sleep-- i.e. the effects of Atvan linger 3) LOOK OUT for vision problems caused by Ativan

Update...

I can never find an update from anyone trying to break the Lorazepam habit so I thought I would give you mine. It has been a month now since I have taken any Lorazepam. Like any drug that is addictive some nights have been harder then others. Because I tapered off the drug, I didn't get DT's. BUT... I still have had a hard time sleeping.

What is hardest is that my wife is taking it. There are nights when I lie awake thinking I could just take one and then sleep. I am thankful that I have started sleeping without remembering every dream. I have had times where I finally have gotten good sleep. All I can tell you is that it will get better. I was worried that I could never get a good night's sleep without the drug and I would give up.

I was about to give in but I FINALLY fell asleep all night long. I am glad I am glad I am finally sleeping. BE STRONG... if I can do it you can too... I am not Superman by any means but I wanted people know that some times it IS darkest before the dawn and there is a way out of Lorazepam.

PLEASE GET HELP FROM A DOCTOR.

It is not safe at all to get off any addiction without medical supervision and you will not get into trouble by admitting you have a problem to your doctor (as a teacher, I was worried about that)...

HE IS THERE TO HELP YOU!!!

I wish you well. IT WILL GET BETTER WITH TIME... do not give up!!!

I have been on a baby dose of loraz to control panic attacks for about 2 years now. It's been very helpful to me when I find that FIRST doing meditation, a walk, some yoga, a hot shower, some hugs, a good talk, etc. do not work. It has it's place but should be used with CAUTION as should any medication. This stuff isn't candy, does have side effects, and I think Dr's and PHARMA do not remind us of this - nor do we remind ourselves enough. Use with care...

I have been on Ativan for about two months, taking 2 mgs at night to relax to sleep, and occasionally another 1 mg during the day for general anxiety. So far, it has worked perfectly, although I am hesitant to take too much of it. Hoping that my new meds (Prozac) will help my current depression, and in time, I can come off of the Ativan. I do not anticipate any withdrawal, but that is still in the future. But what I can say, is that Ativan has provided me temporary sanity during a rough time.

Last Saturday my daughter called me and said that she was feeling emotional and wanted me to come home. My daughter is 22 years old. For the whole week she had been acting differently with lots of crying. Thursday was the breaking point. I took her to the doctor to see if they could give her something because I felt she was having an anxiety attack. She would cry uncontrolably and see seemed like she was going crazy. So the doctor set her up right away to see the phyic and the doctor put her on prozaic and ativan. I do not like how they make her feel. She shows no emotion and it is like she is in a fog. I want my daughter back. This all started by he reading about some scary movie and it keeps running through her head. I think by her taking this type of cocktail is a bomb waiting to go off. She says that it feels like her skin is on fire and she has was showing signs of OCD. I feel like I am going crazy....

I have had an issue with anxiety and depression throughout my life. My father, brother, and other male relatives on my father's side seem to have had an anxiety issue also, although everything was 'hush-hush'. I also have heart problems and have an AICD implant. I believe my lifetime of anxiety has not been good for my heart. I have had an issue with occasional terrible, traumatizing, horrifying panic attacks since my 20's. I became an alcoholic perhaps in part to treat my anxiety and panic attacks and jointly used Dalmane (30 mg once a day) and alcohol for my ten years of my daily drinking. I have not had a drink now for 30 years, but was troubled with anxiety and deep depression and violent thoughts (usually towards myself) during my first years of sobriety. As the years went on, the general anxiety was reduced, I believe in part by the fact that I was on Tenormin, which is a heart drug that is occasionally prescribed as a tranquilizer. After I was shocked seven times by my defibrillator (picture being electrocuted but you live through it) I was given Ativan for occasional use back in 2005. Also, my heart problems combined with my anxious tendencies led to annual or perhaps even more frequent panic attacks where I would be briefly hospitalized because of the cardiac symptoms associated with extreme levels of anxiety. These events were extremely unsettling to my wife and children. I was told that the primary treatment for the anxiety should be my antidepressant, first Paxil and then Cymbalta. Perhaps they have helped but the only thing I can tell you for sure about them is that the side effects of trying to quit them are terrible. The Ativan on the other hand directly treats my anxiety. There is no 'buzz' like alcohol, so there is no incentive to take more and more, as too much just makes you tired and depressed while removing the anxiety. In 2008 my business crashed due to the economy and there were family problems as well related to the decline and death of my wonderful Mom. I am 67 but I have a wife who is 50 and kids who are 19 and 15, so still a lot of family responsibilities. In 2009, I began taking 0.5 mg of Ativan twice a day. Then, this year, with the new round of economic woes and my business woes increasing, I have taken as much as a total of 2 mg a day, which is what I am taking right now. Since 2005 and the availablity of this medication for my use, I have seen the end of my scary anxiety attacks and also a much higher level of peace and contentment and ability to enjoy life. I know that I can go down on the dosage if I want, but I have to believe it is the rational right action, then do it gradually and not freak out if it is hard to do on a given day or in a given week or month. In the end, it is up to me to make the tradeoff between the positives of anxiety reduction and the negatives of whatever the short term or long term side effects may be, although if you compare them to drinking a fifth of Tanqueray Gin and a six pack of beer a day and smoking a pack of cigarettes a day (my drinking and smoking went hand in hand), I would say they are minimal to the point of being unidentifiable as far as I can tell!! It comes down to life decisions. If I want to reduce the dosage, then I must also reduce the pressure I am putting on myself to succeed and/or do things that I find anxiety-producing anf difficult. As far as talk therapy, I have done a great deal of that in my life, and I would say that it may be momentarily rewarding but seems to have no longer term benefit. It has about the same value as talking to a good, caring friend. But the 12 Step Program to which I belong has marvelous, endless rewards socially and spiritually. I believe that there is a loving God who looks over all of us, one that we can experience if we make ourselves open to the experience. I believe I have a genetic issue with anxiety, and with God's assistance, I can use things like Ativan that have been created by doctors for people who suffer anxiety. It is not The Answer but it can be an important part of the answer. The doctors (my cardiologist and my family physician) who have prescribed this for me for the last 6 years are aware of my situation including my background of addiction. Particularly, my cardiologist sees the merit of it, perhaps because he recalls how looney a patient I was before...

Hi: Im 47 years old, i suffer from anxiety and depression, i have been on prozac an zanax for 15 years and i feel the meds stopped working, I went to the doctor and he prescribed me ativan, however i dont feel any different at all, today is my first day. i have problems sleeping also an very stressed out, overall im a very nervous person, my doctor is telling me to stop the prozac an xanax, and im so afraid something is gonna happen to me, as i heard you should be weened off of this medicine. anyway im trusting my doctor on this,and trying this medicine, i did hear its addictive, i just want to get the help i need.

I occasionally use Ativan for anxiety (before important presentations) and for my fear of flying. It has worked well for me. I have never taken it for more than three days, so there were no withdrawal symptoms. I am not a regular user of Ativan, only occasionally and have had no problems with it. I do not take any other meds.

Have been on Ativan 1 mg X 3 for a year to help with peri-menopause symptoms, anxiety to point of breathlessness. I am a hyper type A personality and sometimes hostile, Ativan took the hostility away. I can focus on tasks instead of feeling ADHD. Mostly what helps is I finally can SLEEP.... my IBS flares way less often, I eat better, don't drink either when taking it - have no urge. No adverse affects I am aware of, feel refreshed in the mornings. Was on Prozac for a while and it made me nauseous, while Tylenol PM for sleep was killing my stomach and leaving my guts in a mess. I was dragged out daily between the two. I feel if it helps at this point- and it really has changed my life for the better - then take it. I am a much nicer person to the world and those around me when I take as directed.

However, this past weekend during storm Irene I ran out, (also due to pharmacist making a stink that I brought back for refill one day early - then I couldn't get back and get the meds and didn't have any stashed away) and the withdrawal symptoms were debilitating. Stomach cramps, bad taste in mouth, shakiness... I didn't think it would be so bad but it was. I didn't sleep for five days. Finally yesterday got out and got prescription refilled and I slept like a baby last night after taking only one.

The pharmacists should be made more aware that a person can't just stop these meds cold turkey without consequences that are very unpleasant. Had I known that would be the case, I would have called Dr. to get a few pills to last until my prescription would be able to be refilled, or I could have cut down that last day when I did have pills left so I spread them out while waiting for refill. I'm still not clear how many days in advance you can get it refilled. There should be warnings to both patient and pharmacist flags that - as someone else said - you will experience the 9th level of hell should you stop taking Ativan abruptly. The pharmacist was also nasty to me and I won't be going back to that store again, lucky it is a big name with other locations.

I am taking a low dose of .5mg ativan in the morning along with celexa and that seems to set my day off pretty smoothly (coffee is a great way to lessen the drowsy effects of the meds if it's a small cup. If coffee makes you feel anxious than I guess this wouldn't work.) I think the best doses are the low doses for when you feel you need them. I tried taking a higher dose just to see how relieved I would feel and it actually made less than relieved because I was groggy, slow, and looked stupid trying to walk. Definitely not a med that should be taken in large doses. Ativan's low dose effects are the most helpful.

Ok I have been off Lorazapam for two months now. The bad dreams have gone away finally and I get a good 8 hrs of sleep. I wake up refreshed and I can fall asleep any time I need to now. Just the other day I was so exausted from working I came home and fell asleep for 12 hrs. NO MORE LORAZAPAM FOR ME EVER!!! I sometimes wish I had something for my stressful life but taking drugs wont make the problems go away and getting hooked on drugs just creates more of them. I hope this will help someone trying to get off Lorazapam. Just remember I am completely off it with no side effects after 2 months of detox and then another 2 months of not taking it at all.

Good luck to you

I too would like to warn people about this terrible brain poison.NEVER take this for any longer than one day. I was recently precribed Ativan and was taking 1 mg twice per day. I did this for about three or four weeks. When I first started taking it, for the first time in a long time I felt at peace and content. But I do not like being dependant on drugs so decided to quit. My doctor never mentioned tapering or addiction or withdrawal. A few days after I quit cold turkey, terrible sysmptoms began to occur. I did not understand what was happening to me. I went to a walk in clinic thinking I had the flu. Then I ended up in the hospital emergency with the same sysmptoms a few days later. Same diagnosis. Then the horror began and I mean horror. Diarrhea, cramps, sweating, intense pains in my body, nausea, some vomiting, heart palpatations and my bllod pressure went up very high, crying, sadness, unable to eat( lost about 15 lbs. in two weeks now), my tinnitus made worse and worst of all, extreme anxiety and feelings of doom and death. Pressure in my chest and the inability to breathe properly as well as hyperventilation. There was also some short term memory loss.

The final horror was the inability to sleep. I am writing this now and I have had only 8 hours sleep in the last 4 days. Yesterday was the first real food I have eaten and I vomited some of it up. Today I ate a small pizza and a toasted tomato sandwich. Yesterday morning in the wee hours I finally put two and two together and went on the internet to do some research. I finally realized it was the Ativan. Type in Ativan withdrawal symptoms on a search engine and you will see. My heart palplatations were so bad and my blood pressure so high( I have a cuff meter at home) that I felt death was imminent. I wrote down all my symptoms and what I had taken in case they found me dead. I drove to the hosptal emergency but this time I knew what to tell them. They were all very sympathetic as I told my story. I was given and EKG which thankfully showed no heart attack( I am 58 years old) and my bllod work was normal. I told my story to the emergency room doctor who had seen me a week or two earlier(short term memory loss so times are not exact) and he found it hard to belive I was going through withdrawal after only 3 -4 weeks. I convinced him otherwise. He prescribed valium, which is in the same family but stays longer in your system so you can taper off more easily. But I refuse to put any more of that poison in my body.

By this time I felt hyper and we talked further about more medication. He gave me a Clonidine tablet and I started to get sleepy and my blood pressure went down. After a couple of hours I drove home. Last night I had another episode of anxiety and hard breathing but suddenly, I began to feel normal. I slept 5 hours. But when I awoke, I was dizzy from the Clonidine and reamined dizzy from it all day long. This evening the dizziness went away and my blood pressure went up a bit.

Someone in a forum on the internet described Ativan withdrawal very well. He said it was like someone opened a door to Hell itself and grabbed you and threw you in. If I was to taper off with valium it would take up to 6 months for me to fully get clean. The Ativan replaces the brains chemicals that control anxiety and other emotions and some bodily functions. When you go cold turkey, you are left with barely any natural chemicals and this is when you descend into Hell. This drug should be pulled from the market or become a very controlled substance. It should only be taken at the most for a few days.

I have been taking ativan 0.5mg twice a day since 2007. This pill has been a lifesaver for me. I've had anxiety since i was a child. In 2007 went to ER thought I was having heart attack. Had all the test done nothing wrong with heart, just anxiety. PLEASE dont be afraid to take it. But like anything else if you abuse it then your gonna have problems with.

Thanks for the update Derek. You have given me hope. I took some Melatonin for the last two nights and was able to get around 6 hours of sleep each night.However, Melatonin gives me very vivid disturbing dreams. Last night I dreamt I was being pursued in the mountains by terrorists.So tonight I will try sleeping without anything. Keeping my fingers crossed. I am also now eating good meals. Breakfast has to be light but as the day goes on I can eat more. I still feel weak and sometimes it`s hard to breath but that may be from lack of sleep and from not eating well from before. At least the feelings of panic and anxiety and fear are almost gone.

I see here on this forum that some people feel as if this drug saved their lives. Perhaps some people are lacking in the natural brain chemicals that control anxiety and so this drug may be good for them. But anyone who is not certain should stay away from it. In fact, most prescription drugs have terrible side affects and I will never ever again take any of them again unless my life depends upon it.

Hopefully I will return to normal like Derek did. I just hope it does not take months.

I started taking Ativan 6 years ago. I was having extreme difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep - anxiety, depression and racing thoughts (later diagnosed as Bipolar 2 (not BP1). Ativan was the only thing to calm my brain at night. I was taking antidepressants at the same time (bad call by 1st doc since it turned out I had BP2), and have been on Lamictal for 5 years, but haven't managed to get off the Ativan. I started on .5mg and after 2 years it became ineffective so my doc upped it to 1mg. And now 1mg doesn't always work and I find myself getting up after an hour of not sleeping and taking another half. I hate this. I have tried to go back down to .5 with the intention of tapering off completely, but I don't think I've slept an Ativan-free night in over 6 years. It kinda sucks. I keep telling myself that I need to use relaxation techniques for bedtime, but the pill is so easy, and sleep is so important. My advice is, if there is any way that you can avoid taking this regularly, try to do so. It's a great crutch in a crisis, but don't make it a habit like I did. It was actually the first drug (besides antibiotics) that I ever took and I was 39 at the time. And I feel kind of like an addict. It's not a good feeling.

I've been on Lorazepam for 18 months and I'm trying to get off these things. I only take 1mg but still they hard to come off of. I been off them for 5 days now and it seems like I have a lot of Busy Bees in my body. I'm telling anyone whom is considering these things to look for other options if possible. Just an hour ago i scratched my face cause it felt like something was crawling on me, ugggghhhhh!This medicine is no joke.......

I have been using ativan on and off for more than 4 years to help with anxiety and panic attacks. When I am terribly anxious, and cannot calm myself down, I take .5 mg. Occasionally I will need to take 1 mg which always does the trick. This drug has been a huge help to me BUT I do not use it on a daily basis. I don't think you should rely on meds like this for every day use. Dependency becomes an issue, and also the longer you take it the more you will need for it to work.

I take a much to high dosage of xanax and have experienced terrifying withdrawals. I tried ativan a long time ago but found it left me groggy and cloudy headed the next day which xanax does not. I really want to get off Xanax for fear of ending up in an emergency room again. Any suggestions or comments about my ativan experience?

I was prescribed lorazepam for my insomnia after trying diazepam and 4 other sleep medications which made me feel hung over and still drunk in the morning. I take a very low dosage of half a mg before bed. This has worked well for ME because it eased me into sleep like I was becoming tired normally. I did not realize that this drug is very similar to xanax. Which I took recreationally at a younger age. Upon researching it, I have learned that it does or can cause high toleraynce and dependency. However, taken as prescribed and with full honesty and faith, it works wonderfully for my needs. I do suffer from anxiety and depression so I am also prescribed 30 mg of paxil and 60 mg of adderrall a day. As of yet I have not experienced any bad interactions nor dependency. I am able togradually fall asleep and wake up feeling rested with no lingering side effects of the drug. I will say that I have come to recognize that xanax is not a good drug for me because it hits me harder and incapasitates me which is different from the lorazepam. Important to note: everyones chemistry make-up is different and you will find the best results by trying then being open and honest with yourself and your doctor. The Dr. Will not know how it affects you and how you feel unless you speak up. If you don't speak up,nothing will improve. Be smart. Any questions contact me at Ritamulroy@gmail.com

8 months ago I started taking .5 mg of Ativan once daily for anxiety and panic attacks. My son had just started treatment for oxy abuse--this rocked my white collar, middle class world! I am taking Buspar, .5 mg ativan, and Ambien to sleep. Looking back on it, I don't really blame my physician--I don't know what else she could have done, I was in such bad shape. My son is doing great--I told him the other day that he was my inspiration to get off theses meds. I am having terrible withdrawal from Ativan--which really surprised me as I thought I was being so careful not to abuse it. After three days of no Ativan I thought I was going crazy--anxious, nausea, feeling like electricity going through my body, muscle aches, numbness in my hands and feet. I decided to take .25 mg daily and try to come off of it that way but it still feels like hell on earth. It's very depressing-- please don't fall into this trap! And please pray for me!!

I was perscribed 1mg ativan by my Doctor about a year ago. Iwas to take it before bedtime to help me sleep and take the edge off. Last week my Nero. noticed my memory slipping and so did I. He looked at my chart and noticed how long I was taking the Ativan and said no one should give you this narcotic for longer than 6 weeks. I tried cold turkey but found it to be very hard with night sweats,sleeplessness,strange smells and more weird sensations. I am gradually tapering off the drug by cutting it in half for a couple of weeks and then in half again for another couple of weeks. After that I will see how I feel. I just started the half last night 10-10-11 and a a great night sleep in 5 days I will let the board know how it went later. Note I did notice an improvement in my memory after not taking it for 5 days.

This is my 5th day on Ativan I suffer from migrains so thought I had one. But it was a withdrawl from needing my ativan for the day. As soon as I took it 10 min. Later my headache was completely gone. I am scared not to take it cause I have 24/7 anxiety. Today is also my 5th day on zoloft. My plan is to take ativan until the zoloft kicks in. But after reading all your post I think I just created a new problem.

I've probably been taking it for 15 years on a daily basis. When I first started taking only one use to make me very drowsy, now it doesn't do much at all. But if I am feeling really anxious this drugs is a lifesaver to me. I pop a couple and within an hours I don't feel anxious at all. It's a wonder drug to me. I really don't get the addiction problem - I'm sure I'm addicted, but really why does that matter? I'm addicted to caffeine too. Love this medication recommend it for anyone who suffers from anxiety.

I tried ativan and it caused me to wake up with a feeling of confusion and as though I did not sleep enough. Didn't like the effect. Went on lorazapam and it kind of mede me feel less sleepy in the morning. Got the lorazapam from one drugstore and it was a very small pill, that was the one that cauesd me to feel less sleepy in the morning. When I got my next prescrption I went to a different drugstore and their pill was a little lager yet the same mg. my reaction on the larger lorazapam gave me a full nights sleep and I did not feel sleepy in the morning. I do take per dium. I have been on this medication for years and I can cut back when I don't feel I need as much. What is the difference if it is the same pill just different manufacturer?

My first observation after reading some some postings is that if you have a diagnosed panic disorder, Ativan is the answer. It's magic and gave me my life back which started to derail from horribly divi orating attacks in my late 20s. I tried everything else including Xanax which gave me horrific dreams and side effects I couldn't tolerate. Then at the suggestion of a friend, why my doctors didn't suggest it is still beyond me, and voila, practically overnite, I could function. I could drive, go to work, have dinner St a restaurant, run, go to the gym etc...through therapy I've managed to get better at understanding the underlying emotions that may be triggering a panic attack, however I still take 1mg daily in the am and when I'm doing something potentially triggering, big public speaking or zip lining ;-) I take .05 about 20min before the activity and I fond I can enjoy the experience without fear of an attack! I'm in my late 4os now and have never upped my dosage nor abused ( the thought of it not working) has quickly curtailed any thoughts of recreational use and besides, unlike Valium, klonopin and Xanax, if taken in moderation, you don't feel high AT ALL! Just calm and able to be present! Can't recommend thus life saver enough!

I had to take ativan, due to the death of my mother then my sister passed away and managed to get her child out of foster care and help the father get custody. However, my messed up sister in florida spoke against me knowing i have bipolar illness and was taking this child out of foster care. The father manipulated me into sleeping with him, and other men too. I have been safe with using condoms, however the mental abuse was horrible. I am traumatized, and tried to get off ativan but cant. I now take yoga classes and stopped allowing men into my life. My doctor doesnt help she will just give me 7 more pills, I have also been sexually abused by shrinks, counselor at the mental health clinic, even had another phychiatrist sent me dirty pictures thru cell phone. I believe mental illness has to do with how messed up your life is and how you react to problems. I know its about money they make from insurance and your just a number to doctors. I think they are unethical. However, i refuse to get off medication because i dont want to show worst symptoms. ativan, is an addictive drug that is difficult to get off of. And i believe that psychiatrist, make money from the pills they prescribe. i wish there was a cure or control of bipolar classification 1, but there isnt.

Also i believe the reason i have been sexually abused by psychiatrist is that i am very attractive, modeled, done spanish reality tv etc. But i am a victim of abuse by shrinks. However, i take my meds in hope of improvement, i want to get off adivan but cant. I will even go to another doctor if i have to, or even go get it in mexico. I have no other choice. Im intelligent as well. Im not depressed but addicted to adivan and will continue to take it in hopes of getting better. I now realize my behavior of being vulnerable to men is distructive and i will stop now. Even if i have to say no all the time. Its a miracle, im 39 and look 28.

Please Stay Away - I've been taking 0.5-1mg and not every day for 2 months. I quit cold turkey and 6 weeks out and I'm still not well. Getting better but have terrible rebound anxiety, and depression a long with physicial symptoms.. If you ever take this stuff do not do it more then 2-3 times a week. Want my normal life back.

I have panic attacks every know and then randomly. I have learned to notice signs before a panic attack gets really bad. My pulse goes way up, my stomache has problems and I get a bad headache with racing thoughts. I was prescribed .5 ativan, but I only take half of that when I feel an attack coming on. Within 10 Mins I start relaxing more...within 30-45 Mins I feel good again. I think the key to this medicine is to not abuse it. If you need it, take it. It's much better than having a panicked attack. I also take 37.5 effexor xr every day. That has helped with anxiety a lot and helps boost my mood. For anyone suffering from anxiety... I also want to recommend working out. Healthy body, healthy mind. Your body releases feel good hormones when you work out. Over time, this can help a huge amount! :) I truely hope all of you start feeling better. It's always comforting to at least know we are not alone with anxiety and panic. I had not had a panic attack for 2 years...then a few weeks ago, my doctor gave me a steroid shot for a sinus infection. I had the worst attack of my life from that shot!!! Now I'm trying to get balanced again. If you have anxiety , please don't get a steroid shot unless you REALLY have to. Oh, and don't get Celestone -to the shot I got. A common side effect is nervousness. Why on earth did my doctor give me (anxiety issues) a shot that can cause nervousness? I have no clue. Just a heads up to all of you. :)

Ever since October of 2010 I've had panic attacks. First time ever having one, I went to the hospital because I thought I was literally dying. My heart was racing and I just felt off. They told me that it was just a panic attack, gave me ativan, then sent me home. When I took it, it calmed me down pretty quick and it made me want to fall asleep. For the next few months I ended up getting a couple more panic attacks, in which my family doctor prescribed me ativan. It's good to take if you have anxiety disorders, but it's not something you can take everyday or you'll become dependent and you'll experience some major withdrawl symptoms if you stop taking it. Personally, when it comes to anxiety and panic attacks, the best thing to do is to just preoccupy your mind on something else and try to ignore it when you feel one coming on. If you cant, just take it when you are having a panic attack. Not before. I've taken it about 10 times and I've never had a bad experience with it. Probably because I used it in moderation.

I am 28/f and have pretty severe anxiety/panic/depression at certain times in my life. After a breakup, moving, a new job...stressful situations...my anxiety and depression act up a lot. Panic attacks almost send me to the emergency room at their most extreme. I have went to the ER once for a panic attack. I've been on lexapro for a couple years at a time, twice in my life. This time around, I'd like to avoid an SSRI because starting them and coming off of them is pretty intense for me. I am hoping this time of increased anxiety/depression passes with other techniques-- exercise, hot yoga, keeping busy....all while taking ativan .5mg, once a day, usually every other day, closer to night time. I was terrified to start taking Ativan because i didn't know what to expect. It makes me calm and normal feeling. So far I can go a day on, a day off and be alright. I guess we'll see within a month if I last longer than a day without a dose...but for now, I am very happy to have it, and I try to use it as sparingly as possible! I don't feel overly sedated or super high. Just more at ease and less panic stricken. :) I think it is definitely possible to take too much too frequently for people. That's why I keep it at the .5 mg and try not to take it every single day. after all, I can go years without taking it or anything else...and I've had anxiety disorder since age 20. It definitely seems these heightened anxiety/depression/panic periods are following a depressing situation or a big stressful change. I hope my review is helpful! Please email me if you have any questions!

Don't take this drug. I took 2mg a night for five nights and I felt withdrawals when I stopped...even though I only took it for a short period of time. My body was on pins and needles, anxiety, headache, insomnia, for three days straight. Even if you're only taking a small dose, it will stop working because your body will build a tolerance and crave more. Best to use another method for relaxation because this stuff will only make things far worse.

THIS DRUG IS EVIL DON'T CHANCE IT I AM 21 MONTHS OFF AND STILL FEEL A MESS..NOT MYSELF MY MIND IS A WRECK I'M ON SSI MY DOC GAVE IT TO ME WHEN I WAS PREGNANT, IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS FROM THIS DRUG TAPER OFF SLOW BUT NOT TOO SLOW..I HAVE WENT TO HELL AND BACK AFTER ONLY 4 MONTHS OF USE ON AND OFF THEN A RAPID TAPER.

for anyone who went through it and recovered please help...rainbow_in_the_dark_1978@yahoo.com

not everyone has problems with it but those that do god help you.

hi i have taken ativan since 2007 2mg a day and it has help alot with panic disorder i have been taken it everyday since then but around 2009 i started having problems with cant stand up very fatigue in legs, kinda like when you take blood pressure medinces, cant focus on objects at great distance get very uncoordinated but it last for about month then it goes away for like 4 to 6 months when i get theses dizzy spells i went to the doctor and my blood pressure is 110/60 and my blood pressure never been this low doctor said ativan shouldnt be doing that so was just wondering if anybody else experince the low blood pressure/uncoordinated spells

I graduated the top of my class from a junior college nursing program. during my final year I experience intense anxiety. I tried wellbutrin and valium but they didnt help. I asked my dr for ativan but he said he didnt like to prescribe loraz because he has seen people do some awful things on this drug. I insisted. I started with 0.5 mg in the morning and at night. I slow incresed my doses PRN. I am now taking 4mgs three times a day. I have been feeling my anxiety returning so i started to crush up the pills and snort them. this way seems to work a lot better for me. I snort usually 3x1mg pills daily. I work in a lab at the hospital and the pharmacist caught me crushing up my pills during a break and asked me why i was doing that and I told him. He asked if it works, I told him better than oral (po), so he said he would recommend to his clients do what i do.

I have been taking Ativan for 4 years now. I take .5mg one to two times daily for sleep and or anxiety. I have tried to stop taking it, slowly of course, but I can never quite succeed. When I don't take it I sometimes feel a pinching feeling in my chest and my arms get tingly and I feel dizzy and short of breath. Talk therapy does not help, I am a pretty happy person. I get anxiety over nothing. I do not really understand it and I have been really trying. Do I need rehab? My husband and I want to have a baby and I just want to push the easy button.

Hi. I have been taking .5 mg Ativan one to three times daily. Then, I tried .25mg xanax, which was much stronger and I felt too tired. My doctor put me back on Ativan because he said there were too many risks for addiction with Xanax, although i think there are the same for Ativan as well. Anyways, he told me to increase to 1 mg as needed, but it is just too strong. I like the .5 mg because it takes the edge off and I am able to drive. I have a side effect of losing weight though. Which is not a problem for me, as it is only a few lbs. BUT I have a loss of appetite and I can barely finish meals.

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