Side effects of ativan in the elderly

Common Questions and Answers about Side effects of ativan in the elderly

avinza

Avatar m tn . My question is could the side-effects from the anti-psychotic drugs cause agitation and involuntary yelling.
1286779 tn?1400012806 I think Jaybay just gave you great advice. Lots of elderly have different side effects than the more common ones. Medications can easily interact and sometimes medications that have been fine for a long time all of a sudden aren't. A gerentologist probably is the best place to look for answers. When my mom was alive, we had a few kinks with her medications.
Avatar n tn First I would like to know who perscribed Ativan to you for depression. And why they have kept you on if for "years." Ativan is NOT an antidepressant and has no affinity for that disorder. It's a short acting benzodiazipine. (Antianxiety) The main uses for Ativan are anxiety, irritability in psychiatric or organic disorders, preoperatively, insomnia, and as an adjunct in endoscopic procedures.
Avatar f tn m afraid to come off anything right now because it is helping but have to get rid of some of the side effects. The pain is still pretty severe and can't increase the Lyrica. Remeron helps me sleep and I'm sure must help some with the anxiety. I've been able to decrease the Ativan and want off of it completely. It could be the combination of all 3 I guess. Any thoughts on what has worked for you.
Avatar m tn Alprazolam is a benzo, and all benzos are classifed as addictive drugs when taken daily, as you've been doing. That doesn't necessarily mean anything regarding you particularly, but generally it means it causes dependency and has already caused dependency. The most important thing to know about this is that it can be very hard to stop taking, so you should do so slowly if you decide to do that.
Avatar f tn Thank you. I have Ativan in case of such attacks but I was doing so well with the anxiety for a while there. I guess I'm just a little discouraged that they have returned and so often. Thank you for your reply.
Avatar m tn The elderly metabolise benzodiazepines more slowly than younger individuals and are also more sensitive to the effects of benzodiazepines, even at similar blood plasma levels. Doses for the elderly are recommended to be about half of that given to younger adults and are to be administered for no longer than 2 weeks. Long-acting benzodiazepines such as clonazepam are not generally recommended for the elderly due the risk of drug accumulation.
Avatar n tn so over the last 3 years he has given me altenol, Ativan, antidepressants, and just keeps medicating me. My blood pressure is usually on the low side and the heart rate is about 65 to 88 beats. I am feeling more sick each month and everytime I ask tfor a referral to see a cardiologist again he just keeps shrugging me off. I am feeling so very sick, sometimes I feel like I'm going to black out. I also feel the heart pounding even at times as soon as I get up in the morning.
Avatar f tn Thank you for your reply. The side effects the sweating I feel like I'm dizzy all the time. No apetite. And the Ativan scares me but helps to keep the anxiety at bay... I'm just so tired of feeling like this... I could only handle two days on the 50 so I've taken 37.5 hoping if I go slowly it will be better. I take at night now since it makes me drowsy but I wake up sick to my stomach and dizzy... have you had any experience with using the Ativan?
Avatar f tn I am REALLY med sensitive and REALLY scared to take almost anything!! They had to give me the ativan in the ER the first time to get me to take it at all LOL!! I just wanted to let you know that it does help!! I know it sounds crazy and I hated it when people would say it to me... But breath!!! It does help too!! Talk to yourself and tell yourself Im ok, I am calm and clear headed.. while breathing. I have been 28 days without the ativan now. It will get better!! Good luck!
Avatar f tn There's no way to tell you, but one warning -- not two drugs work exactly the same even if they're in the same class of drug -- if they did, only one would be able to get a patent and the other wouldn't therefore exist. That means if you quit Ativan cold turkey without a taper off as slowly as you need to taking the Xanax will not guarantee you will avoid withdrawals. The brain does not see them as exactly the same because they're not exactly the same.
Avatar n tn Risperdal is a so-called "blacklisted" drug because of the high incidence of fatalities in the elderly. It is not approved nor appropriate for a use in an "agitated" eighty year old patient. The Department of Geriatrics at Johns Hopkins University conducted a dedicated seminar at Mount Sinai Hospital geriatrics department three years ago warning against inappropriate use of risperdal in the elderly.
Avatar m tn I guess my question is if these are life threatening after effects of the Ativan is there any hope for me? When do it get to the point to where I'm doomed before I even start?
4753943 tn?1359934569 CJ makes a great point about worrying about side effects, and then ending up having them (kind of a self fulfilling prophecy of sorts?) Were you overly anxious about taking it? Remind me too, aren't you coming off another med, like an opiate? I can't recall, but aren't you detoxing off something? If so, that could be a culprit too.
400350 tn?1201711682 Ativan works very quickly, but it's only for occasional use. It makes you very drowsy, so some people take it to help them sleep. I tried it when my anxiety was very severe, and it didn't help with the anxiety at all, and only bought me a few hours of sleep. Depending on the case, it's probably better to look into a long-term medication. Ativan is the kind of thing they give you if you go into the emergency room having an anxiety attack.
Avatar m tn The ssris with the best reputation for the least side effects are Lexapro and Prozac. Paxil and the snri Effexor are the very worst by reputation, so why start there? Just my opinion, again. The above is correct -- it takes 4-6 weeks to notice if it's going to work, but side effect begin immediately. Bummer that, but it is the way it is.
Avatar m tn Dementia can cause screaming in the elderly. They scream out of frustration of not being able to verbalize what they are feeling.....cold, hungry, etc. Make the prescribing doctor aware of this behavior and he/she will know what needs to be done.
Avatar f tn They are both very addictive along with every other benzodiazepine(valium,klonopin,ativan, librium,xanax) with xanax the one thing that can make it worse is the fact that if you abruptly stop using it you can have a siezure depening on your dose and how long you've been taking it. But in the end ativan and xanax basically rank about the same in my opinion, but you should really contact your prescribing doctor to get their opinion.
Avatar f tn Actually, ativan leaves your system in FOUR hours. And you are on a very low dose, so you should really NOT be having side effects from that. Look at other things you do that may cause this - eating something odd at dinner or before bed can do this. Oh, and see your doctor about it as well bc if you are only using it for sleep, there are other, perhaps better solutions.
Avatar n tn These muscle cramps can have many possible causes including hormonal imbalances, dehydration, low levels of potassium or calcium in the blood, side effects of medication, or, more seriously, diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuropathy.[6] They are also a common complaint during pregnancy or for the elderly.[7] most of the time it is from extreme workouts. more common reasons would be dehydration and low potassium or calcium. eat a banana, drink some milk and see if that helps.
Avatar m tn My doctor told me that klonopin is weaker than Xanax and Ativan. I would like to switch to Ativan since I was given it in the hospital and it worked great. I have had three grand mal seizures since being on xanax. It's hard for me to imagine a life without benzos. My doc old me that xanax and ativan are stronger than klonopin but klonopin can be strong at higher doses.
Avatar n tn Hello Dear, Ethambutol may produce decreased visual acuity which appear to be due to optic neuritis and to be related to the dose and duration of treatment. The effects are general reversible when administration of the drug is discontinued promptly. Ethambutol may produce constriction of visual field central and peripheral scotoma, and green-red colour blindness which may be associated with retrobulbar neuritis .
Avatar f tn i am thinking your dr gave you the ativan to help you thru the 1st 2 weeks of sertraline because of the anxiety it can cause. after 2 weeks the sertraline kicked in and i was calm. i rarely took ativan after the ssri kicked in. when you stop the incivek, hopefully things will get better. 1 week after incivek my only side was anemia and fatigue. best of luck with your tx.