Lorazepam and depression
Posted , 4 users are following.
I have been taking Ativan (lorazepam) 0.5 mg as needed to deal with anxiety. Usually I make it through the day without taking anything and the majority of the time I take it,it is usually right before bed to calm down.
It's only been a few weeks, so i dont have enough data to draw a conclusion, but it seems that if I take a pill 2 or 3 days in a row that i end up feeling pretty depressed for a few days.
Anyone knowledgeable about this? Could this be the medicine? Or maybe I'm just overwhelmed?
0 likes, 5 replies
Lisa2468 AnxiousP
Posted
Since you have only been taking Ativan for three weeks I don't believe you would be having a withdrawl symptom when stopping the medication for a couple days. The depression is likely a byproduct of the anxiety you've been experiencing, they typically go hand-in-hand. I've been having severe anxiety and panic and also taking Ativan as needed, my psychiatrist said it is OK to take up to 2 mg a day. I typically take .75 mg before bed, which helps me stay asleep instead of waking at 2 am with anxious thoughts. Benzodiazepines are addictive, so it's wise not to take it daily if possible.
Purpledobermann AnxiousP
Posted
All sedatives are essentially central nervous system depressants. What you are feeling after taking them for a couple of days in a row is perfectly normal and similar to what happens to predisposed individuals after consuming say alcohol. It is a crash.
While it is normal, please note it is not desireable since everyone with anxiety is considered to suffer from underlying depression/repression and therefore particularly vulnerable to depressants. Therefore, psychiatrists typically avoid prescribing sedatives/tranquilizers unless the patient is also given an antidepressant to help treat the imbalance that produces the uncomfortable symptoms and this way provide an equilibrium conductive to a recovery.
Have you been struggling with anxiety for long?
AnxiousP Purpledobermann
Posted
No, I haven't been struggling for long. I am about 4 weeks in to my first problem ever with prolonged unprovoked anxiety, at 30 years old. I fear there may be some OCD involved, as irrational fears and thoughts are the main cause of my anxiety at this point.
Purpledobermann AnxiousP
Posted
How irrational are we talking? Paranoia kind of irrational? Or just what your highest self would roll their eyes at ?
I am asking because it is not at all unusual for anxiety to present with some shades of different disorders, OCD being one of the more common ones.
In your case it is imperative to run bloodwork to make sure nothing else is off if you have 'unprovoked' first ever epoisode of persistant anxiety.
Sometimes the cause is something simple that we never even think to consider...
ann55375 AnxiousP
Posted
they gave me diazepam and i seem to become depressed adter i take it. Its a chicken and egg situation.
there is no doubt these two are inter related and i wish i knew how to kill off the anxiety without suffering the depression.
dont make the mistake of taking it each night for some time as you will find you have to have it to get to sleep. Then you need it to calm down in daytime.
I think youve got it right, its the meds causing central nervous system depression just as you try to quell the anxiety.
Maybe foing back to dr to discuss alternatives is the best thing to do.
Wish you well soon.