Lorazepam and Nausea: What Users Say

• Jac...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 4, 2021

For Insomnia "I have been on Lorazepam since the '80s to help me sleep and for nausea. I can go several days without sleep. This drug has really helped. I have noticed the Watson Lorazepam just does not work for me. I do not know why. Shouldn't they all be the same? VERY STRANGE....."

• Ler...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2021

Lorazepam for Anxiety "It didn't work for anxiety at all. It didn't make me feel calm, but anxious. I felt nauseous, dizzy, itchy, and couldn't sleep. It literally did nothing but side effects."

• Jol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2020

For Anxiety "I've been on Ativan for only 2 months. At first, it worked. Then, I had to take more to get the same calming effect. Now, it makes me feel nausea, headachy, and dizziness. I feel awful. And, it hardly takes away the anxiety. I take it to keep the anxiety from coming back --- 2 mg per day. On top of that, I've developed low blood salt or hyponatremia, a potentially very dangerous condition that has been linked with Ativan. I so wish I'd never started it. I see an endocrinologist in 2 days. I so wish I'd never taken Ativan and want my former energy and self back. Instead, I feel dull, depressed, and miserable. I'm going off Ativan (weaning off, which I hear is hard) as soon as possible!!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2020

Lorazepam for Nausea/Vomiting "Don't you believe it! I was admitted to the hospital for colitis. They gave me every nausea medicine, and it didn't work, then they gave me Ativan. It didn't work either. The only reason they gave it to me was by then they thought my complaint was psychosomatic and wanted to prove me a liar by showing that Ativan stopped my symptoms, so my complaints were not real, only anxiety. Useless drug, Ativan. Don't use it."

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

Lorazepam 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."

• FoZ...
• June 14, 2017

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I've been using Ativan for anxiety and insomnia for the last 5 or so years. Lately, I have been having side effects after taking only 1-2 pills at night for sleep. It does help me fall asleep, but the next day I wake up nauseous. And I'm nauseous all day. Another weird side effect that it seems no one else has experienced is that my skin feels weird, like my fingers feel like there is a coating on them... It's hard to describe, but it happens every time I take Ativan. I get no side effects like this from Valium or Xanax. I hope my doctor will switch for me."

• Fil...
• August 5, 2015

For Anxiety "Extreme weakness, nausea, problems with memory, lethargic, slow reaction times, constant thirst, stays anxious, very sleepy during the day, no energy, wears off quickly, sores at both corners of mouth, dizziness, and confusion."

• Ray...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 17, 2019

For Anxiety "Everyone, let me be completely honest. When I first started this medicine, it was a lifesaver, until I realized my life was starting to revolve around whether I had the medicine or not. When I didn’t have it, I got very, very sick. Throwing up, sweating, nausea, tremors, all that. Basically withdrawing. So I did what I had to, to always have it. I am weaning myself off with the help of my doctor. Your body becomes dependent on this. Don’t start it, please. It’s not worth it. And I have horrible anxiety, but it’s still not worth being a slave to a drug. There are other things that help, but not that! Please stay away!"

• rav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 13, 2020

Lorazepam for Panic Disorder "I've had panic disorder for six years, and when I finally convinced my doctor that there was something wrong with me and got a prescription, I was really hopeful! The first time I used it, it worked relatively well. However, I woke up nauseous and groggy, and since nausea is my trigger, I decided that I'd only take it if it was ABSOLUTELY necessary. After two months of going without it, I found myself in one of the worst series of panic attacks I've gone through while not at home. My prescribed dosage didn't do anything, I was taking a high dose, and it didn't do anything. At that point, I stopped and rode it out for another four hours. When I woke up the next morning, feeling the same groggy and nauseous feeling I'd had last time, but worse. Not sure if that was the residue of the panic or not? The same thing happened a week ago, and again it didn't work, but still left me feeling gross the next day. Maybe it just doesn't work for me?"

• Kat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 7, 2017

Lorazepam for Status Epilepticus "This med works well for calming my head after a seizure(s). I have partial seizures. Started using it 2 years ago, 'as needed.' Recently, I'm attempting to discontinue any use of this medicine. My dosage is only 0.5 sublingual. The withdrawal symptoms are absolutely brutal. It's a low dose. I'm not sure if my sensitivity to medication and time taken affect the detox. I didn't expect the nightmares, nausea, exhaustion, fuzzy head. I am glad this med helped when needed, but can say, I'll never return to using it."

• Anonymous
• June 20, 2009

For Anxiety "For STATUS EPILEPTICUS: This is what I request be given to my husband at the ER because it stops his seizures and prevents the resulting vomiting. For ANXIETY: 1 mg has helped me just enough that I was able to use relaxation techniques and avoid panicking before dental procedures. For PANIC: Doesn't work for me at all. For SEDATION: Doesn't work for me at all, even in the maximum dosage. For NAUSEA: Doesn't work for me at all. MANIA: 500 mcg suppresses manic episodes perfectly for me. RESULT: I don't think that this works very well in people with severe panic disorder w/ agoraphobia."

• And...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 24, 2019

For Anxiety "Ativan is really good when you’re having a panic attack or you feel like one is about to come on. It works quick, so within 20 minutes, you should feel calm and back to your “normal” ways. The issue with it is that you start becoming dependent on it, meaning it works so well that you start convincing yourself you need to take it going into any situation and not using it for what it’s meant to be used for, which is what I mentioned above. What eventually ends up happening is that when you are not on it, your anxiety and panic get 100 times worse than when you previously started taking it. I literally became one anxiety machine, got dizzy, nauseous, and felt sick all the time without it. Once I stopped taking them, everything went back to normal. This drug, in my opinion, is dangerous! Stay away from it unless you’re TRULY having a panic attack."

• Bea...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 7, 2021

For Anxiety "I’m 71 and have taken Xanax for 15 years. My adult children and my psychiatrist said I could wean off. No, I couldn’t. Had 3 seizures, which they don’t believe. Trembling and nauseous and dry heaves. Just wanted to die from withdrawals. Doctor said, “I would be just fine, I had prescribed 1.0 of Xanax 2 or 3 times a day. In a month, I was down to .50 of lorazepam, which my son insisted I have. I was given my original dose by a well-respected physician. But he died. Doctors care more about their paperwork than they do about people. I know what’s wrong. It’s been a nightmare for 4 months. At my age and my years of taking Xanax, I should have been treated very differently. But I’m stuck. My doctor has all kinds of labels and new diagnoses for me, with different meds. The first med made the room spin and the furniture move. I have never drunk alcohol except maybe on New Year's. But now I am made to be a junkie."

• SJa...
• March 9, 2018

For Anxiety "I've been taking lorazepam off and on for about 10 years. My former PCP prescribed it because I have panic attacks when I fly, and I was going to be flying from the US to Australia. It worked wonders. As I was subsequently diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I've been consistently re-prescribed this medication. Fortunately for me, I don't have the anxiety attacks I once did, so I don't take this nearly as often as I used to (once a week, maybe?), and I never took it often enough to get addicted, but I can certainly see how easy it would be to get hooked. Still, it's truly helped me when I needed it most, and still does when the nerves, nausea, and lightheadedness creep in. I've tried Xanax, and it didn't work nearly as well. Correction: I tried Xanax, and it only worked for about half an hour. Also, it did nothing to ease the nausea my anxiety brings about, but it works for my two closest friends, where Ativan doesn't. Guess it all depends on your chemical makeup."

• rob...
• January 10, 2009

Lorazepam for Nausea/Vomiting "Great for anxiety. Not great alone for nausea. Works well with other drugs like Zofran, though. Helps take the 'panic' out of being sick."

• Pat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 21, 2023

Lorazepam for Nausea/Vomiting "I have anxiety-related nausea and loss of appetite constantly and found that Ativan is the only thing that helps. The problem is, it can be addictive, so I only allow myself 0.5 mg every second day."

• diz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 7, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "I was prescribed lorazepam for anxiety, and while it works fine for that, I have found that it treats my undiagnosed nausea and dizzy spells the best! When the lightheadedness begins, I take one, and 15 minutes later I'm fine. Since it doesn't make me sleepy at all, I can go about my day, no problem."

• Jim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 30, 2018

Lorazepam for Anxiety "Got on this after a nervous breakdown due to my mom nearly dying and my job announcing they were closing. I started having my heart skip beats, which sent me spiraling into about two weeks of severe insomnia, depression, and panic. When I went to my doctor in tears, he prescribed me Ativan. That night I finally slept, and I kept taking 0.5 mg for a week. I then began to improve, so I began to taper to 0.25 mg, and on the second day on it, I had withdrawal symptoms of a headache, panic, and nausea. The symptoms lasted 2 days and have finally subsided. I plan to taper again after another week. This medicine works wonders, but you need to have an exit strategy fast."

• Jim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2018

For Anxiety "Was prescribed this after a nervous breakdown left me with severe insomnia for 2 weeks, leading to daily panic attacks and severe depression. I took 0.5 mg at night and finally passed out. I still had some residual anxiety for a few days, but I was able to cope. Now, after 7 days of 0.5 mg at night, I started to taper off to 0.25 mg per night to get off the med and am experiencing minor withdrawals. Last night, I had nausea and anxiety attacks, leading to some sleep loss. I plan to fight through it at 0.25 mg per night for the next 4 days, then go down to 0.125 mg for a week, then stop... Be careful with this stuff, it works wonders, but make sure you have an exit in mind. I am frightened to think of how the withdrawal would be had I not started tapering so soon."

• Kas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 14, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "I would like to share my experience with lorazepam - I have breast cancer, which entailed a right-side mastectomy and axillary node dissection (painful), where I am on hydrocodone 10/300's for pain. I am on my 4th extensive chemo, where the first 5 days after chemo every food smell causes severe nausea, where I cannot eat - I just want to cover my nose. They had me on Compazine (really needs to be off the market as it is a useless drug - did not work during my pregnancies either, that and Phenergan) - they put me on Zofran - all this did was make me want to sleep with no relief relative to nausea. After consulting with my oncologist, he placed me on lorazepam, and would you not know, as soon as I took it - within 15 minutes, the nausea feeling was gone!"

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2014

Lorazepam for Panic Disorder "Ostensibly prescribed for Meniere's and vertigo, it had a huge impact on my panic episodes and anxiety, only slightly less effective than Xanax, but slightly longer lasting. Also, was a smooth, warm feeling taking it. The downside after a month's use, after a week of nothing, the nausea and vomiting kicked in heavy, so I shy away from this one... That time delay of withdrawal was awkward in public places. Still, if I were to ask for an adjuvant, I'd pick Ativan over the more powerful Xanax."

• Rea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 2, 2013

For Nausea/Vomiting "I suffer from bad anxiety and panic attacks pretty much 90% of my day. I suffer from the fear of throwing up which makes me nauseous all the time, and Ativan really helps relax me and helps with my nausea. I take 1 mg 2 times a day and helps me take the edge off feeling sick and worried."

• Ran...
• March 24, 2009

Lorazepam for Nausea/Vomiting "I was completely non-functional as a result of persistent nausea (which seemed to be somewhat stress-related). A combination of therapy with Ativan, Phenergan, and Reglan has allowed me to resume somewhat of a normal life."

• MHE...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 1, 2023

Lorazepam "I suffer from hereditary multiple osteochondromas (HMO), which is a rare disabling genetic disorder, part of it is autism and extreme anxiety. The fear is so great that you feel like you are dying. After years of trying SSRIs, SRIs, SIRs, and all those psychological drugs that never worked but gave me horrendous side effects, Ativan answered my prayers. For my first dose, I was required to take half of 1 mg in the doctor's presence. I braced myself for that anxiety-inducing feeling of trying a new medication. Five minutes passed, and nothing happened. Then, instantly, I felt like someone had released me from hell. Ativan was like a release of anxiety in every cell of my body. I didn't feel sleepy, nauseous, sweaty, or unbalanced, and my heart wasn't racing. I looked at my doctor and genuinely smiled. He smiled back, and I said, 'I think this is the miracle I've been looking for.' I am not addicted to it. I did increase my dose to 1 mg when necessary, but some days I don't take any. I always start with half a milligram. I can confidently say that Ativan has given me my life back."

• ind...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 25, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I have been on this medication for 20 years now. My nurse practitioner is weaning me off. I took 1 mg 3 times a day or when needed. She is always on me about it. I used to drink alcohol to help with the anxiety, but it made me very depressed the next day. So now I started drinking again because she put me down to 2 mg daily. I'm very anxious again-nightmares and nausea. Oh well."