What Does Ativan Look Like? | Dosage Info, Effects & Uses

Avitan (lorazepam) is a prescription medication that contains benzodiazepines. This medication is used to help people manage their anxiety disorders, continuous seizures, panic attacks, insomnia, and is used as anesthesia prior to surgery. The prescription medication’s active ingredient is benzodiazepines, which works by creating a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system. Benzodiazepines should only be used for a short period of time because they can result in dependence and addiction even when used as prescribed by a health care physician.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Ativan is a Schedule IV drug meaning it has a low potential for abuse and risk of dependence. Other drugs that are in this category are Xanax, valium, and Darvon. Ativan is only meant to be taken for short periods of time. Therefore, taking for prolonged periods could result in dependence.

Ativan can cause serious side effects such as depression, abuse, dependence, withdrawal symptoms, sedation, dizziness, weakness, and unsteadiness. Ativan use can also result in drowsiness, muscle weakness, headaches, blurred vision, sleep difficulties, loss of balance, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes. This medication can be taken orally as a tablet or by intravenous injection.

Ativan Tablets

What does an Ativan pill look like? Ativan is the brand name version of lorazepam. It is typically seen as a small, pentagon-shaped tablet. A pill with the strength of 0.5mg will say BPI  63 on one side and display a triangle on top of a rectangle on the other side. The pill with a strength of 1mg  will say BPI 64 on one side and display a triangle on top of a rectangle on the other side. The tablet with a strength of 2mg will display BPI 65 on one side and then a small square above the number 2 on the other side.

What does a lorazepam pill look like? Lorazepam is the generic version of Ativan. Each pill will have a different pill imprint and color depending on the strength of the pill. It’s important to note that the pill may appear differently depending on its strength, the brand name it is sold under, and the pharmaceutical company that manufactured it.

Lorazepam pills are typically small, round tablets, that are often color-coded to display strength. The 1 mg tablets can be seen as a white, blue, green, or violet/purple color. The 2.5 mg tablets can be seen as a pink, yellow, or orange color.

Ativan Injection

What does lorazepam look like and what does Ativan look like? Both lorazepam and Ativan can also be found in a clear, liquid form that can be intravenously injected. Ativan is typically injected for the treatment of epileptics, which are seizures that last longer than 5 minutes or if a person experiences multiple seizures within a 5 minute period. Ativan is also injected in adults as a pre-anesthetic medication to make a person feel sleepy or drowsy, relieve anxiety, and decrease a person’s ability to recall the events from the surgery.

Ativan Addiction Treatment

According to a study published in Australian Prescriber, anyone who has been on benzodiazepines like Ativan for longer than 3 to 4 weeks is likely to be dependent on the medication and experience withdrawal symptoms if the medication is discontinued abruptly. These people are likely addicted to Ativan and can best be treated by going through the detox process at a residential or outpatient rehabilitation clinic.

The detox process will not cut a person off of the medication abruptly as this could cause serious consequences. This is because abruptly stopping benzodiazepines after using them for 1 to 6 months can result in life-threatening seizures. The detox process will involve a slow taper in an effort to reduce and even eliminate the occurrence of any withdrawal symptoms. The duration of the taper will vary from person to person depending on how much tolerance they developed for the medication and what their starting dose was.

If a person tapers too quickly, withdrawal symptoms can include headache, palpitations, sweating, tremors, muscle pain, dizziness, light-headedness, blurred vision, confusion, nausea, diarrhea, anxiety, rebound insomnia, nightmares, irritability, poor memory, and depression.

Addiction to Ativan treatment will also involve psychological treatment such as behavioral therapy. The study mentioned that treatment for benzodiazepine addiction that offered a gradual reduction in medication, combined with psychological treatment exhibited better treatment outcomes than tapering off the medication alone. Behavioral therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy, can reduce a person’s use of this substance and facilitate recovery through helping a person stay motivated to continue treatment and educating the patient on coping skills and relaxation techniques.

The study also mentioned that long-term abstinence rates after discontinuing medications that contain benzodiazepines vary a lot. This can range from only 25 percent of people with a complicated dependence, remaining abstinent at 12 months after treatment to 80 percent of older people remaining abstinent at 12 months after they leave treatment.

Finding Help

Many people who are addicted to benzodiazepines like Ativan will need to start their recovery journey with medical detox. If you or someone you love has an Ativan addiction, finding a high-quality rehab can help. A rehab clinic will help you or your loved one detox in a safe and comfortable setting with the support of trained medical and mental health professionals. No one should have to go through a painful detox alone.

Through enrolling in a rehab clinic you or your loved one will be surrounded by peers who know what you are going through. Your vitals will constantly be monitored to ensure your comfort and safety. Medications will be provided to relieve symptoms and mental health counselors will use behavioral therapy to help you stay motivated to remain in treatment as well as educate you on coping skills to overcome your addiction.

References

• Addiction Treatment Options. Sunshine Behavioral Health.
• Ativan. GoodRx.
• Ativan Injection. Rxlist
• Drug Scheduling. Drug Enforcement Administration.
• Lorazepam (Ativan). National Alliance on Mental Health.
• Lorazepam. Release.
• Management of benzodiazepine misuse and dependence. Australian Prescriber.