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Lorazepam
INFORMATION ABOUT LORAZEPAM
Lorazepam Uses
Lorazepam is used in the treatment of anxiety disorder and short term anxiety.
How Lorazepam works
Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine. It works by increasing the action of a chemical messenger (GABA) which suppresses the abnormal and excessive activity of the nerve cells in the brain.
Common side effects of Lorazepam
Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them
Common
Injection site pain, Sedation, Fatigue, Muscle weakness, Drowsiness, Dizziness
CONTENT DETAILS
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Written By
Dr. Swati Mishra
BDS
Reviewed By
Dr. Rajeev Sharma
MBA, MBBS
Last updated
13 Jun 2025 | 07:46 PM (UTC)
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Medicine brands for Lorazepam
Expert advice for Lorazepam
- The addiction / habit-forming potential of this medicine is very high. Take it only as per the dose and duration advised by your doctor
- It may cause dizziness. Do not drive or do anything that requires mental focus until you know how this medicine affects you.
- Avoid consuming alcohol as it may increase dizziness and drowsiness.
- Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to conceive or breastfeeding.
- Do not stop taking medication suddenly without talking to your doctor as that may lead to nausea, anxiety, agitation, flu-like symptoms, sweating, tremor, and confusion.
Frequently asked questions for Lorazepam
No, Lorazepam is not an opioid. It belongs to the benzodiazepine group of medicines and is used for short-term treatment (2-4 weeks) only. It is a habit-forming medicine and can make a person physically and psychologically dependent.
Lorazepam is used for sleeping difficulties caused due to short-term anxiety. One of the very common side effects of Lorazepam is drowsiness and sleepiness. It calms the mind, and therefore, helps a person to sleep.
Lorazepam may take around 3 days to get completely removed from the system.
The most important symptom of addiction is that you may feel unpleasant if you do not take Lorazepam. Another symptom could be that you may increase the dose on your own to feel its effect.
You should reduce the dose of Lorazepam gradually before completely stopping it. Suddenly stopping it may lead to withdrawal symptoms which include loss of the sense of reality, feeling detached from life, and unable to feel emotion. Some patients have also experienced numbness or tingling in the arms or legs, tinnitus (ringing sounds in the ears), uncontrolled or overactive movements, twitching, shaking, feeling sick, being sick, stomach upsets or stomach pain, loss of appetite, agitation and abnormally fast heart beats. It can also cause panic attacks, dizziness or feeling faint, memory loss, hallucinations, feeling stiff and unable to move easily, feeling very warm, convulsions (sudden uncontrolled shaking or jerking of the body) and oversensitivity to light, sound and touch.
The effect of Lorazepam on weight gain or loss is not known.
If you have a history of depression then it may increase the risk of developing depression again. Lorazepam should not be used alone in depressed patients because it may cause suicidal tendencies in such patients.
Though it is rare, but use of Lorazepam can cause memory impairment, which may be more apparent in old age patients.
Taking more than the recommended dose of Lorazepam may cause loss of muscle control, low blood pressure, mental confusion, slow breathing and even coma. If you have taken higher than the recommended dose of Lorazepam, seek immediate medical help immediately.