Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

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sumit22
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Ativan(how much dosage do you take?)

Postby sumit22 » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:06 am

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?

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

Postby Suze » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:01 pm

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
Dx 5/07 Stage IV 59 y/o
6 mos Folfox, Avas., erb.
Surg. for colon, liver mets 1/08
Folfox & Avas. 2/08-8/08
Liver met 10/09, Iri 11/09 - 7/10
SBRT 4/10, 12/10
30-40 lung mets 4/11
Irin./erbitux 5/11-8/11
xeloda/avastin 8/11-2/12
xeloda/erb 2/12/-4/12

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

Postby NWgirl » Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:36 pm

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.
Belle - "Don't Retreat - Reload"DX 10/07 Stage III Rectal
Surgery 11/07; 27 of 38 nodes
Perm Colostomy 8/11
12/10 recurrence lungs & LN's
VATS Jan 2011
Radiation Oct 2013
Chemo for Life
2012 Colondar Model

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John603
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Location: New Hampshire

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

Postby John603 » Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:01 pm

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
John

Dx Stage IIIC (14 of 36 LNs +) Jan 07, age 42
Colectomy Jan 07
Folfox + Erb'x Mar 07
Recurrence in Lymph Nodes Feb 08
Folfiri + Avastin Apr 08
NED Dec 08
Recurrence in lungs & pelvic LNs May 09
Folfiri/Avastin May 09 - Nov 09
Erb'x/Irino Dec 09

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

Postby wamo » Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:50 pm

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
Hubby-9-05 IIIC Rectal 4/11nodes 40yrs*1-06 LAR FOLFOX *6-07 Mets Lungs-FOLFIRI,Erbitux,Avastin *5-08 Skull met *9-08 ClinTrial EPO906+Celebrex *mets liver,kidneys,adrenal gld *WBRT brain mets *1-09 Gemzar/Xeloda ***2-25-09 Paul entered Heaven's gates.

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living skies
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Location: Canada

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

Postby living skies » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:38 pm

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.
living skies
caregiver to husband
stage 1 rectal cancer 06/06
resection, permanent colostomy
mets to lungs 04/08, stage 4
folfiri,leucovorin and avastin started 10/08 , 52 rounds
10/11 progression in lung mets, change chemo to folfox
age 62

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Jeff
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Location: Massachusetts

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

Postby Jeff » Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:59 am

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
60 yrs old
Polyp dx 7/03
sigmoid colectomy 8/03
Cancer free 2/04
Stage IV dx 5/07, mets in Liver, lungs, lymph nodes & bones
Started Folfax6 5/07
Added Avastin and Zometa 8/07
32 Rounds of FOLFAX6 as of 8/7/08
Started Irinotecan & Erbitux 8/21/08

GO BLUE Girl
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Location: Southeastern Michigan

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

Postby GO BLUE Girl » Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:41 pm

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

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

Postby Larry » Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:24 pm

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.
diagnosed age 53
stage IIA T3N0M0
laproscopic sigmoid colectomy may 2007
folfox 12 rounds

Guest

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

Postby Guest » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:40 pm

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.

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

Postby BrownBagger » Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:09 am

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.
Eric, 58
Dx: 3/09, Stage 4 RC
Recurrences: (ongoing, lung, bronchial cavity, ribs)
Major Ops: 6/ RFA: 3 /bronchoscopies: 8
Pelvic radiation: 5 wks. Bronchial radiation—brachytheray: 3 treatments
Chemo Rounds (career):136
Current Chemo Cocktail: Xeloda & Erbitux & Irinotecan biweekly
Current Cocktail; On the Wagon (mostly)
Bicycle miles post-dx 10,477
Motto: Live your life like it's going to be a long one, because it just might, and then you'll be glad you did.


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