Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Dizziness or drowsiness can cause falls, accidents, or severe injuries. Use Lorazepam Ativan exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides. Never use lorazepam in larger amounts, or for longer than prescribed.
Tell your doctor if you feel an increased urge to use more of this medicine. Never share this medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Keep the medication in a place where others cannot get to it. Selling or giving away this medicine is against the law. Measure liquid medicine carefully. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device not a kitchen spoon. Do not take lorazepam for longer than 4 months unless your doctor tells you to.
Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve, or if they get worse. Do not stop using lorazepam suddenly , or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Follow your doctor's instructions about tapering your dose. Store the liquid form of lorazepam in the refrigerator. Throw away any liquid not used within 90 days.
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When starting lorazepam, anxiety or insomnia may improve rapidly or over a period of days. Avoid alcohol while taking this medication. Regarding breastfeeding, caution is advised since lorazepam does pass into breast milk. Symptoms of your condition that bother you the most If you have thoughts of suicide or harming yourself Medications you have taken in the past for your condition, whether they were effective or caused any adverse effects If you experience side effects from your medications, discuss them with your healthcare provider.
Some side effects may pass with time, but others may require changes in the medication. Any other psychiatric or medical problems you have including obstructive sleep apnea All other medications you are currently taking including over the counter products and herbal and nutritional supplements and any medication allergies you have Other non-medication treatment you are receiving such as talk therapy or substance abuse treatment.
Your provider can explain how these different treatments work with the medication. If you are elderly or prone to falls If you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding If you drink alcohol or use drugs How Should I Take Lorazepam? Lorazepam may be taken with or without food. Take with food if you experience an upset stomach.
Symptoms of overdose include confusion, impaired coordination, slow reflexes, coma, and death. Ativan and Ambien have some similar effects in the body. Both are considered to work as sedative-hypnotic drugs. This means they both cause sleepiness and sedation relaxation. However, these medications belong to different drug classes. Ativan is a benzodiazepine, while Ambien belongs to a class of drugs called non-benzodiazepine hypnotics.
Ambien is available as an oral tablet and as an extended-release tablet called Ambien CR. Both forms are taken once daily just before bedtime. Ativan and Ambien have some similar side effects, and some that differ.
The only condition that both Ativan and Ambien are approved to treat is insomnia. Ativan is usually considered a second-choice option for treating insomnia. Ativan and Ambien are both brand-name medications. The generic name of Ambien is zolpidem. Brand-name Ativan usually costs more than brand-name Ambien.
The generic versions of Ativan and Ambien cost about the same. Ativan tablets should be taken in the way your doctor prescribed them. Ativan is usually taken two or three times daily. These doses are usually spread out at equal intervals.
You can take Ativan with or without food. If it upsets your stomach, try taking it with food to help decrease this side effect. Yes, Ativan can be crushed. Some Ativan tablets may also be split. Ativan is classified as a benzodiazepine. These drugs are typically used to treat anxiety and insomnia, but can also be used to treat other conditions. Benzodiazepines are often categorized by how fast they work onset of action and how long they last in the body duration. This chart includes examples of these classifications.
These medications work by boosting the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA within your body. GABA is a neurotransmitter that transmits messages between cells in different parts of your body. Increasing GABA in the body results in a tranquilizing effect that reduces feelings of stress and anxiety. Benzodiazepines such as Ativan are categorized based on how fast they work. Ativan is classified as having a rapid to intermediate onset start of action.
Ativan is sometimes prescribed by veterinarians to sedate an animal during surgery or to treat seizures. If you think your dog or cat is in distress, see your veterinarian for an evaluation and treatment.
This medication can pass through breast milk and cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication. Before taking Ativan, talk with your doctor about any medical conditions you have. Ativan may not be appropriate for you if you have certain medical conditions. Yes, Ativan is a controlled substance.
This means that it has an accepted medical use but may also cause physical or psychological dependence and be may be abused. The government has created special rules for how Schedule IV drugs can be prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist.
Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more. Some people who take Ativan can become physically and psychologically dependent on the drug. The risk of dependence increases if Ativan is used in doses that are higher than prescribed, or for long periods of time. In some cases, Ativan dependence can lead to misuse or abuse of the drug. The risk is higher with people who have previously abused alcohol or drugs.
Taking Ativan may cause a positive result for benzodiazepines on urine drug screenings. Most of the effects of Ativan last about six to eight hours. However, this can vary from person to person. Ativan begins to work within minutes, but its maximum effect usually happens about 1 to 1. In some cases, the taper may last several weeks. Talk with your doctor before stopping Ativan to find out the best way to taper the medication. Ativan can cause withdrawal effects in some people when they stop taking the medication.
For people with severe Ativan dependence who abruptly stop taking it, more severe withdrawal symptoms can occur. These can include:. Long-term use of Ativan can increase your risk of certain side effects, especially physical and psychological dependence. This can lead to withdrawal symptoms see above when the medication is stopped.
Ativan is typically prescribed for short-term use of two to four weeks. When Ativan is dispensed from the pharmacy, the pharmacist will add an expiration date to the label on the bottle. This date is typically one year from the date the medication was dispensed. The purpose of such expiration dates is to guarantee the effectiveness of the medication during this time.
However, an FDA study showed that many medications may still be good beyond the expiration date listed on the bottle. How long a medication remains good can depend on many factors, including how and where the medication is stored. Ativan should be stored at room temperature in its original container. If you have unused medication that has gone past the expiration date, talk to your pharmacist to find out whether you might still be able to use it.
If more than 3 hours have passed, skip the missed dose. Take you usual dose the next night. If it does not, call the hospital to ask what to do next.
What if I take too much? Urgent advice: Contact for advice if:. Common side effects These common side effects happen to more than 1 in people. If you get these side effects, keep taking the medicine and speak to a doctor: feeling sleepy or very tired in the daytime muscle weakness problems with your coordination or controlling your movements Serious side effects It happens rarely in less than 1 in people, but some people have serious side effects when taking lorazepam.
Tell a doctor straightaway if: your breathing becomes very slow or shallow your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow; this could be a sign of liver problems you find it difficult to remember things amnesia you see or hear things that are not there hallucinations you think things that are not true delusions you keep falling over you notice mood changes such as talking too much, feeling overexcited, restless, irritable or aggressive Mood changes can become serious and are more likely in children or if you're over Serious allergic reaction In rare cases, lorazepam may cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis.
Information: You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. What to do about: feeling sleepy, or unusually tired in the daytime — do not drive, ride a bike or use tools or machinery until you feel better.
Do not drink any alcohol as this will make you feel worse. This side effect should get better as your body gets used to the medicine. If your symptoms do not improve after a week or get worse, speak to a doctor as you may need a lower dose. You may need a blood test to find the cause. If you become pregnant while taking lorazepam, speak to a doctor. Lorazepam and breastfeeding If a doctor or health visitor says your baby is healthy, you can use lorazepam during breastfeeding.
Lorazepam passes into breast milk in small amounts. Non-urgent advice: Talk to a doctor if you're:. Important For safety, tell a doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. How does lorazepam work? Lorazepam belongs to a group of medicines called benzodiazepines. How will it make me feel? How long does it take to work? How long will I take it for? How long you take lorazepam for depends on why you're taking it: anxiety and sleep problems — it's usually only recommended for up to 4 weeks.
Your dose may be reduced gradually to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Will I become addicted to lorazepam? What happens when I want to stop taking lorazepam? If you stop taking lorazepam suddenly, you may get side effects, such as: confusion having a seizure or fit depression feeling nervous or irritable sweating diarrhoea If you get any of these side effects, speak to a doctor. Important Do not stop taking lorazepam without talking to a doctor. Are there other treatments I can try?
Can I drink alcohol with it? Will recreational drugs affect it? Are there any foods and drink I need to avoid? Will it affect my contraception? Will it affect my fertility?
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