Shooting Up Ativan: Dangers & Effects Of Injecting Ativan

Can you inject lorazepam? Ativan (Lorazepam) is a benzodiazepine that has anti-anxiety, sedative, and anticonvulsant effects. Intravenous use is administering the medication with a needle and syringe into a person’s vein. People who took the medication intravenously experienced a lack of recall and recognition 15 to 20 minutes after the medication was injected into the bloodstream. The intended effects of Ativan injection usually last between 6 to 8 hours.

How to inject lorazepam? It’s important to dilute intravenous Ativan injections according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The solution for injection will appear clear and colorless. When injecting ativan intravenously small veins and intra-arterial injection are to be avoided. Ativan is not to be mixed with other drugs in the same syringe. Ativan injection is generally be administered slowly.

Dangers And Side Effects Of Injecting Lorazepam

If a person injects more Ativan than their doctor recommends they could experience excessive sleepiness, upper airway obstruction, visual impairment, respiratory depression, and a prolonged lack of recall. Side effects of injecting lorazepam are dizziness, muscle weakness, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, headaches, sedation, fatigue, confusion, irritability, amnesia, appetite changes, and constipation. People can also experience severe negative effects from taking high doses of lorazepam such as behavioral changes, cognitive deficits, mood swings, jaundice, seizures, respiratory depression, respiratory failure, dependency, addiction, and overdose.

If a person injects Lorazepam in unsafe conditions such as needle sharing, they have a higher chance of contracting bloodborne diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) from needle sharing. There is an increased risk of dying from injecting drugs because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016, 4,929 people who injected drugs and were diagnosed with HIV died in the United State. If a person does not clean the injection site and inject the medication properly it can result in collapsed or inflamed veins, scarring, and skin infections such as abscesses. The intra-arterial injection can result in severe gangrene, severe obstruction of the arteries, which can result in blood flow to the extremities, skin necrosis, amputations, and even permanent disability. A more serious side effect of injecting Lorazepam is an overdose.

The use of benzodiazepines, including lorazepam can result in psychological and physical dependence. Compared to other routes of administration intravenous injection enables a person to experience the effects of Ativan almost immediately, which can result in addiction.

What Is Ativan (Lorazepam)?

Avitan is the brand name for a drug called lorazepam. Ativan (lorazepam) is a prescription medication that is used to help people manage their anxiety disorders, continuous seizures, panic attacks, insomnia, and is a medication that is often given prior to anesthesia. The medication contains benzodiazepines, which work by producing a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system. Ativan interacts with the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in a person’s brain and slows neuron transmission. This helps reduce a person’s anxiety and panic responses.

Why Do People Inject Ativan (Lorazepam)?

Shooting up ativan causes tranquilizing effects throughout the entire body. Ativan causes a person’s central nervous system to slow down and enables their muscles to relax. Some people may crush and inject an Ativan tablet. Through crushing an Ativan tablet and injecting it a person is attempting to intensify the medication’s sedative effects.

Another reason that people might start injecting the medication is that the original side effects of the drug have begun to wear off. This happens when a person takes the medication or a prolonged period of time because they begin to develop a tolerance for it. This tolerance causes the person to need a higher dose of the medication to experience the original effects. This can result in the further abuse of the medication.

As a person continues to abuse Ativan they might develop a physical or psychological dependence on the medication. If this happens, their body will experience withdrawal side effects if they abruptly stop taking the medication or try to reduce their dosage.

Dependence causes people to do anything they can to ward off the withdrawal effects. This can cause people to crush up tablets and try to dilute them and inject them into the body. It can also result in people snorting the medication to try to experience the effects faster.

What Happens When A Person Uses Ativan (Lorazepam) Intravenously?

When a person decides to use Ativan intravenously it causes the medication to enter the bloodstream immediately. This results in a person experiencing the intended side effects much faster than if they orally digest the pill.

After a person injects Ativan they will experience a rush of euphoric feelings and then sedation. A person may appear so sedated that they go in and out of consciousness. Ativan injection can also greatly increase a person’s chances of experiencing a life-threatening overdose. This is because even if a person can orally ingest a certain dosage does not mean they can safely inject the same amount.

Dangers Of Ativan (Lorazepam) Overdose

Can you shoot Ativan? Taking any medication other than intended by a doctor is extremely dangerous. Shooting Ativan can result in serious harm to your veins as well as can result in increased chances of experiencing a life-threatening overdose.

A recent article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, stated that using a higher dose and injecting benzodiazepines like Ativan, are likely to increase a person’s risk for overdose. Also, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found that drug overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines like Ativan rose from 1,135 people in 1999 to 11,537 people in 2017. Therefore, injecting any drug causes the drug to reach the brain much faster and in higher concentrations than taking it as prescribed. This can result in a person experiencing an overdose.

Symptoms of overdosing on Ativan are slurred speech, altered mental status, confusion, coordination problems, headaches, dizziness, low blood pressure, difficulties with movement and memory, reduced respiratory function, loss of consciousness, drowsiness, coma, and death. Often, when a person overdoses on ativan their breathing will slow or stop. This reduces the amount of oxygen getting to a person’s brain and can have dangerous implications on the nervous system such as coma and brain damage.

If you think someone is overdosing, call 911 immediately. Overdosing on a benzodiazepine like Lorazepam can result in serious brain and nervous system damage. In severe cases overdosing can result in death from respiratory depression.

Treatment For Intravenous Ativan Abuse

Can you inject ativan? The simple answer to this is yes, you can inject Ativan. However, you should only take the medication as prescribed by your doctor. Taking the medication in any way other than intended can result in serious, harmful consequences. If you or someone you love is injecting Ativan and is addicted to it, finding a high-quality rehab clinic can mean the difference between life and death.

Treatment for an Ativan addiction at a rehabilitation clinic will provide a combination of medications and behavioral therapies to help you or a loved one overcome their addiction in a safe and supportive environment. During the recovery process, a person will be provided support to safely taper off the medication through a slow reduction in dosage. The taper reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms and makes the detox process much smoother. Through combining medications and behavioral therapies a person will be given the best chance of successfully overcoming their Ativan addiction.