Ativan and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Ink...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 25, 2019

For Anxiety "I’ve been taking Ativan on and off for the past 9 years. Started on 0.5 mg, moved up to 1 mg per day as needed. I’ve heard and read about addiction horror stories, but I’ve personally never had to up my dose (except going from 0.5 to 1 mg) and haven’t had the urge to take more than prescribed. I suffer from major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Ativan helps my anxiety immensely. Especially useful for full-blown panic attacks - within half an hour I feel normal again. At first it made me sleepy, but as my body got used to it, that side effect went away. There was a time when I was having debilitating anxiety on a daily basis, and my pdoc advised me that I could take up to 4 mg per day. Thankfully, I haven’t had the need to take that much. Overall, Ativan is a great medicine. I could go days without taking it with no adverse effects (i.e. withdrawal). This medicine works well for me. Good luck!!"

• Spe...
• August 8, 2019

For Anxiety "Lost my husband suddenly right next to me of a stroke during the night. It was a shock. I have PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Use Ativan in tiny dose to sleep. Do wake up very drowsy and super sensitive to meds. Can be addictive but not for me. Calms me while grieving."

• Mni...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 5, 2020

For Anxiety "Has gotten me through many sleepless nights and panic attacks. I only take it if I absolutely need to, to help me at night time when my anxiety is at its worst and only a dose of 0.5 mg. It almost always makes me sleepy and helps me sleep, and normally I don't feel too groggy the next day."

• Chr...
• May 10, 2020

For Panic Disorder "I have had panic disorder, agoraphobia, and severe anxiety for 10 years, so I need something like Ativan that sedates me and calms me down when I get hysterical. After numerous trips to the ER and every time I went there they gave me this. Finally, I talked to my psychiatrist and got the prescription so I don't have to go to a hospital for my severe panic attacks. Medications I used to take made me feel like I was going crazy lol. Unlike other medications I have tried in the past, there are really not any side effects besides it makes you a little drowsy. This is a true lifesaver for a person who could not otherwise function. This helps with how debilitating panic attacks and severe anxiety can be. I would highly recommend this, and I have tried countless other remedies but this one tops all."

• Hap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 21, 2019

For Anxiety "The doctor gave me Ativan for treating bad anxiety/panic attacks. I just take 1/2 of a 1mg pill when I’m experiencing a panic attack. The doctor was very reluctant to prescribe it as it is a benzo, but in my opinion, it is 100% better than the long-term stuff which just completely messed up my moods and made me depressed, which I never was before. I keep the Ativan with me, and if I start to feel a bad attack coming on, I have 1/2 a pill and am completely fine again within 15 mins. It’s been a lifesaver for me as my panic attacks would sometimes last days, and I’d be throwing up, the whole deal. Ativan has really helped. I’ve only had to use it twice in six months, but just knowing it’s there if I need it is great. The only side effect I get is drowsiness, but usually I take it at night anyway, so it’s good. I also get a lot of relief from cognitive behavioral therapy like tapping and meditating."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2019

For Anxiety "I had been having extreme anxiety and panic attacks for 4 or 5 days and didn’t feel like I could handle them on my own anymore. I went to the ER and they gave me Ativan to calm down. I’m not sure what the dosage was but it was in pill form. At that point I had been crying nonstop for 3 hours as I was very scared and my heart was beating very fast. Within half an hour or so I could feel the medication working as it took the edge off of my anxiety. When I went home, I immediately fell asleep and stayed asleep. I also hadn’t been sleeping well, so that was a relief. It worked really well for me, but I only took it at the ER and haven’t taken it consecutively as a prescription. The only downside was I felt very groggy and foggy the next couple of days, but that could be attributed to exhaustion. Overall, it really helped me a lot."

• Anx...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2014

For Anxiety "Given that I've had issues with addiction, my previous psychiatrist would not prescribe me any benzos and instead prescribed me Vistaril, which I found pretty useless. For someone with acute panic and anxiety issues, benzos really should be the first and last word on the topic. Ativan is great. Because of my addiction history, I am very careful with it and never take it more than prescribed. It is enough to make me feel 'evened out' during the day without making me loopy, euphoric, or sleepy. And at night, it puts me out without giving me a 'hangover' the following day like Valium does."

• Med...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 27, 2012

For Anxiety "I had a great experience with Ativan. It does a great job of heading off a panic attack when you feel one coming on. It works very quickly (5 minutes or less). It doesn't make you feel drunk or high, but more just kind of relaxed and mellow (a bit sleepy). I took a very low dose, as needed, and it's just nice to have something in case I need it, that wasn't real addictive or habit-forming. Like having a spare tire. You don't have to use it very often, but it's comforting knowing you have one, and it will get you through. I didn't notice any side effects at all, to be honest, except for feeling sleepy when I took it sometimes, but that's not always a bad thing."

• Mac...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 10, 2025

"After retiring from the military, I received help I had been dealing with for years. If you are too honest with any mental health problems on active duty, you can lose promotion opportunities or be discharged, so I waited. This drug is a lifesaver for my debilitating anxiety and insomnia. I have taken it for 3 years, and yes, you build up a tolerance, but it’s better than nothing. There were times I didn’t take it for weeks to see if the withdrawal was that bad. Honestly, it was about the same anxiety as I had to begin with. A couple of days you don’t sleep, but it wasn’t as bad for me. I take 3 mg a day, and it keeps me functioning normally. Without it, I’d be a mess. If I have to take it for life, so be it. It is addictive, but the alternative life isn’t worth living, so I’m glad for this therapy. It doesn’t make you loopy or comatose. The first few weeks will be drowsy, but if you are high anxiety, you will feel normal."

• bha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 2, 2012

For Panic Disorder "Excellent experience with Ativan. Have used it for flight anxiety and flew with a smile on my face. Also used it for general panic disorder. Right when I feel a panic attack coming on I take 0.5 mg - very small amount. It kills the panic attack in 15-20 minutes and I feel incredibly relaxed for hours. Only side effect was slight drowsiness but it was not bad at all - even useful if I was trying to go to bed. Highly recommend."

• Lun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2020

"Oh. My. God... relief. I had been suffering restlessness for four months on end, and it was horrible. Risperidone and Haldol made it worse, and Klonopin made me suicidal. Then I started Ativan and upped my gabapentin dose (I had previously been on a higher dose, and I suspected me lowering it 4 months ago is what triggered the restlessness), and it worked. I feel a bit sedated (although taking Ativan with the gabapentin actually relieves the brain fog/smothered feeling I used to get on higher gabapentin) and there are times during the day when I feel my inhibitions are a bit lower, but compared to living a nightmare for four months, this is bliss. I can function and do things again, and I don’t live in constant fear of the horrible restlessness that I could always feel just below the surface. I checked my chest, I don’t feel any restlessness at all. I can sit here and think about the restlessness feeling, and I don’t feel it. For the first time in 4 months, I’m free."

• Opt...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 6, 2013

For Nausea/Vomiting "Ativan is the only drug that can stop my vomiting when I'm in the middle of a bad cycle (I have cyclical vomiting syndrome which is triggered by neurally mediated hypotension). I've never had any nasty side effects. I just get pleasantly loopy and very sleepy, which is usually a blessing after staying up all night. I don't have a prescription for it, so I end up in the ER a few times a year, which is when they give it to me. (By the time it's that bad, I need IV fluids anyway, so...)"

• MM ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2013

For Anxiety "I used this medication thirty years ago for anxiety, and recently, I had to get another prescription for it. I have always felt near-immediate relief when taking it. I weigh over 200 pounds, and the 1 mg taken as needed gives me relief from occasional anxious or panicky feelings. I've had no other side effects, such as drowsiness, etc., even when taken in the daytime."

• PN7...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2019

For Anxiety "This would be my 3rd time in 14 years of getting a week's worth prescription of Ativan (0.5 mg). I never seem to take them all. Does calm anxiety, and with the low dosage, I don’t get drowsy or have any other side effects. I would suggest taking a pill only when necessary. I could see how this could become habit forming. Sometimes, you just naturally need to fight through an anxiety episode."

• Anonymous
• July 8, 2009

For Anxiety "Ativan at 0.5mg works for me. No side effects. I just feel calm. My doctor gave me a prescription for 1mg but that causes drowsiness, which finds me napping and losing part of the day. So I am not going to take that strength. He said I could take the 0.5mg 2 to 3 times a day if necessary. I find twice a day is working well."

• 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."

• Gar...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 7, 2013

For Panic Disorder "This medicine is powerful. It does stop panic attacks, however, it can leave you drowsy and with difficulty concentrating. It's still a tremendous help with my symptoms, but as I was a programming student in college, my ability to concentrate was still compromised. If you need quick relief from panic attacks, this likely is your medication, but depending on what you do, you may want to look at SSRIs instead (though they take longer to take effect)."

• Kay...
• January 6, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I have severe panic disorder, agoraphobia, IBS-D, and damage to my nervous system due to trauma. I have been given Ativan for numerous procedures, which I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew for the 24 hours after I felt normal. Not groggy, not post-operative blues, nothing just... normal. After over a year of trying a million different things to manage my conditions, I asked my doctor in his office what he puts in my IV because that is magic. He gave me the rundown on how Ativan can be addicting and how my procedures I get 2 mg and he was going to start me on .5 as needed. In the last month, I've taken a half of a .5 mg tablet as needed, and let me tell you, life has been much more bearable. Unfortunately, Ativan is supposed to be a short-term solution and my problems are very much chronic. I haven't ever experienced more than a slight groggy feeling once. Anyway, if you feel as hopeless as I did, this doesn't hurt to try. I hope it works as well for you as it has for me."

• Anonymous
• June 3, 2009

For Anxiety "Ativan is great for anxiety flare-ups, especially when breathing or alternative methods won't cut it. However, certain manufacturers make their pills slightly differently, and some seem to be more sedating, and then I feel out of it. I wish there wasn't a price war for the least expensive medication, so the pharmacy would stick to one brand. Even the generic isn't working to control my anxiety right now. When my pharmacy carries the right brand, it works perfectly for those fear and flee moments that I can't get under control."

• Cel...
• June 26, 2010

For Panic Disorder "I took this medication because I was having panic attacks. I had no drowsiness and no side effects. This medication didn't make me apathetic or sedated; it simply took the panic away so I could think and get my work done. It saved me. After the panic attacks stopped, I was still suffering from anxiety (a new condition for me), and the Ativan didn't help that, so my doctor switched me to Klonopin, which worked great for day-long anxiety, while I also tapered up on Zoloft. Still waiting to figure out if the Zoloft works."

• diz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2020

For Light Anesthesia "I was prescribed 2 mg Ativan to take 2 hours before a dentist appointment (I’m a 110 lb woman). I took it 2 hours prior, and within a half hour, the whole room was spinning, and I was getting nauseous. I was only not dizzy if I was laying down. It seemed like an impossible task to walk to the car and be driven to the dentist and endure an appointment in that state. I stayed home and immediately fell asleep for 5 hours. I felt nauseous upon waking, and it got better after eating a small amount of bland food. It is now evening, and I feel better, just very groggy and a little slow feeling. I would rather endure the dentist appointment than go through this again."

• Anonymous
• October 24, 2011

For Anxiety "This medication worked for my anxiety but made me a complete zombie. I would forget things I was doing and just had a drowsy, I-don't-care attitude. It got rid of my anxiety but interrupted my daily work routine because I couldn't think to function. I would only recommend it if you are having extreme, jump-out-of-your-skin anxiety, otherwise, try to do things naturally. I started taking vitamins and working out regularly, and my anxiety has gone down at least 60%."

• xdo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 16, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I have very severe anxiety and panic attacks 24/7. It never goes away, and I’m too scared to take antidepressants. I also have a phobia of vomiting, fainting, and having a panic attack, haha. I also have 24/7 dizziness. I’ve only ever taken 0.5 mg of Ativan (under tongue) a few times when I was having a panic attack or when I had to go to the dentist. It made me feel almost more anxious when I left my dentist appointment, and I thought I was going to have a panic attack. That was a little over an hour after taking it. The other times I took it, it worked and didn’t peak my panic attack, but made me feel groggy and more anxious when it wore off. For me, any benzo is a hit or miss, and I never know if it’s going to work this time or not."

• gri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2012

For Anxiety "I was prescribed the 0.5 mg tabs for anxiety and panic attacks. I have only been taking them for a few days now, but they definitely do calm me down. The only side effects I get are a little sleepiness and a slight headache. I don't think the 0.5 mg tab would be enough for a full-on panic attack, I think I would need to take 3 or 4 of them. My only problem with these pills is that sometimes it takes 2 or 3 hours for it to fully kick in."

• Lan...
• January 8, 2012

For Anxiety "Ativan always helps calm me down 0.5 mg dose, but when it wears off, it makes me a little extra nervous. But all in all, a very effective medicine. Side effect is drowsiness and laziness, haha. But I function so much better when my mind doesn't have the anxiety."