Ativan (Lorazepam): how to use, side effects, benzodiazepine risks, withdrawal, and safety.
How to use Ativan Salt Name Lorazepam its side effects, benzodiazepine risks, withdrawal, and safety.
Ativan, also known as lorazepam, is a prescription medication that belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. This drug is primarily used for the management of anxiety as well as short-term relief of anxiety symptoms. In some cases, lorazepam can also be used for insomnia.
Due to the central nervous system effects of lorazepam, this drug can cause drowsiness, dizziness, impaired coordination, and other unwanted effects. In addition, it has important warnings relating to abuse, addiction, physical dependence, withdrawal, and dangerous interactions with opioids and other central nervous system depressants.
What Is Ativan?
Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam. Lorazepam belongs to the benzodiazepine class of medicines.
Benzodiazepines work by depressing the brain's inhibitory signaling system and causing relaxing and sedating effects. Lorazepam is a prescription medicine that should only be used as directed by a healthcare professional.
Is Lorazepam the Same as Ativan?
Yes. Ativan and lorazepam are the same thing.
• Ativan = brand name
• Lorazepam = generic name
• Benzodiazepine = drug class
Different manufacturers can make generic lorazepam, while Ativan is a brand-name product.
What Is Ativan Used For?
Lorazepam tablets are indicated for the management of anxiety disorders or short-term relief of anxiety symptoms. According to MedlinePlus, lorazepam can also be used for anxiety and insomnia. Depending on the formulation and clinical situation, lorazepam may also have indications in hospital settings. Ativan injection, for example, has indications including status epilepticus and preanesthetic medication.
Ativan is not appropriate for everyone with ordinary stress or occasional nervousness. The benefits and risks should be weighed by a healthcare professional.
How Does Ativan Work?
Lorazepam slows activity in the brain and nervous system, helping produce relaxation and reduced anxiety. This is related to its action as a benzodiazepine affecting the brain's inhibitory signaling. This same central nervous system effect can also cause unwanted effects like sleepiness, dizziness, and impaired coordination.
What Does Ativan Feel Like?
People can experience different effects after taking lorazepam.
A person taking it as prescribed may experience:
• Reduced anxiety
• Relaxation
• Sleepiness or drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Reduced alertness
• Slower reactions
• Muscle relaxation
Some people may feel tired or unsteady rather than simply "calm." Lorazepam can impair the ability to drive or operate machinery, especially when someone does not yet know how the medicine affects them.
Does Ativan Make You Feel High?
This is a common search question because benzodiazepines can produce psychoactive effects.
Ativan is not intended to produce a recreational "high." Some people may experience sedation, relaxation, or other altered feelings, but using lorazepam to get pleasurable or intoxicating effects increases the risk of misuse, overdose, and dependence.
The official labeling warns that benzodiazepines, including lorazepam, carry risks of abuse, misuse, and addiction.
Taking more than prescribed, taking someone else's medication, or combining lorazepam with alcohol, opioids, or other sedating substances can be dangerous.
Ativan Side Effects
Common side effects of lorazepam (Ativan) can include:
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Unsteadiness
• Reduced coordination
These effects can become more concerning when lorazepam (Ativan) is combined with alcohol, opioids, or other central nervous system depressants.
Serious Side Effects of Ativan
Seek urgent medical attention for symptoms such as:
• Extreme sleepiness
• Unusual dizziness or lightheadedness
• Slow or difficult breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• Severe confusion
• Unresponsiveness
• Severe allergic reactions
The combination of benzodiazepines and opioids can cause profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death.
Is Ativan Addictive?
Yes, lorazepam (Ativan) can lead to misuse, addiction, and physical dependence.
The risk can increase with higher doses and longer treatment. Importantly, physical dependence and addiction are not exactly the same thing, although both are important safety concerns. The FDA-approved labeling carries boxed warnings concerning abuse, misuse, addiction, dependence, and withdrawal.
Patients should take Ativan exactly as prescribed and should not increase the dose or frequency without medical guidance.
Can You Stop Ativan Suddenly?
Stopping lorazepam (Ativan) suddenly after continued use can cause withdrawal reactions and may be dangerous.
Withdrawal can include:
• Anxiety
• Sleep problems
• Trembling
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Muscle twitching
• Changes in mood
• Sensory disturbances
• Seizures
The prescribing information recommends a gradual taper rather than abrupt discontinuation.
Anyone who has been taking lorazepam regularly should discuss discontinuation with their healthcare professional rather than attempting a sudden stop.
How Long Does Ativan Stay in Your System?
Lorazepam is processed by the body and eventually eliminated primarily through urine as metabolites.
One official lorazepam label reports a mean plasma half-life of approximately 12 hours, although the amount of time the drug or its metabolites can be detected depends on several factors, including the test used, individual metabolism, and other characteristics.
Therefore, there is no single number of hours that applies to every person or every drug test.
Ativan and Alcohol: Is It Safe?
Combining lorazepam with alcohol can increase central nervous system depression and worsen side effects such as drowsiness and impaired coordination.
More importantly, combining benzodiazepines with other depressants can increase the risk of dangerous sedation and breathing problems.
People taking lorazepam should ask their healthcare professional about alcohol and other medicines before combining them.
Can You Take Ativan With Opioids?
This combination requires particular caution.
FDA-approved labeling warns that combining benzodiazepines such as lorazepam with opioids can result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death.
Do not combine these medicines unless they have specifically been prescribed together and the prescribing healthcare professional has assessed the risks.
Ativan vs Valium: Are They the Same?
No.
Both are benzodiazepines, but they contain different active ingredients:
Brand Generic Drug Class
Ativan, Lorazepam, Benzodiazepine
Valium, Diazepam, Benzodiazepine
Valium is the brand name for diazepam, while Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam.
Both medicines can have calming and sedating effects, but they have different pharmacological characteristics and approved uses.
What Is Valium Used For?
Depending on the formulation, diazepam may be prescribed for anxiety, short-term relief of anxiety symptoms, acute alcohol withdrawal, muscle spasm and as an adjunct in certain seizure disorders.
Like lorazepam, diazepam carries warnings about misuse, addiction, dependence, withdrawal, and dangerous interactions with opioids.
Ativan vs Xanax
Ativan and Xanax are also different medicines.
• Ativan contains lorazepam.
• Xanax contains alprazolam.
• Both belong to the benzodiazepine class.
They should not be treated as interchangeable medicines. A healthcare professional determines which medicine, if any, is appropriate based on the patient's condition, medical history, and other medications.
How Do You Safely Dispose of Ativan or Lorazepam?
A common search question is "Can I flush Ativan down the toilet?"
Generally, no. Do not flush lorazepam unless the specific product's disposal instructions direct you to do so.
The FDA recommends using a medication take-back location or mail-back option whenever possible. Lorazepam is not included on the FDA's current flush list, and MedlinePlus specifically advises against flushing lorazepam.
If a take-back option is unavailable and the medication has no specific disposal instructions, FDA guidance for most non-flush-list medicines allows disposal in household trash after mixing the medicine with an undesirable substance such as used coffee grounds or dirt, placing the mixture in a sealed container, and removing personal information from the empty prescription packaging.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ativan
Is Ativan the same as lorazepam?
Yes. Ativan is a brand name for the active ingredient lorazepam.
Is Ativan a benzodiazepine?
Yes. Lorazepam, the active ingredient in Ativan, belongs to the benzodiazepine class.
What is Ativan mainly used for?
Prescription lorazepam tablets are indicated for managing anxiety disorders and short-term relief of anxiety symptoms.
Does Ativan make you sleepy?
Yes. Drowsiness and sedation can occur with lorazepam.
Can Ativan make you feel high?
Some people may experience noticeable psychoactive or sedating effects, but Ativan is not intended for recreational use. Misuse can increase the risk of addiction, overdose, and other serious harm.
Is Ativan addictive?
Lorazepam can cause misuse, addiction, and physical dependence. Risk can increase with higher doses and longer treatment.
Can you stop taking Ativan suddenly?
Stopping suddenly after continued use can cause potentially serious withdrawal reactions. A healthcare professional should guide any dose reduction.
Can Ativan be taken with alcohol?
Alcohol can worsen the effects of lorazepam. Discuss alcohol use with your healthcare professional while taking the medication.
Can Ativan be taken with opioids?
The combination can cause profound sedation and respiratory depression and may be life-threatening.
Is Valium the same as Ativan?
No. Ativan contains lorazepam, while Valium contains diazepam. Both are benzodiazepines.
Can Ativan be flushed down the toilet?
Lorazepam is not on the FDA's current flush list. MedlinePlus specifically advises not to flush lorazepam and recommends a medicine take-back program.
How long does Ativan stay in your system?
The average plasma half-life of lorazepam is approximately 12 hours, but detection time varies depending on the person and the type of drug test.
What should I do if I take too much Ativan?
Too much lorazepam can cause severe drowsiness, confusion, coordination problems, slowed breathing, loss of consciousness, and other dangerous effects. If an overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical help or contact Poison Control in the United States at 1-800-222-1222.
Key Takeaway
Ativan (lorazepam) is a prescription benzodiazepine used primarily for anxiety-related conditions. While it can provide calming effects when prescribed properly, it can also cause drowsiness, dependence, withdrawal, and misuse-related problems. Combining it with opioids or other central nervous system depressants can be particularly dangerous.
Unused lorazepam should be disposed of via an appropriate medication take-back program when possible rather than flushed down the toilet.
Medical Information Disclaimer
This article is intended for general educational and informational purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Do not start, stop, or change a prescription medicine without discussing it with a qualified healthcare professional.
Author
Henry Castellano
USA Care Pharmacy
Sources
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• DailyMed / National Library of Medicine
• MedlinePlus Drug Information
• Official prescribing information for lorazepam and diazepam
Reviewed/updated: September 2026
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