Drug Ratings for ATIVANAverage Rating: 3.3 (677 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by Date Rating Was Added 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 | 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 | 2 | MRI | didnt relax me so i didnt get the MRI done | F | 50 | 1 days 0,5mg 2X O | 1/8/2013 | 5 | Anxiety | I haven't had any of the side effects that is listed here. It is the only medication that has helped me get restful sleep and with Fibromylagia, you really need to sleep well. You do have rebound insomnia when you quit taking it. | F | 58 | 5 years 2mg 1X D | 1/4/2013 | 2 | Severe social anxiety disorder | Drowsiness att first, but faded | Anxiolytic effect is very minor. Didn't give me any side effects, but pretty weak. I prefer Klonopin | M | 18 | 5 months 2 1X D | 1/1/2013 | 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 | 5 | Anxiety .panic attacks | None....just sleep alot..lol | M | 28 | 1 years 1mg | 12/3/2012 | 5 | anxiety | At little tired at first but after a few weeks I felt great. Totally saved my life. | F | 30 | 6 months 1 to 2mg | 11/16/2012 | 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 | 5 | Anxiety | Works great. No side effects. Helps my anxiety. | F | 40 | 1 years .5 | 10/16/2012 | 4 | Anxiety, Depression Obsessive | None | Calming and neutralizing creating a more even mental state in chaos. My main pills have changed from Paxil (10 yrs) to Prestique, to Effexor and now to Wellbutrin all in the last year (the effexor and prestique made me highly aggitated) so it's been exhausting. Only two weeks into Well. so hopefully it works. Ativan has helped keep me half sane. | F | 33 | 8 months 1 3X D | 10/14/2012 | 3 | back problems | test headache | 1X D | 9/27/2012 | 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 | 5 | Panic Attacks/Agoraphobia | Drowsiness until my body got used to the medication | Ativan is a godsend for anxiety issues. I couldn't leave my house for years until I started taking this & it gave me my life back....HOWEVER, I made the mistake of taking it a few times per day & I had withdrawal symptoms from hell when I tried to get off of it. If you start taking this I would recommend it as needed and NOT daily, if you need something for daily use trying another medication would be your best bet. | F | 23 | 2 years 1mg 4X D | 9/19/2012 | 4 | Anxiety Disorder NOS | Brief tiredness in the morning went away though. | Do NOT take it every day only when absolutely necessary. Due to not taking it every day doctor said I could go up to 1.5 mg twice daily but NO MORE than 2 times per week. I've only had to do that three days in a 7 month period not bad. Aware of the addictive qualities so do not take it unless it is a last resort. | F | 48 | 18 months 1 mg 2X D | 8/29/2012 | 5 | partial seizures | none | i was given 1mg ativan iv for a partial seizure in the er approximately a year ago, it worked within a minute or two to stop the seizure. was given a prescription for 9 (total) 1mg pills. i just finished the pills about 2 weeks ago. i take .5mg when the partial seizures are uncontrollable. my seizure doc was hesitant to prescribe them because of the addictive properties of benzos. however, my neurosurgeon was willing to take the risk based on my medication history. he made sure that i was very clear on the fact of how addictive this medication is, and that he would be watching very closely how many i was taking. i haven't cracked the new bottle yet, as i only take this under extreme circumstances. it works very well for the partial seizures taken in small doses. it doesn't make me sleepy or loopy, just stops the seizures. | F | 47 | 1 years .5 1X AN | 8/25/2012 | 3 | anxiety/schizophrenia | None | It didn't seem to work. Really. I was so anxious more so than my usual self. | F | 25 | 3 months 1 mg 1X D | 8/21/2012 | 3 | General Anxiety | Drowsiness, lack of coherence, limited short term memory, headaches, delayed periods with horrible PMS, emptiness | I started taking it to get rid of my overarching feelings of dread and malaise. It did that. I'm not afraid of people when I'm on the pill. I don't feel like the world is going to end. The bad thing though, is that now there's just nothing. I'm empty. Not completely apathetic but not really enthused about anything? On top of being sort of empty inside, I've been getting horrible headaches every single day. My period cramps are also not really doing me any favours. I have horrible short term memory now and often forget simple things as soon as I hear them. Everything sort of feels like it's covered in saran wrap. Overall, not an awful drug, but not a good one, and I will probably be asking my doctor for an alternative that won't make me feel like a blurry nihilistic mess. | 22 | 2 weeks 0.5 mg 1X D | 7/16/2012 | 5 | Occasional Panic Attacks | None | I've suffered with anxiety for 40 years. In the 70s I was taking Valium, quit cold turkey (which they didn't know was a no-no) which increased the anxiety. I learned how to cope with it without medication. I was given Ativan 7 years ago while in the hospital dealing with ulcerative colitis. I break the .5 in half and never take more than that. Ever. I don't take it every day. Mild anxiety is a normal human condition; every gets it now and then. One should be able to cope with that using one's own inner strength. Many people commenting here could be on other meds that are contraindicated for Ativan. And, I have to say, I am shocked at some of the dosages. But to each his/her own. For me, .25 PRN works. I've gone months without taking it. No problems. I take no other meds. | F | 60 | 7 years .25 PRN 1X AN | 7/7/2012 | 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 | 3 | migraines | I don't take on a regular basis, but when I do need it for a migraine, and I may take it for 1-2 days in a row. The side effect I have is that, for 2-3 days AFTER taking it, I become a total witch, nasty to people and extremely agitated - ready to kill. Not pleasant. | I use it to try to stop migraines from advancing. Generally, it works about 70% of the time for me but I take it with celebrex, otherwise it won't work. If I feel a headache coming on, I'll take 1mg ativan and 1 celebrex & try to sleep for a few hrs and will often wake headache free (and for those with migraines, you can certainly appreciate that!!) My husband hates it when I take it tho b/c of the bitch persona that takes over me the few days following the dosing. | F | 57 | 1 years 1 1X D | 6/7/2012 | 3 | For primarily alcohol Withdrawl | Not much,but makes it easier to handle alcohol Withdrawl,it helps,3 out of 5 with anxiety 4 out of 5 with alcohol Withdrawl !!! | M | 10 days 1 MG | 6/5/2012 | 3 | Anxiety | Just makes me very sleepy and very light headed | Despite the side affects it has made me calm | F | 24 | 1 days 1mg 2X D | 5/24/2012 | 5 | Aniexty | none | works great! | F | 51 | 10 years 2X D | 5/9/2012 | 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 | 3 | Anxiety | Headache (migraines), moody/depression, tiredness (in the beginning), sometimes foggy. | It worked, but the side effects and withdrawl sytoms were unbearable for me. I felt like my life was closing in on me when I tried to slowly back off from using them. My doctor just kept prescribing them more and more ... I actually have two unused bottles in my cabinet because of all the prescriptions he kept writing. | F | 26 | 4 months 2X D | 4/22/2012 | 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 | 3 | Panic attacks | Moody. Depression. Weight gain. Tremors. Anger. Irritability. Hostility. Crying outbursts. Bizarre thoughts and dreams. Mood swings. Worsening of pms symptoms. Overall sense of dread. OCD. Paranoia. Etc. | F | 26 | 4 months 1 mg | 3/14/2012 | 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 | 3 | Stomach Cramps | I had an irritation in my lungs while taking either the tablet or having it intravenously. The taste/irritation reminded me of menthol whenever I was given it at the hospital. | I would not recommend this drug because it falls into the class of Benzodiazepines (one of the most addictive classes of drugs in the world). The withdrawal effects of trying to come off of Ativan (and other Benzodiazepines, such as Valium) are harder than most if not all street drugs (including Heroin). I wish I had never been given benzos. Stay away from this class of drugs for your own health. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS STRONGLY ENOUGH! | M | 49 | 2 days 1 MG 2X D | 3/5/2012 | 5 | Panic Attacks/Anxiety | Sedation, fuzzy feelings, relaxation and some inhabition. | It has helped me during panic attacks, when having problems sleeping and during travel by car and air. | M | 23 | 3 years 1mg 2X AN | 2/25/2012 | 5 | Anxiety | I had no more anxiety. | I have been using Ativan safely for well over 2 years. I use as prescribed by using it when needed for things like an anxiety attack. I don't really anxiety attacks that much anymore however, after reading everyone posts about this drug, I am having one and think I will go take an ativan right now. I may have to double the dose to get through this one. (Seriously people, you are shocked that you have anxiety when you stop taking the pill that helps control anxiety? Perhaps its not the pill causing it but rather the condition that caused you to be prescribed it in the first place) This drug is an amazing drug and if used as prescribed you should not get addicted and it is impossible to continue having withdrawal symptoms from a drug after it is out of your system which certainly doesn't take a year as some people have described. | F | 36 | 2 years .5 3X AN | 2/13/2012 | 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 | 5 | Anxiety | None. | I have panic attacks out of nowhere. My heart starts to race, it's hard to breath, my whole body tremors, I get a bad headache and my hands/feet get so cold! My doctor prescribed me Ativan to make sure that it was actually anxiety that I was experiencing and not another condition. I take Ativan as needed (not very often). My doctor originally gave me 5 pills on December 30 and I just took my last one yesterday on February 9. I am not scared of becoming addicted because I will not allow it to happen! When I get a panic attack, I wait a while to see if I can calm myself down on my own first and then decide if I need to take a pill. I can usually calm myself down but Ativan is my fall back if I absolutely feel that I need it. It works very well. It takes about half an hour for me to completely calm down. It makes me feel relaxed and drowsy but not to the point where I feel like I need to sleep. | F | 24 | 1 months 1 MG 1X AN | 2/9/2012 | 4 | Anxiety,Pain,Muscle Cramps,Insomnia | Drowsiness and Fatigue when taking during the day. Taken at night for sleep, it works great. | I take it as needed. Never a problem with withdrawl or major side effects. Used to hear voices in my head telling me bad things. Now we have regular conversations and they finally make sense. I'd be lonely without it. | F | 88 | 20 years .5 - 2mg 2X D | 1/29/2012 | 5 | Generalized Anxiety Disorder | None that I know about | Helps a lot. | F | 46 | 5 years .5 1X D | 1/28/2012 | 1 | trouble sleeping after amxiety attk | Hot flashes, trembling arms, weakness, mind racing, agitation, increased blood pressure and heart rate. | M | 46 | 2 weeks .5 | 1/28/2012 | 1 | My mother was | Insomnia, paranoia, fits of rage, not thinking clearly, shaking, anxiety...... | I can not believe this drug is on the market. It is a dangerous substance & physicians are prescribing it like candy. There need to be stricter guidelines for physicians to educate their patients before writing the script. Patients trust their doctors. I understand that as a patient you need to be responsible as well, but my mother was given that in the hospital after almost turning septic, & then her doctor continued to prescribe it. I'm so angry right now & watching my father trying to deal with this is heartbreaking. My mother was an active woman and to see her so distraught is beyond sad. I'm absolutely disgusted at how pharmaceutical companies are valued more then the actual patient! | F | 42 | 5 years 1mg 1X D | 1/25/2012 | 1 | ANXIETY | MY ELDERLY FATHER TOOK THIS FOR A FEW YEARS BEFORE I KNEW. He was making his own visits to the doctor. I am a nurse and knew about the dangers of it, so when I found out 2 years ago I tried to wean him down with the help of the pharmacist. My father was hooked and refused, but when he started falling I had had enough. We took his ativAn and brought it over to him several times a day and tried to wean him down. He slept 24 hours a day and only got up to eat and take his med. He became so deconditioned he could hardly walk. He became suicidal and very paranoid (the phone, the neighbours, etc) He fell again and we sent him to the hospital where he spent several weeks going through detox. It was horrible to watch! He then went to a nursing home where he fell the first day and developed some serious bloodclots in his leg. Due to this, and his deconditioning he doesn't walk at all anymore. His mind is now clear, he is awake all day, and could be home if he could walk. | M | 82 | 5 years 1 MG 3X D | 1/23/2012 | 5 | Anxiety | A little groggy at times. Mind a bit foggy too, but that could just be my age. | Ativan has helped me tremendously. My panic/anxiety was horrible and this drug gave me my freedom back. The only thing I dread is the day I have to go off of it. Yikes! | F | 46 | 4 years 1 3X D | 1/19/2012 | 3 | Panic attacks | Very addictive but necessary when panic hits you ! | M | 26 | 2 years 8mg | 1/17/2012 | 1 | Blurry Vision, Dizziness, Light Sensitivity, Memory Loss, Trouble Walking, Siezure, Migraines, Muscle Pain, Balance Issues, Motor Skill Imparement, Cognitive Imparement, Exhaustion. | This medicine is fine until your body develops a tolerance to it and/or you try to go off it. Then you wish you would die. This medicine should be illegal. Do yourself a favor and don't ever take this poison. | M | 36 | 3 years 2 1X D | 1/15/2012 | 4 | Anxiety disorder, racing thoughts | drowsiness | I have been using Ativan sice February 2010... and I ONLY USE IT WHEN I *REALLY* NEED IT... You can't let yourself depend on this drug or you will become addictive to it... The people who are writing bad things about Ativan obviously used it more then they should have... You have to take control of yourself and not let this drug take control of you... Addiction to drugs is NO FUN just remember that before you pop a pill!... | F | 42 | 10 months 0.5 mg 1X AN | 1/6/2012 | 1 | Anxiety | Loved it at 1st. Really helped... then... HELL. I was told ativan could be addictive. But I was very careful how I took it. I started having worse and worse anxiety bc of mystery symptoms appearing. This happened for 3.5 years! Bad crazy mystery symptoms! Finally a few months ago I had tolerance w/d! It was like someone opened the gates to Hell and kicked me in. You see.. since I was a yoyo user... I had been going through Benzo w/d off and on for 3.5 years! It also causes anxiety from hell withdrawaling. I had to reinstate the ativan and ween off if it over a 2yoyo month period. Im 50 days Benzo free and still suffering. It could take a year to heal. I was a fool. These pills will bite you in the butt one day guys... they are ONLY supposed to be prescribed for 2 weeks MAX! Thats how fast the gaba receptors gain a STRONG dependency! Do NOT take benzos! Its an epidemic! Drs are handing them out like candy! They say they are harmless. And they will deny you are going through w/d after 50 days clean. Its insane! Do your research folks! There's a 100+ page manual out there called the Ashton Manual how to get off these drugs. And lists over 270 w/d symptoms that can last for years! W/d symptoms wax and wane on and off... its hell. Anxiety, depression .. shocks ... insomnia ... twitching ... grrrrr! | M | 28 | 4 years .5mg-1mg | 12/17/2011 | 2 | BPD | Was advised to take this to calm me down during my extreme periods of impulsivity when required (also taking seroquel 300 mg and 150 mg daily). It didn't really have any calming effects for me, and made me vomit severely. I guess different things work for different people. | F | 25 | 1 days 2mg | 12/11/2011 | 3 | Anxiety | Cognitive dysfunction, memory issues, feeling "doped up". | I take Ativan only once a day, in the evening. Most times I take 1 mg., but occasionally 2. I'm presecribed 1 mg, 4x/day, but there's no way I could tolerate that. Like a lot of other people reviewing here, I enjoy the effects very much, but I'm concerned about the side-effects. I only take it in the evening to get myself ready for bed. In my history, night is when "the bad stuff happened", so when evening falls, the frequency and intensity of my stressful thoughts/morid scenarios, teeth grinding and tics go way up. The Ativan effect wipes all of that clean away and gets me in a nice mood to go to bed. It's difficult to say if it's only the Ativan that's causing me to have difficulty with my cognitive functions because I also take Trileptal (900 mg. 1 x day), which definitely exacerbates the situation. Unfortunately, I've tried life without either, and it's a difficult trade-off, as I'm sure most of you know. You take the side-effects so that you can function like a noral human being. Anyway...I'm very concerned about the addictive nature of Ativan, but at this point in life, the trade-off weighs in favor of not being in a highly agitated state 24 hours a day. The information contributed to this site has been very eye-opening, and I appreciate everyone's contribution. I wish you all the best. | M | 48 | 2 years 1 mg. 1X D | 12/10/2011 | 5 | None | M | 68 | 1MG 1X AN | 12/2/2011 | 3 | disturbed sleep pattern | staggering, drowsiness during day | Drs. here in MA are keen on prescribing SSRIS. IBS over last five years has always disturbed sleep, sometimes to intolerable degree. Last few months tougher than usual; also have plantar fasciitis, job hanging by a thread, dermatitis, etc. Past Rxs for Paxil, Remeron, Tradnazone: all nitemares. Rx for valium back in '70s--that helped me. I did have a dependency, but nothing serious. Averaging 3, 4 hrs of sleep--shitty sleep--for MONTHS. Dr. broke down & gave me one time rx for lorezapam. No dramatic change, but it is helping cut down pain & cramps, & of course, anxiety. | M | 59 | 2 days 1 mg P.M. 1X D | 11/30/2011 | 1 | For a severe panic attack | Racing heart, extreme body pain, blurred vision, extreme nausea, insomnia, jitteriness, suicidal thinking, shortness of breath, etc. | I was initially given Klonopin when I experienced a severe panic attack. My Dr. kept increasing the dosage of it when I did not improve. I got sicker and felt crazy! I was switched to Ativan as a "milder" choice. Ater 8 mos of taking 3 mgs of Ativan, split into 4 doses, my family insisted that I "detox" as I was threatening suicide on a regular basis. I was going to admit myself to a local psych unit, but no beds were available, so I started to reduce at home with help of my counselor, family, and psychiatrist. (I had to argue with my psychiatrist who wasn't sure I knew my own body well enough) I am on month 9 of my reductions and now only take 1/8 mg per day. My body is totally addicted to this med and punishes me with each withdrawal. I am very sick for at least a week until my body/brain adjust to the reduction. If I reduce by more than 1/4 mg, I fall apart! I lost a full year of quality living on this med. I realize now that had I been given holistic or cognitive methods to deal with the panic attacks, I would not have needed any meds. (I already take a low dose of Citalapragm for anxiety/depression) I would never recommend a benzo for anxiety usage. People may state they tolerate Ativan when they only use it occasionally, but I would say that if they ever tried to stop the drug, they would see how their body would rebel. I can't wait until I am totally free from it. My thinking has cleared and I can now function. I am still battling side effects wh | F | 56 | 18 months 3 mgs 4X D | 11/21/2011 | 1 | Anxiety | Without my being aware of the debilitating impact of this powerful BENZODIAZEPINE, I encountered LONG-TERM side effects, including SEVERE physical, cognitive & emotional impairment. Ativan potentially causes a PARADOXICAL effect....meaning that the reason you are taking it will actually become a PRIMARY symptom to dramatically worsen & complicate the situation. | RED ALERT: If I knew THEN what I know NOW, I NEVER would have taken Ativan. My psychiatrist neglected to inform me the important details of Ativan being potentially ADDICTIVE & HARMFUL after taking the LOWEST dosage for only 7-10 days. Ativan turned my life into a living hell on earth. Within a few short months of taking the smallest dose only as needed, my cognitive function became IMPAIRED to the point where I could not even recall my own telephone number. I am a professional writer and I literally could NO longer function....I was forced to stop writing, due to the damaging cognitive function. In addition, my outgoing personality & positive outlook on life radically changed before my very eyes. Suddenly, I became extremely anxious, irritable, violent, with unexpected rage, depression, suicidal & emotional unstable. The smallest amount of stress or difficulties would instantly send me into a hostile fit, breaking things & screaming like a lunatic. I HATED THE PERSON ATIVAN TURNED ME INTO!!!! My circumstance with Ativan became much more complicated because I was prescribed Cymbalta to treat Fibromyalgia. Without my knowing it, the two medications had SEVERE INTERACTIONS, which contributed to my dramatic change in personality, behavior & impaired cognitive function. In Oct 2010, during a horrifying taper off Cymbalta, I reached rock bottom & overdosed on Ativan. Quite frankly, I should be DEAD.....but by the GRACE OF GOD, I'M ALIVE TODAY T | F | 47 | 10 months 0.5 MG 2X D | 11/13/2011 | 5 | Anxiety | Light sedation | Helped with my anxiety attacks following a trauma. Nothing bad to say. The key to this drug is the AS NEEDED part, not gobbling it daily and then being shocked that it is addictive. | F | 44 | 2 months 1mg 1X AN | 11/11/2011 | 1 | uncle given it in er room | He died and had lung cancer,they gave to him because he was copding. | husband was also given iv for it it in er for breathing problems and went incoherent and sent on a breathing machine,this drug kills people luckily husband was ok.uncle wasnt i notice er with both of them wanted to know if they need a breathing machine would it be ok to hook them to one,now i think to myself,wtf they know its bad but 1 nurse told me its all the got in er room for lung situations thats bull in my opinion. | M | 69 | 1 days iv 1X D | 11/3/2011 | 1 | labrynthitis | At first, all I did was sleep. I was given this drug for labrynthitis, which it was found later I never had. The ent told me nothing about this med. Several times I did not take it to see how my labrynthitis was, I got extremely ill, but did not know it was due to withdrawal. After 6 weeks I was dependent but had to stop it for tests. I got deathly ill, shakes, couldn't walk without holding on to the wall, diarreah, anxiety, mood swings. | After 2 weeks off the drug, my doctor told me it couldn't be the withdrawal causing my issues and I was subjected to numerous tests which all came back normal. This started me on a downward spiral of being handed so many medications to deal with my "anxiety", with many horrific side effects. It wasn't until after much research and study that I found out my health problems were due to taking benzo medications. I am still in the healing process today, 20 weeks off benzos. | F | 61 | 6 weeks 1mg 2X D | 10/29/2011 | 1 | Insomnia | IBS,Parathesias & nerve pain,Cog Fog,weakness,memory problems,muscle cramps/spasms,urinary freq/incontinence,blurry vision,no saliva,anxiety,ear & sinus pain/pressure,hair loss | I was sent to many specialists and all tests came back normal. Not one doctor suspected the Ativan was causing all these symptoms. I found out through my own research, and also, that the same thing has happened to many other people. | F | 48 | 20 years .5 mg 1X D | 10/28/2011 | 5 | Panic attacks | Ativan is a fantastic drug. It calms you without knocking you out like Xanax. I take .5mg every night because I would have horrible panic attacks in the middle of the night, but none since I've been taking it. I have a severe dental phobia and took 2 mg yesterday at the dentist and was able to get a shot for the first time in ten years! I was not "out of it" just calm and able to get done what I needed to get done. I don't recommend driving on anything more than .5 mg because it does make you drowsy. This drug has been a life saver for me! | F | 49 | 2 years .5 1X D | 9/25/2011 | 5 | Agoraphobia, Emetophobia, OCD, PTSD | Drowsiness for the first week | Ativan is my LIFE SAVER! I had it for a few months just sitting in the bottle because i'm not a fan of taking meds as I am scared of side effects because of my emetophobia, but once I took it I was so glad I did! I had agoraphobia and was housebound for 2 years, I was taking 0.5 MG when I would have mild panic attacks at home, drowsiness was the only side effect I had, but after a week or so it went away. One day my family decided I needed to get help so they gave me 2 MG of Ativan and, after 2 years of not leaving my yard, I was able to drive myself to the hospital and check myself in to get therapy. That was 2 months ago, now I take 1 MG 3 times daily and I have not had a problem leaving the house since, its a miracle drug for me and I thank God for the doctor who prescribed it to me. I will take it daily for as long as I need to, until I feel comfortable without it through the help of therapy. People will try to tell you not to take it daily, but i'm here to say from experience it works and if thats what you need to live a fulfilled life go for it! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ATIVAN!!!! | F | 22 | 1 MG 1X D | 9/20/2011 History |