Ativan and Memory Loss: What Users Say

• Jen...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 18, 2020

For Anxiety "This is a wonderful drug but should not be taken daily. I get ten pills per month. I take them when I have a bad bout of anxiety or insomnia, etc. It resets me and stops the panic attack cascade that can happen from nights of insomnia. It parts the waves and allows me to pass through the difficulty. It can make you a little emotional after you stop if you take it a few days. I would not take it more than two or three consecutive days. It can be addictive. It can cause a little forgetfulness. For the most part, I felt totally normal. It doesn't have a weird effect, it just takes away the gross fear. I've been taking 0.5-1mg several times per month for 5 years. I average 10 pills per month and have no issue stopping cold turkey. Benzos can be difficult to get off if you take them too frequently so beware."

• use...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 10, 2013

For Anxiety "I have been taking Ativan for the past 28 years! Initially, it was 0.5mg 2/3 times a day for a few months. Later, 0.5mg twice a day for about 2/3 years. Then once a day for 5/6 years. Since then, I regularly take 0.75mg once a day in the morning during all these years. I have never exceeded the dosage, and I am able to skip the tablet on many Sundays when I don't need to go out or do stressful things. I am sure I will be able to stop taking the medicine when I want, but as the dosage is small, I have made it a habit to pop 3/4th of a 1mg pill daily before I start to the office. Side effects - I am unable to distinguish as I am 61 years now and have formed some forgetfulness and some usual age-related minor personal problems. Ativan is a great medicine!"

• Hsa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2019

For Anxiety "This is by far the scariest experience I have EVER had with a drug. Ativan immediately took the anxiety away but the after effects were horrible. I took it intermittently for 2 weeks and then noticed when I didn't take it consistently my anxiety was 100 percent worse. I was crawling out of my skin and so irritable. I also had uncontrollable muscle shaking and memory problems. This drug is very dangerous for some people. I'll stick to cognitive behavioral therapy."

• Jra...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 17, 2019

For Anxiety "I like Ativan better than Valium but not Xanax. Be careful with any benzodiazepines. They will mess with your brain and cause memory loss. I've been on them for 20 years. There's no way I can go off them now. I'm in a tough spot. I tried to stop twice and it drove me insane. I managed to kick a 4-year opiate addiction with the help of Suboxone, and that was challenging. Getting off benzos is even harder than kicking opiates. Believe me, benzodiazepines are dangerous. My doctor never warned me about the addiction until I switched medications, after about 5 years. Isn't that nice? I rely on them to keep me calm. I suffer from very severe anxiety, but knowing what I know now, I would have preferred to have a shot of vodka a couple of times a day. I'm not a drinker, but it's better than dealing with the side effects of benzos. Moderation is the key."

• Fly...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 25, 2014

For Anxiety "I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and take this nightly to sleep. This medication works wonderfully for relieving the physical symptoms of GAD, which is what it was intended for. Yes, this is addictive and has side effects that can affect memory, however, I don't think I could live without this medication. Anti-depressants don't touch my anxiety whereas this does."

• rip...
• October 25, 2021

For Insomnia "I have been using Ativan for nearly 18 years. I went for years sleeping 4 and a half hours a night. [daytime zombie] About 4 years ago, I was having short-term memory problems. I reduced from 1 mg to 0.5, and memory very much improved, and I still sleep 6-7 hours, but keep extra 0.5s if some nights I need extra, which isn't often. I would suggest that for first timers to start with 0.5, and it might be all you need. As far as 'addiction' goes, I am totally addicted to a good night's sleep. I am grateful to the lucky stars for Ativan. Do not use often for anxiety, although helpful from time to time. I am 78 years old. Only my story, everyone has their own experience with Ativan. Good luck and goodnight, you sleepy heads. Rip Van Winkle [almost twenty years.]"

• Ped...
• February 18, 2019

For ICU Agitation "I was given this for post-op pain in recovery instead of narcotics because an anesthesiologist deemed me a drug user because I requested no morphine due to severe itching and scratching until I bled. I could not take ibuprofen due to renal disease. I was given 2 mg Ativan IV and told it was pain medication. I could feel every bit of the pain but could not speak... people were walking by me and would say, “she is asleep now,” but I was screaming inside. All it did was drug me to the point I could not speak but could feel every bit of the pain. On the way home from the hospital, I went psychotic in the car trying to hurt other people. This left me with nightmares for 2-3 weeks, depression, anger, and memory loss. It was not disclosed what was given until I kept pressing them because it was the worst surgical experience ever. The cover-up was the worst. It hindered my healing from the surgery."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 17, 2012

For Anxiety "I was given Ativan before having an MRI done. I have extreme claustrophobia and was unable to get the MRI done, even the open MRI type machine. I took 2 mg one hour before the test. Right up until the test, I was terrified. However, within five minutes of being in the MRI machine, I was out! I mean out, in a different world. It was scary. I had an IV placed and didn't feel a thing. The whole test (an hour or longer) went perfectly. Here is the really scary part. I came home and went about my usual business. At supper, I read the paper, even drove into town. The next day, I had absolutely no memory of the previous day. The Ativan caused severe amnesia."

• Pau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2023

For Anxiety "I am 67 years old. I was prescribed Ativan in the early 1980s. I got addicted and after 5 months was taking 12 a day instead of the prescribed 6. I threw them down the toilet, then ended up at my GP with acute withdrawal symptoms. He did a six-week withdrawal plan. I lost the memory of that 6 months. I also lost a lot of my memory up to that point. As a person who has suffered memory loss and lack of emotion for the last 40 years and my life wrecked, I implore people not to take this drug."

• Off...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 27, 2018

For Anxiety "Have taken Ativan on and off...more on than off for 24 years. I have quit it for life and am having terrible withdrawal symptoms. Hot, cold, blurred vision, memory loss. Please do not take this medication."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 27, 2017

For Panic Disorder "I found most of the benzodiazepines effective against panic disorder. However, Ativan had a very strong amnesia-inducing effect that caused me problems. While they all had amnesia effects at various dosages, Ativan really messed with my memory at therapeutic doses of 1-3 mg a day. I frequently found I had done bizarre things on Ativan. I found my car in a neighbor's garage, for example, but had woken up in my own house. It’s a bit comical now, but could have been tragic. I had much more stable results with Klonopin."

• TMP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2024

For Sedation "I took Ativan for a plane ride because I have a phobia of flying. I woke up in a hotel in Florida with no memory of landing (but the full memory of the terror-inducing flight) and no memory of my first day there. I managed to piece together my activities that day through family, who said I had been acting normally. While the amnesia was annoying, this drug had no serious negative effects to my health. I take hydroxyzine now. It works a lot better for the fear of heights. Two family members of mine have taken Ativan for decades, and they also have these lapses in memory, though they are unaware of it."

• Deb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2013

For Anxiety "While taking Ativan, my memory was affected. I noticed that my short-term memory was not good. I think I should be on this short term only."