Drug Ratings for ATIVANAverage Rating: 3.4 (576 Ratings)
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken from shortest to longest (with no time reported listed first) Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ATIVAN | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
  | F M | | | | |||
| 5 | Anxiety | NONE | WONDERFUL ANXIETY MEDICATION | M | 38 | 5 years | 5/9/2004 | 5 | anxiety | Drowsiness . Sometimes a morning hangover feeling. | I've taken ativan on and off for 5+ years on an | F | 53 | 5 years | 12/18/2004 | 5 | Severe Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia | No negative side effects. Does it's job. By the way...I take 2mg po tid. Sometimes I take 4mg po tid. It's VERY VERY safe. | I read these reviews & I'm beginning not 2 like this site. Just bc something doesn't work 4 u u shouldn't discourage other people from trying it. Every1 is different. I read a post where 1 person said she was allergic 2 valium & was given ativan instead & had an allergic reaction 2 that bc they r in the same family. But, guess what? I'm allergic 2 klonopin & take Ativan. The begging & pleading of people on here 2 get people 2 not try a med is pathetic & can be detrimental 2 1's health. Ur Dr obviously thinks a certain drug will work & outweighs the benefits & risks. Yes some may have side effects but, u have 2 try it 2 know. This med is EXTREMELY safe, save 4 the ones allergic 2 it. Overdosage is almost impossible & hospitals use it 4 just about EVERYTHING. Trust me I know. I'm a Med student. One KID got over 100mg & was fine. It calms U down however, it has no effect directly on ur cardiovascular or respitory systems. And it DOES stop racing thoughts. After 5 years of SEVERE panic attacks 2 the point of calling an ambulance twice a day EVERY day, it is the ONLY drug that does that. Ativan is a miracle drug. Shame on any1 who tries 2 deter u from help. If u can't take it fine...Move on 2 something else...Don't scare people off of meds. U r NOT a DR & know nothing about any1 else or their medical history.U just have 2 keep trying different meds 2 find out which 1 is 4 u & the 1s that r not 4 U doesn't mean they r not 4 some1 else | F | 29 | 5 years | 10/3/2009 | 5 | Anxiety/Panic Disorder | I been on ativan/Lorazepam which is the generic version of ativan. I been taking 4 mg's a day 2 when i wake up 2 when i go to bed. side EFFECTS : short term memory loss, pains in heart not saying the drugs doesnt work but its very addicting if taken to much wouldnt recomend upgrading/downloading the dose without medical advise | I started a anxiety/ panic disorder charity if u need help u can visit www.usanxietystressnetwork.org good luck everyone | M | 33 | 5 years | 8/6/2008 | 5 | insomnia, anxiety, depression | none | This was a wonder drug for me and I slept good without waking up in the night with fears and anxiety. I have had to increase the dosage over time and the doctor is concerned and wants to switch me to xanax. | M | 76 | 5 years | 5/5/2008 | 5 | Panic Attacks | I only experienced negative effects in the first few months - sleepy, sluggish - until the right dose was created for me. Other than that....nothing. | Wonderful! I had panic attacks for 4 years, everyday. I tried everything - exercise, meditation, psychologist, breathing exercises, support groups..nothing worked. I had no idea why the attacks were happening. Then I read a book on anxiety, and learned about medications to control it. I really didn't want to go that route, but talked to my doctor. We tried Effexor, which didn't work and I had bad side effects. Then we tried Ativan. 5 years later, I am still on it. I take 2mg a day. I don't even notice that I am on it. No side effects at all - unless you count not having panic attacks. I have experimented a few times by not taking it (to see if I still needed to be on it), and the attacks come back. I carefully have it controlled with my doctor - and my life is amazing. I can go out with friends, visit family, work well at the office - not having severe panic attacks. | F | 35 | 5 years | 12/28/2008 | 5 | Epilepsy | Drowsiness, slight fogginess | I've not had any problems with this medication and have been prescribed everything from 2 mg every day to taking the medicine just as needed. I've not had any withdrawal symptoms, but I've generally tried to take one day off a week of this medicine to keep from building tolerance. It helps stop the seizures, but doesn't cure them. | F | 31 | 5 years .5 2X D | 4/19/2013 | 4 | anxiety, panic attacks | nothing, other than puts me to sleep | Even though I don't take it for sleeping problems, I can always count on a thorough sleep when I take one. I sleep longer than 4 hours and awake more refreshed than normal. I don't take it regularly, only when needed and usually 30 tablets last me over a year. | F | 52 | 5 years | 9/29/2005 | 4 | Fibrpmyalgia | Take it 1/2 hour before bedtime so the only effect is a brain fog in the morning. Am fine by noon of the next day. | I am allergic to aspirin (ASA)so Ativan is the only thing that helps stop or slow down my musle spasms when they flare. Particularly when I get them in my chest plate. I only take it when absolutely needed which translates to approximately 1 (.5mg) pill a month. Sometimes 2 a month. | F | 47 | 5 years | 10/20/2006 | 4 | GAD | Terrible withdrawal symptoms after stopping cold turkey. diarhea,stomach pain, horrible back pain, panic attacks and could not sleep for 17 days. | Other than the withdrawal symptoms, this medication is great and I got so addictive to it, that I would I am not ever planning to go off of it, not after trying to quit unsuccessfully for the past 5 years. | F | 34 | 5 years | 7/15/2006 | 4 | Bipolar Disorder-Aggitation-Anxiety | Calming, euphoric, dizziness, very comfortable, sleepy, vision disturbance, | Works quickly and even quicker if left to absorb under the tongue. I am supposed to take 1/2 mg 2 x a day whi I rarely have to. But, This drug is great to have on hand for Bipoars in mixed states to calm anxiety and increase resistance to irrational thinking and ideas. | F | 40 | 5 years 1 2X D | 3/27/2010 | 4 | Anxiety | Sleepiness & Lack of Concentration | I've been taking Ativan (1 mg 3X/day)for 5 years. I was previously on Xanax (2 mg 3X/day) and it stopped helping so my doctor switched me to Ativan and it has done wonders ever since. It helped with the anxiety and allowed me to sleep better at night. I did not experience too many side effects...just sleepiness and occasional lack of concentration. I recently decided that I do not want to take it anymore because my husband and I would like to have a baby in the near future. I decided to wean myself off of ativan 3 weeks ago. I started by taking just 1 mg/day for the first week, then dropped to .5 mg/day for 3 days, then down to .25 mg 1X/day and then .25 every 2 days. I stopped one week ago. I went to my dr. because I was worried about the withdrawal symptoms. He put me on Celexa (10 mg 2-3X/day). The first few days I felt very anxious, very sensitive to noises and light, weakness, insomnia, heart palpitations, shakiness and restless legs. I am on day 7 and much of this has gone away. The Celexa has helped quite a bit. Overall it really wasn't that bad. I feel so much better now. I have more energy during the day and feel good overall. After reading other peoples' comments, I thought that sharing my experience would help others who are trying to stop taking it to be encouraged vs. deterred by the bad experiences. I hope this helps and good luck! | F | 29 | 5 years 3X D | 4/7/2010 | 4 | claustrophobia on airplanes | Well, I expected to feel sleepy, and I was def hungover the next day. Constipation short term also. | My mother took ativan and it was bad for her. She was 70. | M | 55 | 5 years 10 4X D | 10/17/2010 | 3 | anxiety | M | 35 | 5 years | 8/14/2004 | 1 | anxiety | dry mouth, drowsiness, insommnia, impaired gait and falling, paranoid behaviours, addiction, urinary incontinence, poor judgement skills | My 80 year old father is on this drug. I have been a hospital nurse for many years and am aware of the uses for ativan. It is usually meant for short term use and in controlled setting, and NOT for the elderly! I have been trying for years to get him off. Last year he began to fall quite a bit and I worked with a pharmacist friend to wean him down. He had been taking 1 mg, 4 to 5 times a day. I had NO cooperation from his family doctor. Not surprising. My father was also not pleased, but since at this point I was picking up and dispensing his meds and bringing them to his home, he had no choice but to take what I gave. He has now been in hospital for a week after another fall. He can hardly walk and is extremely paranoid. His doctor has now agreed to wean him off onto something else, with my insistence, and, under recommendations from our pharamacist. If the doctor does not follow through I will go to our Chief of Staff. Unbelieveable. My father made this decision years ago to take something for his anxiety, and now I am left picking up the pieces...... With God's help, we WILl perservere!!!!!!!!. | F | 54 | 5 years 1 mg 3X D | 6/2/2010 | 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 | 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 | Worked fine at first, but tolerance quickly sets in! Spent a few years thinking I was going crazy, only to find out that interdose withdrawal and tolerance brought on the worst anxiety I have ever experienced along with a ton of other side effects! It took me over 2 years to withdraw and every step of the way was HELL! Do not take!!! Do not take ANY type of benzodiazepine as they all work the same way!!! | I lost 5 years of my life!!! A few months of relief at the beginning is not worth many years of a totally ruined life!!! Do not take!!! | F | 54 | 5 years 1mg 3X D | 7/27/2011 | 5 | Anxiety..Clinical Depression | None | It gave me back my life..a wonderful drug..like a pillow and comforter in the middle of a war zone..I can cope again..this drug saved my life! | M | 45 | 6 years | 7/8/2006 | 5 | Anxiety, IBS,Panic Attacks and HBP | None.....Miracle drug...onset of 20/30 minutes, peak of 1 to 3 hrs...it will erase your memory if u take it in large doses...made that mistake once..Been on and off of it since 2001. I don't get addictive to it. I only take .05 2 x a day for controlling High Blood Pressure, Anxiety and IBS..I sometimes can get away with breaking the 0.5mg down into 4 equal doses..READ ALL COMMENTS>>>>>>>>>> | GREAT FOR INSOMNIA......Great for Manic stages of Bi-Polar..It's really is the only drug I can take without any side effects..I cannot even take asprin without feeling it..I have OCD and have severe sensitivity to meds, this one is great.. | M | 37 | 6 years | 6/29/2007 | 5 | Anxiaty and Panick attacks, OCD | Drowsyness | Was first given in ER for panick attacks. Then by script from doctor. Works great to take that edge off without being so powerfull like Xanex. I take it when needed mostly at night to help me rest, it quites my mind down. | F | 43 | 6 years | 2/3/2005 | 5 | panic disorder | You can experience withdrawal symptoms and mistake them for a panic attack. Ativan does induce sleep. | Ativan is a god send. It stopped my panic attacks in their tracks when I first got them. Now I take Ativan as needed, maybe 0.5 mg once per day, if at all. Never take Ativan the day you intend to have a drink, it puts you over the edge. You might be surprised but 0.5 mg of Ativan is very effective. | M | 56 | 6 years | 7/20/2007 | 3 | Adult on-set Cervical Dystonia | Walking,Pharmaceutical junkie. Lights on but no one home. Fell asleep driving home from work. I was very self-absorbed, I had nothing to offer via conversation except my own medical woes. Oh & I lost my appetite which made me gradually lose weight to the point I looked Anorexic. | My Cervical Dystonia hit me like a ton of bricks July of 2004. I felt funny in my neck area starting in January 2004, 6 months prior to full blown Dystonia. I ended up in Emergency where I was diagnosed by a Neurologist who had me doing various tests to get more data. I wasn't able to see a Neurologist who specialized in Movement Disorders for awhile so while I waited, my family Doc. prescribed me Flexeril (20mg 3x/day)& Ativan (2mg 3x/day). I was on Ativan for 6 years @ that dosage. Last year I managed to cycle that down to 1mg 3x/day & recently I've lowered it again to .5mg/.5mg/1mg per day. I must say I can't believe the difference. It's like coming out of a fog. The withdrawls have quite a few of the same side effects of Ativan, but I have some withdrawls that are worse. Like abdomen dystension, I look pregnant!! It's horrible. I look at food & my stomach automatically goes to "auto-pilot". I have terrible grinding and clenching issues & my teeth are becoming an unwilling casuality. I hate this drug & I can't wait to be done with it. | F | 38 | 6 years 60 mg/day 6X D | 7/19/2010 | 2 | anxiety disorder | I have been on the medicine for alot of years. My tolerance went up so I asked my Dr. for more. After 4mg I was told I was at the maximum dose. I went to rehab. I could not feel normal while off ativan. I was a Zombie. I shook all of the time after weeks of being off it. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. Eventually the Dr's took pity and put me on Klonopin. I felt relaxed but I was not functioning at 100%. Eventually I quit Klonopin and went back to Ativan. I was never 100% on this drug and got hurt at work twice in one day. Now I have no job. You can't tell people about your psyche meds because of the stigmatism related to such a revalation. I remain addicted to Benzo's without any hope of not using again. What the hell do I do now? I've tried detox 3 times and failed each time because my reaction was so severe that the Dr.'s felt the only humane thing to do was to put me back on them. I have sufferred the withdrawls from this medication and I can't get off. I hope you | M | 46 | 6 years | 9/19/2007 | 1 | Dr. prescribed for IBS | Foggy brain, depression, gastrointestional problems. My doctor was in idiot | I would not recommend this medication for IBS. I was terribly depressed from this medication, so I was put on anti-depressants... my stomach hurt worse, I could not think straight. It did, however, help with the anxiety after my dad died. I never felt addicted to this, and did not take it to get a high, or low, or whatever. I titered myself off over a period of 2-3 weeks, first cutting my dosage in half, for a week to ten days, then, into quarters for around 3-4 days. I still have 30 pills left, and no desire to take any. I will keep the pills for when I fly, as I am terrified of flying. My dosage was 1mg 4 times a day. There were no withdrawl symptoms, other than getting "hot" in more ways than one, once in awhile. When taking this medication, if I didn't take it on time, I would feel the need to take it. Quite frankly, I was shocked I didn't have any withdrawl symptoms. Best of luck to those of you quitting this medication, and to those of you who still take it. Like I ment | F | 51 | 6 years | 5/17/2007 | 1 | insomnia and anxiety | After 5 years at the same dose, I began to unknowingly experience tolerance withdrawal. No doctor I went to could figure out what was wrong with me. I was sick for one year until a therapist finally figured it out. | I was precribed this drug for six years without being told it is addictive and builds tolerance. When I tried to get off it in a reasonable amount of time, over several weeks in detox, I had a complete physical and mental breakdown. I had to reinstate and am now coming off it at such a slow pace, it will take years to get off. This drug should never be prescribed for longer than 2 weeks, EVER. | F | 48 | 6 years | 4/11/2005 | 5 | depression and severe panic attacks | When I first started taking Ativan, the only side affect I experienced was getting drowsy. Now I don't have any side effects from it. | The drowsiness side effect only took place during the first few weeks of taking Ativan. From personal experience, be careful about taking cough and cold medicines with Ativan, because the side affects from the other medicines will be twice as bad. Or maybe that is just me... Anyways, the anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, are because I have a hard time dealing with my disabilty, and perhaps partially because I have problems with my spinal cord. (Ankylosing Spondylitis with Osteoporosis, and suspecting also Stenosis). I find Ativan to be a safe drug, and non habit forming even if taken on a regular basis, but it may be habit forming for other people. If I can always forget to take them, that must mean that I am not addicted to them. I was first perscribed .5mg, 3 times a day, now I am pescribed 1mg, 3 times a day. Ativan has kept me out of the emergency room from having severe panic attacks, and it also keeps my AFIB-RVR heart condition in check. I think Ativan has been a life save | M | 35 | 7 years | 9/17/2006 | 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 | 4 | meniere's disease and anxiety | minor dry mouth, fasciculations and numbness in feet upon discontinuation if used for a few days in a row. Some rebound effects, insomnia and anxiety. | taken on as needed basis. Always have been reluctant to use, but the drug just plain helps. There are periods of several weeks where I don't use it at all. I have 2 mg tabs, but general dosage has been .5 to 1 mg only as needed. There have been two or 3 occasions of perhaps near panic episodes where I'd need 2 or 3 mgs. | M | 57 | 7 years | 6/3/2005 | 4 | Agoraphobia,Severe Panic Disorder | The only side effect I get is tired.And Occasionally dry mouth. But if I know I'm getting low on them I FREAK out | Ativan has helped me deal with situations that I would never do.I have been on it for 7 long years and have gone from .5mg once a day,to 3mg once a day or as needed. I am scared shitless of the things I hear about the WTD's.What do I do if I suddenly need to detox? How in the world does someone go through all of that pain? I already have severe spinal problems and take Lorcet for that and have done REAL well not taking anymore than I need, usually take less for fear of getting to addicted to that too.Maybe someone out there can tell me whats next.Because I am a total basketcase when it comes to even thinking I may need to get off of Ativan. | F | 33 | 7 years | 11/18/2007 | 4 | anxiety | could only take .5 mg tabs. 1 mg tabs were too strong and I felt like I was a zombie | F | 44 | 7 years | 3/24/2003 | 4 | Anxiety | I have had no side effects | I have been taking 0.5mg for about 7years with no problems,but I never thought about any problems getting off it if I wanted to. I have heard that on this small a dosage there should be no major withdrawl problems, does anyone out there know if this is true, I've read alot on this and it seems like the worst withdrawal side effects are from people who have taken very large doses for a long time. Any info would be greatly appreciated. | F | 60 | 7 years | 2/22/2008 | 4 | Insomnia | 90% of the time this drug works very well for me. I can actually get 5 to 7 hours of sleep. Had to increases dosage, but still find that 10% of the time, it does not help me sleep. Still, am satisfied with this drug and have experienced no side effects. | F | 60 | 7 years | 7/9/2008 | 2 | Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder | In the beginning I only experienced drowsiness... Now I believe I am experienceing withdrawals. | I gave a good rating on Ativan about 6 months ago, and since then I found enough proof that I could be having withdrawals from dependency, tollerance, and or addiction. I was always told that I have panic attacks everday, and I used the ativan to stop the panic attacks, over a period of 7 years. Turns out that after researching Ativan withdrawals, it can cause panic and anxiety withdrawals, which would resemble the actual panic attacks. I am also losing my memory, concentration, and going through confusion, panic and anxiety like symptoms every single day. I have many other symptoms of withdrawals too. So I am left with a choice, continue the Ativan at a higher dosage, or switch to a longer lasting benzo, or try to get off of them period. I want to get off of them or at least try. | M | 35 | 7 years | 1/14/2007 | 5 | Anxiety, Sleep disordersr | blurred vision when exceed 1.5mg dose, blurred vision above this dose did go away after a couple of days | This has been a wonder drug for me. If you take these drugs, one thing you should try is to keep a dose on you. In your wallet, or purse, you'll be amazed how often you DON'T take it. Just knowing it's there is enough. Remember it takes about 3 to 4 days for this drug to get out of your system. I try to never, ever, take it more than twice a week. I noticed that if I don't take it more than twice a week, I never have withdrawl symptoms. I usually take it before speaking engagements, or just really stressful days, or when i need to go to sleep. This medication is like any other drug, its great at what it does, just don't abuse it. I've never tried the taking it every day, and I hope I never have to. | M | 32 | 8 years 1 to 1.5mg 1X D | 5/12/2010 | 5 | Insomnia, Restless Leg Syndrome | None | I love this pill. I always had trouble sleeping. Not only would I 'turn myself around' but I would sometimes get no sleep once I was too turned. I was originally prescribed this for anxiety and immediately noticed how great it was for sleeping. It is stupendous for sleeping. It helps me get to sleep and I don't wake up with any groggy feeling or side effects. I have never had a problem with needing a higher does, and .5 DOES work, like clockwork, every night. Plus it is wonderful to have on hand for the occasional anxious day. My mom had real trouble with Ambian and Lunesta - why take those when this is available. The only problem with this pill is getting it. I don't know why but all doctors are hysterical about it and my pharmacy is too. Don't dare lose any pills down the sink my pharmacy will call the DEA if I show up 2 days early for a refill. | F | 38 | 8 years .5mg 1X D | 9/4/2010 | 5 | Panic attacks and Bi-Polar | None.....Im hypersensitive to meds and this one is Great, take 3mg a day for the last 8 years, no increases | Not addictive, I have went a year or so inbetween the eight years I have been on this drug without it. I use to only take it when I needed it, now all the docs want me to take it 3 times a day so I don't feel the anxiety for 30 or so mins...Love this meds, it stopped the Er visits and cutting and burning and bad tempers.....all the bi-polar meds are bad.. | M | 38 | 8 years | 6/13/2008 | 5 | Anxiety, AM panic attacks, insomnia | Nothing major | I've been taking Ativan for a number of years and it is the only medication of its category that did not make me dizzy, sluggish, zombie-like. I take 1 or 2 mg. once or twice a day, or sometimes only at night to sleep, or only in the morning when my anxiety/panic is at its worse. I'd be lost without this drug. | F | 66 | 8 years | 12/29/2008 | 5 | anxiety related to PTSD | None. Not at all addictive. | This is a fabulous medication. When that intensity starts to crank up I can take one of these pills and be pulled back to reality w/ in 20 minutes. I have taken up to 2 mg/ day but have over the last year gotten down to a couple pills / week. Average 1x / week for trouble sleeping and 1x for anxiety. | F | 33 | 8 years | 7/19/2005 | 5 | Anxiety | Slight euphoria, but nothing serious unless you take substantially more than you should. | Ativan has to be one of the best anti-anxiety drugs going. It works every time, it doesn't have many negative side effects for me (and I'm mister experience all side effects usually). However, you have to be careful coming off of it as it doesn't like letting go. This is one seriously difficult drug to stop cold turkey. Just reducing it by half a mg took me three months, any quicker and I'd really notice it. | M | 44 | 8 years | 5/25/2007 | 5 | anxiety | i feel like im on uh tropical vacation every day | its awesome! the best! my computer could get stolen from the little guys in my closet and i proly wouldnt even care....ahhhhhhhhh | M | 30 | 8 years | 1/23/2010 | 4 | anxiety/panic...agoraphobia | after several years, I have noticed some memory loss, but I have no idea if that is due to this drug or not. | prozac, zoloft, etc, etc, etc, didnt' work...Ativan has always helped. I've taken it for 8 years as needed and have not noticed any addictive traits. After a few years I did change from .5 mg to 1 mg. Tried it on a daily basis and it didn't seem to do anything, but it's still great on an 'as needed' basis. | M | 34 | 8 years | 11/13/2006 | 1 | panic attacks, anxiety | tired, memory problems. during detox: psychosis, electric shocks. | Bad bad bad. It has taken 8 years of my life. Went through detox, which was absolutely horrible. When I took this drug for the first time, I thought that it was going to save me from feeling miserable. Well, in the long run, it really doesn't. | M | 28 | 8 years 3-4 mg 2X D | 6/1/2010 | 5 | Panic/anxiety/post traumatic stress | none | I was "normal" until a series of very serious events took over my life, I have not been the same since. Ativan keeps me feeling "normal" again and I can work and be social without anyone knowing I have this going on. I wish I didn't need it, but I do, and thank you God for having it available or I would not be here today. | F | 59 | 9 years 1 mg. 4X D | 8/30/2010 | 5 | Anxiety, Panic Attacks, PTSD | Sleepiness sometimes | I have been on Lorazepam 9 years. I have maintained the same dose and don't feel addicted although I probably am. Without it I would never leave the house or be able to function due to very high anxiety and panic attacks. I take 2- 2 mg tabs a day with one as a prn. I feel calm and it has been a good drug for my Anxiety disorder. | F | 44 | 9 years | 10/6/2007 | 4 | gen anx, insomnia, acute panic | Memory loss if I took more than prescribed, somnolence, loss of appetite. When I was on this medication I also had a recurring dream in which I was drinking a bottomless glass of water all night, and I have known others this has happened to. | I have taken this intermittently since I was 17. I found that I needed a higher dose than indicated (7 mg or so) in order to combat anxiety. This drug is powerful and a godsend for people who suffer acute anxiety attacks, but is dangerous because it's easy (and fun) to use recreationally. I've also taken a dose and then taken another dose either because the first hasn't kicked in yet, or doesn't seem to be working. What I found most dangerous about this drug is that I don't feel high or aware that I'm altered or acting oddly. Do not drive while on this drug, even if you feel safe doing so, and taking other depressants can really zonk you out, or kill you. In my experience, taking way too much of this drug can result in extreme agitation, panic, hallucination (not the fun kind), depersonalization, suicidal urges and almost violent extreme emotions and actions. | F | 25 | 9 years | 9/2/2006 | 5 | Aniexty | none | works great! | F | 51 | 10 years 2X D | 5/9/2012 | 5 | anxiety | none | been on it for years. makes the difference between me wanting to slap someone and not doing it lol. just mellows me out, helps if I get panicy, take before going to parties and places where I have to deal with people.use mostly to sleep, take during the day as needed. excellent drug in my opinion | F | 54 | 10 years | 2/1/2005 | 5 | episodes of anxiety, insomnia | Occasional reduction of appetite if I use it more than 3 times per week. | This is a WONDERFUL drug when used responsibly! I've been taking 0.25 to 0.5 mg 1-2 times per week, before bed ONLY, if I'm too anxious to sleep. Before this drug, I had terrible bouts of insomnia that would leave me unable to function or go to work. Something would stress me out, causing intense anxiety, and then I wouldn't sleep. Then I'd start worrying about not sleeping, and this vicious cycle of anxiety/insomnia would get a hold on me. It was ruining my life! Thanks to ativan, I don't have to worry about anxiety affecting my sleep anymore, so I've stopped obsessing about it. If I am too anxious to sleep, I know I can take a pill...and just knowing I can take ativan makes me relax enough to sleep (so I often don't even need to take it). This drug has developed a terrible reputation because many people don't use it RESPONSIBLY. They take too high a dose and use it too often. I take it responsibly: low doses used only a few times a week, with breaks in between. I'm really sorry this | F | 44 | 10 years | 6/11/2008 | 4 | Anxiety | Panic Attacks, Insomnia, Anxiety | Be VERY careful taking this medication. It is highly addictve. If you take it long term, be weary of how you stop taking it. The withdrawls are AWFUL. | F | 42 | 10 years | 10/1/2008 | 4 | anxiety, spastic colon | Took this medicine for over 10 years. Thought it was a miracle drug. Worked for me for years. Then, started having problems about 3 years ago on a permanent basis. Went to many doctors to find out what was wrong. TMJ dentist for teeth grinding, Neurologist for muscle tremors, ENT doctor for ear ringing and pulsative tinnitis, and sinuses stopping up at night; 2 expensive MRI's that were normal. Cardiologist for heart palpatations, General Practitioner for insomnia and felt like I was either getting an ulcer or spastic colon, and of course the Psychiatrist. Have neck/facial tremors/spasms constantly, constant ear ringing, caused pulsative tinnitus, rapid heartbeat, memory loss, trouble concentrating, irritability and extreme insomnia. Got to a point where I was taking 1 mg in morning and 1 mg at night. This isn't even the normal dosage, but was having all these side effects. Had severe anxiety and shaking when I didn't take dose on time and couldn't sleep. | Now I have been on the 'Ashton' slow taper down program for about 2 months. Keep a journal of all I do and medicine I take every day to try to figure out a pattern. Still in the process of just switching from ativan to diazepam and getting the dosage equal. 1 mg ativan is about equal to 10 mg diazepam, which is a generic 'valium', but I have found that for some it is more. Lost 10 lbs. Still have hope that this program will work even if it takes me over a year to get off. Will probably always need some type of medicine for anxiety back up, but DO NOT take this medication every day. YOU WILL GET ADDICTED AND WITHDRAWAL IS HORRIBLE! I HOPE to get off of this medicine and only take maybe diazepam or maybe .25 mg of ativan only in specific situations of panic/anxiety, but not regularly. If you take it regularly you better have faith in God because if you don't you will see no reason to continue living when you become tolerant. Honestly, a lot of psychiatrist don't even realize the ad | F | 50 | 10 years | 12/30/2008 | 4 | anxiety | sleepiness, addiction It really helped me for what I was taking it for but it was very difficult to stop. | I started taking this drug about 10 years ago to help with some pretty bad anxiety and depression I was having at the time. I started taking a 1mg dose twice a day 1 in morning and 1 before bed. I tapered myself down to .5mg twice a day and then finally was able to get off it for about 3 months this year. I just started taking it in .5mg doses again due to the anxiety and depression resurfacing after 10 years. I dont know if its coming back because I got off the medicine or just that I am having a relapse but I have to honestly tell you that those years in between when I was taking it were the best years of my life. Just be VERY careful not to take this in larger doses. | M | 30 | 10 years | 6/3/2007 | 4 | bipolar/schizo | Works well for treating PSYCHOSIS. My doctor prescribes me Lorazepam for shizoprenia, it works better then all those harsh antipsychotics. My doctor does not prescribe me those anymore. I have been out of the hospital for three years. | Make sure the doctor prescribes you the Generic form called Lorazepam, its cheapier and has the same effectiveness. Ask the pharmacist for the cheapier Generic form chemical name (Lorazepam) | M | 33 | 10 years | 5/18/2007 | 4 | anxiety | Not sure of any - maybe slight memory loss (but I can't remember) :) | Works well. Take about 0.5 mg to 1mg/day when anxious. I stop taking it for 2 to 4 day stretches at a time with next to no side effects. | M | 54 | 10 years | 10/5/2006 | 4 | Anxiety | Forgetfulness, Sometimes Foggy and loss of short term memory. | At first, this drug was awesome. It is still the ONLY thing that makes the panic attacks go away, but trying to come off of this drug after 10years.........WOW.....hard is an understatement. | M | 44 | 10 years 2 MG 1X D | 1/15/2013 | 3 | Generalized Anxiety Disorder | Have been taking for more than a decade, my medical records don't go back further than that. Have since been told I was mis-diagnosed and have BPD and have to go in hospital next week for rapid detox off the Ativan before I can begin the appropriate medication! Am very fearful............. | I currently take 2 mgs. 4 x a daily, and have been taking Ativan for more than 10 years, probably closer to 15. | F | 45 | 10 years | 5/27/2005 | 1 | panic attacks, anxiety, depression | Seemed like a miracle drug for 9yrs! Went from .25mg to 4mg; Helped me sleep, interact socially and removed my panic attacks with hardly any side effects. Coming off this drug and the damage it does mentally and physically is a whole different story: Cold sweats, severe shakes, confusion, mood swings(mostly anger), suicidal, flu like symptoms, respiratory problems, sensitivity to light(seriously), delirium, pulmonary edema and a host of other problems which doctors treated as different illness with more drugs. If I had the chance to do it over again knowing the outcome, I'd take a bullet before using this medication. In times of need the use of "Calms Forte" made by Hylands which is not addictive and non-prescription seems to work. I used the non-addictive prescription drug "Vistaril" to help overcome the addiction to ativan. It won't remove the wilthdraw symptoms but numbs the effect a little. | Make sure you understand this medication is highly addictive and is easily missed due to high physical addictiveness and less on the mental side. If you told me 9yrs after taking this medication that it was possible I was addicted, I would have laughed and said "impossible, It saved my life!". Amazingly it took me that long to understand I was, and 3yrs later the destructiveness these medications took on my mind and body are still present. The withdraw symptoms are intense, and in my case it was seen as other mental illnesses; Bi-polar, schizo-effective, schizophrenia. If your agitated and can't sleep after stopping this medication your addicted, get help immediately. The only miracle this drug offered was surviving it! | M | 35 | 10 years | 1/2/2008 | 5 | Anxiety | None | After reading some of the silly comments regarding Ativan, it appears that people who claim to have bizarre experiences with this drug probably need to address some issues that Ativan will not help them with. To them I say "Get help now."" Having said that, I've been on this med for 10 years, no side effects, works like a charm, not to difficult to wean off of IF you follow the proper tapering method. DO NOT stop taking this drug cold turkey under any circumstances (the backlash effect is pretty bad). I've run out a few times, and it's not pleasant. Great medicine, highly recommended. | M | 52 | 11 years | 12/24/2008 | 4 | Anxiety | None. | I've been taking Ativan for 11 years, 3 to 4 mg per day. It has always helped me with anxiety and at the start it helped me sleep. After 2 months I was having trouble sleeping again. The Ativan has been my little friend for a long time now. I too have run out from time to time and agree it is one of the most excrutiating experiences I've had. At first you think, "Oh I can make it a week" then like someone is tightening a violin string in your body you slowly descend into hell. After 2 days and sleepless nights I had to get to the emergency room where I was given an Ativan and ten minutes later I'm perfectly fine. I am now more frightened of running out than any of the anxiety I ever suffered from. Please don't think I didn't suffer either. Since that time I've really tried to wean myself to a point where I wasn't so dependant on them only to fail every time. Someone previously wrote that when she tried to go without her anxiety came back. Well, of course, however, it's not th | M | 38 | 11 years | 12/30/2008 | 5 | GAD / Panic Attacks | None. | Love ativan. It's like taking a Tylenol for a headache. Within 20 minutes, I am less anxious and whatever was getting me all keyed up seems less intense and more manageable. The only problem is that over time, this medication begins to lose some of its effects and you have to increase your dose. So I keep it as a "fallback drug" - only to be used when the regular meds aren't working so I don't have to become increasingly dependent upon it. I have been taking this med off and on since 1996. | F | 32 | 12 years | 9/12/2008 |