Lorazapam: Know of anyone who has taken Ativan (lorazapam) for over twenty years, your opinion pros & cons.?

The benefits of using Ativan (lorazepam) for 20+ years are that if a person has a legitimate medical need for lorazepam and the lorazepam is continuing to be effective without causing significant side effects then long-term use may be considered appropriate.

The potentials risks or cons is that a person using lorazepam for 20+ years will very likely be physically dependent (this is not the same as addiction and if it occurs in the course of medical treatment is not really a significant concern, more of an annoyance). In some cases people who have taken benzodiazepines for such a long time may be unable to discontinue taking benzodiazepines even with very slow tappers. The risk of addiction, however small, always exists. When lorazepam is taken for anxiety tolerance does not typically occur to the anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects of the medication however some people may start to develop tolerance to the anxiolytic effects after a very long time so but 20 years the dose may need to be increased. There are risks (largely dependent on the dose of lorazepam taken a day) the medication could cause memory problems, as people get older there is an increased risk of paradoxical effects such as agitation and violence. Most of the risks often listed with long-term benzodiazepine use are a result of benzodiazepine abuse. So you can go online and find many lists of problems that can happen but for the most part those are risks associated with abuse. The other major factor is your age if you are 80 then there are more risks compared to a person who is 40.

Really to use a medication it needs to

1) Be continuing to provide a clinically significant benefit

2) If it has any side effects they need to be outweighed by the benefits of taking the medication

As long as the medication is effective and the side effects are minimal and/or are outweighed by the benefits then it really does not matter if it is year 5 or year 20 of taking the medication.

Its certainly not ideal to take any medication, especially a benzodiazepine, for 20+ years but in some instances it is perfectly fine.

I would also advice that you see a psychiatrist (or a neurologist) if you are not already since taking Ativan so long really should be done under specialist supervision when possible.

Ativan Benefits

Close to twenty years, I use it for epilepsy. It also helps with anxiety which gives me seizures more then anything. I don't like to take it but I would take it everyday day if I could, I only get a few at a time. It makes me tired and it I take it for too long or too much it gives me seizures. And mooood swings. It can make you real sleepy. But with a seizure disorder with me there are no other med that stop a seizure then a good benzo:)

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