Lorazapam for sleep?

Is there anyone who uses Lorazapam for sleep? I know I read on the forum someplace that someone had started using it, but had never heard of this use for Lorazapam before. The reason I'm asking is, the last two nights, for reasons other than sleep, I have taken a Lorazapam before going to bed. (Lorazapam is typically used for anxiety.) When I checked my numbers this morning, I realized that the last two nights have been some of the best numbers I have seen. Even my centrals were considerably lower. Has anyone else experienced this? I hate the thought of having to use such a highly controlled substance on a regular basis, but at this point, I might be willing to try it.

Hello Jbn,
I use Lorazapam sometimes for a relaxing medication. I have stomach issues which it helps with. You are right about the numbers being lower and better with its use. I sometimes take it before bedtime. I am on a very small dosage 0.5mg . The down side of it as you know is it can be very addictive. Most nights I sleep good but some nights I do not get the good sleep I need so about twice a week I take a pill and I sure see the difference in my numbers.....much better. I am in kknow way saying you should take it but just giving you my 2 cents worth. My Dr. is very careful about the amount I take. It has helped me so much .
Take care
Bren

I take 1and 1/2 mg of this every morning. It is not for help with sleep. It is for an atypical migraine condition that I have. I have been taking for about 30 years. I was only diagnosed with sleep apnea just over 8 years ago.

The doctor says that he doesn't know why such a low dose helps with my atypical condition but it does. At this small dosage he feels that there is little of the drug in my system and certainly not enough to affect my sleep, especially given that I take it at breakfast time.

I sleep well though with excellent data.

I am not suggestingyou take it either. Just sharing my experience with it.

I'm really not looking for someone to tell me to take it. I'm just interested in other people's experiences with it. I'm really leery of taking anything so addicting over a long period of time. I do not plan on taking it routinely at bedtime, but have had two anxiety-filled days, and was not able to calm down enough to sleep. That's the only reason I took it. And then when I saw the numbers this morning I was kind of surprised! (I didn't have time to check yesterday.)

Have you tried any over the counter herbal such as melatonin or st johns wart?

Uncle_Bob wrote:Have you tried any over the counter herbal such as melatonin or st johns wart?

I already take trazadone (Rx sleep med). To me, it feels like I sleep fine every night. I don't have any problems going to sleep or staying asleep with my xpap, so I have not ever tried anything else.

The brand name is Ativan. It is used to treat anxiety [and has other uses]. I've used it twice before getting an MRI!

In the similar class is klonoprin [generic clonazepam] - which has a much longer half life. I've used klonoprin off and on for the past 18-20 months due to stomach issues, etc. If you do a search, you'll find several threads on cpaptalk.com. Technically, according to the label and other physician circular information, both medications are 'contradictory' for apnea patients. That's because it relaxes/closure your throat muscle, which is the source for apnea!

But the dosage you describe, as well as my dosage [0.5mg] is very small. If it helps, great. But do keep in mind both meds are 'potentially addictive'. POV

For what it's worth, Lorazapam/Ativan is probably my favorite drug of all time.

Half of my sleep issues are apnea, but the other is anxiety.

Cutting out all coffee and chocolate has helped enormously with the anxiety, though, so I don't need the Ativan as often.

But taking one at around 8pm makes my sleep just wonderful.

That said...

It's a crazily addictive drug, mostly because it's so wonderful. If I take it two days in a row, I sleep well but I'm so disoriented that my well-rested state isn't of much use.

Even before CPAP, I wouldn't take Ativan more than once a week.

Now that my CPAP is more or less sort of working, I've been pretty good about ditching the sleeping pills - unless I get in a big fight before bedtime, and then I'm certainly thankful for my few remaining Ativans...

I on a very rare occasion have taken 5 mg of Lorazepam. I didn't think to look at my data though.

Saturday night I had huge toothache. Took 5mg of a generic hydrocodone (sort of like Vicodin). Only difference I saw on my reports was a straighter almost non existent, leak rate. Since I normally toss and turn a lot, I will assume that I rested more quietly so less leak.

Sometimes it comes down to a choice of taking something to help or getting no sleep. Sometimes that little "risk" is acceptable. You are smart enough to know not to abuse it.

jbn3boys wrote: I'm really leery of taking anything so addicting over a long period of time.

Benzodiazepines (such as Lorazepam) are not addictive.

However, they can cause physical dependence. Physical dependence is the body's adaptation to a particular drug. The individual's body gets used to receiving regular doses of a certain medication. When the medication is abruptly stopped or the dosage is reduced too quickly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms. The solution to physical dependence is easy. If you want or need to discontinue the drug, taper off it gradually and you will avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Addiction is a neurobiological disease that has genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. It involves behaviors such as inability to control drug use or compulsive drug use; continuing to use a drug after it has begun to cause physical or mental harm or other obvious problems; and overpowering craving for the drug.

From the content of many of your postings, I am guessing that you are able to make a sound judgement about whether or not you have an "addictive personality", that is whether the genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors of addiction are present.

One of my elderly relatives (age 60) had major orthopedic surgery and became dependent on morphine during the surgery recovery period. One afternoon he decided to discontinue the drug and that night his wife had to take him to an emergency room with severe withdrawal symptoms. Within 24 hours he was OK and has never had a craving for morphine again. He does not have an addictive personality. He could have avoided the withdrawal episode by gradually tapering off morphine.

However, if you are only taking a small dose of lorazepam nightly, you are unlikely to have any withdrawal symptoms from abrupt discontinuance.

jbn3boys wrote:When I checked my numbers this morning, I realized that the last two nights have been some of the best numbers I have seen. Even my centrals were considerably lower.

Do you FEEL any different the next day or your numbers are just better?

Remember that your numbers may be an artifact of your awakenings... So anything that reduces your arousals may make your numbers look better.

NightMonkey wrote:Benzodiazepines (such as Lorazepam) are not addictive.

Read for more details here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepines
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_benzodiazepine

I take lorazpam or ativan every once in a great while if I've been having several nights in a row of poor sleep or very vivid dreams that wake me up. I find that I dream less, so I sleep better, when I take it (I tend to analyze my dreams while I'm having them, which isn't very restful). The drug also lets me sleep through mask leaks, I think.

Last night I took ativan and had no centrals at all, but according to my sleep doc that's because I'm not tossing and turning in my sleep so much.

I was originally prescribed Ativan for anxiety, and found that it also helped with my sleep issues. However, over time I realized that it was also contributing to my daytime sleepiness. I would take it at night to sleep, and it would take until the next evening to wear off, and by then it was time to take another. It was a cycle of being a zombie almost.
It certainly did get me to sleep, in an knocked out manner--lights out. I slept through everything--dogs barking,phone ringing...things that used to wake me up and kinda should. And I felt like death the next day.

I stopped taking it and went back to melatonin when I can't sleep.