Lorazepam and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Arg...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 27, 2025

For Insomnia "I have a love/hate relationship with Loraz. I just freak out it will cause Alzheimer's with long-term use, but I have no real evidence - seems 50/50 with any research. Anyhow, I've had insomnia for decades - tried every natural thing and every medical thing. Loraz has been a Godsend for me. My psychiatrist prescribed it when I was in the hospital for three weeks with severe MDD. She said I need to sleep to manage depression long-term and I needed to take whatever worked. It works. I keep going off it and trying other things - currently I'm trying Endep again, but it turns me into a horrible, angry, impatient beast, also hungover and constantly tired even though it makes me sleep. It's a matter of convincing myself it's okay to take it long-term. Reading how some older people have been taking it for 20 years helps me so much. Thank you for posting. Tonight I'm going to go back to the land of bliss and relaxation and decent sleep and feeling awake the next day. Back on the Loraz."

• Cat...
• June 16, 2014

For Insomnia "I had real bad anxiety, which put me in the hospital. This medicine saved my life. It calms my soul and stops my mind from racing to where I can't sleep, and I'm exhausted and irritable the next day. When I was not sleeping and stressed out, I would sleep for about 3 hours, which did not help my heart. I have bradycardia - slow heart rate. So imagine that on no sleep. I can't say enough about it, except it saved my life. I hope this helps!"

• kst...
• August 16, 2016

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I was super against taking medication. I've started dealing with anxiety (some depression) for a while now. I got prescribed Ativan months ago and never took it. I thought I could handle myself again, but then my relationship started to fail because of my overthinking. I went back to the doctor and decided to try it. She prescribed me 0.50 three times a day. I took a full one at night after a bad panic attack, and within 30 minutes, I was calm and slept through the entire night. I have only been taking a half in the morning and mid-afternoon and a full at night because it does make you feel tired. My brain is in a slight fog, but nothing crazy, I still know what's going on, though :) Give it a try if you are suffering. You will know after one."

• Liz...
• March 15, 2016

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I took my first 1 mg dose recently, and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. I was prescribed Ativan to take only as needed on the cusp of an anxiety attack, as I've been having a few lately. It absolutely took the sting out of the anxiety and left me feeling really chilled out, to the point of that really comfortable tiredness when you're super relaxed. I haven't felt that in a long time. I didn't have any gross side effects (except for the tiredness) and was able to enjoy the rest of my day :)"

• Ome...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 2, 2014

For Panic Disorder "This is an amazing medicine, in my opinion, the best for anxiety and panic disorders! It is the only anxiety medicine I have ever tried, and it allows me to get over that attack feeling quickly, and then continue the rest of the day normal again without getting so tired that I have to sleep. With Ativan, I am able to stay awake and functional for the rest of the day! Work, ball game, whatever I'm doing that day, I can take just 1 mg and be fine the rest of the day without being too tired or sluggish the day after. I know that everyone is different, but I speak on behalf of my own experience. If you haven't found something to help with your personal disorder, I would definitely recommend talking to your doctor about Ativan."

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

Lorazepam 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."

• Bru...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2018

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I highly recommend this drug. It's a miracle worker! I started having anxiety after my boyfriend and I broke up, I would cry at night and have panic attacks. I only take this drug when I need severe relief, and I'm so thankful it's available. Try it just once if you are having bad anxiety, if it's not for you, then switch. I was nervous trying this because I didn't want to feel high when going on a benzo drug. You definitely don't feel high, you just feel tired and oddly 'okay'!"

• Mic...
• June 24, 2020

Lorazepam for Panic Disorder "Medication works great and how it is supposed to. I was on generic lorazepam and would find the quality would differ based on manufacturer and it wouldn’t affect me. After switching to brand, the effects are more consistent and it seems so much more potent. It was a fight getting my insurance to completely cover it, but it was worth it. 0.5 mg, and I’m so tired and don’t have any anxiety to worry about. Calms my panic and helps with nausea quite a bit."

• cha...
• November 1, 2014

Lorazepam for Sedation "Very helpful for short-term treatment of anxiety and insomnia. I found I only needed to take half a dose to have a good night's sleep and to feel calm the next day. Such a relief after 2 years of cancer treatment left me very tired and anxious. Only problem is the doctors don't like it to be used other than for short-term."

• mee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 2, 2014

For Anxiety "I was diagnosed as bipolar in Nov 2014. I'm currently on 1 mg of Ativan (lorazepam) and 150 mg Seroquel (quetiapine). In the beginning, I was very tired and slept a lot. Now that a few weeks have gone by, I can think clearly, the depression has decreased, and I can function in crowds now. I may not want to spend the rest of my life on them, but I am grateful for them."

• rai...
• May 14, 2015

Lorazepam for Anxiety "Lifesaver for adrenaline rush feelings. The smallest dose cut in half makes me feel calm, slows my racing heart and heart palpitations, and puts me to sleep. I couldn't have survived Lyme disease without it. The only bad things are it will make you tired, and after being on it for 2 weeks straight, you're likely to have rebound anxiety. If you have long-term anxiety, SSRIs are the best choice."

• Emm...
• November 29, 2018

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I've been on 0.5 mg of Ativan. This is my second day. It instantly started helping me overall in every way. But I get really tired, but that's OK. I'll deal with that. I've never been on a nerve medicine before. I simply love it. It has turned a light on in my brain. I feel great and can handle things so much better. It's great."

• joh...
• March 1, 2010

Lorazepam for Anxiety "I was a major addict (meaning like 5 blunts a day) and was having trouble quitting. Every time I would stop smoking, I would have major anxiety attacks. I would get super angry over small things, snap quickly, yell at my girlfriend, and crave smoking like crazy because I knew the anxiety came from not smoking. As soon as I started smoking again, I would feel fine. So I quit again, but this time I started an Ativan regimen and am now smoke-free. The side effects of feeling tired or a little lazy don't compare to the side effects of smoking, being a bum, and having no motivation. I wonder if this would work for cigarette smokers?"

• Mis...
• July 27, 2015

Lorazepam for Panic Disorder "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."

• cre...
• January 12, 2012

Lorazepam for Anxiety "Ativan 0.5 mg calms me down considerably within 30 minutes, but the side effects are so bad that I can't continue to take it. I experienced EXTREME loss of energy, tiredness, laziness, apathy, and an increase in appetite. This might be okay for someone who's at home trying to recover from panic attacks, but not for me. I work 5 days a week, and this past week that I was only taking 1 x 0.5 mg pill a day was the absolute worst week I've ever had at work, living in a fog and totally wiped out of energy. I hardly got ANYTHING done, which is totally out of character for me. Also, when this medicine wears off in a few hours, it makes me very irritable and nervous."

• cre...
• January 12, 2012

Lorazepam for Anxiety "Ativan 0.5 mg calms me down considerably within 30 minutes, but the side effects are so bad that I can't continue to take it. I experienced EXTREME loss of energy, tiredness, laziness, apathy, and an increase in appetite. This might be okay for someone who's at home trying to recover from panic attacks, but not for me. I work 5 days a week, and this past week that I was only taking 1 x 0.5 mg pill a day was the absolute worst week I've ever had at work, living in a fog and totally wiped out of energy. I hardly got ANYTHING done, which is totally out of character for me. Also, when this medicine wears off in a few hours, it makes me very irritable and nervous."

• Viv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2019

For Anxiety "I was diagnosed with panic disorder, anxiety disorder, and PTSD at 15. I went untreated for 6 years, and I just started seeing a psychiatrist, who wrote me a script for Prozac and Ativan. I take the Prozac daily and the Ativan when I have a severe panic attack. Addiction runs in my family, so I usually only take half of an Ativan to start and go from there. It has worked well for me so far, but I do get very, very exhausted after taking it."

• 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."

• Lan...
• January 8, 2012

Lorazepam 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."

• mrs...
• February 21, 2016

For Anxiety "I have had to take this medication (when I try my hardest to stay away from meds) on a few occasions. Every time, it's only taken .2 or .5 mg to relieve my panic attack! I love it, except my Dr. won't prescribe me anymore for those just-in-case times, and I don't want to go on an antidepressant. I don't know if it's just my depression, but I feel a lack of motivation and very tired, but that could have to do with it being a sedative too. Would suggest to anyone that just can't control the anxiety and panic."

• Dar...
• November 9, 2016

For Anxiety "So I've been dealing with anxiety for a while, but never took anything for it until now. I've noticed that it has made me very tired, very drowsy, and dizzy. I like that I am not having anxiety attacks, but the side effects do concern me."

• Gap...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 15, 2021

For Anxiety "I absolutely don't like benzos, lorazepam makes me feel sick! I was given 0.5 as needed, but I did not always take 0.5. I would cut it in half, to me, it makes you feel worse, does not really help that much for what it is prescribed for. I started cutting it in half, will take 0.25 for a month, then cut 0.25 in half for a month, and hopefully I will be off this awful medication. It just makes me so tired and really ill. I felt like I had heat all over my body, itchy. If I could just quit taking it, I would, but I do not desire withdrawals. I have never had anxieties in my life until a nurse practitioner overdosed me on my thyroid medication and whacked my system up?"

• Bet...
• October 30, 2020

For Sedation "Night one, took half a lorazepam, and a few hours later, I woke and took another half. Woke up decent in the morning. Tonight, I said I’ll take the whole thing at once. I totally feel crazy. And I’m awake but exhausted hours until it kicked in."

• Ilo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 25, 2021

For Anxiety "Lorazepam has made me a better person. It is the most effective and reliable medication for my anxiety/insomnia. There will always be people who abuse medications like this, but if you take it only when needed and as prescribed, it can be life-changing. I love everything about this medication. I feel like me! I don’t feel high whatsoever, just more calm and more relaxed. It helps me sleep but doesn’t make me zonk out. I take 1-1.5 when needed. I took 2 once during a bad panic attack, and it made me extremely tired and sleep all night. Only use when you need it, but I’ve found that 0.5-2 is a good dose range for me, depending on the level of anxiety or insomnia."

• Ced...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2021

For Anxiety "I started taking Lexapro 10 mg 35 days ago and increased it to 20 mg 21 days ago and hoped that it would have helped more than it did. I was still experiencing anxiety, tension, and clenching my jaw at work, home, and in my sleep, but Lorazepam sublingual 0.5 mg helped greatly. I was more relaxed at work, calmer in high-pressure situations. No clenching. Wasn't overly drowsy, just had a few yawns here and there. I could focus. But because they were sublingual, they are short-acting. Four hours later, jaw clenching and tension, my hands were back to feeling shaky. Took another one. The seven pills the walk-in doctor gave me didn't last long as a result. I have been waiting to see my GP. Appointment next week, but I saw the walk-in doctor again today and we determined that the regular (non-sublingual) would be a better option since it's longer-acting. Still at 0.5 mg, no increase, and I don't want an increase. If this is something that I take regularly with my escitalopram, I want the lowest possible dose."