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Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:06 am
by sumit22
My wife's doctor wrote me a prescription for Ativan and I take it every once and a while when i feel "overwhelmed". I dont notice much of a difference but maybe thats the way drugs like this should work! I was wondering what dosage other people take?

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:01 pm
by Suze
For months after I got my dx, and a very grim prognosis, I got by on Ativan. I took one .5mg pill as soon as I got up in the morning, and another one around lunch time. It didn't make me feel high or anything like that, just my normal calm and upbeat self. I didn't take one in the evening because I was permitted a glass of wine with dinner and I didn't think both wine and Ativan together was a good idea, and I do like my wine. Eventually I got back on my feet, and now I only take Ativan while I am waiting for the results of cat scans. Susan

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:36 pm
by NWgirl
My dosage is 1 mg. I only take it when I'm really stressed out. This usually happens at night when I'm trying to sleep and my mind won't stop "thinking" and occasionally during the day when I have to much time on my hands or I'm stressed out about an upcoming doctor appointment. I've read that it can be addictive, but I've never had any problems with that. My prescription usually expires before I ever need to refill it. It doesn't make me feel loopy - just seems to take that anxiety feeling away, which is all I'm looking for. I've also been told that it can help with nausea during chemo but I never remembered to take it when I was nauseaus - I used Emend and Compazine during chemo.

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:01 pm
by John603
I don't take Ativan, but I have a .25 mg dose of Xanax that I take before treatments if I am nervous/anxious.

John

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:50 pm
by wamo
I take 60mg dose of Cymbalta (anti depressant) daily. Is Ativan prescribed because you are having trouble getting to sleep? I know it always knocked my husband right out during his infusions of FOLFIRI...was the loudest snorer in the treatment center.... poor people!! I have been having A LOT of difficulty sleeping too but I just try to nap to make up for it somehow. It is getting to the point though that I may need something to help me stop thinking at night though with our recent updates on Paul's cancer. Which I am going to post on its own thread next with the subject October Update - Clinical Trial for EPO906 & Celebrex Paul Miller.

WAMO

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:38 pm
by living skies
I take 1mg of ativan occasionally at night when my brain won't shut off and hubby takes the same every night before bed. It puts him right to sleep. I find it just makes you a little more relaxed and pushes your worries way back in your mind. He can still sleep without it but during chemo treatments it really helps.

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:59 am
by Jeff
I have a prescription for 1mg. It was prescribed for anti-nausea. Ativan was developed as an anti-anxiety drug to treat scizophrenia. The anti-anxiety part is what helps with sleep. It's amazing what you can find on the internet.
Good luck
Jeff

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:41 pm
by GO BLUE Girl
During chemo txs I took 1mg for nausea, it was a life saver. Made me sleep for like 3 hours straight though. Istill occasionally take it for sleep. Some people with severe anxiety take it 3 or 4 times/day. It can be a highly addictive drug. Beth

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:24 pm
by Larry
Ativan was the med that helped me get through chemo! I would take 1-2 mg 30 min before bedtime and slept like a teenager! I would feel well rested in the AM. During the day i would take 0.5 mg once or twice as needed. When done with chemo i realized i could not sleep without it so when I had a week off from work I stopped cold turkey, not sleeping much for a few days but eventually getting off it and abel to sleep Ok without it. It did not make me feel unusual like Kytril did and it worked well for nausea.

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:40 pm
by Guest
I have the same dosage as everyone else on here. I was given it for my MRIs I have every 3 months to watch for returning liver cancer. But after my colectomy I started to really panic and have hysterical sobbing attacks. The ativan just calmed me down and got me to sleep. I never felt funny on it, I couldn't even tell that I had taken medicine. And I never got attached to it either. Unlike the oxycodone which was really hard to break.

Re: Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:09 am
by BrownBagger
I found that it works as advertised (for me) if taken as directed. Mixing it with alcohol or doubling up the dosage is not a very good idea, in my experience.