![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lexie on May 15, 2001, at 18:22:48
Just wondering can a person overdose on Ativan, if so how much?
Posted by Cam W. on May 16, 2001, at 10:52:09
In reply to Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 15, 2001, at 18:22:48
> Just wondering can a person overdose on Ativan, if so how much?
Lexie - Let's just say that it is hard to do with Ativan. Are you okay? - Cam
Posted by loosmrbls on May 16, 2001, at 12:14:44
In reply to Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 15, 2001, at 18:22:48
Ativan is is a benzodiazepine, just like Valium.
As the dose goes up you go from sedation, to sleeping, to very deep sleep. It is unlikely, but at a high-enough dose you could slow your respiratory drive to the point where you breathe too slow or stop breathing. That could be fatal.
But, like the post above -- why do you ask?
Posted by Lexie on May 16, 2001, at 17:34:51
In reply to Re: Ativan: Can you OD, posted by loosmrbls on May 16, 2001, at 12:14:44
I am going through a tough time again. Ativan is all I have. My husband took my Son on a cruise Saturday (we are divorced) right through Mothers Day. He has residental custody I have paniac attacks every 15 minutes and can't sleep, I just want to die when I am in one of my 15 minutes of pacing the floor and not breathing. I feel like something in my soul has died. They will return next Saturday. I just want to die. 60 mgs. is that enough? I weigh 125.
Posted by Cam W. on May 16, 2001, at 17:41:42
In reply to Re: Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 16, 2001, at 17:34:51
Lexie - I think that you need to call your doctor or someone close to you. Go to the emergency if you have to. Do you have a crisis line in your town? They can help out a lot. - Cam
> I am going through a tough time again. Ativan is all I have. My husband took my Son on a cruise Saturday (we are divorced) right through Mothers Day. He has residental custody I have paniac attacks every 15 minutes and can't sleep, I just want to die when I am in one of my 15 minutes of pacing the floor and not breathing. I feel like something in my soul has died. They will return next Saturday. I just want to die. 60 mgs. is that enough? I weigh 125.
Posted by loosmrbls on May 17, 2001, at 11:54:55
In reply to Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 15, 2001, at 18:22:48
Please call a doctor or go to an emergency room now. Don't think about the pills. I know it is hard, but call 911 if you have to. Just get to a doctor now.
Posted by Elizabeth on May 17, 2001, at 15:31:36
In reply to Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 15, 2001, at 18:22:48
> Just wondering can a person overdose on Ativan, if so how much?
It's almost impossible to kill yourself with modern sedative-hypnotic-anxiolytics. 60 mg of Ativan would almost certainly be nonfatal. If you're feeling that bad, you need to get to a hospital and get on some meds for the depression and panic. There is no reason for you to be suffering like this.
The most likely result of ODing would be that you would sleep a long time and possibly wake up in a mental hospital. If you take a really huge amount you might need to be on a ventilator, which is really unpleasant.
I was recently hospitalised for what was assumed (incorrectly and without good reason) to be a benzodiazepine overdose. Because of this assumption, I wasn't given adequate sedatives or pain medication. Too many hospital staff have no sympathy for people who attempt suicide (or who are believed to have done so!).
Please get some *real* help? The kind of "help" you will get if you make an unsuccessful suicide attempt is no help at all.
You have all my best hopes.
-elizabeth
Posted by Lexie on May 19, 2001, at 20:46:22
In reply to Re: Ativan: Can you OD » Lexie, posted by Elizabeth on May 17, 2001, at 15:31:36
I wanted to let you all know how I am doing. This was all a big wake up call for me. First of all I did take a large quanity of ativan and I tried to go into work the next day. One of the VP's called down to Personnel and said, "Send Her Home", on my way out to my car the company I work for has 80% of the building, there is a Neurologist in the building that stopped me on the way to my car and said "I think you should come into my lobby and lay down", I argued, He repeated himself twice. I went to see my therapist that reminded me that all of this would only give my ex-husband permanent custody whether I completed the act or not so I had better be careful or I could lose my son all together. When I called work to say I would be in on Thursday I was TOLD to stay home I was really facing a lot of reality. I called my boss and had a long talk. I was told that I was going to be paid for all of the time it took for me to "Get Well" that I had a lot of people that really cared about me and that my job was never in jeopardy. Just get well. I had a huge wake up call. My therapist tells me this is just my son's fathers way of badgering until I come back. I am a very weak person. My job is just to get strong and lean on the people that can help me get there. Thank you all for the big shoulders to lean on. Lexie
Posted by shelliR on May 19, 2001, at 22:58:26
In reply to Re: Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 19, 2001, at 20:46:22
Lexie, I think it is great that your boss is being so supportive. And I think you are being very strong not to go back to your husband, so perhaps you are not as weak as you think.One warning. You have choices about what to do with your own life and we are all rooting for you. But to try to get into a car and drive full of ativan puts everyone at risk. If you were to have an accident and hurt someone, you'd have that on your conscience for the rest of your life (and on your record for your husband to use). I am so glad the neurologist was there to stop you from leaving in your car. Please go to the hospital if you feel you need to do something. And please, for your sake and others, do not drive after taking so many benzos. Even when we are feeling desperate, we still need to be responsible in terms of driving, etc.
I know I sound stern, but it's something I feel very strongly about--just like driving under the influence.
Take it easy and get stronger.
Shelli
Posted by loosmrbls on May 21, 2001, at 8:13:42
In reply to Re: Ativan: Can you OD » Lexie, posted by shelliR on May 19, 2001, at 22:58:26
Glad to hear you are still alive.
I once took overdoses of Klonopin for two days -- not fatal doses, but just to numb me. On the third day, I decided to kill myself and was on the way to a liquor store to get some alcohol to mix with the remaining Klonopin when thoughts of how it would affect my son came into my head. So I diverted to a nearby hospital ER.
Be careful, suicide can sneak up on you.
Posted by joya on March 20, 2012, at 14:56:36
In reply to Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 15, 2001, at 18:22:48
If you are contemplating suicide please please listen to the other posts and go to the ER, or call a crisis hotline or at least a close friend. Suicide is a very permanent solution to a temporary problem. I suffer from depression and have experienced many times when I have just wanted to die... but it ALWAYS gets better, you just have to fight through it and find help. I also lost my boyfriend to suicide which has left me and so many others devastated. There are people out there that care about you that you would be leaving behind. I've suffered with severe depression for 10 years now... there is a lot of help out there and things DO get better. Hang in there.
Posted by joya on March 20, 2012, at 15:11:31
In reply to Ativan: Can you OD, posted by Lexie on May 15, 2001, at 18:22:48
If you are contemplating suicide please please listen to the other posts and go to the ER, or call a crisis hotline or at least a close friend. Suicide is a very permanent solution to a temporary problem. I suffer from depression and have experienced many times when I have just wanted to die... but it ALWAYS gets better, you just have to fight through it and find help. I also lost my boyfriend to suicide which has left me and so many others devastated. There are people out there that care about you that you would be leaving behind. I've suffered with severe depression for 10 years now... there is a lot of help out there and things DO get better. Hang in there.
Posted by phidippus on March 23, 2012, at 19:10:19
In reply to Re: Ativan: Can you OD, posted by joya on March 20, 2012, at 14:56:36
Yes, you can take a lot of Ativan to incur respiratory depresssion/failure.
Eric
Posted by Brainbeard on March 26, 2012, at 14:48:51
In reply to Re: Ativan: Can you OD » joya, posted by phidippus on March 23, 2012, at 19:10:19
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.