Ativan

[meow.]

Of course I'm having anxiety about taking the medication that is supposed to help with your anxiety. I've been dealing with panic attacks almost daily for about three years, but I was never prescribed Ativan until now. I've had bad experiences with drugs and I'm kind of scaredy cat to be honest. I've read a few things on the internet where people feel dizzy, can't walk straight, don't remember things after taking it, feel foggy or disconnected and even some reports of hallucinations. If that's the case, it's definitely not going to help. Reassurance, anyone? I'm at the point where I can't leave the house, because I'm scared of a panic attack, so I need something.

[alankay]

I used ativan for several years. It's a great med for panic. Just take 1/2 a dose(or even less) to start to get an idea how you'll react. If you had bad reactions to ssri's or AD's.......... this is different. It will likely not make you more anxious at all. It's a well know and studied benzo to work well. Killed panic/anxiety for me. Once I got a much better understanding anxiety I was able to transition to valium for occasional use only. Alankay

[brittany09]

Ativan has helped me. Completely calmed me down when I took it. It's the least strong benzo so that is a good choice for a person scared to try a pill. Just take a small dose. You have nothing to worry about taking a small dose,taking a higher dose can make you feel loopy. Good luck!

[Jemk85]

Ativan is not the least strong benzo. The strength of benzodiazepine is measured by its metabolic rate or 'half-life'... basically from how long it takes from the time you swallow the pill to half of it already out of your body, this also varies per person. For example the half life of Xanax is 6-12 hours and Ativan 10-20 hours. Your goal should be to take the benzo with the shortest half life at the lowest mg value that relieves your anxiety. I'm currently on Xanax .25mg/day. Though I know for some people have built an immunity to benzos and need something stronger. You can look up the full chart of every benzo, its actually quite interesting.

[bhamlaxy]

Take it. Believe me. Just .5mg has been a godsend for me.

I was having a panic attack once and called my mom. She reminded me I had some leftover ativan from dealing with flight anxiety a year or two prior. I was nervous but took it and was amazed.

Just .5mg and I am snapped out of a panic attack in 20-30 minutes. No side effects, except maybe the slightest bit of drowsiness. I have gone from pure panic to dancing around in happiness in a half hour. Well maybe not dancing, but you get the point. Sometimes if I was really panicky I would get the slightest bit of derealization even while on it, but did not care ONE BIT. I would kind of laugh at the weird feelings.

Those side effects are almost certainly from high doses. Even 1mg is a very common dose, but I think you will be amazed at .5mg.

It has honestly changed my life. At the very beginning I was taking .5mg a day. A few weeks later and I've been able to cut down to once every few days. Just knowing I have it on hand is worth it. It gives you the freedom to know that things will never get out of hand and super crazy.

[Millennium]

Ativan is not bad however I would not exceed the dose as there are a lot of side effects

[alankay]

No it's not the least strong benzo(xanax, halcion and klonopin would be among the "high potentcy" group) but none the less less ativan at the common lower doses it a great, safe med with an intermediate half life which makes it veritile. It's very well studied, is not metabolized by the liver and docs like it for anxiety. Use just enough to calm you back down. If it makes you drowsy, cut back on the dose. Alankay.

[brittany09]

Whoops,sorry for the inaccurate info. My doctor started me on that first so I assumed it was the weakest. How is Ativan going for you? I just got back on it again. Well,haven't had to take it yet but it's sitting in my medicine cabinet. I fight taking them as much as possible!

[jester336]

Ativan does work great. I took it only as needed For a few years and didn't have any problems. Until one vacation for some reason, we don't know why I never had any drug problems before, I took between 10 and 45 mg of it in a day. Yep that's a lot. I lost a total of five days in a row that I will probably never recall.

Then went thru withdraw symptoms a few days after that. Extremely unpleasant to put it lightly. I went thru everything fom severe flu like symptoms, feeling worms under my skin, to talking to halusinations.

So. Yes it does work great, but becareful. Don't keep a lot on you. And if/when you go off it. Do it very slowly!