Has anyone tried Avitan??

Question

if so, any side effects?? did it work well?

Answer 1

Ativan ( Alzapam, Loraz, Lorazepam Intensol )
In Canada ( Apo-Lorazepam, Novo-Lorazepam, Nu-Loraz )

Ativan (Lorazepam) is an anti-anxiety agent (benzodiazepines,mild tranquilizer) used for the relief of anxiety, agitation and irritability, to relieve insomnia, to calm people with mania / schizophrenia and intravenously as a sedative and for nervous tension or to relieve anxiety prior to surgery. It has less of an effect on the liver than other benzodiazepines, making it better suited if you are taking birth control pills, anti-abuse drugs, propranolol, ulcer medications, or any other drug that affects the liver. Ativan (Lorazepam) may also be used to help in the prevention of severe alcohol withdraw symptoms (Delirium Tremens, or DTs), to treat amnesia, or in patients who are undergoing chemotherapy and have severe vomiting. It may be given to children to treat serial seizures by placing it under the tongue.
CLASS: 3-Hydroxy Benzodiazepine.
Generic name: Lorazepam.
Type: Anti anxiety, Sedative / Hypnotic.


Narcotics may increase the sedative effects of this drug. Do not take other sedatives, benzodiazepines or sleeping pills with this drug. The combinations could be fatal. Do not drink alcohol when taking any benzodiazepine. Alcohol can lower blood pressure and decrease your breathing rate to the point of unconsciousness.
The habit-forming potential of this drug is high. Do not stop taking this drug abruptly; this could cause psychological and physical withdrawal symptoms.

Do not take Ativan (Lorazepam) if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Do not take this drug if you are breast-feeding.

Do not give Ativan (Lorazepam) to anyone under 12 and only in small doses if over 60.

Do not use Ativan (Lorazepam) in these situations:

Answer 2

Ativan is part of the antianxiety group of meds called Benzodiazepines, which include the following;

Ativan (lorazepam)

Klonopin (clonazepam)

Librium (chlordiazepoxide)

Tranxene (clorazepate dipotassium)

Valium / Diastat (diazepam)

Xanax (alprazolam)

Primarily known as anti-anxiety medications and sleep aids, the benzos are actually anticonvulsants, and as such they do act as mood stabilizers. However, they are not a first-line mood stabilizer. They are weak ones at best, and their highly addictive nature and potential for abuse just don't make their case for them. Their big advantage is that they act quickly. If seizures or mania or anxiety are happening right now then a benzo is just the thing. They are often listed in the package inserts as the thing to administer in case of seizures caused by other meds, probably because someone is far more likely to have some Ativan on hand than some phenobarbital. They are not the best drugs in the world for long-term control of epilepsy or mania in of themselves, but they can be a good option for long-term control of anxiety if SSRIs or antipsychotics just won't work for you for whatever reasons. In the bipolar world, there is a downside to long-term use of benzos. Their long-term use aggravates depression, especially bipolar depression, which is just one more reason why they are not a good class of drugs for control of mania in of themselves.

For me all benzos are interchangeable, be they brand or generic, they all act exactly the same way; the first fifteen to twenty minutes they make me more nervous then they calm him down tremendously for six to ten hours before knocking him out. Even if I'm taking them to get my sleep cycle back in sync on the rare nights I don't pass out before 10:30 they still make me nervous at first. I find them to be mildly addictive and I'm over taking them daily after just a couple days of mildly annoying withdrawal symptoms. We're talking physical and psychological dependency on the level of a couple of espresso drinks a day. It really doesn't matter which one I take, they all act like that. But I am a freak and an exceptional case. Only on days when I'm really flipping out is there a difference, and that's a matter of dosage. Like on that day I needed most of a bottle of Valium (diazepam) to calm down. Or that one hospitalization in the 1970s (before there was such a thing as Ativan) where they just gave my shot after shot of diazepam to no effect.

Ativan (lorazepam). The fastest-acting of the bunch, and for even faster response you can put a tablet under your tongue. Ativan has practically no additional reported side effects, other than the usual temporary stuff you get from any medication (e.g. headaches, dizziness, tummy troubles). Just some liver and kidney problems, agitation and skin problems. That's it. Nothing freaky. Sorry. Plus of all the benzos it's the least likely to be abused and the easiest to discontinue. Dosage: For anxiety 2-3 mg a day, divided over two or three doses. For insomnia 2-4 mg taken at bedtime. The usual maintenance dosage is 2-6 mg a day, although it can vary from 1-10 mg a day, taken between two and four times a day. Ativan has a half-life of 16 hours. Wyeth-Ayerst.

Answer 3

when i was in college i had a lot of anxiety...i was in paramedic class and my teacher was a medical doctor...he prescribed me ativan to take as needed when my anxiety was high....it calmed me within prolly 10 minutes. it does work but i wouldn't recommend taking it as an everyday thing. there are other medications out there that can be used as long term medications, this is more for short term care and shouldn't be used on a daily basis. i hope this helps.....good luck to you!

Answer 4

Yes and I don't advise taking it. It is like alcohol, without the intense stupid/happy feeling, but twice as addictive. In fact they give it to people to get them off drinking so they don't die from a heart attack or seizure and then have to get them off the ativan, xanex, librium, or valium. All those drugs feel pretty much the same and do the same thing. I've seen people in rehab for those drugs. The doctor gave me some and at first they are great. The problem is after a while the prescribed dose doesn't work at all on your anxiety and you feel even more anxious, and pissed off unless you take more of the drug. I got up to taking 11 at once just to sleep and not feel sick. Trust me exercise will do you better. You can actually get so addicted to it that you can die without it or if you don't have a drink because the central nervous system freaks out. Remeber they have the same effect on the brain. I don't know about you but I think I will pass from now on! Take it from me my mother died in the hospital addicted to benzos with brain cancer just licking away at the benzo crumbs in a little plastic dose cup.