Lorazepam (Ativan) Questions and Concerns

[Alexithymia]

While I rarely post in this area of VT, I believe that this a time which I need to. I occasionally take an non-prescribed 1mg dose of Lorazepam. I often get the standard effects (anti-anxiety, calming, slight drowsiness, staring off into space) within 25-45 minutes. However, after the first hour I get side effects such as unclear thinking, slight hallucinations, sometimes slight paranoia. They get worse until maybe two and a half hours when they start to... fade.

I'll admit it: I enjoy most of the side effects that come with it. I take it about once a month or so, and I don't see the, well, problem with letting myself have this feeling on that rare occasion. Please note that I am not suggesting others do this; despite how much fun it seems, what I'm doing -is- illegal and most people do -not- have these side effects. I know that I shouldn't be doing this, but when I'm extremely stressed out (or flying... I have a full scale panic attack while flying) I always find myself taking one.

I'm curious about a few things:

Are these side-effects dangerous?

If so, should I stop taking them? In other words, are they that dangerous?
Are these side-effects rare?

Assuming these side-effects aren't dangerous, should I consider getting a prescription for the average anxiety that I have? (School, family issues, etc.)
Is there anything I can do to A) have the common effects last longer and/or B) have the side-effects last longer?

Is there any way to make either more powerful without taking another pill?
Should I be worried about the length of time that I have these side-effects?



Please excuse me if anything I said or asked was out of the norm here or was against the rules. This is my first thread (I believe) in Drugs & Meds, and as such I don't know the rules very well here.

[aperson444]

Nah those effects are actually fairly normal... Not a professional but all benzodiazepam compounds are GABA potentiators like alcohol. In general that means relaxation. Ativan is fairly common for anxiety and I think that if it indeed does help your panic attacks or you feel your panic attacks are severe enough, you should get a script for a similar compound. I think I was offered either Xanax or Ativan. Wikipedia reports the occurrence of paradoxical effects (i.e those opposite to general effects of these compounds) for Lorazepam as the highest amongst similar anti-anxiety meds. You may want to reduce your dose a bit and see if it works. Also, Lorazepam can easily build a heavy tolerance. You should look into Xanax, as it is a bit more general for anxiety and is probably slightly safer. Just think of Ativan as alcohol on steroids. Unclear thinking and hallucinations can occur as a result of the sedative effect (there's also a slight hypnotic effect).

[Alexithymia]

Oh, all right. I don't necessarily have a prescription for it, but I was considering going and getting one. I'm just not sure how I would get it, seeing as how my mom would start to think that the reason I would take it would be for the other side effects. However, the main use is either for panic attacks or nights when there's a lot of stress and inevitably anxiety. Thanks!

I'm curious about the differences in Xanax versus Ativan. I researched it a bit, and I found the effects are about the same. It's a different drug, but there's not a huge difference. If you could clear me up on this issue, I'd be thankful.

[aperson444]

Xanax is slightly newer and it's pretty much specifically for panic attacks. It's more short acting and it's less likely to cause haywire effects. So basically it depends on your issue (a psychiatrist would know best). I would say that for general stress and panic attacks, Xanax is the better (it lasts shorter), but all Benzos are HIGHLY addictive (about as much as alcohol). Be careful.

[Alexithymia]

Oh, dear. I might not want to get a prescription then. My family has extreme issues with addictions, and even I feel the pain of that sometimes. From what I read, Xanax has a shorter half-life, but also lasts shorter. Ativan is the medium on, but I can't remember which one is the long one.

I'm wondering if I should take Ativan or Xanax. I think I'm going to try and get a prescription, just for my general stress/anxiety. Ativan seems to be more certain stress thing (i.e., something just happened in the family); Xanax seems to be panic attack and just stress (i.e., the flying thing). I know what causes my stress/anxiety, but it's very recurring.

[aperson444]

Ah well I can't really recommend Benzos. Contact a psychiatrist of some sort. I think Xanax and Ativan are the standard for anxiety. Of course addiction/tolerance to these drugs usually occurs from repeated use of the substance (i.e in anxiety patients who take the stuff every day). I know clonazepam (Klonopin) is used for sleeping and anxiety. It's much longer lasting, but it also takes longer to get released into your bloodstream. That means that you will need to wait and chill out for a bit before the full effects kick in. There is another Benzo I've seen on the market (it's also often sold on the streets) called temazepam (also known as Restoril). The dose is higher than most benzos, but that means that there is less risk of a fatal overdose. It is quickly absorbed (within 0.5 hours) and has a slow peak at 2-3 hours which may mitigate some of your paradoxical effects. When I spent some time in the psych ward, they would give us Lorazepam (or Clonazepam... Can't remember which) to help us sleep or stop panic attacks.

All in all, I suggest you avoid those anti-anxiety pills as much as you can. It may be hard to stick to last resort short-acting pills (Valium; Xanax), but these drugs are pretty nasty. They can get addictive if overused. A psychiatrist will still throw the prescription at you -- When I was treated for anxiety (comorbid with depression), I was offered lorazepam or alprozam (Xanax) scripts, but at the time I did not really feel like taking more sedative meds. Most psychiatrists will either prescribe an SSRI like Prozac only or an SSRI with an anxiolytic.

In my experience, I only got true relief after rigorous long-term treatment with SSRIs that was catalyzed by my regular use of high-quality cannabis. I can't say that you should go out and smoke a joint, but in my case it almost completely reversed my anxiety/depression relapses and issues. Your best case scenario would be to see a psychologist or a counselor. If they feel you need help, they will refer you to a psychiatrist. If that is too much, go to a hospital and request psychiatric help. Many large hospitals have active psych wards and emergency wards where they keep people with psychiatric crisis.

[Alexithymia]

Heh. Thanks. I really need to worry about the addiction issues, but I think that I would like to try this. Can I get a prescription but without daily use? I.e., 10 a month or something? Just in order for those moments where I start to freak out? I doubt anyone here is a psychiatrist, but I'm hoping that someone here has had that experienced.

I don't want to have to see a psychiatrist (or counselor, therapist, psychologist, etc), and I -definitely- don't want to go to the psych. ward. I know that I need to in order to get the prescription, but I dislike how they treat me in hospitals and when I'm being "looked at" in therapy. Basically, is there any way to streamline the process? My mother is a nurse. *shrug*

[bobynrobyn]

just a little food for thought here...... DO NOT! I REPEAT...DO NOT MIX ANY OF THESE DRUGS WITH ALCOHOL !!!!!!!
you could end up in the morgue !!
also, note as you start taking any of these drugs on a daily basis, your blood is absorbed with them, and getting off of these is one of the worst things the human body can go through....been there done that...
work with a dr. first ,and then he can give you a referall to specialist !

my opinion only.....bobynrobyn (in & out of NA for 8 yrs)

[aperson444]

Oh dear, I can't believe I forgot that. Yes, Benzos are terrible when mixed with alcohol -- as in deadly. Also avoid mixing with morphine/heroin/fentanyl or really any opiate. Your normal doctor can write you a script for the stuff. The best way to approach that is ask about panic attacks and mild anxiety that you feel is getting bothersome. You can also (I do not recommend this) buy it off the streets. Many heroin dealers may sell Benzos as well.

[Alexithymia]

Heh, I don't think that I'm going to be going to a heroin dealer any time soon. I'll either get a prescription or just have the Ativan every now and then from my mother. However, I am getting worried about something else, but I also think it could just be severe stress. My mom's been out of Ativan recently, and I've just been... Falling apart sort of. Not necessarily like my life's going to hell, but rather in the sense that I've been shaky and unable to concentrate. Should I be worried or is it just stress? (My sister tried to kill herself.)

[bobynrobyn]

great !! suicide is a permenent solution for only a temporary problem!!!!!!
not everyones body chemistry is the same....... therefore we all need different types of help "medical or pharmasuitical"if you find yourself going from suicide to homicide...... that is a tremendess growth pattern LOL !

bobynrobyn