Ativan: I honestly cannot recall feeling so relaxed in years

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or sleeping so soundly in years. Yes, I know there is a downsize to Ativan (Lorazepam) and most other benzodiazepines. I realize that most recommendation are that they should be not used for periods longer than a few months. But clearly for the acute onset of serious anxiety - they have their place. They have more than once snapped me out of a very bad place.

I had not used a single one since my mother died in 1997 - But something built up inside of me just recently and they worked like magic. I am anxious to hear my psychiatrist's plan for establishing me on a more longterm anxiety management regiment. In the mean time - thank God for Ativan. It is not a long term solution - But it can be a very big help when needed.

I am consistently prescribed Valium, its certainly been more than a couple of months I've had it prescribed though gotta talk to my psychaiatrist since I have no refills left, I am due for an appointment anyways but I am sure she'll keep it going. But I don't take it on a regular basis, its as needed for severe anxiety. Sometimes I wish there was something just for general tension/being on edge but only ongoing non-benzo anxiety med I know of is Buspar and that gives me a headache.

I totally agree. I was practically suicidal my anxiety was so bad and just 1mg made me feel relaxed and calm. It is the only medication other than Nexium I have taken in my life that I considered a 'miracle drug' that helped with almost no side effect. The only downside is the effect only lasts a few hours but it helped me snap out of a major downward spiral more than once!

Psychiatrists and Pharmacists state that use of benzo... for longer than 4 consecutive days results in physical dependency.

I agree that they are gr8.
The brain adapts VERY quickly to the presence of this chemical.

I kinda love Ativan as well, but tried hard to never increase the dose. It's been years and I still take only 0.5mg when needed. It still works for anxiety, though it doesn't work to make me sleep.

I consider taking a whole pill (1mg) a special treat.

I've experienced withdrawal effects a few times, though they're not too bad.

It would sure be wonderful if neurological-pharmacological science could invent a drug with all the positive attributes of Ativan but without such tolerance and dependency issues or other serious negative side effects. No other drug has made me feel so good - so quickly - And by good - I don't mean "high." - I simply mean non-nervous - non-anxious. "It makes the lambs stop crying."

Yup - benzos are woooonderful. Been on ativan and bromazepam in the past for anxiety. I can see why doctors give them out so sparingly - they are super addictive.

To me personally, the issue of whether or not they are addictive is completely pointless. I am permanently dependent on using my Combivent inhaler for my COPD and I am permanently dependent on using anti-hypertensive medication for my high blood pressure. There are many diabetics who are permanently dependent on using insulin. The question is whether or not they lose their effectiveness and require a larger and larger dosage or whether their long term use has other negative side effects. I would like to find out the data on that. Because I cannot see what is wrong with having to permanently use a medication that increases the quality of one's life unless negative consequences outway the benefit.

I dunno, I think because the bad stories are so bad the drug itself gets blamed when it's more a matter of a person's individual neurochemistry interacting with the drug. I was on 6mg/day of alprazolam (which is a high dose) and came off it in 2 weeks without much difficulty (and have never taken it again). (That's probably because benzos don't affect me much in the first place.)

But I've read accounts of people who are utterly unable to get off of it and it destroys their life. Maybe some other drug would be hard for me to stop, but probably no one is going to become addicted to every potentially addictive drug they're exposed to.

I've taken it before for anxiety & problems sleeping but I haven't taken it much. My current doc prescribes me Klonopin instead for occasional use & I find it helps as long as I don't take it to regularly. I'm also on Buspar which helps my anxiety alot so I don't really need Ativan. My girlfriend takes it occasionally to help sleep when she's stressed or will be going out & being social & it helps her some but she still has bad anxiety thou she takes a lower dose.

was given that in a cocktail with other drugs when I had a medical procedure a few months ago, it knocked me out. awoke with persistent hiccups when the drugs wore off, they bothered me for 3 days. I wish to avoid a repeat of that.

I am wondering if there are any medications that are useful in the treatment of OCD and/or severe anger issues, as in mood swings. I have found many drugs to have side effects as bad as the symptoms they are supposed to be treating.

(clicky)meds/herbals for OCD
(clicky)meds/herbals for anger
(clicky)meds/herbals for mood swings
a caution is in order for kava, it should not be taken by people with liver issues.