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D
deekoo Asked August 2015

Would you give Ativan to a woman (92) suffering from anxiety, unsupervised for over 6 weeks?

The dosage is unknown but it left her hospital. Is this drug prescription only?

lifeexperiences Aug 2015
Doctors prescribe medications but...it doesn't mean it's going to work for that person! Prescriptions are hit and miss...and at her age she should be monitored to see how her body reacts to it. My father has had really bad reactions to meds within a three day period! I immediately had to stop it...and change medications. Sad thing is that the old timers think the doctor is always right or maybe they are to old to do anything about it. Poor baby...92 yr old, full of anxiety...and alone??? That's very disturbing to me.

pamstegma Aug 2015
Give the medication as prescribed and see the MD in 6 weeks as directed. Ativan is a prescription medication, dispensed generically as Lorazepam. It is a small tablet, tasteless and fast acting but short acting, about 4 hours. Better than nothing.

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JoAnn29 Aug 2015
Yes, think some words missing here. Did the hospital doctor subscribe it. If so, I would question her primary if not the same doctor. Hospitals have only seen the patient for a few days and prescribe for symtoms they see. Yes, there is going to be anxiety when someone is in the hospital and they want to make sure they sleep.

jeannegibbs Aug 2015
Well, I probably would give it to her if her doctor ordered it for her, but I would "supervise" by observing for any side effects and getting back to the doctor. Anxiety is a debilitating condition, and if her doctor thought Ativan would help I'd try it. I'd read every word of the package insert and also ask the pharmacist what to watch for. Ativan is not intended to be used long-term, but that is considered more than 4 months.

This drug is available by prescription only, but I understand that there may be ways to obtain some on the internet. The drug obtained that way may contain dangerous components.

Are you saying that this 92 yo woman is in the hospital because of taking Ativan? Who was giving it to her? Where did it come from?

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