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13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Juanita.

Off the subject but my cast came off today and already it is lowering my stress level

Uncle

Davit.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 659

My husband had Ativan to take when he became extremely agitated or paniced with his ptsd and dementia. He needed this medication on a regular basis..I never hesitated to give it to him and made sure he had as directed..I had some left after he passed away and when I was suffering with grief and panic I took it and really helped me a lot..I now have xanax or Valium that I can take if needed and would not hesitate to take it if I really need it..I like knowing its here just in case I need it.

Red

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Juanita, and everybody.

Better to take the Ativan to get on a plane and do a mantra saying this is okay to get that feeling in your mind than not to and have fear every time you try. Chances are pretty good that the next time you will be able to do it with just the thought, and if you can't well that is what it was designed for. Eventually if you try hard enough you will do it without.

Here for you.

Davit.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 538

Hi Everyone,

I keep some in my purse, some in my night-stand, some in the med cabinet and just in case some in my "secret"drawer. My Dr. Rx'd me 10 of the 0.5 mg at first then 30 of 1.0 mg..I still have the 30, and 8 of the 0.5mgs (it took 1 mg to calm me that time)....they are my safety net...and if I need some I will use them. When I had that "migraine"( I still wonder if that was what is was) it really helped me calm down..and I needed to calm down! I wish I would have had some years ago ..save me a lot of angst..but then maybe I would have got addicted..who knows....my doctor would like me to remove some of my stashes but I don't want to. yet anyhow..maybe when hubby's home...

When I get anxious I remind myself that they are there..and so far..no panic..but if I did have a panic attack or a migraine..I would take one...without worrying about it...and if I need one to get me a plane..so be it...having them close to me takes away alot of worrying about "what if", so that makes me calmer right away.

Just my experiences so far with ativan

Juanita

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Hi people.

Yeah I have little bottles of Ativan in my house and car from the days when I carried it just in case. And the sublingual does work very fast. I like the fire extinguisher analogy. For a while I swore I would never touch it again, and it has been a long time. I think if I absolutely had to have it because nothing was working I could do it. So far other things work. Hopefully they will continue. I have no idea why my doctor could leave me on it for four years instead of putting me on something with a longer half life. Oh well I don't have him any more and I now have a bottle of valium for a life line in case I need it. Better to have it and not take it than to freak cause I have no escape route. The other thing is because it is slower to work I often say that if I can make it fifteen minutes I'll be okay. And some times it takes a bit longer but usually that is all I need, fifteen minutes of calm. Even those of us that don't get attacks can still get anxiety and panic, the normal kind. :-)

Here for you,

Davit.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 27

Debi, glad you're doing better! I carry it in my purse too! It always expires, and then I get a new one.

Laura

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 27

Hey Davit, you are right about the half-life of Ativan. I'd never recommend it for daily maintenance. But as a fire extinguisher, it's invaluable to me. Klonopin is great but it doesn't work fast enough. It's good for the slow burn, you know? Xanax, well, I took it once but it didn't seem to help. I do use it as a last resort - like I said, only taken 2 doses in the last year at least, both last week after the mall incident.

And painkillers! Wow! I can't even take those. I've tried them - pergoset, what's-the-other-one... they just give me panic attacks and then make me a zombie. When I had my c-section, I refused them... they couldn't believe it. But I would not take them at all.

Guess we're all different :)

Laura

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Great open discussion!

Be sure to talk with your doctor before making any final decisions.

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 152

Hi Laura,

your 2 cents is fine we are all different and thats what makes this group good, Ativan worked very well for me in the height of panic and did help me sleep when i needed it but i was scared of taking it after 5 months daily and i had read some horror stories, i went on an ssri so decided to wean off the Ativan on a daily basis, i did not feel mentally addicted to it but my body must have had some dependence on it as i did have someside effects for a week or so when going off it, i still carry it in my purse but as a just in case thing

your friend Debi

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Laura

Your two cents are welcome any time. I do not have an addictive personality. I was dependent on ativan in the mental sense, but also addicted in the chemical sense. I was on four milligrams a day for four years, I had definite chemical changes and it took a year to get off it. If you read my blog you will see how my therapist described this chemical change and why it is so dangerous.

Ativan used for what it is intended for the period it is intended for is still the drug of choice, but it is too easy to abuse, especially if it is the only one you are using. It also has a one hour half life. The allowable dose will not allow you to cover a full day, unless your panic is mild or it is prescribed for sleep. There are degrees of panic. Some are bad, some are horrendous. I took offence when I was told they only last minutes, I wish. Till CBT I never had one that lasted less than an hour, even with Ativan they would be there but tolerable. I had them last three hours. I am surprised my heart never blew up with a pulse of 130-140 and BP 170/100 for that long of a period. Funny thing is that I don't have panic attacks but I take a beta blocker now and it isn't Propranolol, which is used for anxiety. Propranolol does little for BP. Ativan is less addictive if you are taking an SSRI.

I don't think it is dangerous as a benzodiazapene I think it is dangerous as Ativan. There are safer benzodiazapines that are by there nature easier to get off with longer half life's. No one will have heard me say not to use xanax or valium or any of the others, just Ativan.

There are also much safer anti anxieties.

My therapist is against its use unless as a last resort, and my doctor (new) won't prescribe it.

If you think this is a tough stand you should see what I think about opiate pain killers or alcohol.

Keep posting, that is what the forum is for, and we are all different. Our drug use is still a personal choice and it is still between you and your doctor. Hopefully he is a good one.

Here for you,

Davit.

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