What is Ativan?
Ativan, otherwise known as lorazepam, is a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety, work as an anticonvulsant, and to function as a muscle relaxant. Like Xanax, Klonopin, Valium and other common anxiety relief prescriptions, Ativan is a drug that is highly addictive. Within weeks, the human body develops tolerance to the drug, requiring higher and higher doses of Ativan to fully block your anxiety receptors. Physical dependence also involves withdrawl, which can lead to the uncomfortable physical symptoms when the medication is decreased or stopped.
What is a Ativan Detox?
An Ativan detox allows your body to comfortably get off Ativan without withdrawl symptoms. Withdrawl symptoms occur when you stop taking Ativan or when you miss your dose or take a smaller dose than you need. Withdrawl symptoms are minimal at first and include anxiety, irritability, sweating, headache, tremor, shakiness, dizziness, muscle aching, fatigue, insomnia, palpitations, and concentration and memory difficulties. Nevertheless, if you don’t take another Ativan dose soon, these symptoms will get worse and can lead to extremely dangerous withdrawl symptoms including delirium, seizure, and even death.
At Palm Beach Outpatient Detox, we don’t think you should have to fear getting off Ativan because of withdrawal symptoms. There’s a way that you can detox off of Ativan in the comfortable setting of your own home with a long acting benzodiazepine initiation followed by a gradual taper of the medication and finally, no medication.
Why Do I Need a Ativan Detox?
Long term use of Ativan can have a number of social and physical consequences. As tolerance to Ativan develops the body requires more and more Ativan or withdrawl symptoms will occur. As more Ativan is needed daily, a person often spends a great deal of time and/or money obtaining more medication. The need for Ativan can turn into an obsession. Often important social and recreational activities are given up or reduced to obtain and use Ativan. Ativan can also take a physical toll on the body and has a number of side effects including the following: fatigue, sedation, memory problems, nausea, confusion, delirium, birth defects, and even death. A Ativan Detox can allow a person to take control of their life again and to once again obtain a “clear-headed” perspective on life.
What Can I Expect From an Ativan Detox?
Without medical supervision, an Ativan detox can be an extremely difficult, uncomfortable, dangerous, and even painful experience. You can expect stomach cramps, headache, extreme anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, agitation, irritability, sweating, hot and cold flashes, dizziness, tremors, and muscle pain. These symptoms begin within hours of your last dose, peak after a few days and last for as long as a few weeks.
With a prescription to a long acting benzodiazepine you can detox off of Ativan without experiencing these symptoms. Long acting benzodiazepines stay a long time in the blood system, thus diminishing withdrawl signs and symptoms on discontinuation. This medication will allow you to break your physical dependence to Ativan as your doctor slowly lowers your dose over two to six weeks and eventually stops it. Dr. Scanlan will also use other non-addictive medication along with the long acting benzodiazepine to help with the taper and to keep you feeling calm and able to sleep at night, while getting detoxed.
Palm Beach Outpatient Detox, offers outpatient detoxification treatments for opiates, alcohol and benzodiazepines in a comfortable office setting that is both affordable and allows clients to continue to work and be at home with their families. For many individuals this offers a way of easing back into daily living over a several weeks and into a recovery based way of life. Palm Beach Outpatient Detox covers areas which include Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Martin and St. Lucie Counties in the South Florida area.