• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is lorazepam?
Lorazepam is in a group of drugs called benzodiazepines (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peens). Lorazepam affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause anxiety. Lorazepam is used to treat anxiety disorders. Lorazepam may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of lorazepam?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• confusion, depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;

• hyperactivity, agitation, hostility;

• hallucinations; or

• feeling light-headed, fainting.

Less serious side effects may include:

• drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness;

• blurred vision;

• sleep problems (insomnia);

• muscle weakness, lack of balance or coordination;

• amnesia or forgetfulness, trouble concentrating;

• nausea, vomiting, constipation;

• appetite changes; or

• skin rash.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take lorazepam?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. Measure the liquid form of lorazepam with a special dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

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What is the most important information I should know about lorazepam?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to lorazepam or to other benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene), diazepam (Valium), or oxazepam (Serax). This medication can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Do not use lorazepam if you are pregnant. Before taking lorazepam, tell your doctor if you have any breathing problems, glaucoma, kidney or liver disease, or a history of depression, suicidal thoughts, or addiction to drugs or alcohol.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect lorazepam?
Before taking lorazepam, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: a barbiturate such as amobarbital (Amytal), butabarbital (Butisol), mephobarbital (Mebaral), secobarbital (Seconal), or phenobarbital (Luminal, Solfoton); an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate); medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol), mesoridazine (Serentil), pimozide (Orap), or thioridazine (Mellaril);

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Lorazepam has been assigned to pregnancy category D by the FDA. An increased risk of congenital malformations in humans has been suggested with use of other benzodiazepines. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Lorazepam use is considered contraindicated during pregnancy.

Infants of mothers who ingested benzodiazepines for several weeks or more preceding delivery have been reported to have withdrawal symptoms during the postnatal period. Symptoms such as hypoactivity, hypotonia, hypothermia, respiratory depression, apnea, feeding problems, and impaired metabolic response to cold stress have been reported in neonates born of mothers who have received benzodiazepines during the late phase of pregnancy or at delivery. One study has suggested that lorazepam may cause cleft palate at dosages of 20 to 36 mg/kg in mice.

Lorazepam is excreted into human milk in small amounts. Sedation is a theoretic concern but has not been reported with lorazepam. The manufacturer states that lorazepam should not be administered to breast-feeding women, unless the expected benefit to the woman outweighs the potential risk to the infant. Lorazepam is described by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a drug "whose effect on nursing infants is unknown but may be of concern."

Sedation and inability to suckle have occurred in neonates of lactating mothers taking benzodiazepines. Infants of lactating mothers should be observed for pharmacological effects (including sedation and irritability).

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines or any ingredient in the formulation (e.g., benzyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, or propylene glycol in the injection).
• Acute angle-closure glaucoma (but may be administered to patients with open-angle glaucoma who are receiving appropriate therapy); however, clinical rationale for this contraindication has been questioned.
• Injection contraindicated in patients with sleep apnea.
• Injection contraindicated in patients with severe respiratory insufficiency, except in those patients receiving mechanical ventilation requiring relief of anxiety and/or diminished recall of events.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. An overdose of lorazepam can be fatal. Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, confusion, muscle weakness, fainting, or coma.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking lorazepam?
It is dangerous to try and purchase lorazepam on the Internet or from vendors outside of the United States. Medications distributed from Internet sales may contain dangerous ingredients, or may not be distributed by a licensed pharmacy. Samples of lorazepam purchased on the Internet have been found to contain haloperidol (Haldol), a potent antipsychotic drug with dangerous side effects. For more information, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or visit www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
As a general rule, you should always take your medications exactly as prescribed and do not change the dosage or stop taking the medication without first discussing it with your healthcare provider.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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