A few questions about Ativan

[gothic_beauty]

So, I have suffered from panic attacks for some time now. However, they have recently gotten so bad that after a lifetime spent in adamant opposition to all forms of medication, I have decided to take the plunge and give it a try. I went to my doctor, who prescribed Ativan. I have heard that it is pretty safe, and I have a low dosage (0.5 mg) but I am still very nervous about taking it. I have a few specific concerns that I was hoping to address.

First of all, is Ativan best to take regularly or as needed? I am hoping to take it only for the worst of my panic attacks. On the other hand, I am afraid that such a decision might cause a shock to my system: if I am in the throes of anxiety and take the drug, won't the abrupt sensation of calm be hard on my body? Also, if I take it once and then do not take it again for several days, I fear that it will cause all sorts of strange withdrawal effects , or a rebound effect, in which my anxiety levels after the drug wears off become worse than they were before I took it in the first place. I have heard of instances of this happening, and I don't want it to happen to me.

Secondly, how long does it take to feel the effects of this drug? I have heard that for some people, it takes quite awhile. I can just imagine my panic rising as I wait for it to work, fearing that it will not work at all.

Thirdly, how long can the effects of the drug be felt? Will I get a good long period of calm, or will I be tempted to re-dose within an hour or two?

Finally, like almost everyone else who has a fear of medication, I worry about side effects. I have done a lot of reading about the various side effects of Ativan, from drowsiness to dizziness to worse, and I don't know which I will experience. I know that it is different for everybody, but I'd love to hear some feedback from anyone here.

Again, I realise that my reaction to medication will not be identical to anyone else's, but the more I know, the less scared I will be. If anyone could share their stories with me and reassure me that this drug will not kill me and may actually help me live my life without the constant terror of anxiety attacks,  I would be grateful. Thanks!

[Caitirene]

I take 1mg of Ativan at 8 am and 2 pm to last me all day. So as I was reading it won't make me have withdrawals when I eventually stop using it?

[Dominican1]

I have taken one table of 0.5 mg of lorazepam (Ativan) daily off and on for 25 years to manage what is mostly mild anxiety.  More recently, in the midst of some rather unsettling physical problems and temporarily unable to exercise, I have on occasion increased my dosage to 1 mg.in the morning.  As I have begun to approach retirement I have been more regular in my use of lorazepam and even after such an extended period of taking it I have not noted any lessening of its effectiveness.  

I would not pretend that I could stop taking lorazepam tomorrow, but after 25 years I probably worry less about issues of dependency than other commenters on this forum.  Lorazepam was part of a treatment regimen (that included a similarly small dosage of an SSRI through 1999) that I believe made it possible for me to work regularly and I believe successfully, raise three children with my wife, put those children through college and reach early retirement age more or less intact.  I am grateful for these medications and fortunate to have a competent therapist.  But what is odd, and one of the reasons I have started visiting these forums in the first place, is I thought that with the prospect of retirement and the less stressful life it promised my anxiety would slowly dissipate.  Unfortunately, I have found just the opposite to be true, though as I mentioned above, I have had heart and esophageal procedures within the past 12 months and I don't believe they can be entirely separated from my long-standing genrealized anxiety disorder.  For the older commenters on this forum, is it common to experieince heightened levels of anxiety, regardless of specific circumstances, as one ages?   As I mentioend above, I have found this to be the case, much to my surprise.  

So, it apprears that I will remain with the lorazepam some while longer.  Do I wish it were otherwise -- absolutely --but what I can tell you is that faced with the prospect 25 years ago of trying to work and support a family with a life beginning to spin out-of-control, the decision to take a medication with known beneficial results was an easy one for me.  And one I do not regret.      

[Ifeeltoo]

I used to take klonopin to help with nighttime anxiety that prevents me from sleeping.  I got to a point where I simply didn't want to take any meds anymore so came off of that, Effexor, and adderall.  I was completely med free for over a year and in general have handled it well despite consistent anxiety keeping me from getting to sleep and lack of ability to concentrate which I believe is fueled more by anxiety.  I have been under an enormous amount of stress and finally went back to my dr.  He started me on .5 to 1mg if ativan prn.  It did help me relax to get to sleep but did not help me stay asleep through the night and upon waking up I feel such anxiety that its very difficult to get back to sleep, even on nights I took the ativan.  Went back today and he is putting me back on klonopin on prn basis.  

My question is, if I take a very low dose of the klonopin only a few nights per week, but end up pregnant (husband and I are just letting it happen if it does), would it be a huge concern?

[nursegirl6572]

If your doctor has prescribed it, and you need it during an especially stressful, anxiety producing time, then take it as directed.  Don't be afraid of taking a medication prescribed to help you, just be aware of the considerations and precautions (like we talked about in this thread).

If you need any more info or support, please start your own thread, it's far easier to follow along when a post isn't tacked onto an older thread, plus, you'll get more replies.

Take care!

[squirrel939]

I'm going through a particularly stressful time at the moment and am considering taking ativan daily for the next week or so, but am worried that this is a bad idea. I'm not on any other drugs, don't drink or smoke etc.... but I really do rely on ativan for those times of intense panic. Still, this is the end of my semester at school and I'm not getting anything done because of shame and anxiety, and when i took an ativan last night, i got so much done because i wasn't anxious anymore. I usually take .25-.5 mil as I am a small creature. Thoughts?

[toddone46]

Hi Nursegirl, thank you for taking the time to respond, both times.  I thought that I'd get an email notification when someone posted in this thread, so when I didn't get the email I didn't check.  I wish I did though.  You are definitely right, especially when you say benzos aren't bad, it's the people advising poorly on them and the people using them....or should I say, misusing them.  I misused and paid the price.  Live and learn.  I just felt bad that I posted that bad information here and wanted to make sure it was corrected.  Glad you were also here to fact check the information.

Take care!
Todd