Lorazepam for Panic Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• kar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 16, 2023

Lorazepam "Currently taking 2-2.5 mg every 5 hours. A little higher than prescribed. I'm still anxious, but not at a crisis level. I feel sleepy, but not so much that I can't function. This medication is inexpensive and definitely worth the try. I'm waiting to see if it gets more helpful as time goes by."

• Ros...
• January 31, 2016

"I started taking this medication at 0.5 mg and thought I was okay. I had to get the dose upped to 1.0 mg to sleep, but what has been happening is I cry all the time, am angry and sad. I cry most of the day, every day! I am having what a doctor called PTSD from seeing my mom pass 2 years ago and am dealing with anger issues there still, but now all I do is cry! Does anyone else feel this? I feel so alone! Rose"

• Lil...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 5, 2020

"I am allergic to every SSRI medication I have tried, so my doctor tried lorazepam. (My non-responsiveness to these medications seems to be genetic because my mother and maternal grandmother both couldn't tolerate them.) Lorazepam has given me back my life. At my worst, PTSD prevented me from even leaving my home. I take 0.5 mg once daily but am allowed to take up to 1.5 mg daily if needed. Along with diet, exercise, and therapy, I am feeling more like myself."

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 12, 2014

"One day, while I was waiting for the train to take me home from the gym, I started to feel my upper torso muscles progressively stiff. A few seconds after the train closed its doors, it became much more intense, and I started to panic. My heart started to beat very fast for short periods of time, and I could not breathe properly. Also, my arms and face felt funny, I really thought I was going to have a heart attack and die in there. Thankfully, I made it home, and I went to the city hospital in the afternoon. I had my heart checked with very positive results, and my doctor prescribed me these 1 mg pills. They've helped me abort a few panic attacks in the last weeks, even taking half a pill, with no noticeable side effects."

• Kay...
• January 6, 2021

Lorazepam "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."

• Ocl...
• April 4, 2016

"Out of nowhere, I was hit with panic attacks. The first one put me in the ER, I thought I was dying. They gave me 20 Ativan. They help so much. They don't put me to sleep or in a drunken stupor like Xanax. Just perfect. Luckily, my attacks have really lessened, and I just take it when I feel one coming on, and it's done. Thank you."

• Gol...
• November 2, 2015

"Ativan has been a lifesaver to me. I suffer from debilitating anxiety and rumination. I can take 0.5 to 1, and it takes it away within 15 minutes. I've gone to DBT & CBT classes outpatient twice. Therapy. This medicine is what has helped the most. My quality of life is much better with it. The negative is that the doctors don't want you to take it unless you absolutely have to. They say it's addictive. I've not experienced that yet. Oh! I also took Klonopin, which didn't touch the anxiety for me."

• boo...
• June 4, 2014

"I had my first panic attack last week. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack and dying. My heart was fine, and I was told it was a panic attack. I had never had this before. At the ER, the doctor gave me lorazepam. It seems to keep me calm. I read that once you have these attacks, you are more prone to them. I sure hope they don't happen often! Scary situation it was."

• Pet...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 12, 2019

"I was misdiagnosed for years by my doctor and emergency room. I was being treated for asthma when I was actually having a panic attack. I remember being so frustrated that my medication wasn’t helping my shortness of breath, which I thought was asthma. I was properly diagnosed when I was vacationing in San Diego. I thought I was having an asthma attack. I took my inhaler and got no relief. I thought I was a goner. The ambulance came and took my vital signs and said I’m having a panic attack. I was in disbelief. I was given 1 mg Ativan at the emergency room and felt better within 10 minutes. Right now I’m on Celexa and carry Ativan on me at all times. Ativan works for me."

• Ris...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2023

"Every time I ever take it when I feel a panic attack or an anxiety attack, it has relieved my pain and symptoms about 20 minutes after swallowing the pill. It has been extremely helpful for me, but I also try not to take it and try to just get through my symptoms as well as possible. But I think it truly helps relieve it and calm you down in a peaceful state."

• Lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2015

"In 2011, I began having panic attacks in crowded places. Just going to the mall was hell. The physical sensations were unbearable. After a while, the only safe place was home. It got to the point where I was a social hermit. I read reviews about lorazepam supposedly helping people with anxiety, and I thought it was worth the shot because life at that point was totally unbearable. It absolutely helped with the panic attacks and the physical symptoms, sweating, racing heart, etc. I still feel anxiety, but it's nowhere comparable to what it once was. I also used the Linden Method. I would guess that both the Linden Method and lorazepam cut down my symptoms by about 95%."

• Mr ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 4, 2018

"Ativan is an amazing drug. It saved my life. I had my first-ever panic attack one year ago. It landed me in the emergency room, and the doc gave me 1 mg. Ever since then, I take it maybe once a week. 0.5 mg is great for the feeling of anxiety. I use 1 mg and a bath if I have a panic attack. The bath is because water helps me calm down (it’s actually scientific, haha). The only issue is it can be habit forming. Hence, why I only take it when I absolutely need to. Other than that, it works just as well as Xanax or Valium."

• Cel...
• June 26, 2010

Lorazepam "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."

• Kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 5, 2016

"I take Ativan for panic attacks as well as general anxiety. I must say, it works very, very well. When compared to Xanax, I think Xanax is more effective in stopping the panic attack, but Ativan is better at just avoiding an attack altogether. It kicks in just as fast as Xanax but seems to linger in the system longer. So for me, when I took Xanax and was panicking, I had to take, then I'd be great, then have to take again, etc. Ativan, for me, has been smoother. I take it and I am good. I do have to take a higher dosage than I would of Xanax, but barely. I think this medication is great for panic and general anxiety, though never try to take a benzo as a regimen. The withdrawals are debilitating!"

• Lex...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 25, 2020

"I had a head injury (TBI) 10 years ago, and as a result, I have panic attacks, tremors, severe headaches, and fear of leaving my house. I have taken 3, 1 mg tablets each day for about 8 years. I have not increased my original dosage and do not find it to be addictive. It makes a world of difference to me. One thing you should definitely be aware of is that different manufacturers are not uniform in manufacturing. Lorazepam varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. I had to try several different pharmaceutical brands in order to find one that worked for me."

• Win...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 23, 2016

"I'm 19 years old, and I had my first panic attack when I was four. Scariest thing I've ever experienced. I started taking lorazepam about two years ago when I became severely agoraphobic and had what I like to call 'rolling panic attacks' all day long. I started off with .5 mg tablets, 1-3 per attack, and now I have a 1-2 mg script two years later. Not a huge difference at all. It was EXTREMELY difficult for me to get the medication, but as I have a long history of panic disorder, had severe reactions to SSRIs, had done CBT, and had debilitatingly long panic attacks of an hour shaking on the floor at a time, it was tried. And I am SO thankful. Unfortunately, every new doctor I see (I moved from Canada to the UK) has a different opinion."

• Mis...
• July 27, 2015

Lorazepam "I started to take Ativan for severe panic attacks. It did calm me down, but left me extremely tired in the daytime. I was so tired that I was not able to function well at work. It was helpful at night, though. Also, I was told that I could not take this medication for long-term use. Eventually, I switched to Celexa and got relief that allowed me to not feel as tired."

• mrj...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 8, 2018

"I must admit lorazepam is the only med that takes the edge off an anxiety attack. When I am in a crisis, I might need up to 4 mg to calm down. I was on Zoloft, but rather than take Zoloft every day, I use lorazepam now and then when needed. If you have panic disorder or anxiety attacks, you are really helped with this med."

• 123...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2024

"This works wonders for my panic attacks and panic disorder! I don’t take it every day, of course, but last night my anxiety turned into a panic attack to the point I was hyperventilating, screaming, pulling my hair, and I took one 1 mg, and I felt so calm and serene 10 minutes later. Yes, I know there’s a possibility of addiction to these meds, but Hydroxyzine doesn’t work for my panic, Buspar doesn’t work, SSRIs don’t work, just Ativan and benzodiazepines. I’m sorry."

• Cre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2016

"Had a full-blown panic attack about 4 months ago and went to the ER. Had no idea what one was until the doctor pumping me full of Ativan explained that I wasn't actually dying. He literally brought me back from panic land. Unfortunately, the anxiety attacks didn't stop there, and I got a script for this without understanding how addicting these are. Now I'm taking 1.5 mg a day with little to no effect. At this point, I'm just avoiding withdrawal symptoms. I also have to avoid alcohol like the plague or risk respiratory failure. But that's the case with any benzo. Take this medication very seldom, and you'll be just fine. Taking it on a schedule (or for more than 2-4 weeks) is what gets you addicted."

• 201...
• April 6, 2013

"After not sleeping for three days, went cold turkey from Ambien. Don't do this...and after watching the movie Munich, I had a full-on panic attack. At first, I thought I was having a stroke, then a heart attack. I felt my life force leaving my body, then I got really scared of dying. I had a distinct taste of metal in my mouth and slight pain in my upper torso with trouble catching my breath. Then I really thought I was having a heart attack. I called 911. They showed up an hour later. My blood and EKG tested fine. No drugs or booze. I used to think panic attacks were all in the head and a joke...I learned my lesson. I take 0.5 x 2 a day. It helps."

• CJa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 27, 2021

"Lorazepam, or Ativan if you want to call it that, is a lifesaver. I have had panic disorder and lots of anxiety and depression problems along with insomnia. I have been on loads of medication for my conditions. I started out on Prozac, which didn't do anything for me after a few months of taking it. All it did was make me nauseous. Then I tried Zoloft, and that was by far the worst. It made me very depressed to the point of attempting suicide. I stopped all SSRIs after that and thought there was no hope. My doctor then prescribed me 2 benzodiazepines: Xanax for sleep and Ativan for panic. Those two drugs are lifesavers. Xanax puts me right out, and when I wake up, I feel refreshed and ready for the day. But Ativan, oh Ativan, that one saves my life. Ativan puts me right out when I am panicking, and it works very, very quickly. It has stopped me from harming myself during panic attacks. Benzodiazepines are some of the best drugs I have taken in my life, and they are so helpful to me."

• Cor...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 29, 2021

Lorazepam "Great for stopping my severe panic attacks. I usually only take 1/2 of a tablet (1 mg) and dissolve it under my tongue. When a full tablet is required, it does make my face feel hot. I also feel slow. Writing this review on a full tablet. Difficult but better than freaking out!"

• xdo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2022

Lorazepam "I’m not sure if my panic is just too horrible, but I’ve tried 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg, and they all do nothing for me. I might try 2 mg next time I have to go out (I have agoraphobia). I know it works for so many people, and I really want it to work for me because I’m scared to try anything else :( Mine are sublingual tablets."

• cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2020

"I was first prescribed Ativan for debilitating panic attacks. I was very sick with Lyme disease, and my anxiety went through the roof. My doctor gave me only 10 pills and cautioned me against regular use. I should’ve listened. I wound up in the ER a week later, and they prescribed me a month’s worth of Ativan, 0.5 mg 3x daily. At first, I swore this was a miracle drug. I felt so much better. No more panic attacks! However, I’ve now been on them for just 5 weeks and started experiencing interdose withdrawals. After 6 or 7 hours, I start shaking and panicking. It wakes me from my sleep. I’m now tapering down my dose, and I feel horrible. High anxiety, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, and more. I’m so upset, and I really hope I can go back to normal after this. Please use caution when taking this drug! You CAN get addicted after only a few weeks."