Otherwise known as Lorazepam or Temesta, Ativan is a drug in the benzodiazepine class of drugs. As a prescribed medication, Ativan is used for its sedative/hypnotic effects, as a muscle relaxant, to reduce anxiety, as an amnesic and anticonvulsant. It is also used in combination with other drugs to stop vomiting.
Ativan is normally used to treat anxiety and is in the same family as Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, Dalmane and others. On the street, Ativan is known as downers, nerve pills and tanks. Ativan is available in a pill to take orally, a liquid for injection or a syrup. Like other medications in its class, it is highly addictive and therefore, often abused.
Abuses of Ativan
As Ativan is highly addictive, regular use can lead to psychological and physical dependency. The drug activates the brain’s reward systems, creating additional cravings for more. Ativan decreases a person’s level of consciousness and produces feelings of well-being, while altering the normal functioning of body systems.
Ativan is often used to help individuals with an alcohol addiction during the detox process. As a result of this use, it can become a problem for those individuals. When mixed with alcohol, the drug has a powerful effective, which can potentially be life-threatening.
Effects of Ativan
Ativan has a way with the brain, helping to calm some of the over activity that leads to anxiety and insomnia. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter or chemical that works in nerves in the brain used to send messages. GABA reduces the activity of these nerves and Ativan is thought to enhance GABA in the brain. When used, Ativan is removed from the blood more rapidly than many other benzodiazepines, reducing the change high concentrations will be reached to become toxic.
When used even under medical care, Ativan can cause reactions in a person, the most common being clumsiness, sleepiness, amnesia, insomnia, agitation, impairment of liver function, chronic intoxication, depression, headache, and visual problems. Fatal cases have also been reported, but generally when the drug is combined with alcohol.
Withdrawal of Ativan
Ativan can cause agonizing withdrawal symptoms when it is abruptly discontinued. This can cause the individual to continue taking the drug, even if they no longer desire the high or euphoria they once achieved. The withdrawal process can be both hard and painful and can even cause serious damage to internal organs, especially if cessation is unsupervised.
Withdrawal symptoms associated with cessation of Ativan can include, but are not limited to:
• Aches and pains
• Agoraphobia
• Anxiety
• Blurred Vision
• Body Vibrations
• Cold- or flu-like conditions
• Diarrhea
• Flu-like symptoms
• Hair loss
• Heart palpitations
• Insomnia
• Loss of balance
• Metallic taste
• Muscle spasms
• Nightmares
• Panic attacks
• Speech difficulties
• Sweating
• Suicidal thoughts
Treatment of Ativan Addiction
The physical and psychological dependence that can occur with long-term use of Ativan makes it very difficult to stop the drug without assistance. As a result, it is recommended that users taper off the medication slowly under the care of a board-certified physician and board-certified addiction psychiatrist.
Entering a center for 24/7 comfortable detox treatment will ensure the individual rids their body of the drug completely, learning to function without it. This method is used to correct the chemical imbalances in the individual suffering with a Ativan addiction and should be combined with psychological evaluations and other medical care to address cravings for the drug. With this method, the center can treat the whole person and not just the addiction.