Ativan

[MorningSadness00]

I am on ativan for my anxiety, and when i was sleeping lastnight i thought i had a seizure but im not really sure.
Can Seizures be a side- effect from ativan???
Im scared....DO i have a Brain Tumor =[
by the way im 19

[kathy1]

Yes, they can. Ativan is a very strong drug. it is ten times stronger than valium/diazepam so if you are taking 10mg Ativan you are taking the equivalent of 100mg diazepam. it is also very short acting so it only stays in your body a short time so you can reach tolerance and start getting symtoms, like the seizures.

maybe switching gradually over to diazepam is the answer. there is a manual by a Professor Heather Ashton which you can access on the internet which will tell you the best way to go about it.

hope this helps you

kathyx

[Jay12345]

why do doctors subscribe drugs for anxiety, especially such powerfull drugs..? i can apprectiate less powerfull drugs which can help...

[kathy1]

Hi

medications can be very useful short term but unfortunately can bring their own set of problems if taken for too long. some of the side effects are the very things they are meant to treat. many people get on well with the meds but if you are deciding to stop taking you should always do so very slowly and not abruptly.

kathyx

[LadyK]

Wow! I would advise that you do not stop your meds without first consulting your doctor.

I was on ativan for a very long time and did not have any bad effects. In fact, it was the only medication that did anything positive for me.

I doubt very much that you have a tumor but that is something that only a doctor can tell you. If you've already had tests done, go ahead and trust that there is no physical reason for your symptoms. If you want more tests done, consult your doctor.

It may just be panic and it's not uncommon to have panic while you are asleep or immediately upon waking.

[jamesc]

Relax, it's not a brain tumor.

Ativan can cause seizures as a side effect, though it is usually when you stop taking it suddenly.

Most likely though you had some sort of panic episode in your sleep.

Still, if you are really concerned, talk to your doctor about it.

I take Ativan as well and have begun weaning off of it, down to .5mg a day.

My PSYCHO doctor prescribed me 1mg 3 times a day.

Thankfully I never actually used that much. But even having only used about 1mg a day for a couple months I find the addiction is crazy and weaning off is tough.

[kathy1]

Hi James

3mg per day!!! your doc is crazy, that is the equivalent of 60mg diazepam (or valium). ativan is ten times stronger than diazepam. these docs don't know what they are doing.

good luck on getting off the remainder, there is a withdrawal site that will offer you lots of help and support if you need it.

kathyx