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What Care The Side Effects Of Ativan?
Question: Hello, I have just found out that I am pregnant, I am not at the 4 week mark yet. However for several weeks I have been taking ativan daily to relieve panic attacks and I am afraid that I have harmed the baby. Can you please tell me what taking ativan daily this early in pregnancy may have caused?
Brief Answer:
I do not expect adverse effects at doses that are regularly used
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
Congratulations on your pregnancy. The first thing that I would insist is not to panic. Although Ativan (Lorazepam) is a pregnancy category C (or sometimes considered D) drug, it not mean that anybody taking this drug would be suffering from fetal abnormalities. Adverse fetal effects have been observed only on very high doses but not on low doses. Read: http://www.drugs.com/pro/lorazepam.html (section:Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility). The negative effects that could result is more of loss of pregnancy type rather than fetal abnormalities. In any case, at such an early stage, if problems were to occur, they would have been really gross (possibly amounting to loss of pregnancy) or grossly visible in a ultrasound. So in case of abnormalities, it would get diagnosed really early, although I doubt whether you really need to get concerned.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
I do not expect adverse effects at doses that are regularly used
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
Congratulations on your pregnancy. The first thing that I would insist is not to panic. Although Ativan (Lorazepam) is a pregnancy category C (or sometimes considered D) drug, it not mean that anybody taking this drug would be suffering from fetal abnormalities. Adverse fetal effects have been observed only on very high doses but not on low doses. Read: http://www.drugs.com/pro/lorazepam.html (section:Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility). The negative effects that could result is more of loss of pregnancy type rather than fetal abnormalities. In any case, at such an early stage, if problems were to occur, they would have been really gross (possibly amounting to loss of pregnancy) or grossly visible in a ultrasound. So in case of abnormalities, it would get diagnosed really early, although I doubt whether you really need to get concerned.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Brief Answer:
All everybody takes is low dose
Detailed Answer:
A high dose would be 40 mg/kg. Assuming you to be of 50 kg, it should be 200 mg. Nobody takes such high doses. I would not consider a few doses of 2-4 mg as dangerous. It is good to have decided not to take further doses.
Hope that helps.
If you found my answer to be helpful, I would be glad if you close the answer with a 5 star rating and a positive review.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
All everybody takes is low dose
Detailed Answer:
A high dose would be 40 mg/kg. Assuming you to be of 50 kg, it should be 200 mg. Nobody takes such high doses. I would not consider a few doses of 2-4 mg as dangerous. It is good to have decided not to take further doses.
Hope that helps.
If you found my answer to be helpful, I would be glad if you close the answer with a 5 star rating and a positive review.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Just one last question to clarify my anxiety please about this. So it was daily doses for the last 2 and half weeks of 2-4 mg sometimes maybe one more 1mg in the middle of the night if I woke up and could not get back to sleep. I weigh 155 pounds if that helps to factor it in.
Thank you, after this questions I think I will be done. I just need to clarify and make sure you know all the facts. Thank you for your time and attention to this. I am just scared about it.
Thank you, after this questions I think I will be done. I just need to clarify and make sure you know all the facts. Thank you for your time and attention to this. I am just scared about it.
Brief Answer:
No need to panic.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
155 pounds or 70 kg means that the dose gets divided into more amount and so, the dose/kg of body weight is actually even lesser. So there is less cause to worry. But nevertheless, you need to remain under periodic ultrasound follow up just to be sure.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
No need to panic.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for writing back.
155 pounds or 70 kg means that the dose gets divided into more amount and so, the dose/kg of body weight is actually even lesser. So there is less cause to worry. But nevertheless, you need to remain under periodic ultrasound follow up just to be sure.
Regards
Dr. Diptanshu Das
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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