Keep the medication in a secure place where others cannot get to it.

Benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam enhance the effects of GABA at the GABAA receptor via increasing the frequency of opening of the chloride ion channel on the GABAA receptors; which results in the therapeutic actions of benzodiazepines. * Comorbid psychiatric disorders – Increased risk of dependence and paradoxical adverse effects edit Tolerance and dependenceDependence typified by a withdrawal syndrome occurs in approximately one third of individuals who are treated for longer than 4 weeks with a benzodiazepines. Lorazepam-glucuronide is more water-soluble than its precursor and, therefore, gets more widely distributed in the body, leading to a longer half-life than lorazepam. Rebound effects often resemble the condition being treated but typically at a more intense level and may be difficult to diagnose. Lorazepam is absorbed relatively slowly if given intramuscularly, a common route in restraint situations. Opportunistic counseling has limited value here, as the patient is unlikely to recall this later, owing to drug-induced anterograde amnesia. FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use Ativan without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. Adverse effects can include sedation and hypotension; the effects of lorazepam are increased in combination with other CNS depressant drugs. Lorazepam-glucuronide is more water-soluble than its precursor and, therefore, gets more widely distributed in the body, leading to a longer half-life than lorazepam.