[greenfairy]

Was wondering if anyone has experienced an increase in panic symptoms the first few moments after taking ativan? My panic seems to increase a hundredfold and my heart seems about ready to burst out of my chest. I can't tell if its the anxiety of waiting for the medication to work or if its some sort of chemical reaction, but I always feel worse before i feel better.

[BlueFaith]

Hmmm.. I don't know much about Ativan. But, maybe you should consider calling your doctor about it? Just a suggestion. I'm sure there are others here that might be able to offer you more on the subject. Remember, though, if it gets bad then call your doctor ASAP, ok? Hang in there. Oh, and welcome to the forums. Glad to have you here with us!!

[greenfairy]

Thanks for the response and the welcome. Doc is of the opinion that i'm not giving it enough time to take effect. Difficult to be patient when my hearts about ready to thump out of my chest. I'm making progress. I don't call the paramedics anymore (way too embarassing) or ask anyone to rush over to be with me. I've tried counting breaths and that works sometimes.

[LMo]

Not that I know ANYTHING about meds, but I'd say that's the reason you're taking Ativan, rather than the result of it. I tried Ativan a few times and it really just slowed me down -- nothing more. However, I can understand that it's scary to take a mood-altering drug, and I can definitely see how one would panic the first few times after taking one.

[Azalysa]

Hi, greenfairy - good to see you on the forums!

I was switched over to Ativan a few months ago when Xanax quit working for me. I only take 1 mg though to just take the edge off if I'm dreading something. Didn't have the side effects you mentioned; like LMo, it basically calms me and sometimes I feel like I'm in slow motion.

One thing my pharmacist said - Ativan starts working much faster than Xanax, then doesn't last as long.

Yep, calling pdoc is the way to go if you have any concerns at all!!

[HelgaDE]

If you need to take something that requires you to take it all the time I would certainly not take anything with benzodiazepines!!! You will become physically dependented on the medication.. Not only that but your body will build up a tollerance, which means that you need to take more to feel the effect from the medication.

Heres a good link to learn more about Benzo's http://www.tranx.org.au/benzodiaz.html

That is the last thing that you want to get yourself into... is to become addicted to benzodiazepines. Withdraws is a *****. I've became addicted to my painkillers and was admitted to the hospital and was having withdraws in there.. It was NOT FUN AT ALL! I almost went into the detox unit while i was there.

[greenfairy]

thank you for the advice. heres my problem. a number of years ago i had what i considered at the time a very good doc. after a number of tsessions he recommended my taking three medications, which he believed would relieve the various problems i was (and still am) experiencing. what i remember most and what really scared me was that after i started the medications i lost the ability to feel anything at all. i couldn't cry. i never laughed. i was just this zombie person and i hated it even more than the way i am now. my most recent doc seems to understand my fear of being medicated and so prescribed ativan as something to take for panic attacks. we have not yet decided what other medications would best suit me. i have to admit that with the frequency of my panic attacks i'm medicated more than i'd like to be yet i'm afraid to take something on a daily basis again. i don't want to feel nothing. i dont know whats worse though, feeling nothing or everything.

[HelgaDE]

greenfairy,
You're welcome.

Do you remember which medications you were taking at the time? I can only guess that you were taking either Haldol or Chlorpromazine ( Thorazine ) or any other AntiPsychotic medications that I didn't listed up.

You can go to my thread that I've created.. feel free to post.

http://forums.psychcentral.com/showf...b=5&o=&fpart=1

You have everyright to be concern and to be afraid of taking theses medications. I would start doing Alot of Research on the future medications that you're willing to start taking. Don't just listen to the good things... research the bad as well. Each medication has both stories to tell.

When I seeing a Pdoc (Psychatrist) and a therapists... While I was under the influence of Psych medications.. Neither had warn me about Tardive Dyskinesia. Which is involuntary movements of tongue, face, mouth, jaw, hands, feet, etc. I have personally seen few people suffer from Tardive Dyskinesia like symptoms while taking Psychiatric medications.

Please be careful about taking ativan. Don't get addicted to it.

[greenfairy]

i'm grateful for your advice. i've been reading up on benzos and there seems to be warnings not only about them being addictive but causing side effects like aggression and personality changes. definitely need to talk to doc asap but i'm worried i'm going to wind up on a once a day med instead and that comes with a whole other bundle of probs. even taking bc pills messes me up. i'm always worried about blood clots and whatnot (yes ocd one of my probs). if i have to take something every day anxiety might get worse though i guess the meds might relieve that anxiety too. does this make any sense to you?

[HelgaDE]

greenfairy,
I'm disturbed that your doctor hasn't even Warn you about benzos as it is his responsiblity to educate you ALL about the medications that You're about to be taking.

You've done more research about Benzodiazepines then I have. It wouldnt surprise me to see that Benoz's are also at fault for aggression behavior and personality changes. I really don't need to do that much research about it other than I know that it's a strongly Addictive drug.. which is enough for me NOT to be using it in the first place. I've seen somebody strong out on Benzos and wouldnt even consider it controling my life

[LMo]

My doctor also prescribed Ativan for me and I don't recall him ever warning me about addiction, although I think I might have already known that so he might have realized that it wasn't a new concept for me. He did, however, warn me that if I was pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, that I should NOT take Ativan because it is known to cause birth defects.

I took it twice and threw the rest away. Not worth the risk, IMO.

[Parker10]

Whoa ! Benzodiazepines - just as ANY medication can have side effects, can cause tolerance, etc etc etc, but they can also WORK ! I have taken a benzo for 15 years and 11 months - SAME DOSE the entire time. I have not become aggressive, I do NOT have TD, and I also no longer have panic attacks. As far as I am concerned, the benzo I take GAVE me my life back that I was fast losing to agoraphobia with panic attacks constantly.........I weigh it that way - NO life without benzo's - or a GOOD life with a benzo ? No brainer for me on that one ! But, with that said, everyone is different and medications work differently. I cannot take Motrin - does that mean Motrin is bad for everyone? NOPE !

[greenfairy]

its nice to hear some positive input. ativan is the only medication i've been taking for some time now and while i tend to feel worse before i feel better, conversation with pdoc suggests its not a problem with the medication, but my fear of taking any medication. (i'm so afraid something terrible is going to happen just by my taking it that my panic gets even worse. then the meds kick in and i feel better). i appreciate all the comments and advice everyone has provided about this because its been on my mind a lot lately.

[greenfairy]

also, meds, as my doc keeps reminding me, are not magic. i'm pretty nervous these days because i'm considering taking meds on a daily basis (the ativan is something i take only as a panic attack is occuring). i guess i thought once i took the ativan i would immediately begin to feel better. that seems to be where breathing slowly comes in, because it doesn't work right away. i'm grateful that i have something that helps, although sometimes i am darn near at the point of dialing the paramedics before my heart slows to the low hundreds.

[lostone]

YEP.. exactly what I do!! Just the thought of taking a medicine throws me into panic mode!! I took my ativan.... and literally paced back and forth thinking my throat was closing... or I was reacting badly to it.. next thing I know I am relaxed in front of the tv.. then sleeping like a baby!!lol

[Parker10]

If u can tolerate the taste, let your Ativan dissolve under your tongue. It will get in your system faster that way. Also, it would be helpful to use a distraction technique, or visualization technique while waiting for your Ativan to kick in. That would make the time go faster, and start relaxing you as well.

[SleepsWithButterFlies]

I had to smile at this cause that's how I am...and to think when I was young I took street drugs without a second thought

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lostone said:
YEP.. exactly what I do!! Just the thought of taking a medicine throws me into panic mode!! I took my ativan.... and literally paced back and forth thinking my throat was closing... or I was reacting badly to it.. next thing I know I am relaxed in front of the tv.. then sleeping like a baby!!lol

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[lostone]

right... Me too,,, where all this fear came from is beyond me

[SleepsWithButterFlies]

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lostone said:
right... Me too,,, where all this fear came from is beyond me

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LMAO YOU TOO..that's too funny and now even EYE drops I sit and lol stare at....and thing is I never had a bad trip or anything ...I have had a certain mod in here have to talk me into taking my meds nobody had to do that years ago...hahahahah...Its cool to not be alone on this

[lostone]

That is funny!!! I had to take my xanax in my therapists office!!! Even cough syrup I'll sit and stare at it for hours before I take it, call myself names ect.. ect.. then really feel stupid after I fnally take it!!

[jmo531]

Hi.

I was switch to ativan from Xanax. I prefer the ativan. I have a terrible time with meds because of OCD and I beleive the feeling you are describing is the anxiety of taking the medication. I also get that way. In time, when you become comfortable with the effects of ativan it will ease for you. Ativan can be addicting but as long as you are under the care of your physician you will be fine. In the beginning I was taking Ativan 1 time per day. Now I havent taken it in months. You will get through this.

Huggles

[SleepsWithButterFlies]

JMO is right but I still find it cool to have a med fear buddy Maybe I will share the mods name that has put up with all my med fears lol and we can bombard her.....Just kidding...Ativan btw is cool...it mellows you out