My mother was prescribed Ativan for her Alzheimer’s-related agitation. It was also a staple at her NH.
Good luck if you can get it.
Yes, I did thanks for clearing that up.
It’s the reason I became agoraphobic. I didn’t fully comprehend the addictive nature and went off of it way too fast.
I definitely recommend short term use only. Maybe to help you if you have really bad panic attacks, until the SSRI or SNRI can take effect. Or maybe, maybe occasionally for chronic insomnia. Sure. about 50% of people have no addiction problems with it–just a little bit of dependence that goes away with a relatively fast taper.
But it can be horrible. If anyone ever asks me the one thing in my life I would go back and change, it is taking it as a sleep aid instead of the Seroquel I asked my doctor for (At low doses, Seroquel is just a sleep aid.) Or at least taking him seriously when he talked about getting off of it after a bit, instead of just saying “nah, I’m fine.”
Too many doctors do not treat it with the reverence is deserves.
Remarkably so. I actually take them very infrequently, I’m not a chronic insomniac or anything near it. So much so that I never actually use the refills, because it takes me well over a year to use the first 30, then it’s out of date to refill. Ive taken it now over a few years, so I’m not concerned. Just surprised to learn theses things.
I did however know that near every celebrity death from Marylin to Michael seems to have this in their system. So I knew it was abused, and addictive, I suppose, but never thought much of it till what I read here! So thank you for the learning!
(I am reminded that I also take it before dental visits to calm me as I’m sorta phobic!)
My dentist knows I get to his office early and take my half an Ativan in the parking lot before entering the office, so it kicks in before he gets to work on me. Dental anxiety is a bitch. I blame my childhood pedodontist who apparently hated children. To be fair, some blame also goes to my small mouth and hair-trigger gag reflex.