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How To Avoid Ativan Dependence?

Posted on Tue, 1 Apr 2014

Question: I have been taking 1 mg Ativan every other day for a month and have also started taking Lexapro and will discontinue the Ativan when the Lexapro takes full effect . How long can I take the Ativan this way and avoid dependence . Some times I take it two days in a row but never more. Is it true that if you avoid a steady state of Ativan in your system by not taking it frequently you will avoid dependence. I have no previous addiction issues and only take it to function properly in my daily life. I would like to take it daily (once in am ) if it would not lead to dependence , until Lexapro kicks in . Thx JS

Answered by Dr. Abhishek Kapoor (27 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Better to avoid it daily Detailed Answer: Hi Thanks for using healthcare magic. I, Dr Abhishek Kapoor, would help you in this query. Ativan is a benzodiazepine and it has high dependence potential. If you take it daily, chances of getting tolerance would high and gradually you have to increase the dose. Ativan has elimination half life around 9 to 16 hours, that means, it need three to four days to maintain steady level in body. If you take it daily and then leave it abruptly, you could feel withdrawal symptoms and later could lead to dependence. So, it would better to take it on sos basis and avoid it on daily basis. Lexapro consists of escitalopram and it would take 10 to 14 days to show its response. It would help to control symptoms better than ativan. Just keep patience and carry on with drugs. You would get desired response. In between, you can try relaxation exercise, that would give you some response without any harm. In case, you need further hep, you can ask. Regards Dr. Abhishek Kapoor Psychiatrist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Abhishek Kapoor (14 minutes later)

Thx for answer. So is it ok to take every other day or sometimes two days in a row as long as I avoid the three concurrent days to avoid tolerance ? I'm not looking to take this long term only for another week or two. Thx

Answered by Dr. Abhishek Kapoor (21 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Take it on alternate day Detailed Answer: HI Thanks for showing trust on me. You can take it on alternate day or two days in a row. That would help to avoid dependence. You can also take it on sos basis for months. Sometime, it happens that you may feel anxiety or sleep disturbance due to some reason, that time, you could take it. Remember one thing, daily use of benzodiazepine leads to dependence, not the occasional use. So, go for occasional use. Regards Dr. Abhishek Kapoor Psychiatrist

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj