ativan anyone on

does anyone on here take Aivan (lorazepam) for anxiety if so how much how do you take daily? thanks

[Jikan]

Although I no longer take Ativan(not effective) the usual dosage is 2-3mg twice a day. Hope this helps.

Michael

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

wow thats a large dose, i take it when i really need it , its not for long term anxiety, klonopin is a great med for long term, ativan is just for short term to help you get through rough day. are you taking everyday for long time, your body will get used to it and want more and more as the klonopin does not do that.  when am really in need of a ativan i take .05 , it gets me through it and am good to go. talk to your dr if you need long term there are better meds for that good luck.

[Taybey]

I have been on ativan for 15 years now maybe more.  Probably 20 I take 2 1mg tablets a day one in the morning and one before bed.  I just went off paxil, and zoloft so now I take two before bed for sleep.

[gma2]

Ativan is my 'security blanket'. The dosage - now - on the bottle is (1mg Tabs) 1-2 tab up to 4 tabs daily prn. My doc approved taking 2 vs 1 when he realized how severe my symptoms get and I told him that with trial and error by taking 1..waiting...and having to take a 2nd one before I settled down (along with breathing in a paper bag) worked better.

I went over-board for awhile on them - taking them at every twitch, wanting to avoid a full on panick attack - but realized that was no good; now I am thankfully at 2 a day, sometimes have even gone without them (not often, but it's encouraging).

I have been on them since 2001. I don't mind having to depend on having them with me everywhere I go, because having them doesn't mean I have to take them. That IMO is what determines the "as needed" vs taking too many, I guess.

Whatever the doc says to do, you should do, until you discuss it with him/her on what works and what doesn't.
Kind regards,
gma2

[dolphin845]

I only take it as needed which isn't that often.  When I do take one I take 1/2mg.  I have 1mg. pills.

[Charlotterose]

When I use to take it.. I took 1 mg twice a day.. I wish I still had it..

[gma2]

Went to the docs today (for many things) and we were discussing the Ativan (Lorazepam) and I told him insuance will no longer pay for it so could we use something comparable to it.
He said they won't pay for any of that type anymore. That is so disheartening! And why not I wonder??? If someone has an answer to that, I'd like to know it. I have Medicare D Plan (Unicare) for meds.
It is $76 each month. Who has that!!!!!
So, my next thought was help get me off of them then. He has me tapering off 1 tab a day per week so it is  up to 4/day this week, up to 3/day next, 2/day next and then he said when I get to 1 tab a day I can stay with that or go off completely and just have some on hand for the 'need' times. I don't like the tought of being without altogether, so I will try this. I'm already doing the less than 4/day so I should be okay.
He said he knows patients who get it from the Psychiatrist and it is paid. That could mean the difference. It is a mental health drug, maybe a mental health doc has to prescribe for coverage. I looked it up in my book and it just says 'not covered'. Confusing.

[tommylee333]

get the generic. or go to your local mental health clinic and see if they will prescribe them for you.

[tommylee333]

i only take one when i'm having a panic attack. it is very easy to get hooked on ativan. and the more you take, the more you need. its best to only take one when you have to. i play in a band, and i know it's gonna be stressful that night, so i take one before i play. other wise i only take a piece of one, when i am having a panic attack.
God bless!

[gma2]

Yeh, I get the generic - that isn't covered or the brand name - it is no longer a formulary drug evidently. Someone said I can have the doctor write something up for it and they will authorize it. Seems to me I'm better off without it. Since I don't need a refill every month, I guess when I do, the $$'s won't be so bad, but it's irritating just the same. It is under a certain "class" of medication that this particular insurance no longer covers is what happened. They were covering it until recently. Oh well...

[Taybey]

Hi tommy

This is taybey from the other forum lol.  Nice to see you again.

[guttermouth]

I have an Ativan 'script (1mg) but I've never taken it, doc said it was a 'security blanket' type of deal. What does it do? Make me sleepy? Knock me on my arse? Make me melt?
I have only recently begun to take medication, I don't see the doctors very often and I am really unsure when it is the 'right' time to take an Ativan.

[nursegirl6572]

Actually...I just wanted to clarify something.....usual dosage is not 2-3 mg a day.  Most docs try to keep people at a max of 1 mg daily (either in one or combined doses, as it usually is prescribed on an "as needed" basis.

I took Ativan "as needed" for years...and it worked great for me.  I never had issues with tolerance or withdrawal b/c I only needed it daily for a short period of time...and then just here and there until my AD would kick in.  Then, it was more or less a "security" thing...just knowing they were there if I needed it.

The only thing I didn't care for was I got PVC's ("Premature Ventricular Contractions"...basically an early extra heartbeat so to speak) a day or so after I would take it.  I knew they were harmless, but there were annoying.....you become very aware of them.  Other than that...it really worked well for me.  Of course, that is MY experience with it.

Good Luck!

[nursegirl6572]

Do you have a psychiatrist?  If not..I woild ask your PCP for a referral...you have a much better chance of either getting it covered while under a psych's care...and if not...there are other options.  I find it hard to believe that they would deny EVERY benzodiazepine!  Sounds like with the dose you are taking...you'd prolly benefit more from a long-acting benzo more anyway...like Klonopin or Valium.  Something to consider anyway.

Gutter...it depends on how your doc prescribed it.  The majority of times...it is prescribed on an "as needed" basis due to it being a short-acting med.  It is more or less used as a "rescue" med in the event of episodes of severe anxiety or panic attacks.  The best way to take it in that instance is as soon as you feel the panic come on.  My beef with it sometimes is that PA's can come on SO quickly that you don't always get a lot of warning.  In that case....meds like Ativan aren't always helpful....b/c by the time it kicks in...usually your body is bringing you down from the PA anyway.

[gma2]

No-no more Psychiatrists for me. Once I got with a Psych doc I was taking 25 pills a day, what with what he himself prescribed (Seroquel, Klonopin, Lexapro, Ambien, Remeron - an he took over the Ativan) and my PCP for my regular health issue meds (Soma -Fibromyalgia med, Lovastatin - Cholesterol med, Levothyroxine - thyroid med, aspirin - cuz I had a stroke, Mirapex - for restless leg, Ativan up to 4/day)

Now I take the aspirin, thyroid and 1 Mirapex in a.m. and at night I take the Remeron [Mirtazapine] 2 Mirapex and my cholesterol med. 7 pills!!! = ) Ativan as needed.

No, no more Psychs for me. I was being over-medicated - put on 60 lbs and felt worse. Now I am working through the anxiety so it doesn't go full bore panick. I don't leave my home 'cept for drs appt's and that isn't often but Ativan to the rescue when I do. I don't mess around. If I'm in a situation (like dr's appts) I just take it ahead of time because over the past few years that is what I learned about me. It is so different for everyone. Some can get by with 1/2 mg. That would be like spitting on a fully engulfed house fire for me. LOL
Thanks for the suggestion. Appreciated.
gma2

[dolphin845]

I also found the physch doc. prescribe high doses.  I don't like that.  I was prescribed 1mg. ativan to be taken 3 times a day.  That's totally insane.  I guess he wanted me to be unconcious.
I can take 1/4-1/2 mg. a day and at that I'm dizzy and sedated.

[gma2]

Also - tolerance levels have a lot to do with it. Over the years I have built up a high tolerance to just about everything. I was a Zombie b4 and now people are saying they are glad to see the 'old me' back. I have 13 lbs off the 60 I gained and I am feeling hope again where there was none b4. I have COPD so I don't know how long I have in this world (who does) but I plan on going out skinny again! lol