Ativan as a date rape drug

[DocMon]

In psychiatric wards, lorazepam is used in the rapid sedation of violent patients, where it is usually given with haloperidol.

It has also been used to treat catatonia.

It has also proven beneficial in those who are undergoing chemotherapy due to its antiemetic effects, which reduces nausea and vomiting.

[DocMon]

Lorazepam must be avoided in the following conditions:

Allergy
Severe respiratory failure
Myasthenia gravis, which characterised by muscle weakness
Pregnancy and breast feeding
Acute narrow-angle glaucoma
Sleep apnea
Acute intoxication
Ataxia or unsteady and clumsy motion of the limbs and torso

[LiveWIRE]

Ativan can cause withdrawal symptoms even after taking only therapeutic doses. This includes

• depression,
• insomnia,
• headaches,
• anxiety,
• tension,
• sweating,
• dysphoria,
• restlessness,
• dizziness,
• derealization,
• confusion,
• irritability,
• depersonalization,
• numbness/tingling of extremities,
• hypersensitivity to light, sound, and smell,
• seizures,
• tremor,
• stomach cramps,
• myalgia,
• agitation,
• hallucinations,
• delirium,
• palpitations,
• tachycardia,
• perceptual distortions,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• diarrhea,
• appetite loss,
• panic attacks,
• short-term memory loss, and
• hyperthermia.

[circuit_trainer]

Originally Posted by zen

hmmn... while ativan has these properties, I never thought it could be used as a date rape drug. I thought GHB, midazolam, and ketamine are the drugs used in date rapes?

Sad to say but ativan is one of the famous date rape drug.

[Blender]

You see Ativan users develop tolerance to it in time. This means that even if they use it legally, like for anxiety and insomnia, the symptoms gradually return. and soon the effect for alleviating insomnia or anxiety is gone.

addiction is very likely, so increase in dosages will be bad for the patient in the long run.

[AmitaLaSalle]

hmmn, my cousin was denied a prescription by her doctor. She had a history of drug abuse and her doctor said that Lorazepam is easily abused.

[zen]

good move by her doctor. Ativan and other similar drugs are often not prescribed to previous drug addicts. They are also not prescribed to most unsupervised outpatients.

more than this, the precautionary measures of responsible prescription also stems from the fact that lorazepam is used for crime, like when used as a date rape drug, or in theft. I've learned that this is often slipped in alcoholic drinks

[Peruvian]

that's right. Sedatives and hypnotics were responsible for 35% of drug-related emergency visits to the hospital...

[BroSantino]

wow... you do learn something new everyday here. what are the adverse effects of ativan?\

[friedchicken]

Ativan has five different effects. It could be a sedative, a muscle relaxant, anxiolytic, amnesic and anticonsulvant, ergo if you take it as a sedative, then any of the other four may be considered as a side effect.