Ativan

2 Comments & Reviews: Ativan

1. Helps with my racing mind, especially when taken with vyvanse. cancels out some of the anxiety from a stim med for me

2. 33 year old male, 1 mg dose as needed, prescribed for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

   I take Ativan 2-3 times per week (sometimes more or less), usually at night, just before bed. I’ll take it when I get “that feeling” that I’m going to have a tough time sleeping. Without Ativan, my GAD will wake me up every 1-2 hours and my mind will be humming. The Ativan helps me chill out and transition to bed, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer, usually the whole night. I sometimes feel a little groggy in the morning, but it is worth it for the full night’s rest. As a grad student, I often have to work on assignments and projects until I HAVE to go to bed (there is never enough time), which makes it hard to relax and fall asleep, and then I start to worry about being unrested, which exacerbates the GAD, etc. Ativan stops all that. I will typically take the dose about 30 minutes before bed. If I take it for more than 3-4 nights in a row, it is noticeably harder to fall asleep on the next night. The body gets used to it quickly.

   In the past (2-3 years ago), when my GAD was much worse, I have taken Ativan as often as twice a day for several weeks on end. I would then wean off of it (reduce dose, reduce frequency, etc.), which wasn’t too bad. I don’t have frequent panic attacks anymore, but when I did, the Ativan would cut it off almost immediately, and then prevent me from worrying all day. The Physician’s Assistant suggested I allow the tablet to dissolve under my tongue for faster effects.

   The positive effects I feel are a sense of calm, balance, clear-mindedness, peace, and just “chill.” Depending on the time of day, the sleepiness can be considered a positive or negative side effect (good for me since I most often take it at night). Negative side effects are mostly sexual; it is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve orgasm. I do not drive anymore while taking this medication. When I was taking it regularly, I would limit driving to in-town only, and avoid driving right after taking the dose. You have to allow your body to get used to it. I always wait a minimum of 6 hours after drinking alcohol (longer if I’ve had more) to take this medication.

   Ativan has made a really positive difference in my life. In addition to before bed, I will also take it on airplanes or when my sleep schedule has been disrupted and I just need to recover sleep. It is definitely habit-forming, but not if you only take it every now and then (1-2 nights in a row every week or so for me).