Drug Addiction - Ativan

Drug addiction - Ativan is the brand name for Lorazepam. It is an anti-anxiety drug that belongs to the benzodiazepine family and is a Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant. This drug is a mild tranquilizer as well as a sedative. The widespread availability of benzodiazepines such as Ativan has made them common as drugs of abuse and addiction. Most people who take Ativan take it responsibly; however, the nonmedical use or abuse of Ativan and other prescription medications remains a serious public health concern.

Ativan is available in pill as well as liquid forms. Tablets are off-white colored and normally insoluble in water. Liquid Ativan is intended for intramuscular or intravenous injection. The effects of the drug are usually felt one to thirty minutes after injecting it or 1 to 6 hours after orally taken.

Long-term users of Ativan often develop a tolerance to the drug. This requires them to take larger doses to achieve the desired effects. Drug addiction - Ativan psychological and/or physical dependence can develop, making it difficult to discontinue use. Some individuals who abuse prescription medication such as Ativan take it to bring them down after using stimulants such as ecstasy or cocaine. Others take benzodiazepines such as Ativan to enhance the effects of alcohol. They are also commonly used as replacement drugs when a user's first drug of choice is not available.

Drug addiction - Ativan has a high potential for addiction. Users often become both psychological and physically addicted because the drug produces feelings of well-being by activating the brain's reward systems. Ativan also reduce a person's level of consciousness, harming the ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings. Often, addicted individuals will get multiple prescriptions from different doctors to support their addiction.

There are many side effects that come with the use and abuse of Ativan, they included but are not limited to: clumsiness, dizziness, sleepiness, unsteadiness, weakness, amnesia, insomnia, agitation, disorientation, depression, headache, visual problems, nausea, abdominal discomfort, drowsiness, blurred vision, tachycardia, weakness, disinhibition (where they act inappropriately grandiose or out-of-control), anterograde amnesia (decreased or lack of recall of events during period of drug action) has been reported after administration of Ativan and appears to be dose-related, injectable Ativan results in an increased incidence of sedation, hallucination, and irrational behavior, some patients on Ativan have developed leukopenia, both elevation and lowering of blood sugar levels have been reported.

Withdrawal symptoms of Ativan are similar in character to barbiturates and alcohol. The more severe withdrawal symptoms have usually been limited to those patients who received excessive doses over an extended period of time. Ativan Withdrawal symptoms include but are not limited to:

• insomnia
• ringing in the ears
• shaking
• tremors
• sweating
• nausea
• convulsions
• abdominal and muscle cramps
• vomiting

Drug addiction - Ativan overdose happens when one consumes more of the drug than their body can safely handle. Ativan abusers are constantly flirting with taking too much of the drug vs. achieving the ultimate high. Often, the only difference between the high they're seeking and serious injury or death is one or two pills. The symptoms of an Ativan overdose are central nervous system depression from drowsiness to falling into a coma.

In mild cases, symptoms of an Ativan overdose include:

• depressed breathing
• drowsiness
• lethargy
• mental confusion
• stupor
• unsteady walk
• weakness

In more serious cases, and especially when other drugs or alcohol were ingested with Ativan, symptoms of an Ativan overdose may include:

• ataxia
• death
• hypnotic state
• hypotension
• hypotonia
• stage one to three coma

"About 70 percent of Americans - approximately 191 million people - visit a health care provider, such as a primary care physician, at least once every 2 years. Thus, health care providers are in a unique position not only to prescribe needed medications appropriately, but also to identify prescription drug abuse when it exists and help the patient recognize the problem, set goals for recovery, and seek appropriate treatment when necessary. Screening for any type of substance abuse can be incorporated into routine history taking with questions about what prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines the patient is taking and why. Screening also can be performed if a patient presents with specific symptoms associated with problem use of a substance.

Over time, providers should note any rapid increases in the amount of a medication needed - which may indicate the development of tolerance - or frequent requests for refills before the quantity prescribed should have been used. They should also be alert to the fact that those addicted to prescription medications may engage in "doctor shopping," moving from provider to provider in an effort to get multiple prescriptions for the drug they abuse. Preventing or stopping prescription drug abuse is an important part of patient care. However, health care providers should not avoid prescribing or administering strong CNS depressants and painkillers, if they are needed.

Prolonged use of Ativan eventually changes the brain in fundamental and lasting ways, which explains why addicts cannot simply quit without professional help and why Ativan detox and drug rehabilitation is essential. Drugs of abuse (such as Ativan) take over the brain's normal pleasure and motivational systems, advancing the drug use to the highest priority in the individual's motivational hierarchy, thus overriding all other motivations and drives. These brain changes are responsible for the compulsion to seek/use drugs, which is defined as addiction.

Drug addiction - Ativan detox and addiction recovery can be a very difficult process to complete. This is because Ativan increases the amount of the neurotransmitter called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) in your body. GABA inhibits your nervous system and will reduce your mental and physical states, causing your body to become more relaxed. If you or someone you care about is addicted to Ativan, it is important that the detox process is done under the care of a trained medical professional and additional drug rehab is completed to completely recover from drug addiction - Ativan.