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Lorazepam (Ativan): Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects

Date: May 15, 2025 | 6 Minute Read

As much as you trust and rely on your doctor, being educated about your health and your medication options can help you to advocate for yourself, follow treatment guidelines, and take a more active role in planning your care with your doctor. If you’re someone who struggles with anxiety or seizures, or if Ativan has been discussed as a medication that could help you, we have all the essentials you’ll want to know about this common drug.

What Is Ativan (Lorazepam)?

Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam, a drug classified as a benzodiazepine and generally used to treat generalized anxiety disorder. The Ativan generic name is lorazepam, so you may see these two names used interchangeably, but they refer to the same drug.

What does it mean that Ativan is a benzodiazepine? Benzodiazepines are a type of medication that aim to slow activity in the brain, which can allow for relaxation. The way it works is by enhancing the effect of GABA, a neurotransmitter in your brain that inhibits brain activity in the amygdala and produces calming effects.

For that reason, it’s often used as an anxiety medication.

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What Is Lorazepam Used For?

Ativan uses can range from treating mental health conditions to seizures. While the most common use for the drug is in treating anxiety, there are other uses as well.

Lorazepam uses include:

  • Short-term treatment of anxiety disorders
  • Management of anxiety symptoms
  • Preoperative sedation
  • Managing seizures
  • Treatment of insomnia
  • Reducing symptoms of nausea and vomiting in cancer patients
  • Controlling agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal

Ativan is a commonly used drug to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder because it helps alleviate some of the symptoms associated with these disorders.

Some of the symptoms that can be relieved with Ativan include:

  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Feelings of panic
  • Muscle tension
  • Difficulty sleeping or waking up in the middle of the night

Ativan vs Xanax: What’s the Difference?

Another commonly prescribed medication for anxiety disorders is Xanax. Ativan and Xanax are very similar and share several things in common:

  • Both are classified as benzodiazepines.
  • Both are primarily used to treat anxiety.
  • Both can lead to dependence and addiction if used long-term.
  • Both have sedative side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, and blurred vision.

Xanax has a shorter half-life than Ativan, which means it will not last as long in your system. Xanax is also more potent and takes effect more quickly. These differences lead to different uses for the drugs.

Since Xanax usually begins working within 15 to 30 minutes and has more potency, it is usually used for acute anxiety or panic attacks. Ativan may take 20 to 30 minutes to begin working, but it will last longer, so it is typically prescribed for anxiety disorders that need more sustained symptom relief.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Lorazepam

How Long Does Ativan Last?

Ativan typically lasts for about 6 to 8 hours in your body. You can expect to feel the peak of its effects after around 2 hours, and there may be some residual effects after it leaves your system as well.

What are the Common Side Effects of Lorazepam?

Some of the common side effects you can expect with this drug include drowsiness, dizziness, and weakness in muscles.

Is Ativan the Same as Lorazepam?

Yes, these two drugs are the same. Ativan is the brand name of the generic drug lorazepam.

Can Ativan be Addictive?

Ativan is classified as a benzodiazepine and is considered to have a high risk for developing a dependence on the drug, particularly if it is taken for a long period.

Ativan Side Effects: What to Know

As with all medications, there are some side effects you should be aware of when taking Ativan or Lorazepam.

Common lorazepam side effects include:

  • Drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Feeling unsteady

Some of the more serious side effects that are less common include:

  • Severe drowsiness
  • Changes in mood or behavior
  • Agitation
  • Restlessness
  • Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
  • Seizures
  • Confusion
  • Aggression
  • Hallucinations
  • Dark urine or yellowed skin due to poor kidney function
  • Slowed breathing or heart rate

Ativan is meant to be used as a short-term treatment since it can lead to dependence and addiction if used for a long time. Dependence occurs when your body becomes used to the effects of a drug, and withdrawal symptoms occur when you stop using the drug.

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Some of the withdrawal symptoms that you may experience if you stop using Ativan include:

  • Trouble sleeping
  • Anxious thoughts and feelings
  • Irritability
  • Nausea
  • Tremors or seizures
  • Dizziness
  • Changes in blood pressure
  • Increased heart rate

Work closely with your doctor when deciding the dosage and duration of using lorazepam so that your side effects can be monitored. If you’ve been taking Ativan and you want to stop taking it, you should also work with your doctor to taper your dosage so you have minimal withdrawal symptoms

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Combining Ativan with Therapy for Effective Treatment

While Ativan can help reduce acute anxiety symptoms, it is not a cure and it’s not a standalone way to manage anxiety or panic disorders. Combining medication with therapy is the gold standard for treating anxiety. Especially since it is not recommended that you take Ativan for a long period, it is not intended to be the only way of treating anxiety.

Ativan can be a very helpful part of your treatment plan, though. Having some relief from the intensity of anxiety symptoms can help you better engage in therapy and get the most out of your treatment.

Some of the therapeutic techniques that work well with Ativan include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Both of these approaches will help teach you positive coping tools to manage your anxiety, such as:

  • Mindfulness
  • Deep breathing
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Emotional regulation exercises
  • Self-care activities

In addition to learning coping tools, therapy will help you uncover some of the deeper issues that lie beneath your anxiety. Often, past traumas or environmental stressors can contribute to anxiety disorders, and therapy will help you process these experiences and unlearn negative patterns of behavior and thinking.

If you experience panic attacks, therapy can be an effective long-term treatment option as well. Along with the coping skills above, therapy will help you learn to challenge negative thoughts and create new patterns of thinking that do not lead to panic and anxiety.

Considering Ativan for Your Mental Health

If you are experiencing anxiety, speak to a healthcare professional about what comprehensive treatment plan might be best for you, and if it includes Ativan and some form of therapy. If you don’t yet have a provider, connect with mental health professionals that suit your needs on Therapy.com.

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