Drug Ratings for ATIVANAverage Rating: 3.3 (677 Ratings)
Compare ATIVAN with similar:
|
Results are sorted by Satisfaction from lowest to highest Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
Charts & graphs: Reviews Summary for ATIVAN | Top 10 Adverse Effects (reported to FDA)
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ATIVAN | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 1 | Reaction to another medication | I had severe withdrawal coming off these drugs after 4 weeks then even worse when I tried again after 4 months. I wasn't aware of benzo withdrawal neither where my doctors. I had burning skin on my legs and arms, dizziness, sickness, no concentration, severe 24/7 anxiety, 1 hour sleep a night for months, vibrating sensation in legs, frequent urination (every 30 mins) muscle twitches, muscle cramps, tinnitus, muscle pain and nerve pain. | It took me 4 years to safely taper off this drug it ruined my life. I've been off them 73 days and am still severely sick. | F | 28 | 5 years 2mg | 7/12/2017 | 1 | For pain after surgery | I am experiencing severe withdrawal effects, despite tapering very slowly off this medication for over a year now. Withdrawal effects are severe insomnia (1-4 hours sleep per night), digestive issues, stomach pain, constant diarrhea, cognitive issues, memory problems and increased pain. If I had known that protracted withdrawal can happen with this medication, I would have never taken it. | F | 52 | 3 months 2 MG | 7/10/2017 | 1 | Too much alcohol | I am just now experiencing anxiety, dizziness, weak legs, feels like someone numbed my brain. My stomach not okay, I am afraid how long it will take to get out of my system. | Ativan is poison. I will never take it again. | F | 63 | 3 days unsure in | 1/20/2017 | 1 | Anxiety | Worked wonderful at first for anxiety and sleep. No bad side effects in the beginning, but I became an addict after being on it for 10 years. My doctor upped my dose over the years. I went into tolerance withdrawal and ended up in a treatment center. They tried to take me off the drug too fast. I got a second opinion and was put back on the drug to get out of withdrawal. The I was crossed over to librium over a 5 month period. After that I had to taper 5 mg librium every 3rd week. It took me 2 years to be free of that drug. | Benzodiazapines should be outlawed. The withdrawal is miserable! | F | 49 | 10 years 1mg | 9/12/2016 | 1 | a liquid replacement for Valium | Replaced Valium 10mg to a liquid form. Given 4 x day and my husband turned into a mean hateful man who could not speak due to shakiness garbled talking. He is a hospice patient who must have someone with him when gets out of bed or chair. What little walking capacity he has requires assistance. The Ativan made his ability a challenge, especially when he is irritable and in pain. I stopped Ativan and returned him to Valium and now i have my kind considerate loving Tommy nack. | M | 72 | 4 days 60 | 8/18/2016 | 1 | Severe anxiety and panic attacks | Worked well in the beginning. Then began to have rebound anxiety, Felt worse than ever and now trying to withdraw which is Hell | Outlaw this drug | F | 68 | 3 months 3 mg | 8/1/2016 | 1 | anxiety take as needed | Add on to last message I took it first time and felt hot flash and internal like shaking. It felt like coffee jitters and I can not drink coffee or have stimulants due to my heart Tacacrdia. The second time hot flash again. | I hate it hate it hate it. Makes my anxiety more intense and threw the roof. Not every body is the the same my body hates it makes me feel worse. | F | 35 | 2 days .05 | 6/25/2016 | 1 | Anxiety | At first it was great, made everything better. Eventually the honeymoon is over and you need more. I decided to quit not knowing about the dangers of cold turkey. Everything was fine for about two weeks, than my life fell apart. No sleep, headaches, extreme panic, pains. I'm trying to taper now and it's not easy, still experiencing hell. This pill gets a hold of you and doesn't want to let go. Poison. | M | 50 | 7 months 1.5 MG | 6/11/2016 | 1 | Insomnia | For several years Ativan worked well in helping me get to sleep (2mg), then getting me back to sleep when I woke up at 4 am.(1mg), until I went into tolerance withdrawal, a truly hellish experience. Have not been able to sleep more than a few hours each night, and now have debilitating anxiety attacks during the day. Each morning I wake up on the Cortisol Express and cannot calm down. Only higher doses can stop it, and now that I'm trying to taper off this terrible drug, the withdrawal has been horrific, with worse insomnia and panic than what caused me to take it in the first place. | Don't even start benzodiazepines, because getting off them is worse than anyone could possibly imagine. Once you develop tolerance withdrawal it will be too late to prevent this hell. | F | 60 | 4 years 3 mg | 4/2/2016 | 1 | Anxiety and major recurrent depression | Poor pulmonary health. Rebound anxiety. Withdrawal at home was hell. | It was needed at the start of my depression but psychiatrist kept me on for too long. | F | 58 | 10 years 6mg | 3/13/2016 | 1 | MRI sedation | Vomiting dizzy loss of motor skills | Took the pill 1 hr before MRI threw up before I went in the tube of doom and 20 mins in I needed to stop and throw up again. When the MRI was complete I needed to sit with a cold cloth and kidney pan. Made it home to my couch continued to throw up then slept. It has been over 24 hrs since I took the 1 mg dose and I am still dizzy and light headed. I will never take this med again I would rather fight through the panic and anxiety during the MRI then ever feel like this again. | F | 45 | 1 days 1 mg | 2/13/2016 | 1 | Anxiety | No sex drive, forgetting things, car accidents, falling, loss of pleasure, dull, bored, tired, depression, thoughts of suicide, stopped working out | Ativan is horrible !!!ADDICTIVE!!! Do not take it! | F | 56 | 7 years 3 MG a day | 1/3/2016 | 1 | MRI sedation | Nausea, dry mouth, vomiting, side cramping, increased anxiety over fully enclosed MRI, uncontrollable shaking. | I had high hopes that this medication would take away my anxiety of going into the tube of doom. It did the opposite while making me sick and shaky. I took the first pill, and after the terrible side effects, I flushed the other one down the toilet and was driven home. After about 2 hrs of taking it I was able to eat again, was sleepy, and had a bad headache. I will never take this again!! | M | 39 | 1 times 1mg | 12/28/2015 | 1 | anxiety | Hair loss, memory loss, no interest in sex, anxiety, anxious, nervous, panic attacks ... | I feel like it gives you the same problems you started with before you started taking The medicine I am truly worse now then I was before I started the medicine I just want off of it and not sure how to and also I am scared to | F | 41 | 6 years 0.5 | 11/9/2015 | 1 | Anxiety | Dizzy, memory loss, lack of feelings, depression, clumsy | It's a horrible, addictive drug | F | 56 | 7 years 3x a day | 10/20/2015 | 1 | Anxiety / fear of flying | Having seen immediate benefits helping with my fear of flying (I fly a lot for work x2 a week), I let Ativan into other stressful parts of my life (work). Now I take 2 Ativan a day. I am always close to tears, I can't deal with any form of stressful situation (home with the kids or at work), always desperately sad, feel guilty, can't sleep, hate more than I did, foggy thinking, difficulty in recalling the right words to describe the simplest idea and generally want to run away from my once perfect life. | M | 43 | 6 months 2mg | 10/13/2015 | 1 | Anxiety due to health issue | Initially helped but this was very short lived. Blacked out trying to get off this-was not told how addicting it was. Literally the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life and it lasted months. Had to switch to Klonopin in order to wean off benzos. I would never take this again. Please be very cautious when using this drug on any regular schedule. | M | 24 | 3 months 2-6 mg day | 7/3/2015 | 1 | insomnia | Vision disturbances, dependence, between dose withdrawal symptoms, burning skin, chest pain, shallow breathing | do not take this medicine for any reason. It's evil and creates dependency. Luckily I jumped off after not having been told by doctors just how dependent one could become. | M | 44 | 2 months 3-4 | 5/9/2015 | 1 | Anxiety/Stress | As I built tolerance I became more agitated earlier each day. I didn't realize what was happening to me. I decided to quit cold turkey which was a huge mistake. I was with a customer at lunch and blacked out an had seizures. Was taken to ER where they gave me Ativan and everything was fine. Obviously I was addicted but had NO clue until that day. It took me months to get "off" this drug with the help of the Ashton manual and a forum which has since been closed. This experience was one of the worst of my life but I'm one of the lucky ones. | I kicked my doctor prescribed addiction several years ago. I follow this web site occasionally to see how others are faring. I believe this drug class, including Ativan, Xanax, Valium and so on is one of the most serious drug problems in America (and maybe the world). These drugs are being prescribed to millions of people, many of whom have very bad experiences as they build tolerance and become addicted. Do a Google search and read the stories for yourself. MANY lives have been devastated by this drug and others. Some people can take these drugs without problems but through my own experience and communications with others many cannot. | M | 62 | 8 months 1 mg 1X D | 4/3/2015 | 1 | generalize anxiety disorder | Aches and pains everywhere I'm began to start to taper off dropped 50percent for two to 3weeks then went to1mg going on second week hell | Please if someone reads this I need help with taper feels like I'm dying woke up this morning hardly could walk | M | 42 | 4 months 3mg | 3/30/2015 | 1 | For anxiety | Shakes, muscle aches, insomnia, nauseousness, extreme anxiety, depression, buzzing in my ears, heart palps, shortness of breath. | I would not recommend taking this drug. I was on .5mg for only 2 weeks for my anxiety attacks. Yes, it worked at night so I could sleep peacefully, but once I stopped taking it, the withdrawals began horrifically and that's just from 2 WEEKS!!! I wish my doctor never would have prescribed this to me. She did tell me that it was highly addictive and for that reason she was just going to give me enough for a couple weeks to calm my nerves. She did not explain to me what could happen to you if you just stop taking it cold turkey. I understand that everybody is different and some may not even experience withdrawals from ativan only after a few weeks, but like I said... everybody is different and she still should have explained to me what could happen. My body reacted very badly to this drug. I'm now just starting to feel a little better. The last few days were excruciating for me. The anxiety attacks came on so intense. I could not sit still from the shakes, I constantly felt nauseous, I was having digestive problems, I could not sleep at all! I was awake for 24 hours and being awake that long is just going to feed into your anxiety. I was so restless, I had absolutely no appetite. If I even tried to put food to my mouth, I felt like I was automatically going to vomit. I had a racing heart, and I cried uncontrollably, I also had buzzing in my ears. My muscles started to ache so bad from constantly shaking and being so tense. The worst part was definitely the anxiety that came on | F | 25 | 2 weeks .5 mg | 2/12/2015 | 1 | Panic/insomnia | Intradose withdrawals began within days, experienced somnolence, crying off and on all day, depression, suicidal thoughts, no motivation for anything, wanted to hide away from the world. | I was given Ativan after an ER visit for heart palpitations, told the physician I could use something to get some sleep and get back on track since I was having anxiety and difficulty coping with events in my life. Big mistake! I began taking .5 mg to sleep. First three nights it worked great. Then in the morning I felt a bit "off" and felt like it would be okay if I took a quarter of one (.25 mg). I did this for several days in a row (.50 at night, .25 in the morning) and quickly began having crying spells during the day. I know what it is to be depressed but this was a very deep depression that just came up so quickly out of nowhere. I ended up acting psycho with an ex boyfriend and also drank at a party and raged on some people there (granted they WERE real jerks but still, not my style). I was afraid to cut back because I felt like I didn't want to live as it was, but I am now on day 2 of having cut out the morning dose, and tonight I'm going to cut the .50 in half. I've been taking loads of niacin (NOT the non-flushing kind), I'm taking about 6 100mg pills a day spaced out with food, this has had a calming effect on me so I'm not taking anything out on anyone. I'm just keeping to myself, unable to get out of bed really, crying up a storm over silly things, worst than when I was pregnant. Feeling that life has no meaning. I've always been sensitive to pills but never like this! I got off Vicodins with so much less trauma! Trust me, do not take these for more tha | F | 41 | 12 days .5 1X D | 1/20/2015 | 1 | anxiety and chemo | I was depressed to the point of uncontrollable crying, daily suicidal thoughts, not talking to best friend for 6 months, brain fog, flu-like feeling, difficulty breathing, fatigue. I thought it was from the chemo. Not True It caused neuropathy in my fingers and toes to not go away. It can take up to a year to get mental function back, if ever. Takes 6 weeks to clear body. Addictive. I stopped due to news about Ativan and dementia from long term use. My brain felt better in 3 days. The 5th day I thought I would die from the withdrawal symptoms. You can go into convulsions I found out later. | I wanted to die every day. I prayed for it. I stopped on September 10, 2014. I read it is more difficult to get off than opiates. | F | 66 | 2 years 1 1X D | 9/17/2014 | 1 | Nausea | Developed tolerance after taking it for a few months. My initial symptom (nausea) was getting worse. New symptoms emerged: anxiety, tremor, irritability, restless, palpitation, sweating, insomnia, fatigue, dysphoria, throat tightness, headache, racing thoughts and speech difficulty. Still experience some symptoms (primarily anxiety and headache) after tapering off 4 months ago. | Be very cautious if you are taking ativan long term (>2-3 weeks). It did help my nausea in the first few weeks, but it made me feel worst when I was trying to get off this medication. Avoid benzo, it's highly addictive. | M | 34 | 4 months 1mg 1X D | 7/22/2014 | 1 | anxiety. I was simply put, stupid. | Hair loss! Strengthened anxiety(worse) after its affect going out of your body; addictive; joint and muscle pain. Anyone had hair loss because of it? And did it grow back? | F | 28 | 1 years 2g | 7/6/2014 | 1 | remeron withdrawal | dizziness, anxiety, nervous, nauseaus | worst crap ever! I got dependant on it in 1 week. now im in interdose w/d and no doctor will help me. I am not joking, stay away from this horrible stuff. If anyone knows of a good doc to get me off this stuff, plz email me. thank u so much | F | 48 | 1 months 1mg 1X D | 5/24/2014 | 1 | anxiety | It seemed to help me calm down and sleep but the next day I was totally out of it. Felt very tired, down, wanted to cry, couldnt handle work, incoherent, had to go home and drinks tons of water but little appetite. One time i took as directed...any time...in the morning and had a nervous breakdown. I think kolonopin might be better for me since I have tried it but I dont remember how much anxiety I had then. I wont ever take larazepam (same as ativan i believe) again. Ill just take a sleeping aid. | M | 57 | 3 days I think 30 | 5/14/2014 | 1 | anxiety due to PTSD issues | I was never told by anyone about the side effects of Ativan and blindly followed my doctor's orders. It worked wonderfully at first, but then I started experiencing interdose withdrawal symptoms pretty quickly, which I thought were just continuing anxieties about my medical situation. I was taking it "as needed," which I know now to be another path to addiction even though I didn't take it every day. 10 months later, I was out walking and experienced extreme dizziness. I thought I was having a stroke. This happened twice, and searching online, I realized I was addicted. This drug was very difficult for me due to its short half-life and the anxiety it caused (much more than the original anxiety I had), and I chose to go through an online tapering program, Point of Return, rather than up the dose. Best choice I could have ever made even though it was still very difficult on a slow taper, as I switched to Klonopin with its longer half-life. Klonopin caused extreme dp/dr issues. | F | 61 | 10 months .5-1mg. 2X D | 3/14/2014 | 1 | Anxiety | Extreme fatigue, dizziness, off balance, trouble concentrating, short term memory loss, chest pain, piercing burning tingling throughout body. I sincerely wish I never would have taken this. This drug has consumed my every thought And I'm fearful of coming off of it. The Interdose withdrawl are hORRIFIC! Feel like crying all the time and in so much pain. I just want off of this alive!!!! | F | 29 | 2 months .5 | 12/27/2013 | 1 | anxiety over medical procedure | nausea; dizziness; drugged, woozy feeling (lasted about 5 hours) | only took it one day. Would not take it again. | F | 43 | 1 days 0.5 1X D | 12/15/2013 | 1 | anxiety | Ugly side effects withdrawing. | F | 36 | 1 days .5 | 12/3/2013 | 1 | social anxiety disorder/agoraphobia | I specifically told my dr.I have alchohol issues. He prescribed me Klonopin. Which I abused. Next visit I said they werent helping so he would stop giving me them. Instead he gave me Ativan and that is a messed up drug. Don't remember three whole days. Had to piece together things by credit card statements. Bought drugs from india and don't even remember. Wouldn't suggest this drug. No criminal record........ but this drug could lead to one. | M | 40 | 6 days 4mg | 11/29/2013 | 1 | anxiety, panic attacks, nausea | This medication made me feel very dizzy, caused stomach upset, and all around unbalanced. This pill actually made me feel worse than better. It did nothing to make my body feel less nervous and anxious at all. | I do not recommend using this pill to treat anxiety at all. The only thing it will do is make you feel worse due to the bad side effects it has. | F | 1 days 2mg 2X D | 10/31/2013 | 1 | Job stress/anxiety. | Minor erectile dysfunction, poor judgment/decision making, coordination loss, emotional blunting. | DO NOT TAKE ATIVAN OR ANY OTHER BENZODIAZEPINE LIKE KLONOPIN, XANAX OR VALIUM DAILY!!! Daily use is what eventually hooks approx. 60% of us, and the majority of doctors are clueless in this particular area of medicine. Though great in the beginning, I underwent a series of spinal surgeries requiring detoxing from the pain meds as well as benzos, and any detox center that says they can get you off of them in a matter of weeks doesn't know their neurochemistry about benzos. I began the Benzodiazepine (Benzo) Withdrawal Support Group on Facebook three years ago, and of the 500+ members which include doctors, psychiatry professors, lawyers, stock brokers, teachers, and we plain old mom's & dad's, none of us have gotten off without significant symptoms, and usually after only 4 months daily use. As happy as the newbies who just started taking them are, they have no clue what's in store if they ever try to quit. Magellan Behavioral Health Blue Cross/Shield in North Carolina's study states, "A large number (40%-80%) of patients treated with these medications for 4 months or more develop tolerance and can have a discontinuation or withdrawal syndrome. Patients may experience rebound or withdrawal symptoms, which include tremor, anxiety, agitation, and dysphoria." That's not a small risk to benefit ratio, but a huge one!!! My daughter takes a Xanax or two once every few months for long drives due to a panic attack on the road years ago, but it's the daily use that wi | M | 57 | 4 years 8mg daily 2X D | 9/6/2013 | 1 | anxiety/depression | I took 1 mg for ten years and had no problems until I tried to come off. When I had bad withdrawals, I realized I was addicted so I tried to get off it too fast. Ended up at hospital and put back on 1 mg but twice a day now. That sent me in such bad panic I couldn't leave my bed, after about a month that stopped but I wake up every morning crying my eyes out and I am suicidally depressed all day. I am now trying to taper off this poisin again. | Do not take this drug...ever. I am so sick I don't even want to live. It is not worth it and if I knew how hard it was to get off of them, I never ever would have ever touched them. I don't know if I will ever be okay again. I wish I could sue the doctors. | F | 53 | 10 years 1 mg 2X D | 8/13/2013 | 1 | anxiety | still suffering Memory impairment after 35 years | Got addicted to Ativan, due to lack of awareness whilst taking the drug took 12 instead of six tabs daily. suffered horrible withdrawls (under doctor supervision) forgot friends names. Still have a messud up head 35 years later have to ask people to remind me of their names (they all remember me). NEVER TAKE THIS DRUG | M | 57 | 7 months 30 3X D | 7/19/2013 | 1 | PTSD | This pill felt like a wonderful drug @ first, Relaxed, Worry free sleeping good. Life was great the first week.. (Short lived) My initial dose was 1 mg a day 'quickly built a tolerance wasn't Feeling anything. Psych upped my dose 👿I quit after feeling like crap already Cold turkey ended up in the psych ward countless times. Symptoms: psychosis, high blood pressures heart palpitations, mania, tinnitus, chronic fatigue, muscle twitches, panic attacks, still suffering @ 25 months out! This pills a nightmare along with Ssris! Not anti pills but anti bullshit! Consider Magnesium & a clean diet, You'll be better off | F | 26 | 4 months 3-4mg day | 7/2/2013 | 1 | ATIVAN | Never take this drug.......Drug from hell...Only 3 weeks of taking this shit and I dont know what the fuck happen, started waking up trembling, vibrating, sweating, lose of breath, higher anxiety, dizzy, light headed, very very blurred vision, all dam day ever since I took this med. It hasnt stopped yet.....Dont wanna go any where, stressing out people around me its jus pure hell........CAN SOME BODY TELL ME HOW TO GET OFF THIS MED ALIVE.... | M | 33 | 3 weeks 1mg | 5/26/2013 | 1 | Some dangerous doctor knew how dang | Horrible anxiety, impulse control horrible , withdrawls lasting 2 years lost my job this is a very dangerous neuro toxin. It causes brain damage. | M | 50 | 1 days O.5 | 5/15/2013 | 1 | Anxiety | This medication was ok at first but I developed tolerance after about a month which in return caused horrible inter dose withdrawal. Needless to say after 3 months of dose adjustments and other benzos tried I ended up severly depressed and had to do a rapid detox. I have been benzo free for almost 5 months and suffer from post acute withdrawal syndrome which haunts me every single day. This medication will destroy your life!!!!! | F | 33 | 3 months 2 mg | 4/27/2013 | 1 | Perimenopausal Anxiety | Anxiety worsened the longer I was on the drug. By month 3 I was suffering headaches, dizziness, coma-like fatigue, body tremors. Check Physician Desk Reference and you will see all of the above are the result of being on the drug. The body builds up tolerance and then demands more. | Avoid this drug like the plague. Once I identified all of my illnesses in January were because of Ativan I began a slow taper. You must not stop this cold turkey or seizures are likely. It will take months before my central nervous system repairs itself. Doctors should not prescribe this drug. PDR says it is short term use only - 2 or 3 weeks. My doctor is still filling the Rx as I taper because they are ignorant. | F | 48 | 4 months 1 MG 2X D | 4/8/2013 | 1 | for situational insomnia. | Panic, anxiety, insomnia, interdose withdrawal, lost all physical sensation, could not feel hot/cold/pain, lost sensation of hunger, no sensation to thirst | Nasty withdrawal. Protracted after taking for 5 months, now 26 months off and not taking any other drugs. Was addicted in less than three weeks, withdrawal beyond description, welcome to hell. Not able to work ever since. | F | 54 | 5 months 0.7 mg 1X D | 4/8/2013 | 1 | anxiety | Hellacious anxiety,constipation, protracted withdrawal syndrome including suicidal impulses, severe depression, severe insomnia, inability to work, rage, inner trembling, hyperacusis, tinnitus, electric shocks, psychosis, and much more...for 26 months severely. Sx became bareable but some still present at 39 months off ct. Drug from hell. | M | 48 | 5 months .5 mg | 4/8/2013 | 1 | Fear of flying, panic attacks | Paranoia, rage, snowballing emotions, loss if short term memory | F | 38 | 3 years | 4/6/2013 | 1 | Anxiety/Stress | Extreme side effects. Stomach, cognitive, panic attacks, seizure | I am convinced that this class of drugs is the most significant addiction problem facing America and perhaps the world today. If you are taking any Benzodiazapine (Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin etc) you must do your research on side effects and withdrawal. I'm convinced that the suicide problem for returning veterans can be directly attributed to these drugs and the health care professionals are convinced that they are helping. There should be a major investigation into this. | M | 50 | 8 months 1mg 1X D | 3/19/2013 | 1 | Anxiety | Within in minutes of taking it felt a surge of rage then a floating feeling. Real groggy. After that racing heart rate, fear, anxiety, vertigo, horrible thoughts, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, and the list goes on and on | I actually posted my experience on this drug from hell two years ago but got an email this morning asking me about how I got off of this roller coaster called Ativan. I will say this again... This drug for me was the drug from hell. My situation did not call for medicating any form of anxiety but it was the Doctors that opted for this method. What I got was a boat load of horrifying symptoms that this little pill is suppose to fight against. I begged the Doctors to do research on why I was falling a part after starting this pill but they refused. Within a day I was experiencing severe interdosal withdrawals. In two months time I had lost nearly 40lbs and was a mess. Since the very community that is suppose to help me wouldn't I decided I'd get off that pill myself and did the following... keep in mind although my side effects were severe I'd only been on this for 2 months. I tapered a 1/4 every three days. But I found that 10 mg of inderal once a day just as the withdrawals would get too severe would help me edge off that horror for a few hours. After the final 3 days on the last 1/4 I stopped. For about 7 days the intense withdrawals slowly got less and less. After one week I felt a bit more like myself. I continued to take only 10 mg of inderal in the evening for one additional week and then stopped taking it and there were no continued problems. | M | 37 | 2 months .25 3X D | 2/23/2013 | 1 | Bipolar | agitation, anxiety, psychosis, suicidal ideation, paranoia, seizures, chest pain, crying spells | I think it would of been initially ideal to take this drug had I taken it as prescribed but I didn't know what I was doing and blacked out on it cause I took too much. The withdrawal was possibly the worst thing I've ever experienced. Made too many calls to the ER and basically became a junkie. Many psych hospitalizations. Luckily I was put on klonopin and my seizures stopped and was able to smoothly titrate off of it. I'll never take a benzo again. | F | 23 | 3 months .5 1X D | 1/9/2013 | 1 | Anxiety Attack (severe) | Out of world feeling. Feels awesome at first. After you begin to come down, insomnia, really cold feeling in hands and feet, joint pain, numbness (face and hands), muscle twitching and absolute fear. | M | 20 | 6 days .5mgx2 | 12/26/2012 | 1 | Anxiety | Panic attacks brain fog burning sensations all over head Severe Debilitating Anxiety throat tightness chest tightness Doctor never warned me of side effects never have I taken meds like this before had one panic attack in May sent to ER they gave me Ativan that's when it started followed up with doctor two days later gave me prescription for .05 then upped to to 1mg 2xday had know idea what was to come in August I went into tolerance withdrawal too many symptoms to list have tapered down to .75 and jumped Wednesday Nov 14 had tremors and chest pains so far but i was in acute withdrawal all of October cant take it anymore makes me feel worse to take and taper even more is out of the question will have to suffer through this and let the body heal time will tell all I have to say it has turned my life upside down its been Hell mind you I was a super Healthy person before this I had one panic due to stress and losing a loved One Mom when I told PDoc about what was happening he didn't believe me said I shouldn't be having symptoms like I was on such a low dose I guess he doesn't know anything about the medication he's prescribing please do not take this med it will make you worse in the long run and its very hard to come off I don't know how I'm doing it maybe because I'm so angry and have put in my head this is poison doesn't work for me at all Wish I had researched before I took it would have never takin it go on Benzo Buddies and read their stories there true so is mine can't | F | 26 | 6 months 1 MG X 2 | 11/16/2012 | 1 | ordered by misinformed Hospice | closing of esophogus; dry mouth, more anxiety, memory loss, | Back to normal when I took myself off. Esophogus closed for 2 weeks before family physican found solution, almost died from dehydration | F | 82 | 18 days 2.5 2X D | 11/10/2012 | 1 | sleep | Over 50 side effects both mental and physical. Too numerous to list here. | This stuff nearly destroyed my life. It has been just over 1 year since I took it and I am still as sick as a dog 24/7. I had just over 50 side effects and am now down to 20. Avoid this drug and all benzodiazepines like the plague. You have no idea what a horror story this has been. | M | 63 | 11 days 1 mg 1X D | 11/3/2012 | 1 | Anxiety | It was a miserable experience. It calmed me at first but bother my stomach all the time. I started with .5 mg and could drive on it but after a few weeks I stopped and started Xanax for a few weeks which really helped. It was strong at even .25 mg and it wasn't something that could let me drive unless I drank coffee redbull or had an energy pill. So I could drive if I took xanax a few hrs prior. I thought I was going to get a full prescription for Xanax but my doctor said no and gave me Ativan and Zoloft. Ativan didn't work so I upped it to 1 mg and refused the zoloft. Zoloft made me throw up basically... Anyways, the 1 mg worked for a few months until I upped it to 1.5 mg so I took 3 pills at a time. I did this because it gave me terrible tremors and such. Finally doctor gave me .5 mg klonopin and I'm starting to feel much better. Ativan is a hit or miss... It sucked for me personally and if u ever get a doctor recommending it to me I'm gonna scream about it. | F | 26 | 7 months 1 mg | 9/26/2012 | 1 | Panic attacks | Crying uncontrollably, grogginess, morning hangovers when prescribed for sleep aid, brain fog | F | 33 | 1 years 1mg prn | 7/7/2012 | 1 | Insomnia | Didn't work. Started at .5mg, nothing. 1mg, nothing. 1.5mg...you get the idea. I've had the same bottle for over a year cause I usually don't even bother taking it. Sane with Klonopin...no effect. Ambien works for insomnia, about 50% of the time. I think I'm doomed to sleepless life. | F | 28 | 10 times 1mg | 6/26/2012 | 1 | Stressed | Hullucinatons panic sayimg unusual things unable le to make a sound desicion , | M | 52 | 1 days 2 | 6/20/2012 | 1 | Anxiety | Tremors, vertigo, worse anxiety, paranoia, anger outbursts, weight gain ( only about 7 lbs but still a side effect).... Stomach upset, irritability, crying outburts, tage, fatigue...i started on .5 mg then dictor increased to 1 mg which worked but then it stopped working and I've been dealing with these side effects for at least 4 months.... I take Dramamine for the vertigo.... I never had these symptoms before. I tried 1.5 mg once or twice but that just made me sleep. So I'm getting off and reducing under doctors care. I wish I never took this in the first place I'm worse than I was before. Don't take this drug ever ever! | F | 26 | 7 months 1 mg | 6/16/2012 | 1 | social anxiety | It did not help me at all. I have been going through social anxiety since I was in school. Then I stopped taking it, I suffered a seizure. Now I'm taking more pills to control my seizures for the next 3 years. My life is ruined. If Ativan helps you, great, but it didn't help me | M | 21 | 2 days 2mg | 4/30/2012 | 1 | Anxiety | Brain fog, insomnia, heart racing, headaches, urinary tract infections, general feeling of illness, sensitivity to light, hearing problems, derealization, depersonalization. | I would not recommend taking this stuff. It caused a lot of problems while I was on it. It did help for anxiety, but the side effects are NOT worth it. This stuff is insanely hard to get off of too. You literally have to taper off slowly or you can have more serious problems. This stuff should not be taken for more than 2 weeks. | M | 22 | 3 months 1 1X D | 3/22/2012 | 1 | PTSD, Anxiety | Hallucinations, Rage, Paranoia. I'm an OIF Veteran. In the midst of divorce. One night I became very emotionally overwhelmed and began to feel panic. Went to the ER at Loma Linda where they told me I wouldn't be able to see the psychiatrist unless I was suicidal or homicidal. They only thing they could do for me was write me a script for anything I've ever taken in the past. I asked then for a sleep aid. Ativan was that "sleep aid" 2mg. I was pretty much blacked out for an entire week, hallucinations, out of body experiences. I went through a paranoid rage and really hurt alot of people. I couldn't understand what had happened to me until reading through the effects of this stuff. They gave me 2mg 3Xdaily I can't believe they'd just hand that stuff out like that with no patient education. | M | 28 | 7 days 2mg | 3/7/2012 | 1 | "anxiety attacks" that weren't | I took this drug very carefully as I knew it was addictive. Over the time I was on it I developed terrible anxiety, fear of being by myself, dizziness and many other weird sx. I didn't know what was wrong with me. 11 doctors/healthcare providers and many normal test results later I figured out myself it was the Ativan. I am now 96 days after I cold turkey-ed off the drug (NOT recommended) and it has been a living hell. Go to benzobuddies.org if you need help getting off this drug. See Ashton manual online for taper instructions. | Do not take benzodiazipines for longer than a few days. | F | 55 | 18 months 0,5 mg 1X AN | 2/10/2012 |