Do you take Ativan

MainerMikeBrown · May 11, 2020

What is Ativan for?

Aries · May 11, 2020

They used it all the time at the psych hospital. I remember one woman who would freak out all the time and she would be happy as a clam on Ativan. It's a benzo though so if you take it too often you get addicted - and you build up a tolerance so it stops working.

MainerMikeBrown · May 11, 2020

I've been on Benzos in the past. Benzos are not for me. So I don't think I'll ever go on Ativan since it's a Benzo.

Dboy95 · May 11, 2020

Took lorazepam for a month and it was hard to get off of. The drug itself worked very well, always calmed me down but with benzos you got to be careful with using them for an extended amount of time because your body develops a pattern. If you stop taking it you have withdrawals and for anyone who has taken pills knows those withdrawals can be very hard to deal with. So that goes with if you want to take more as well. If you decide to take more your body will get use to having more of it inside of you. As a drug, it works very very well for panic attacks/high anxiety situations but i dont see it as a solution for your anxiety and could be harmful if used for long period of time

bin_tenn · May 11, 2020

I had an episode of atrial fibrillation in 2016. It scared the hell out of me, waking up to it. I was vomiting when I got the hospital because I was so terrified. They gave me an Ativan and I was back to normal in a short time. No sign of any anxiety whatsoever. Even knowing everything going on, I was perfectly fine with it.

Bobnnat · May 11, 2020

Danny, everyone is different. I also take 0.5 mg when I take it, and 1.0 mg if I really need to. I never felt addicted and recently I simply stopped taking it for a week with no ill effects. But that's me. Unfortunately when I'm having a HA episode, Ativan does nothing for me. Nothing other than let me sleep if I take a 1 mg. That must be the reason why I've never become dependent on it, since when I need it most, it doesn't help me.

Aries · May 12, 2020

Bobnnat said:
Danny, everyone is different. I also take 0.5 mg when I take it, and 1.0 mg if I really need to. I never felt addicted and recently I simply stopped taking it for a week with no ill effects. But that's me. Unfortunately when I'm having a HA episode, Ativan does nothing for me. Nothing other than let me sleep if I take a 1 mg. That must be the reason why I've never become dependent on it, since when I need it most, it doesn't help me.

How many times a week do you take it? I've read that physical dependence may develop after 2 or more weeks of daily use. I always figured if you only took it about 3 times a week you'd be OK.

Bobnnat · May 12, 2020

I read that only a relatively small percentage of people become dependant, of course the more you take the more likely you will be. For a while I took the 0.5 every day. I usually take it 3-4 times a week now.

bin_tenn · May 12, 2020

Bobnnat said:
I read that only a relatively small percentage of people become dependant, of course the more you take the more likely you will be. For a while I took the 0.5 every day. I usually take it 3-4 times a week now.

I don't know the statistics, but I imagine the risk of addiction depends heavily on risk factors. Family history (especially a first degree relative), personal history of addiction, etc. I'd assume the addiction numbers are higher for those people.

mollyfin · May 14, 2020

I take Klonopin which is in the same family. I’ve been taking it for almost 20 years, no addiction, no ill effects. No withdrawal on days I don’t take it. For years I took it daily. No problems. Unfortunately I can no longer seem to get a generic brand that actually works for me but I have that issue with other medications too it’s just a “me” thing.

Guitarist41 · May 18, 2020

Danny1001 said:
Have any of you taking Ativan lorazepam or diazepam I take Ativan very sparingly only half a milligram at a time only and extremely high anxiety situations But I’m always scared to take more have any of you been on for a regular period of time

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Lorazepam is Ativan actually.

benzodiazepine can, and are highly addictive. On the flip side, THEY WORK!, and I cannot stress that enough. I have been on Klonopin since I was about 25 or so... so 15 or so years.
I did, however, manage to learn to cycle my medication and I am able to stay on 1 mg daily, after a nightmare of a situation with a HORRIBLE, idiot, of a psychiatrist who took me down from 2 mg too fast. All kinds of issues. I found an online psychiatrist who has gotten it straight again.
My doctor told me a long time ago when I, too, was scared of addiction, and said “ I can get you off of these pills, but unless you try them, this might be a last resort to give you a life”

Aries · May 19, 2020

I have a friend from high school who said klonipin messed him up and it was really hard to withdraw from. There's also that famous case of the singer Stevie Nicks who hated Klonipin. I wouldn't use it unless I had tried everything else first. I tried Valium but I didn't think it worked that well. It just made me sleepy.

Guitarist41 · May 19, 2020

Aries said:
I have a friend from high school who said klonipin messed him up and it was really hard to withdraw from. There's also that famous case of the singer Stevie Nicks who hated Klonipin. I wouldn't use it unless I had tried everything else first. I tried Valium but I didn't think it worked that well. It just made me sleepy.

theres ALWAYS going to be a friend, friend of a friend, etc. who has had a bad experience with some type of medication. The question is, does it work for each person? No, it won’t, however, it gave me a life again. I have withdrawn off of it, and it’s terrible. Very few people (psychiatrists included) know how to properly wean from benzodiazepines, and THAT is usually the problem that people have.

mollyfin · May 19, 2020

My SO got physically dependent on Klonopin; I did not. I took higher doses for longer periods of time at times. It's just an individual thing a lot of times.

Aries · May 19, 2020

Guitarist41 said:
theres ALWAYS going to be a friend, friend of a friend, etc. who has had a bad experience with some type of medication. The question is, does it work for each person? No, it won’t, however, it gave me a life again. I have withdrawn off of it, and it’s terrible. Very few people (psychiatrists included) know how to properly wean from benzodiazepines, and THAT is usually the problem that people have.

And there's always going to be people who have a good experience with something that many others have bad experiences with. Cochrane says this;
"Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed for long-term use despite recommendations of only short-term use. "

BJMP says this:
"Although prescriptions of benzodiazepines have declined substantially since 1988, there is an ongoing challenge within all sectors of the NHS to prevent benzodiazepine dependence. This can be achieved by adhering to official recommendations to limit prescriptions to 2-4 weeks, or for brief courses or occasional usage. "

And this study didn't say long term benzo use was supported by evidence:

Benzodiazepines I: Upping the Care on Downers: The Evidence of Risks, Benefits and Alternatives

"Due to the lack of evidence of efficacy and presence of evidence of many risks, BZD prescription is only recommended in severe, disabling anxiety or insomnia. Until questions about long-term BZD use are satisfactorily addressed, “the wise prescriber will limit his prescriptions in number to patients who are severely anxious or insomniac; in dosage to the lowest effective; and in duration to a few weeks rather than months or years” "

I'm glad it works for you. I'm just telling people that I think they should try all other alternatives first.

Guitarist41 · May 19, 2020

Aries said:
And there's always going to be people who have a good experience with something that many others have bad experiences with. Cochrane says this;
"Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed for long-term use despite recommendations of only short-term use. "

BJMP says this:
"Although prescriptions of benzodiazepines have declined substantially since 1988, there is an ongoing challenge within all sectors of the NHS to prevent benzodiazepine dependence. This can be achieved by adhering to official recommendations to limit prescriptions to 2-4 weeks, or for brief courses or occasional usage. "

And this study didn't say long term benzo use was supported by evidence:

Benzodiazepines I: Upping the Care on Downers: The Evidence of Risks, Benefits and Alternatives

"Due to the lack of evidence of efficacy and presence of evidence of many risks, BZD prescription is only recommended in severe, disabling anxiety or insomnia. Until questions about long-term BZD use are satisfactorily addressed, “the wise prescriber will limit his prescriptions in number to patients who are severely anxious or insomniac; in dosage to the lowest effective; and in duration to a few weeks rather than months or years” "

I'm glad it works for you. I'm just telling people that I think they should try all other alternatives first.

when did I suggest that it should be a first alternative? Why don’t you google the long term effects of SSRIs?
and WHY are SSRIs pushed so hard now? You go to a dr and the pen says Zoloft, or lexapro, or something else... when was the last time you saw one that said lorazepam? Clonazepam?
Seizure patients take 2-8 mg per day as a maintenance dose, and up to as much as 20mg per day. There’s always drawbacks to everything. Some people can’t eat peanut butter, seafood, take aspirin, etc.

Do you take Ativan

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