Ativan

I have been on xanax 0.5 mg for about 8 months or so. i had my first panic attack in a long time about three weeks ago and since have been switched to ativan 0.5 mg 4x a day as well as an ssri. my question is what are the long term side effects of ativan, and how does it compare with xanax? i have been told it is exactly the same but lasts longer. any help would be appreciated.

Jay-
The long term side effects of Ativan is addiction to it. Unfortunately, when it was prescribed to me about 14 years ago because I was going through a difficult time, no doctor of mine ever questioned how long I was on it nor did they warn me that I could become addicted to it because of it being a minor tranquilizer. I found out that fact for myself about 3 years ago and tried to get off of it and I can't and I was only prescribed 1 mg. a day. I am now taking 2mg. a day and that barely takes care of my anxiety. I'm mad that the doctors didn't monitor me or at least offer me some long term relief for anxiety that wasn't addictive. I've been on xanax too and it does seem a little stronger than Ativan to me. According to the PDR's and other medical books, you're not suppose to be on any benzodiazepines for more than 3-4 months and here I am 14 years later STUCK! with it. What I suspect all along my problem was was a thyroid condition (which runs in my family) and unfortunately the doctors never tested me for any organic problem. They just wrote out a prescription and kept on writing to my detriment. At least you've only taken it for 8 months, you have a chance to look into alternatives. Like natural supplements to take or something else.

Best of health to you!

they started me off on o.5 too, twice a day, i been goin throgh a really bad tiem 4 the past three years. By Bf being in and out of jail, deaths in family, death of freinds, ect. my dr. up it to 1 mg 3 times a day and it dont do SHIT. i end up takin 5 and 6 a day and that keeps it down, but i wonder how long it gone be b4 that 5-6 becomes 7-8 and so on, what sould i do about this, i need something to calm my nerves and tension but it seems to be taking more and more of this to get the job done. i can take a couple and down 2 steel reserves and that really helps. but mixing it with alcohol isnt safe i know. my question is what is the best anti anxiety pill that i can take?

8Ball,
While I was checking out the Ativan forum, I saw an advertisement for a natural antidepressant/antianxiety supplement that wasn't habit forming and according to all the testimonials I read, it DOES work! I'm thinking about ordering it and trying it myself (who has been taking Ativan for 14 years) I tell ya, if it works for me then that's it for the Ativan. The website, if you're interested is: www.amoryn.com
I hope this helps you.

Take it easy.

Jane wrote:

8Ball,
While I was checking out the Ativan forum, I saw an advertisement for a natural antidepressant/antianxiety supplement that wasn't habit forming and according to all the testimonials I read, it DOES work! I'm thinking about ordering it and trying it myself (who has been taking Ativan for 14 years) I tell ya, if it works for me then that's it for the Ativan. The website, if you're interested is: www.amoryn.com
I hope this helps you.
Take it easy.

thanks a lot!:)

8ball - You're welcome, hope it works!

Jane wrote:

8Ball,
While I was checking out the Ativan forum, I saw an advertisement for a natural antidepressant/antianxiety supplement that wasn't habit forming and according to all the testimonials I read, it DOES work! I'm thinking about ordering it and trying it myself (who has been taking Ativan for 14 years) I tell ya, if it works for me then that's it for the Ativan. The website, if you're interested is: www.amoryn.com
I hope this helps you.
Take it easy.

let me know about that, please. I've been on ativan for about 5 years now, and if I miss even one day, I get the shakes and go into minor convulsions.
...no way to live!

love to hear from you

Taper and ride your bike like Forest Gump drink Lots of water .Believe in yourself that you can live with out drugs. Challenge yourself , Own your Problems and get rid of them No one else can

Peace Dan

My son just got out of re-hab for ativan addiction-he was on it for 7 years-It was pure hell ,even at a re-hab facility for him to kick it-The withdrwals,according to aphysician at the center,are worse than heroin withdrawals-He now must cope with post withdrawal effects of the drug-depression,psychosis,para noia,memory loss and severe agitation-He's 35 years old and has had to move in with us because of the after effects of a drug he was prescribed by a doctor and used exactly as directed-ThesE effects can last 6 months or longer according to his therapist-DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE UNLESS YOU WANT TO GO THRU HELL!!!!!!!He's going thru hell and so are my wife and I because of a drug he was told was harmless when first being prescribed by his "doctor". I recommended he talk to an attorney and hopefully ther's a way he can be compensated for his suffering!!!!!!!!!!

Reduce the intake gradually, say 0.5mg/week.

sdsdff

I have been taking ativan for 3mos. and it has been completely inneffective for me. I just didn't see anything in this forum that resonated with my experience, so I felt compelled to write. I hardly notice anything with my .5 dose and i am actually online tonight to look at an alternative like zoloft. I have an appt with my doctor next week and I want to tell him that the ativan is just not helping me at all. It had a 'placebo' affect at best for a few weeks, but now I don't even notice when I take it. But by the looks of the input on the zoloft forums, it just gets worse as you go down the rabbit hole. I wish I could just deal with my anxiety...

I've been on Ativan for just over a month now..5mg x2 is the script. I usually take .75mg (split the pills) in the morning, and don't really take it at night. It helps, my anxiety has me shaking 24/7. Is the real risk of addition in taking over a long time? I only have one more month of Rx...

i take 1 mg everyday for anxiety,, i bought like 100 in mexico..

I too suffered memory loss.

Is this the ermmm

No its gone

I took it for 3 or 4 years

U didn't want to be on it any more, but I had panic anxiety alot

I found that standard process a herbal pill made form the natural source of where Valium comes from help me even better then the ativan and its natural and organic
its called valerian
www.standardprocess.com
it works
Long term use of more then 6 months of ativan will harm your kidneys and your liver
This I know!!
Good luck now and only after 2 weeks I am free
Panic attacks and high anxiety is caused from not enough of the b vitamins in your body also calcuim this is what causes it.

Take their vitamins they work

I feel great!!!!! finally

http://www.standardprocess.com/mh_catalog_pro...

go to the valerian complex

well panic attacks are caused by a number of different things, thyroid , adrenaline disorders, and sometimes just your mind telling your body to produce adrenaline so....yea it could be from not enough vitamins but i seriously doubt it..Ive been on ativan for 3 months 90 a month and i can go a couple of days without it .. i do it on purpose to make sure im not getting addicted to it ... i feel you can be on it longer than 3 months if you monitor yourself to make sure you are not getting addicted...just wanted to put my input in

My neurologist prescribed ativan for my vertigo problem {manifestation of migraine?}, but last time I saw him and told him I had stopped taking it, he insisted I should increase the dose from 1/day {5 mg} to "2 or 3 a day." Having heard it was addictive I didn't think it was a good drug to use, and so far I've had no problems withdrawing from it. Plus, I don't believe it helped significantly in averting vertigo attacks. Ginger seems to work as well. My regular doctor told me to avoid taking valium {seldom} close to ativan as they're in the same family of drugs {ending in -zepam}.