HEALTH COACH - What are the side effects of Ativan? Chris Cornell's family thinks the drug may have played a role in suicide - depression

HEALTH COACH -
 What are the side effects of Ativan? Chris Cornell's family thinks the drug may have played a role in suicide - depression   


After Chris Cornell's death on Wednesday night, suicide was suspended, lawyer and musician's family suggest that an anti-anxiety medication he was taking may have influenced his last moments .



"Without the results of the toxicology tests, we do not know what is happening with Chris or if substances have contributed to his disappearance," said the family prosecutor in a statement, reported by People . "Chris, a recovering addict, had a prescription for Ativan and may have taken more Ativan than the recommended doses. The family believes that if Chris took his life he did not know what he was doing and Drugs or other substances may have affected his actions. "


Cornell's wife, Vicky, also issued a statement, calling her suicide "inexplicable" and noting that a few hours earlier the couple had discussed upcoming plans for the Memorial Day weekend. "I know that he loved our children and that he would not hurt them by voluntarily taking his own life," she said.


Vicky's statement also describes how Cornell spoke his words when he spoke with her by phone on Wednesday night after her performance with Soundgarden in Detroit. "When he told me that he might have taken another Ativan or two, I contacted security and I asked that they check it," at She declared.


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Ativan (and its generic version, lorazepam) is an extremely common drug, prescribed to millions of people each year, says Asher Simon, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. (Dr. Simon did not treat Cornell.) And, as a whole, he says, "This can be an incredibly effective and very safe medicine."


This is in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, which work by slowing down the central nervous system and improving certain chemicals in the brain to produce a calming effect. (Other well known benzodiazepines include Valium and Xanax). The drug is usually prescribed in the short term for the treatment of anxiety and is often useful for people suffering from depression

.

"It lasts about four to six hours, and many times it is prescribed as needed," says Dr. Simon. "We could say," Take one or two pills three times a day, if necessary. "The drug begins working right away, he says, and this is why they are sometimes recommended for people who are s 39 , Worry about flying on planes or visiting the dentist, for example.


Ativan could also be prescribed for short-term use alongside antidepressant medications. "Many times someone comes in with anxiety and you start them on an antidepressant, their anxiety may worsen before it improves," says Dr. Simon. "So sometimes they need a few weeks of anti-anxiety medication to provide immediate relief, until the antidepressant penetrates."





Because this is a sedative, Ativan can make people dizzy and tired when they start taking it. This can increase the risk of falls, especially in the elderly, and patients are warned to drive or use heavy machinery until they know how the medication will affect them.


But Dr. Simon says that taking an Ativan supplement or two would not cause suffering or severe impairment, especially for people who have been on the long-term drug and developed a tolerance to its sedative side effects. "Yes, of course, you should never take more than prescribed," he said. "But one or two extra pills is usually not a huge deal."


Taking higher doses, or combining Ativan with alcohol or other drugs, is much more dangerous, he says, especially because of the risk of impaired judgment and slow breathing and Of heart rate. And overdoses of anti-anxiety drugs occur: a 2016 report revealed that as more people receive these medications, more people are also dying.


Ativan is less likely to ensure that a non-suicide person draws his own life, says Dr. Simon. "A lot of suicide occurs at a time of acute anxiety, and if it treats anxiety, it can actually prevent those suicides," he said. "It is extremely unlikely to provoke suicide thoughts per se."


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But, he adds, the effects of the drug can work in both directions. "In someone who is already depressed and suicidal, this can hurt their judgment and if anyone intends to kill himself, he can reduce his inhibition and make them more susceptible to suicide." Act on their impulses. "


This is a common risk with most anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs, and these drugs carry warnings about the risk of worsening depression or suicide. "This is why physicians carefully evaluate patients and ensure that they are treated for their underlying mood disorder," says Dr. Simon, "and not just their symptoms in the short term.


Benzodiazepines as Ativan may also be formulas of habit, he said, and doctors should be extremely careful in prescribing them to people with a history of drug use.


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Until Cornell's suicide is known, the public can only speculate on the role of his prescription drug when he died. But for others that have been prescribed at Ativan or similar drugs, Dr. Simon says there are few reasons to worry.


It is important to know the risks of any medication and to report any worsening of depression or suicidal thoughts to your doctor. But when used as indicated, says Dr. Simon, people can be assured that Ativan is safe and can be extremely beneficial to millions of Americans.


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