HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

Suggest Alternative For Ativan?

Posted on Mon, 17 Feb 2014

Question: I have been taking the brand Ativan 2mg. tablets for years. As of January, various pharmacies have not been able to get it from their regular suppliers. The generic does not seem to work well, and my doctor told me to contact the company that makes it. I cannot locate it. Is the brand still being produced as tablets by anyone? Baxter and Westward Pharmaceuticals both say they do not make the brand tablets. If any company is making the brand tablets, how do I contact it? If not, is there a particular manufacturer of the generic tablets that I should look for?

Answered by Dr. Ashish Mittal (7 hours later)

Brief Answer: Hi Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for your query. I appreciate your efforts for medical consultation in so much distress. Important aspects of your query are: • 56 year old female • Known case of anxiety and osteoporosis. • Currently on ativan 2mg per day. • Complaints of: anxiety and other brands of lorazepam. Ativan brand contain lorazepam salt. Lorazepam salt is also present in following brands (from good companies): Larpose and Lopez. You can try them. Lorazepam (Ativan) produce addiction on it on long term use. Due to that pharmacy person avoid dispensing it to the patients for chronic patients and without prescription. On long term use (more than 1-2 months) patients develop tolerance to antianxiety effects of lorazepam, due to that they tend to increase its doses. Slowly over a time patient needs very high dose of it to control anxiety. After dependance, if patient do not get medicine for 1 day, he develops severe withdrawal (anxiety, palpitation, restlessness and sleep problem etc). During standard practice: In drug treatment of anxiety two types of medicine used. For immediate relief of anxiety benzodiazepines group of medicines (like ativan) are used for short duration (due to risk of dependence). For long term relief most commonly SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like escitalopram/fluoxetine) are used. SSRI takes around 3-4 weeks to show its effect, till that time benzodiazepines control the anxiety symptoms. All these medicines are prescription medicine and given after in person examination by physician. I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. In case of any doubt, I will be available for follow ups. Wish you good health. Regards, http://bit.ly/Dr-Ashish-Mittal

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ashish Mittal (2 hours later)

Thank you for the information. I already know about many psychotropics, as I am in the mental health field. Are the Larpose and Lopez generic versions of Ativan? If not, where can I locate them--I am in XXXXXXX NYC. If they are generics, then you have not answered if the original medication Ativan is still available in tablet form, and what company produces it for use in NYC, if any.

Answered by Dr. Ashish Mittal (21 hours later)

Brief Answer: Hi Detailed Answer: Hello again, Thanks for follow up. It is good that you are aware about mental health field. So, you can understand things better. You did not mention other psychotropics for anxiety in treatment history. Larpose, Lopez and Ativan all are brands name of different companies. All contain generic drug (salt) Lorazepam. You did not mention your location in primary question. As you are in mental health field, you can take help of fellow psychiatrist or pharmacist to check availability. Many time in-spite of availability pharmacist do not dispense it (and make different excuses) because of its addiction potential. Ativan brand (generic salt: Lorazepam) is a registered trademark all over world and owned by Wyeth Company. No other company can sell Lorazepam with Ativan brand name. You can check with Wyeth company in NYC regarding its availability. Please accept my answer in case there are no further queries and recommend our services to your friends too if you have found it helpful. Wish you good health. Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ashish Mittal (1 hour later)

This is a reply, as follow-up. After much research on my own, I learned that "Ativan" tablets are made in Germany and currently produced in North XXXXXXX by Valeant Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Wyeth has nothing to do with producing Ativan anymore. Thus, your information is out of date, and it was not helpful. My pharmacy has never given me a problem with filling the brand, but apparently their suppliers are not carrying it, nor are other pharmacies' suppliers, because the brand is expensive and there is not much demand for it. I thought my followup was pretty specific. I am disappointed in the response I received, and quite frankly feel I wasted my money.

Answered by Dr. Ashish Mittal (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Hi Detailed Answer: Hello again, Thanks for follow up. I know your concern thats why I told you to check with local pharmacist. As a doctor I focus more on good brand, and do not research about companies. As a mental health professional you should understand taking different good brand of Lorazepam do not make much difference in controlling anxiety. If you are having anxiety you can have other benzodiazepines salt in equivalent doses of 2 mg ativan like: 1 mg clonazepm or 0.5mg alprazolam. Wish you good health. Regards

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar