How are lorazepam and xanax alike?

Xanax and Lorazepam are the same in many ways, and different in a few. First, they are both in the Benzodiazapine Family. Other drugs in that family are Valium,(diazepam), Klonopin,(clonazepam). Xanax,(alprazolam), and lorazepam, which is the generic name for the Brand Ativan. These drugs are mild-moderate sedatives and they all have some effect on convulsions, or seiezures. They are all also addictive and diifer slightly in there chemical make up. The biggest differences are, Xanax, for example, is a shorter acting drug, that it is in and out of the body in 4-6 hours and also tends to start its effects quickly after being taken. The shorter acting ones are good for anxiety attacks that happen out of the blue, or if someone has the need to be sedated quickly. In hopitals, they mostly use lorazepam,Ativan... it is not quite as potent as Xanax and also works quick. Another big difference can be the potency of each individual type. One of the strongest, or the ones that are strongest for each individual pill, would be clonazepam and then Valium, which is not as strong. Clonazepam lasts up to 12 hours in the body, and is pretty potent. That works well for me because I suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I need the meds in my blood to stay steady all day long. Alprazolam and xanax are shoter acting. That means that if a person is only taking them for occasional anxiety, the drug doesn't need to stay in the body as long a drug like Valium or Clonazepam. Many times Dr.'s prefer the lowest potency and shortest action time to avoid dependence. Problems come when people don't realize the differences with these drugs, and take Xanax, for instance, all day long as a result of abuse.. When they run out, the body will start to go thru withdrawal in a matter of hours and this can be a shock to the system. Most important of all, is these drugs are all addictive and can be very dangerous if taken without a script or without the knowledge of what it's being taken with. I have heard of people die from respiratory arrest, similer to overdose on alcohal, b/c the central nervous system becomes to depressed. You can do a general search on Google about Benzodiazepines and they should have a good informative web site that lists all the drugs in this family and what they do. I hope this helps, as this is all knowledge I have gained from taking these meds for a long time now. Good Luck!