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REACTION TO ATIVAN?

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Posted 3/7/2016 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
I hope someone can help me. I was in the hospital 8 days, came home Feb.17. They think I had infectious colitis but never found the culprit. I had intravenous cipro and also flagyl.

I was prescibed Ativan and Regulan? sp The ativan because I felt so anxious. But lately I have been crying and very depressed all day. Has anyone had this with Ativan? I get very anxious feeling (I live alone which doesn't help)

It is so hard to stop the Ativan as I get a feeling a fear and shakiness.

This last week I also had an outbreak of gen. herpes, the worst most painful in my life of having if. This seems to have weakened me more again.

I'm afraid I'm blah blahing. My main question is have any of you had the crying/depression from Ativan?
Posted 3/7/2016 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I have not had a reaction to Ativan but I have taken it on and off over the years.

How much are you taking? - could you cut down the dose and still get the positive effects without (maybe) the negative?
I have often broken the pills in half over the years....
Posted 3/7/2016 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I am so sorry! I live alone too, with teen daughter, but really alone most of the time. I know how hard it is to be sick and alone! :/(

I cant answer ativan question but wanted to say I hear you and I am sorry. Might want to find a close friend to share some time with, it would help. Hope u feel better soon!
Posted 3/7/2016 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you songlady. I take .5mg every six hours but have fudged at times.
Posted 3/7/2016 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks DMC My only close friend (62 years friendship) moved 3,000 miles away a year and a half ago. And talking to her on the phone I can tell she is drifting into Alzheimers. I know I need to find friends, but and still sick. Not getting better as fast as I expected.
Posted 3/7/2016 9:48 PM (GMT 0)
Its hard to make friends older anyway! But being sick brings it to a whole new level. In the UC web site I found a support group. U can kill two birds with one stone!

I will find you the link.
Posted 3/7/2016 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
Ccfa.org. Try there, that would be a good idea maybe!
Posted 3/7/2016 9:51 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much, Just not feeling so alone is better.
Posted 3/7/2016 10:04 PM (GMT 0)
Good! CactusRose, i really enjoyed the meetings I went to, people that had to deal with same issues! It was fun actually. See what you can find out.

It might be right around your corner, usually once a month.
Posted 3/7/2016 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
I've never taken ativan so I can't answer that question. I take Xanax and have had no side effects from it but I only take as needed.
Posted 3/7/2016 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi CactusRose -
That's what I have at the moment, .5 mg pills. And often I break them in half because I find it's enough to help. Maybe try that for alternate doses for a day or two and see what happens?

Did the flagyl and cipro take care of your "infectious" issue? Gosh, nasty stuff.... but I guess we're lucky that these medications exist!
Posted 3/7/2016 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
songlady, thank you. I will try that. They never isolated a bug, either because by the time there was a sample that could be tested, the antibiotics had already killed the bugs or it was a viral infection. I am so disappointed in slow recovery. Going back to BRAT diet for a few days.
Will see if that helps. And cut way down or out the Ativan.
I also have peripheral neuropathy so was very concerned about the Cipro as it's known to sometimes cause or exacerbate it.
Posted 3/7/2016 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
If you believe you're having a reaction to a medication then contact your doctor. He/she can advise.
Posted 3/7/2016 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
iPoop, I have. Her answer is maybe , maybe not.
Posted 3/8/2016 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
CactusRose - first sending you a big hug! As someone who has suffered from anxiety and panic attacks on and off for the past 10 years I know what an absolutely horrible feeling it is.

Like you, I live alone, and understand the challenges that come with that as well - some of my worst anxiety attacks were actually fueled by (unfounded) fears for my safety from living alone - i.e. worrying about an intruder, a fire, etc.

re: Ativan
I did take Ativan on and off for about 5 years.
I started taking it by itself for the anxiety attacks.
When I was still dealing with pretty significant and pervasive anxiety, and because I had to go to work and be able to function Monday-Friday, my doctor added Lexapro. I only took the Ativan at night to help me sleep, and because that is when my anxiety would be the worst. I would often go nights without sleeping because I could not "turn off" my brain from worry and fear.

The Lexapro is what really helped me, although weaning off of it was no picnic. I feel that the combination of the Lexapro and Ativan really made a difference, to the point where I weaned off the Ativan and switched to over the counter sleep aids and eventually the Lexapro, which I was on for over 6 years. The Ativan made me more nervous to be on long-term because it is a benzo, which can be highly addictive.

I would go back to the doctor and let them know that the Ativan is causing this side effect.

My brother takes Xanax, he could not tolerate Ativan at all, it made him feel like he had vertigo and gave him horrible migraines. The Xanax works well for him, and he also takes an antidepressant - I forget which one.
Posted 4/27/2016 3:28 PM (GMT 0)
It's been awhile, but I wanted to come back and thank you all for your replies. In the meantime, I have been hospitalized twice on 72 hour holds because it was thought I was in danger. I went to t he hospital last Thursday with panic that would not stop, I had gone to an appt with my doctor and she called paramedics. I made up my mind not to take any more Ativan or any of the other tranquilizers that the doctors kept telling me i needed. By the third day in hospital I could feel a huge difference, much less anxiety. They kept insisting that I take Ativan but I refused. I am home now. Still have anxiety but NOTHING NEAR the horror I have suffered from the last two months, which kept getting worse and worse.
I now believe it is possible that I was having a "paradoxical reaction" to Ativan and the other tranquilizers that were tried on me. This is a rare condition but it DOES happen.
So far I have been home since Sun night and am doing much better and getting stronger. (I lost 25 lbs since the middle of Feb., very weak)
When I started to feel better while in this last hospitalization, I figured out it was 72 hours after my last tranquilizer. Which happens to be the half-life of that particular one. When I told my doctor what I suspected she said "snort, you need more, double your dose" Only one person in the hospital believed me. I had to refuse the drug time after time, and when I got home and looked at my papers, there they had inserted a prescription for Xanax :( (One of the tranquilizers that had already been tried and made no difference)
Well, thanks for letting me blow off steam. I needed to get that out.
Posted 4/27/2016 3:40 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry, I just realized I should have posted this in Anxiety section.
Posted 4/28/2016 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
not to worry CR - folks with UC have a special understanding of anxiety - the anal kind that spreads to the rest of the body !'

glad you told the docs to kiss your ass - why is it everyone except medical professionals understands that drugs effect individuals differently ? some of those guys are just plain idiots !

glad you are doing better -
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