How does ativan work ?

Question

i have bad anxiety and i get agitated very easily. so my dr. prescribed me .5 ativan. 1 pill up to 3 times a day as needed. the first day 1 pill, 2 times. i fell asleep bout an hr. after taking just 1 pill. and didnt take any yest. just wondering how long does 1 dose last and what these pills are to do because i need something to calm me not sedate me to point im asleep as soon as taking one. or is this side effect that eventually will go away and i can take pill without passing out?

Answer 1

What is that a antidepressant or like xanax.

Tolerance does build over time but, really I think all xanax does is put's you to sleep. You could ask for a even lower dose or switch to something else.  

Answer 2

I don't quite know how much you need to know about how Ativan works, or if I could explain it without using a bunch of technical terms, but it effects a chemical in your brain called GABAa by changing how the brains' chemical receptor use this chemical. Ativan is what they call a short acting benzodiazepine. You were prescribed to take it three times a day because it only lasts a few hours before it wears off. You are taking the smallest dose at .5mg and within about 3 or 4 weeks you will get used to it and it will not make you groggy and tired. In fact within about 6 weeks your brain chemistry will be changed so much so that you will wantt to take more and more to get the effect you are looking for. This is where addiction comes into play and that is a very serious concern. Many doctors will not prescribe drugs like Ativan because of the potential for abuse and for being not that great of effect for long term relief. Just be careful.

Answer 3

Wow Johnny, way to not answer the question.

Short answer is yes, side effects and/or tolerance tend to go away after a while.

Long answer......

Ativan, also known as lorazepam is a benzodiazepine and a very fun drug!  For the tech specs of how it works, go to the wikipedia link at the bottom.  Short answer is ativan (like all benzodiazepines) works on the GABAa receptor.  All of the science stuff probably isn't very important to you though.  What you seem to be asking is which anxiolytic won't send you to sleep.  Well, that's a tough question, and you're better off asking your doc, but since you asked here.......

Every body is different, so what works for me may not work for you.  Tolerance is usually built up to benzos, so if you keep taking .5 sooner or later you'll notice a weakening effect.  Ativan has a half-life of 16 hours and effects lasting usually around 4 hours.  Since .5 knocked you out (surprising, but it happens) you might want to ask your doc about an older med, since those tend to be slightly less "effective" (although they still work great).  Valium is a weaker benzo, longer lasting though (~7 hours), 5mg would probably work in your case.

So.....ask your doc today!