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Lorazepam is in the class of drugs called benzodiazepines. Lorazepam is a sedative anxiolytic medication. It is noted for the management of anxiety disorders and for the short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety or anxiety associated with depressive symptoms. Like most other benzodiazepines, patients using lorazepam can develop a tolerance to it. In other words, patients will have to use more and more in order to get the desired effect of the medication. As a tolerance to lorazepam builds, a sort of dependence is created.
All patients who will begin using lorazepam as a drug therapy should be informed by their doctor of its dependence producing effect. It would also be wise for the patient to never increase their dosage without consulting their doctor, or to abruptly discontinue the medication. Since the habit-forming potential is very high, there is an increase chance in forming withdrawal symptoms. Some examples of withdrawal symptoms are convulsions, tremors, abdominal and muscle cramps, vomiting and, sweating. Generally milder symptoms such as insomnia have been reported following the abrupt discontinuance. Lorazepam is mainly prescribed for the relief of anxiety disorders.
It can also be used to relieve the symptoms of pre-surgery anxiety. Anxiety and tension associated with the stresses of everyday life usually dont require a treatment with an anxiolytic. Lorazepam can be a very dangerous medication when used with alcohol, opiates, or other prescription medications. Overdose symptoms can range from slight drowsiness all of the way to a coma. In mild cases, symptoms include drowsiness, mental confusion, and lethargy. In more serious cases some symptoms are hypotension, hypoxia, hypnotic states, coma, or very rarely death.
Patients should always inform their doctor of any medications that they are on or will soon be taking. Patients should be strongly advised not to use this medication with other CNS depressants. Peak serum concentrations of free lorazepam after oral administration are reached in 1 to 6 hours. Lorazepam is 85 % bound to plasma proteins. Lorazepam is rapidly conjugated to an inactive glucuronide. The serum half-life of lorazepam is approximately 12 to 15 hours while the half-life of the conjugate is 16 to 20 hours.
Ninety-five percent of the drug was excreted within 120 hours, 88 % in the urine and 6. 6 % in the stool. The main reward for use of this medication is the short-term relief of anxiety symptoms. A patient using this medication will tend to have a more at ease lifestyle when using the medication than when not. Like other medications, lorazepam does have its side effects. You know, what the narrator of the commercial says really fast at the end.
Some of the side effects are drowsiness, anterograde amnesia, nausea, a change in appetite, weight change, blurred vision, headache, skin rashes, and sleep disturbance. All in all I would say that if you really need it, lorazepam can be a very helpful medication, as long as the patient doesnt abuse it.
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