Is it safe to mix xanax and lorazepam?
Xanax and lorazepam are from the same category, benzodiazepines. In theory, there's nothing wrong with mixing both; but you will have increased effects (sedation, dizziness, hallucinations, respiratory depression,etc). Some people take Xanax for anxiety and Ativan (lorazepam) as needed to sleep. As a pharmacist, I don't like the idea of having my patients in more than one benzodiazepine, because they basically do the same (only the duration of action is the difference between them), specially because of the side effects. Is it safe to use both? It depends on the dose and the use. Don't do it without consulting your doctor.
Is lorazepam also called Xanax?
Their both in the same family of drugs called Benzodiazepine. However their not the exact same. GENERIC NAME: lorazepam. BRAND NAME: Ativan GENERIC NAME: ALPRAZOLAM BRAND NAME: Xanax They both almost give you the same feeling, however people say that Xanax gives them a much stronger effect and works much quicker and can be more addicting than the rest of the Benzos. Other than that their partially the same.
What is the difference between Lorazepam and Xanax?
They are very similar medications. They have differences in their half life (how long they last) and onset time (how long they take to work). Ativan (lorazepam) has a slightly longer duration of action and takes a bit longer to work. One important distinction is that Xanax (alprazolam) is approved for use in panic disorder, whereas Ativan is not. Will Ativan reduce the severity of a panic attack? Absolutely. Technically, this is considered off label usage, but it does work. For general anxiety attacks, they are both excellent medications, and should both do the job. One thing to consider is that they are both physically addictive if taken regularly for a certain period of time, and being physically dependent on a benzodiazepine is not a place you want to be.
Lorazepam vs xanax?
one or the other may seem stronger or work better on different people. xanax is easier to get addicted to than ativan though, but using ativan for 12 years is a long time. you may want to talk to your doctor about switching to xanax just because it will be different for your body which may be built up a tolerance to the ativan. i am just wondering how many mg do you take of ativan when you need it after taking it for 12 years?
How good is Xanax for treating depression?
Not very. Shortly after it was approved, it was promoted to help with depression, but it’s main purpose was to treat acute anxiety. The usual dosage is 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg anywhere from once to 3 times per day. The problem started when they started to try to treat depression with it and in the practice where I worked at the time, which specialized in addiction by the way, we would see people come in who had been prescribed up to 8 mg per day. 1 mg of Xanax is the equivalent of 10 mg of Valium, so this is an extremely high dosage. Then it was seen that Xanax is addictive. While the half-life of Xanax is must shorter than Valium, you would see withdrawal symptoms but they began much more quickly than with Valium withdrawal. It was a common report of patients going through Xanax withdrawal that they “felt crazy”. As an interesting side note: there were a pair of brothers who were both psychiatrists in the next county. One specialized in the treatment of anxiety and would prescribe a lot of Xanax. The other brother specialized in addiction treatment.It was soon realized that the use of Xanax for depression was contra-indicated and that for long term treatment of anxiety, that an anti-depressant was just as effective and much less dangerous. Xanax is a good medication for anxiety but only for very short term use in crisis situations.
Why is Lorazepam no longer available? Is Xanax a comparable substitute?
Yes, both medications can be used to treat the same condition but it is your doctor to make the final call based on your overall medical conditions. FDA okays them for anxiety disorders. But lorazepam has more formulations than Xanax. Lorazepam can be administered via IV and oral routes, Xanax is only available in oral formulations.These two medications have other non FDA approved uses but it is your doctor to make the final call.With love.JM.
What is the difference between lorazepam and alprazolam?
They are both benzodiazepines, so we can consider them "close cousins". Therefore the differences between them are not high - specially "on paper", but are significant enough for doctors choosing one over the other depending on the circumstances. In other word, trust your doctor, as they are not "interchangeable".Just as a reminder, all benzodiazepines have six type of effects, in varying proportion: anxiolysis, anterograde amnesia, sedation/hypnosis, anti-seizure, antiemesis (anti-nausea/vomiting) and muscle relaxation.Lorazepam has a longer half-life (it stays longer in the body), specially after days of consecutive dosing.The onset for alprazolam is slightly faster - so it might be preferred as a treatment of acute conditions such as panic attacks (in panic disorder). But peak benefits for generalized anxiety may take a few days.Alprazolam is not soluble in water (most benzodiazepines aren't), and therefore cannot be administered intravenously; but lorazepam is, and can (in a hospital setting!), for example as an anticonvulsivant..Lorazepam seems to have less of a potential for psychological dependence, (partly because its longer onset time?) - and is less likely to cause rebound anxiety and other withdrawal symptoms if stopped suddenly after long-term, high dose treatments. However, it develops tolerance more easily and, therefore has a higher physical addiction potential.It is important to realize that there might be "differences", but BOTH of them can lead to tolerance and dependence, and BOTH can produce withdrawal symptoms if taken for more than (say) four weeks. Let's leave this clear: benzodiazepines are highly addictive, and have relevant side effects. They must ALWAYS be used under close medical supervision. All of them.
Can I take alprazolam and lorazepam within the same day?
There is really no reason to take both medications in the same day. Both are in the same class and have the same effect overall.
Ativan vs Xanax vs Valium vs Klonopan?
Xanax and Klonopan are the best.
Do xanax and Ativan show up as different drugs in a blood test?
On a drug screen, no, you will just test positive for benzodiazepines. However, they can run further tests to differentiate between lorazepam (Ativan) and alprazolam (Xanax), and detect each (or their metabolites) separately. I highly doubt that your doctor is so interested in your drug habits (or lack thereof) that he or she would be running toxicology testing on your blood, especially when he or she clearly acknowledges the fact that you need to be on a benzo, as evidenced by he or she providing you with the prescription for one. Also, you have the right to know exactly what was ordered. If you are curious, you can ask when it is going on. You can also call the office and ask the nurse or receptionist with whom you speak what blood work was ordered.