Lorazepam also known as Ativan remains an extraordinarily popular anti-anxiety drug. Lorazepam belongs to the benzodiazepam family of sedative/hypnotics along with Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, Halcion and Restoril. Even though it was FDA approved in 1977, this 40+ year old drug will be prescribed over 14 million times this year as a tranquilizer and sleeping pill.
Unfortunately while lorazepam may comfort the nerves, it does not calm gastrointestinal or cardiovascular manifestations of anxiety. Lorazepam does not treat depression and should be avoided in those with obstructive sleep apnea and COPD associated with incipient respiratory failure.
Increasingly doctors are switching people with anxiety from lorazepam to SSRI or related drugs including Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, Effexor or Cymbalta in the false belief that these alternative drugs necessarily represent a safer class of medicines. Even more worrisome, some people with insomnia receive prescriptions for Seroquel or its generic equivalent in the atypical antipsychotic class of drugs.
By itself lorazepam seems very safe. Combining lorazepam with alcohol or opioids readily results in overdose, profound sedation, respiratory depression and death.
22 окт 2019
