Get price alerts. Ativan and Xanax are both indicated in the management of anxiety disorders. Both drugs are indicated for the short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety , and short-term relief of anxiety associated with depressive symptoms. Xanax is also indicated for the treatment of panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia. Both medications also have several off-label uses, outlined below. A placebo-controlled, double-blind study compared Ativan and Xanax in the treatment of patients with severe anxiety.
Both drugs were found to be more effective than placebo, with Xanax being slightly more effective in later weeks of the study. However, another study of the two drugs for anxiety showed both drugs to be effective , with Ativan being slightly more effective. Another study compared the two drugs in the treatment of panic disorder and found Ativan and Xanax to be equally effective. The most effective medication for you should only be determined by your doctor, who will take into account your medical condition s , history, and other medications you take.
Sign up for Xanax price alerts and find out when the price changes! Ativan is typically covered by insurance and Medicare Part D in its generic form of lorazepam. The brand-name Ativan may not be covered or have a high copay.
Xanax is also typically covered by insurance and Medicare Part D in the generic form of alprazolam. The brand-name Xanax may not be covered or have a high copay. A typical prescription of alprazolam would be for 60 tablets of 0. You can save money using a SingleCare coupon on generic Ativan or Xanax. Try the SingleCare prescription discount card. Side effects of Ativan and Xanax tend to be greater at higher doses.
The most common side effects of Ativan are sedation, dizziness, and weakness. Patients taking Xanax often experience sedation, dizziness, and weakness. Other side effects may occur. Consult a healthcare professional for a complete list of side effects. Benzodiazepines, such as Ativan and Xanax, should not be taken in combination with opioid painkillers, due to increased risk of sedation, respiratory depression, and overdose, possibly leading to death.
If no other combination is possible, the patient should receive the drugs at the lowest possible dose and for the shortest duration, and be closely monitored. Benzodiazepines also should not be taken with other CNS depressants such as alcohol, antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedating antihistamines, and anticonvulsants.
These drugs should never be prescribed together; the use of these three medications can result in very serious respiratory depression, overdose, or even death. Other drug interactions may occur. Consult your healthcare provider for a full list of drug interactions.
Ativan and Xanax have many similar warnings. Both drugs come with a boxed warning, which is the strongest warning required by the FDA. Ativan and Xanax interact with opioids, tricyclic antidepressants , barbiturates, and alcohol. Taking them together increases the risk of severe drowsiness, overdose, and death. Ativan and Xanax interact with several other drugs. It is best to have a doctor or pharmacist review any current medication before starting to take a benzodiazepine.
This is a partial list of interactions. People should talk with their doctor or pharmacist to review all their medications and possible interactions before using these drugs. The dosages of Ativan and Xanax depend on their forms and the condition they are helping to treat. In many cases, people may take larger doses of Ativan, at 2—6 milligrams mg per day , compared with Xanax, which people usually take at less than 4 mg per day.
People taking Xanax for panic disorder may take higher doses. Ativan is also available as an injection, but Xanax is not. Xanax is available in a disintegrating tablet and a hour long-acting tablet, while Ativan is not. Respiratory breathing problems have been noted in babies born to mothers who were taking benzodiazepines. Other possible adverse effects include low birth weight, low blood sugars, and withdrawal symptoms. People should use other therapies when treating panic disorders during pregnancy.
If a benzodiazepine is necessary, doctors usually prefer to prescribe other types than Xanax. Ativan and Xanax are both benzodiazepines. They have similar effects and side effects, and both can cause withdrawal symptoms.
However, one may work better for some people than the other. Despite the similarities between Ativan and Xanax, their properties result in a number of differences. Recommendations suggest using antidepressants over Ativan or Xanax in the treatment of anxiety disorders or panic disorders because benzodiazepines have the potential for withdrawal and misuse. Although official guidance does not recommend Ativan or Xanax as first-line treatments and they have significant adverse effects, they both are a significant portion of prescribed benzodiazepines.
Breathing exercises can help reduce anxiety. Learn how to practice deep breathing, quieting response, and three other breathing techniques here. Depression is a very common condition. Despite this, many myths and misconceptions continue to surround it. Learn more about depression here…. Many people experience panic attacks.
When they occur frequently with no clear triggers, a person may have panic disorder. Learn about these issues…. Drug rehab is important because it addresses the psychological aspect of your addiction to benzodiazepines. Everyone has a reason for using the drugs they take. In your case, you may be abusing Ativan or Xanax because it helps with your anxiety symptoms. You might also be suffering from depression, bipolar disorder or another mental health issue.
If you are, you have what is called a co-occurring disorder. When co-occurring disorders are ignored or treated separately from addictions, it can be problematic. It is not possible to say how long it will take for you to get treatment for your benzodiazepine addiction. The detoxification process may take as long as 10 days or more, depending on the severity of your substance abuse problem.
Afterward, you may need several weeks of rehab, depending on the type of program you choose. But regardless, ongoing treatment is going to be critical to your success.
It is not enough for you to go to rehab for a month and then never work on your recovery again after. You may even want to start by going to an inpatient program that offers detox services and then transitioning to an outpatient program. This will ensure that you continue to get the help and support you need.
This is great, clear, concise information! Exactly for what I was looking and presented in an easy to understand method. Anyway, thank you very much! This actually answered all the questions I had regarding each drug. Again, wonderful presentation of information! We are glad you found the information helpful! We wish you nothing but the best as you continue your journey! Very good advice. And as someone who takes these meds therapeutically, I can attest this information is true.
Respect your meds and you will reap the most benefit for a fuller and happier life. This article is well-written and helpful to me. I am about to try Ativan was just prescribed for me and it helps me to understand why my Psych picked it for me over Xanax. It also helps me set goals to take as little as possible, watch for signs of dependence, and not plan on taking it indefinitely!
Thank you so much! Glad you found the article helpful! As with any medication, it is always best to watch for dependency signs and only take as needed. We wish you all the best on your journey! Great information. After 20 very vague articles seemingly written for for the recreational drug user. Finally one that answers the truly clinical questions I had.
Thanks for the balanced and concise information. It is especially problematic for Panic Disorder, where benzodiazepine we makes panic symptoms worse over time. And it is unnecessary. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is extremely effective for Panic Disorder. A few months of CBT therapy and most clients no longer meet the criteria for Panic Disorder diagnosis.
Many of my clients stopped xperiencing panic attacks within a month of starting weekly CBT therapy. Thank you for adding your information and continuing this discussion! We are glad you found the article helpful and wish you all the best! Thank you for the information about the medicine it was exactly what I was looking for and will help me get the right one for my condition. Why did my psychiatrist prescribe Ativan knowing I suffer from panic attacks?
You can ask your psychiatrist why they prescribed Ativan. Thank you for the simple, yet informative breakdown that all age groups can understand. I would just like to add that while a patient is taking benzos that grapefruit and grapefruit juice should be avoided as well as cigarette smoking, because both can lessen the effectiveness of these meds, which may in turn cause a person to want to increase their dose or take their more frequently.
This can up the chances of addiction and dependency to these meds. I am 63 but when I was in my mid twenties, I started having panic attacks. I saw a psychiatrist and she put me on Xanax. I also went to the classes at night. She asked how I was taking the Xanax. You have to take it twice daily. So I took them daily, went to the night classes and the panic attacks stopped. I kept a full bottle of Xanax in my purse for a year and at that time I threw them away.
Then, in my mid forties, I started having panic attacks. More trips to the hospital. I started taking Xanax again. I have panic attacks and I am a chronic pain patient. It has taken years to get exactly what works for me. I got it down to 2 prescriptions after a time I was taking different pills twice a day. I went to different types of doctors for different things.
And it was after trial and error of many medications. I stopped drinking caffeine almost 36 years ago. No panic attacks, controlled pain and the the DEA comes out with guidelines that freak the doctors and the pharmacist out!!! I have seen different doctors at his office. They lowered my daily dosage from 4 to 3 Norcos. Then they wanted to switch me from the Xanax to the Ativan. This on dr. Gave me a prescription of Pristiq!! I took it twice and a horrible reaction to it.
My blood pressure spiked!! Now they are telling me that taking Norco and Xanax will kill me. I brought the Pristiq in and threw it at them not really but I felt like it. I did give it to them though. Now they have to put me on blood pressure medicine so they gave me Colonidine. Told me to take a whole in the morning and a whole at night. It brought my pressure down I was falling asleep at work. They also stopped giving me Xanax and gave me Ativan to take twice daily.
I am hyper and my blood pressure is still high!!! My dad has a pacemaker put in. I was resigned to the fact that I would be on Xanax and Norco for the rest of my life. They may ask me to get another doctor. I have no idea who to go to. I had been taking Alprazolam for 8 years before I not only had my dosage split in half, but the medication switched to Lorazepam. In the beginning it took a while to adjust to Ativan, even though it being a benzodiazepine there are a few characteristics that differ from Xanax.
Ativan took a couple months to achieve what Xanax does in hours. I personally also find that Ativan is slightly less potent then Xanax, but that may just be because of the time it takes to reach peak levels and half-life i assume.
I was on the Ativan for a little over 1 year before switching to a doctor that was willing to give me Xanax. Although, my dosage was again reduced from 3 tablets to 2 daily. This is completely unacceptable, but with the way things are i have no choice but to live with it….
The other 2 possible routes would be to switch to Clonazepam Klonopin but at the cost of having my dosage cut in half once more, because they somehow figure it to be stronger then Xanax eg. The other route, which i is the one i took, was keep everything the same but instead of immediate release xanax twice a day i take extended release twice a day.
Same dosage, just extended release rather immediate. The doctor gave me a 2 week prescription with the choice to continue or switch back after. I have been taking these drugs for sometime now, and have been on all 4 main benzodiazepines. I am not a fool, and i know what works for me. Addiction Help. Take a look at our Outpatient Program.
They will both be prescribed to ease patients with the following disorders: Anxiety. Nervous tension. Psychological symptoms of all kinds. They can stop seizures and tremors. Insomnia due to anxiety. Xanax vs. Ativan — How Are They Similar? Ativan dosage: 0. Xanax Prescriptions The uses of Ativan vs. Ativan uses: Ativan dosages are used for patients with anxiety. Xanax uses: Xanax is also given to patients with anxiety. For someone suffering from mania.
Someone who experiences recurring seizures. Pre-surgery sedating. Vomiting due to chemotherapy. Subduing severe seizures. Assisting in alcohol withdrawal to prevent delirium tremens.
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