Lorazepam 2.5mg

Lorazepam 2.5mg is a benzodiazepine tablet. It is a higher strength than the 1mg tablet that people usually start on. Tavor is the brand name for lorazepam in Germany, and Ativan is the name for lorazepam in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Lorazepam is used as a short-term medication for anxiety, for insomnia caused by anxiety, and before undergoing anaesthesia. In hospitals it is also used to treat status epilepticus, which is a seizure that does not subside on its own.

The liver handles it differently. Unlike most benzodiazepines, lorazepam is broken down by the liver in a different way. It is broken down by a process called glucuronidation rather than by the cytochrome P450 enzymes, and it produces no active substances during this process. This means liver disease, older age and other medicines affect it far less than they affect drugs like diazepam.

That is why lorazepam is often the benzodiazepine of choice for those who are elderly, for those who have liver problems, and for those already taking several other medicines. It is a practical benefit rather than a sign that the drug is gentler.

Dosage. For anxiety the starting dose is 0.5mg to 1mg taken two or three times a day. This can be increased to between 0.5mg and 2mg taken every six to eight hours. The maximum dose for an adult is 10mg per day, in divided doses. For older patients the maximum is much lower, at around 2mg per day in divided doses. Treatment is meant to be short-term, because tolerance and dependence develop with continued use.

Never take it with an opioid. Taking a benzodiazepine together with an opioid painkiller is dangerous. Both classes of drugs slow breathing, and taking them together slows breathing even more than either drug alone would. The Food and Drug Administration added a boxed warning about this combination in 2016. Studies have found that taking a benzodiazepine in combination with an opioid multiplies overdose deaths by as much as four times.

Side effects of lorazepam 2.5mg. The common side effects of lorazepam are drowsiness, unsteadiness, dizziness, weakness and problems with memory. Alcohol will worsen these effects. Lorazepam can impair driving abilities, and the effect can last for several hours after taking the drug.

Stopping it. Lorazepam should not be stopped suddenly after regular use. Stopping the drug abruptly can lead to rebound anxiety, insomnia, tremor and in some cases seizures. The way to come off it is to reduce the dose slowly over time, according to a schedule set by the prescribing doctor. The taper can be slower than expected.