Lorazepam (Avitan) is an extremely powerful sedative/hypnotic drug.
It is often prescribed to people who suffer from severe anxiety or panic attacks. It is also used to help patients sleep through surgery.
It works by suppressing your central nervous system enough to make you feel relaxed. In other words, it slows down your body’s functions so that you can sleep better. Side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, disorientation, and feeling sleepy. Alcohol affects the same neurotransmitters as Ativan does, including GABA.
This rapid onset of effect is due to Ativan’s short half-life. It’s metabolized by the body quickly and achieves peak blood level within an hour. Therefore, it is one of the fastest acting oral benzodiazepines around and arguably more addictive than other benzodiazepines.
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