Ativan and Depression: What Users Say

• n81...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2013

For Anxiety "Most subtle of the benzos I have tried. It made me sleepy the first hour or two, but then stabilized my anxiety and mood for about six hours. Much longer lasting than it is given credit for. Good PRN medication. Other benzos cause some moodiness or depression even. Although I think Lorazepam can, it is much smoother than others. It is again too sedating for many people, though. I liked it about as much as Clonazepam, it is better than Valium, in my opinion."

• Owl...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 30, 2016

For Anxiety "Ativan is very good for anxiety. The trick is not to take it too often. I've found that I get used to dosages fast. I've also found that on the day following when I take it, I'm more tired, listless, and depressed. It's something to watch out for."

• EJK...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2018

For Anxiety "Yes, it will stop panic attacks, but good luck coming off it. I was having severe anxiety after a bad spell of taking Lexapro, which made my anxiety worse and gave me constant panic attacks, so my doctor had me taking 0.5 mg three times a day. I was so grateful to have some relief that I didn't question the dose, but the more I read about dependence, the more nervous I became. I started tapering off it after only a month, and I thought I was going to die. Hallucinating, insomnia where I didn't sleep for days, couldn't keep down solid food, crippling depression, and agoraphobia... it was a nightmare, and I was contemplating checking into a hospital. I eventually transitioned to buspirone and eventually Pristiq. Such a nightmare. I can't recommend Ativan to anyone who may be sensitive to benzos."

• Til...
• December 5, 2015

For Anxiety "Highly addictive medicine. Very angry I was put on this. I have worse anxiety and hand, feet, and head tremors. Docs give out benzos too easily. Then they do not want to help you get off them. It is awful. They treat you like a pill seeker instead of slowly weaning you off. More doctors need to use the Ashton Method of withdrawal. Taking someone off benzos too quickly can induce anger, crying spells, depression, and even seizures. Too many doctors do not want to help patients get off these pills, and it is wrong."

• It...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 8, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I take 2 mg on occasion for sleep. I try to go no more than two 2 mg pills a week. For severe anger and panic attacks, I will take 2 mg. I really try not to take them every time I have an emotion because some are normal. Everyone is different and responds differently and needs to be tailored to their life. Personally, I would rather not take them, but realize I have to. Side effects are feeling a little fatigued and down, but that's the only side effect for me. So I'm very careful with using them."

• Nut...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 28, 2023

For Anxiety "I’ve been on this medication for anxiety and anger since 2018, it immediately takes away panic rage and lets me think clearly. However, my psychiatrist took me off cold turkey 9 days ago, and I feel miserable!!! I’m having constant blackouts, anxiety, intense paranoia, rage, no energy at all to even get up and use the bathroom, and insomnia. I’m afraid of feeling like this for years or forever, I don't know how to deal anymore. This is so unreal. I’ve had many crying fits and moments of depression because of this awful feeling. Pros: 10/10 Cons: 0/10"

• Ped...
• February 18, 2019

For ICU Agitation "I was given this for post-op pain in recovery instead of narcotics because an anesthesiologist deemed me a drug user because I requested no morphine due to severe itching and scratching until I bled. I could not take ibuprofen due to renal disease. I was given 2 mg Ativan IV and told it was pain medication. I could feel every bit of the pain but could not speak... people were walking by me and would say, “she is asleep now,” but I was screaming inside. All it did was drug me to the point I could not speak but could feel every bit of the pain. On the way home from the hospital, I went psychotic in the car trying to hurt other people. This left me with nightmares for 2-3 weeks, depression, anger, and memory loss. It was not disclosed what was given until I kept pressing them because it was the worst surgical experience ever. The cover-up was the worst. It hindered my healing from the surgery."

• Aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2019

For Anxiety "Ativan is an amazing drug to take for sleep and for anxiety, however, proceed with caution if you struggle with depression and are not on other meds for depression. I started taking Ativan for insomnia and for anxiety, but it unmasked depression for me and put me in a real dark place, and all I did was cry before I would finally go to sleep. I slept amazing, but like I said, it made me feel more depressed. :( So for that reason, I had to stop taking it. But it is the best for sleep. I always woke up feeling super refreshed if I took Ativan the night before, and it didn’t make me have any crazy dreams like some meds for sleep can do. Like I said, the only side effects for me were worsening depression and sometimes upon waking, feeling confused. Other than that, I highly recommend Ativan ❤️."

• Pau...
• April 20, 2017

For Anxiety "Have been taking this for situational anxiety for many years. It worked to some degree, but I would always feel depressed afterwards, which was awful. Last year, I used it daily, up to 1.5 mg, while I was changing my antidepressant. This was a huge mistake. I soon reached the tolerance and began to get rebound anxiety, which started up every morning. I've been off of it for 10 weeks now and still suffering. This is really hard to come off of. My advice is don't take this more than once a week, and that may be too much. My anxiety is so much worse because of lorazepam."

• DKa...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 4, 2019

"I have been taking 0.05 mg for nearly twenty years for my inner ear condition called Meniere’s disease. I would suffer with debilitating dizziness (vertigo) to the point that I would have to roll out of bed to the floor and crawl to get to the restroom or any other place in my house. If I stood up, I would fall over. Ativan has given me my life back. It is a miracle drug for me. A couple of years ago, I had a mental breakdown due to extreme stress from my job, loss of parents, and a son. This made my Meniere’s worse, and I was put on 1 mg. This was the only thing that helped me function until an antidepressant (Wellbutrin) kicked in. I am now back on the 0.5 dose, 1 daily in the morning, and able to live a very normal life. I am very thankful for this medication."

• Lad...
• October 11, 2018

"I was given Ativan for anxiety due to TMJ (temporomandibular disorder) chronic pain. It ended up taking away the pain itself. However, being in the mental health field, I'm well aware of the addictive qualities of this drug. I was appalled at how quickly I was put on 1 mg/day for 3 weeks and given a renewed prescription without question every time I went in. Users must beware of the high addictiveness and that it can take years to taper off this medication and years for the brain to return to a normal state. Severe withdrawal can cause psychosis, depression, seizures, and death, and rebound symptoms are very common even at low doses (rebound symptoms is when you go off or taper down the medication, you experience a worsening of the condition it was intended to treat in the first place). If you've been prescribed this by your GP, please do your research and talk to a specialist about it and follow their advice. Benzodiazepines have ruined many lives and are still continuously over-prescribed."

• Anonymous
• December 24, 2009

For Anxiety "With proper dosing, i.e., enough mgs, Ativan works very well in controlling my irritability and anxiety. The only temporary, mild side effects that occurred were a slight lack of motivation, slight feelings of disorientation, which dissipated quickly."

• Ati...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 27, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I have tried just about every benzo for chronic anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, and panic attacks. Klonopin 0.5 mg 3x a day made me depressed and sleepy, and made me want to take extra. Valium 10 mg 3x a day worked great but resulted in excess daytime sedation and far too much muscle relaxation. Xanax was perfect, except for the rebound anxiety, the potency, and the extremely short duration of action. My Dr. suggested Ativan. I agreed and switched to 1 mg 3x a day, then 0.5 mg 3x daily. I found Ativan the least addicting of the benzodiazepines I’ve tried, although it’s supposedly very addictive. I also thought it was relatively easy to come off of, at least compared to Klonopin or Xanax! Finally, it has the lowest number of side effects relative to the main effect. Ativan doesn’t make me drowsy but does get rid of my anxiety. And 0.5 mg is enough for a bad flare-up of anxiety, 1 mg enough for a panic attack."

• DsB...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2018

For Panic Disorder "I have lived with panic disorder since I was 16 and have had experience with various benzodiazepines. This has got to be the worst drug I have ever taken for a panic attack, it made me feel even more disconnected and stupid. I ended up in the back of an ambulance after taking this drug for a panic attack. I also struggled to sleep after taking this medication and was having suicidal thoughts. So far, I would have to say when it comes to the elimination of a panic attack, it goes: Xanax > Clonazepam > CBD > Valium > Bromazepam > Ativan."

• Hsd...
• January 10, 2014

For Anxiety "It works sometimes, while other times it makes me more depressed."