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Lorazepam

Jazzma
Jazzma Member Posts: 186
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in Caring For a Spouse or Partner

My DH, 75 yo stage 6, living at home in hospice, was recently prescribed Lorazepam to help with nighttime agitation. Does anyone have experience with this? He sleeps the better part of the day and used to sleep all night as well, but lately he is active and busy until midnight or later — folding and refolding blankets, repositioning pillows, all of it making it impossible for me to sleep. We've tried phenobarbital for late afternoon agitation with limited success.

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  • jfkoc
    jfkoc Member Posts: 4,383
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    This drug (Ativan) frequently has an adverse effect so do be watchful. I know this first hand when my husband was given it in a hospital. Have you had a chance to discuss this with your husbands neurologist?

  • easy23
    easy23 Member Posts: 253
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    Ativan made my husband more confused. He was on it long term. I didn't realize how confused it had made him until he stopped taking it.

  • deemac13
    deemac13 Member Posts: 2
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    I give .5 mg Lorazepam to my DH prn for anxiety and it works.
    He has had the rx for a while and rarely needs to take it. But it is a lifesaver when he does.
    All i can suggest is try it and see. I feel like that is the mantra for managing this awful disease. Good luck. Please keep us posted.

  • CampCarol
    CampCarol Member Posts: 209
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    My DH was on it for a while in a Geri Psych ward, and we tried it once here a few days ago at home while on hospice. (I was against it, but I allowed the nurse to talk me into it; I should have pushed back!) Both times, it had the opposite of the desired effect: he wouldn't sleep and was more agitated than usual. This last time, he was up almost 40 hours. Never again! I will say though, that DH has been diagnosed with both Alzheimer's and probable Lewy Body. It's my understanding that it's not recommended for LB dementia, although it's amazing how many health care professionals (including Geri Psych) seem to not know this…<sigh>.

  • Jazzma
    Jazzma Member Posts: 186
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    Thank you all for your observations. It turns out the mention of it in his hospice notes was an error — it has not been prescribed (?). We're still trying to titrate phenobarbitol to address nighttime agitation without making him a zombie.

  • Carl46
    Carl46 Member Posts: 913
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    My wife's agitation was helped by a very small dose of Zyprexa, prescribed by the hospital psychiatrist when she was in ER for agitation. It helped her delusions/hallucinations as well.

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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