Is it OK to take Ativan with Lexapro?

Question

My mother in law was recently in an inpatient mental facility. The doctor they had on call was ignorant and was going to release her even though she was suicidal. We convinced him that it was not a good idea. Anyway, to summarize my question--he prescribed Ativan & Lexapro as well as a few other things. I thought that the two meds. had a counter-effect on each other, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas on this. Thanks!

Answer 1

They do not counteract one another. They complement one another. One is an anti-depressant and the other is an anti-anxiety medication. But if you are concerned over the quality of care and/or the appropriateness of the medications prescribed, it's probably a good idea to make sure she sees another psychiatrist upon release from the facility.

I am a little frightened that one of the people answering here is (or claims to be) an MD and they don't know that Ativan is one of the *least* addictive of all of the benzodiazepine family as far as the literature is concerned, not the *most* addictive :)

What concerns me more is that the doctor gave your mother in law a medication that she could overdose on. Please have someone in the family keep possession of her medications if they have any reason to suspect that she is still suicidal, because you can die of Ativan overdose.

Answer 2

Sometimes its hard to sleep at night when you first take Lexapro, so they give you Ativan to help sleep at night. Ask the doctor why the Ativan was prescribed. Was it for her to sleep better or for anxiety? It takes 2-6 weeks for the full effect of the Lexapro to kick in and the Ativan might just be a temporary thing. I would find it too sedating taking both on a regular basis, but many people do.

Answer 3

Ativan is kind of like Xanax, and the Lexapro is for depression & anxiety. For the past month I've been taking the Lexapro daily and the Xanax usually at night or if I start to feel anxious. The Ativan is supposed to be used "as needed" and if she takes the Lexapro long enough she probably will not want the Ativan any longer. That's what the docs did w/ me, they just give you the Ativan until you can get the full effects of the Lexapro. They are fine to take together, as long as you are taking them correctly and as prescribed!

Answer 4

Lexapro Interactions

Answer 5

Before taking this medicine

It is dangerous to try and purchase Lexapro on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. Medications distributed from Internet sales may contain dangerous ingredients, or may not be distributed by a licensed pharmacy. Samples of escitalopram purchased on the Internet have been found to contain haloperidol (Haldol), a potent antipsychotic drug with dangerous side effects. For more information, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or visit www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.
You should not use Lexaproif you are allergic to escitalopram or citalopram (Celexa), or if:
- you also take pimozide; or
- you are being treated with methylene blue injection.
Do not use Lexapro if you have taken an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, and tranylcypromine. After you stop taking Lexapro, you must wait at least 14 days before you start taking an MAOI.
To make sure Lexapro is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- liver or kidney disease;
- seizures or epilepsy;
- diabetes;
- narrow-angle glaucoma;
- heart disease;
- bipolar disorder (manic depression); or
- a history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts.
Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking an antidepressant. Your doctor will need to check your progress at regular visits while you are using Lexapro. Your family or other caregivers should also be alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.
Taking an SSRI antidepressant during pregnancy may cause serious lung problems or other complications in the baby. However, you may have a relapse of depression if you stop taking your antidepressant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant while taking Lexapro. Do not start or stop taking this medicine during pregnancy without your doctor's advice.
Escitalopram can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Lexapro should not be given to a child younger than 12 years old.


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Answer 6

lexapro is an antidepressant, ativan is an antianxiety medication. Many people take both. Ativan is given routinely to calm the nerves
If you h ave questions you should find a psychiatrist you trust and have your MIL evaluated. Also social workers or psychologist although they can not prescribe meds can help explain how some of the meds work.
Many times people need several different types of medications to even out their mind and body chemistry. It is really not unusual to take antidepressants and antianxiety meds together.
Many people with mental health issues will take 3 or more meds

Answer 7

It isn't recommended to mix those medications if you "just have a little bit of nerves" and are "kinda depressed."

SSRIs like Lexapro are cumulative medications that must be taken over time to achieve the desired effect. They're used to address depressive symptoms AND anxiety, but the effectiveness varies like crazy. I've heard that somewhere around 60% of people are actually helped by Lexapro.

Ativan is for severe anxiety usually (panic disorder). It's habit-forming and it works short-term. In my opinion and experience, it should only be taken as needed.

All that said, if your MIL is severely depressed with acute episodes of anxiety, it's absolutely appropriate for those two medications to be available to her. Just make sure she doesn't start forming dependence/tolerance on the Ativan, because that would create difficulty phasing it out in the future.

Answer 8

Lexapro is one of the brand names for cipralex an often used and fairly successful anti-depressant. Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam which is just about the most addictive of the benzodiazepine tranquilizers.

There is no specific problem in using the 2 drugs together as far as drug interactions are concerned, however many physicians, including myself, never choose to prescribe lorazepam.

Answer 9

Lexapro Drug Interactions

Answer 10

Maybe you should consult another doctor regarding with this for there are medicines that interact well with each other and there are some that do not. It is also for you to know if this medication is really safe to take together or it will be safe for the one who is going to take it.