LORAZEPAM (ORAL)

(lor A ze pam) Brand: Ativan

What is the most significant information I must know about lorazepam?

• Do not use this medicine if you are allergic to lorazepam or to another benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene), diazepam (Valium), or oxazepam (Serax).

• This medicine can reason birth defects in an unborn child. Do not use lorazepam if you are pregnant.

• Till taking lorazepam, speak your doctor if you have any breathing problems, glaucoma, kidney or liver malady, or a history of depression, suicidal thoughts, or addiction to drugs or alcohol.

• Do not drink alcohol while taking lorazepam. This medicine can magnify the effects of alcohol.

• Avoid using another medicines that create you sleepy. They can add to sleepiness caused by lorazepam.

• Lorazepam may be habit-forming and should be used only by the face it was predesigned for. Lorazepam must never be shared with other face, especially somebody who has a history of drug abuse or addiction. Hold the medicine in a secure seat where others can't get to it.

• It is dangerous to try and purchase lorazepam on the Internet or from vendors external 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.

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 reason anxiety.

• Lorazepam is used to treat anxiety disorders.

• Lorazepam may also be used for another purposes not listed in this medicine guide.

What must I discuss with my healthcare provider till taking lorazepam?

• Do not use this medicine if you have narrow-angle glaucoma, or if you are allergic to lorazepam or to another benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene), diazepam (Valium), or oxazepam (Serax).

• Till taking lorazepam, speak your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

· glaucoma;

· asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary mess (COPD), or another breathing problems;

· kidney or liver disease;

· a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or behavior; or

· a history of drug or alcohol addiction.

• If you have any of these conditions, you may need a doze adjustment or particular trials to safely take this medication.

• FDA pregnancy category D. Lorazepam can reason birth defects in an unborn child. Do not use lorazepam without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. Speak your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Use an effective form of birth control while you are using this medication.

• It is not known whether lorazepam passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing child. Do not use this medicine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

• The sedative effects of lorazepam may recent longer in older adults. Accidental falls are general in elderly patients who take benzodiazepines. Use caution to avoid falling or accidental injury while you are taking lorazepam.

• Do not give this medicine to a baby younger than 12 years old.

How must I take lorazepam?

• Take this medicine exactly as it was predesigned for you. Do not take the medicine 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 doze to create certain you get the excellent results from this medication.

• Measure the liquid form of lorazepam with a particular dose-measuring spoon or cup, not a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

• Lorazepam must be used for only a short time. Do not take this medicine for longer than 4 months without your doctor's advice.

• Contact your doctor if this medication seems to stop working as well in treating your symptoms.

• Do not stop using lorazepam suddenly without first talking to your doctor. You may need to use smaller and smaller till you stop the medicine completely.

• Your symptoms may return when you stop using lorazepam after using it over a long period of time. You may also have seizures or withdrawal symptoms when you stop using lorazepam. Withdrawal symptoms may include tremor, sweating, muscle cramps, stomach pain, vomiting, unusual thoughts or behavior, and seizure (convulsions).

• To be certain this medicine is not causing deleterious effects, your doctor may need to check your progress on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

• Store lorazepam at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

• Store the liquid form of lorazepam in the refrigerator.

• Hold track of how much pills have been used from every new bottle of this medication. Benzodiazepines are drugs of abuse and you must be aware if any face in the household is using this medication improperly or without a prescription.

What happens if I miss a dose?

• Take the missed doze as soon as you remember. If it is nearly time for your following doze, skip the missed doze and take the medication at your following regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medication to create up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

• Search abnormal medical attention if you think you have used too many of this medication. An overdose of lorazepam can be fatal.

• Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, confusion, muscle weakness, fainting, or coma.

What must I avoid while taking lorazepam?

• Do not drink alcohol while taking lorazepam. This medicine can magnify the effects of alcohol.

• Lorazepam can reason side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

• Cool or allergy medication, narcotic pain medication, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medication for seizures, depression or anxiety can add to sleepiness caused by lorazepam. Speak your doctor if you regularly use any of these another medicines.

What are the possible side effects of lorazepam?

• Get abnormal medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your person, 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.

• Smaller 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. Speak your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may message side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What another drugs will affect lorazepam?

• Till taking lorazepam, speak your doctor if you are using any of the next 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);

· narcotic medications such as butorphanol (Stadol), codeine, hydrocodone (Lortab, Vicodin), levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran), meperidine (Demerol), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), morphine (Kadian, MS Contin, Oramorph), naloxone (Narcan), oxycodone (OxyContin), propoxyphene (Darvon, Darvocet); or

· antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon), amoxapine (Asendin), citalopram (Celexa), clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Janimine, Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), paroxetine (Paxil), protriptyline (Vivactil), sertraline (Zoloft), or trimipramine (Surmontil).

• This list is not complete and there may be another drugs that can interact with lorazepam. Speak your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal commodity, and drugs predesigned by another doctors. Do not start using a new medicine without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about lorazepam.

Remember, hold this and all another medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medicine only for the indication prescribed.

Disclaim: Each effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses external of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way must be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safety, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the help of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

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