What are the side effects of lorazepam?

Every medication or drug has side effects or adverse effects, which consist of unwanted effects, which are mostly mild, but can also be more serious. In the case of lorazepam, also has certain side effects, despite being the most popular anxiolytic and consumed by many patients.

Lorazepam is a medication used to relieve and calm anxiety. That is, it is an anxiolytic drug that contains benzodiazepine, a substance with sedative capacity, with depressant effects on the central nervous system in the short term (since it is specifically a short-acting psychotropic sedative substance).

To explain its mechanism of action, we must bear in mind that gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for regulating the different levels of anxiety, acting naturally to calm nervous tension. In this sense, lorazepam helps this neurotransmitter regulate anxiety by increasing its activity, providing relaxing effects.

Therefore, it is a medication that is usually taken to relieve anxiety and calm nervous tension. But it also tends to be used for other purposes, such as: insomnia, nausea and vomiting caused by the treatment of cancer, tachycardia, epilepsy, irritable bowel syndrome and agitation caused by abstinence from alcohol.

Side effects of lorazepam and adverse reactions

In regard to the side effects of this anxiolytic we can divide them into two groups: mild and severe. The slight ones are much more common, and they can appear with enough habituality. The serious ones, nevertheless, are not it so much:

Mild side effects:drowsiness (sleep), fatigue, weakness, dizziness, stomach or digestive upset, agitation or excitement, diarrhea, blurred vision, decreased libido, changes in sexual ability, constipation or dry mouth.
Serious side effects:difficulty breathing or swallowing, irregular heartbeat, fever, severe skin rash, yellowing of the skin (jaundice), tremor and inability to sit still, and wobbly walking.

In addition, there are a number of serious side effects that tend to appear after prolonged use of the medication. For example, we can name hypersensitivity, severe respiratory failure, myasthenia (autoimmune disease that weakens muscles) or sleep apnea.

What to do if these side effects appear?

If some of these symptoms appear, it is always advisable to tell the doctor who has prescribed lorazepam, since it is quite likely that you need to readjust the dose, or try to reduce it and then replace it with a milder anxiolytic.

But if symptoms or serious side effects appear we should go quickly to the emergency room, or call our doctor if there is any unusual or unusual problem during the period of treatment.

We must bear in mind that, in most cases, One of the side effects that most commonly appear is the feeling of tiredness and drowsiness. That is, it is very common for the person taking lorazepam to feel more tired and weak during the day, to have a greater sensation of sleep and also to reduce the alertness. It is absolutely normal, and theoretically tends to reduce as the weeks after the start of treatment.

It is also common that what many specialists call "affective dullness" arises. That is, it is common for the person to feel apathetic, with a certain weakness.

However, if these common symptoms do not disappear, it is usually the doctor who substitutes the drug for another anxiolytic agent.

Dosage of Lorazepam. How are the doses?

Lorazepam is taken orally in the form of tablets, and it is recommended that the duration of treatment be as short as possible. In this way, it is advisable from a medical point of view that the specialist carries out a reassessment of the patient's clinical situation on a regular basis, establishing whether it is necessary to continue with the treatment or if the dose can already be reduced. until you eliminate your consumption completely.

The usual recommended dosage tends to be as follows: anxiety pictures are advised for treatment duration of between 8 to 12 weeks. In case of insomnia, 4 weeks.

Regarding the dose, 1-20 mg / day divided between 2 to 3 doses is recommended for anxiety. For insomnia cases 1-4 mg / day before going to bed. In case of kidney or liver failure and in the elderly, 0.5 mg / day is recommended. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor.ThemesAnxiety