Ativan under the tongue or swallow??

[inzombiac]

I'm confused if I'm suppose to be putting the Ativan under my tongue and letting it dissolve or taking it like a normal pill? Im reading where it seems people do..both..? But is there an advantage to one over the other? Btw I have only taken it once and am not pro med but I have it just in case.

[Chiliphil1]

You can take it either way.

I tend to do it under the tongue because it's easier, and it seems like it works a little quicker, but not much.

[inzombiac]

I see...thanks.

[Siegfried]

Quick pharmacology intro:

There are many possible routes of administration of a drug, here we are concerned with the sublingual vs. the oral. (others are IV, intramuscular, inhaled, etc.)

Roughly, a drug acts faster if it reaches the point of action faster. In the case at hand, we may say that it acts faster the faster it enters the systemic circulation (essentially blood circulation).

Now, if you take the pill sublingually it is immediately absorbed into the systemic circulation through the rich supply of capillaries found in the mouth. If you swallow, the pill will have to go through your digestive tract, being absorbed more slowly, throughout. It always implies a slower absorption than sublingual administration, but there are many drugs that are almost immediately absorbed if taken orally, most benzodiazepines such as the drug in question being like that. Hence what was said above that "there is a slight difference, but it's slight".

A caveat: many drugs, including some benzos (such as my favourite: ethyl loflazepate) are what are called prodrugs. that means that what the pill contains is not so much the active drug itself, but something which, when metabolized by your body, yields substances that have the intended therapeutic effect. In this case, taking orally vs sublingually can really matter since part of the metabolization occurs in the GI tract ( and after absorption into the portal circulation the liver does the rest), and both the speed and efficacy of the drug may be compromised if taken sublingually. But this is NOT the case at hand.

[inzombiac]

Good to know. Thanks. :)

[alankay]

Swallow the pill unless otherwise directed. I'm just mentioning it for someone who needs it to work as quickly as possible. Alankay

[inzombiac]

So which way works quicker? Under the tongue or swallowing? In your opinion Alan. Thanks :)

[jhunter89]

Under the Tongue I think

[alankay]

Under the Tongue. Use it that way only when you really need it to start quicker. Klonopin is another that be taken that way if needed to work quicker. Alankay

[Nicoleeo]

It works best and faster for me to use it sublingually.