edit PharmacodynamicsRelative to other benzodiazepines, lorazepam is thought to have high affinity for GABA receptors, which may also explain its marked amnesic effects.

Rebound effects often resemble the condition being treated but typically at a more intense level and may be difficult to diagnose. The main pharmacological effects of lorazepam are the enhancement of the effects of GABA at the GABAA receptor. Due to the development of tolerance to the anticonvulsant effects, benzodiazepines are generally not recommended for long-term use for the management of epilepsy. Do not use Ativan without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. This explains why one lorazepam dose, despite lorazepam's shorter serum half-life, has more prolonged peak effects than an equivalent diazepam dose. It is not known whether Ativan passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Ativan may be habit-forming and should be used only by the person it was prescribed for. Synergistic adverse effects may also occur when lorazepam is administered with other drugs such as opioids or other hypnotics. Lorazepam has relatively potent anxiolytic effects and its best-known indication is the short-term management of severe anxiety; the FDA advises against use of benzodiazepines such as lorazepam for longer than 2–4 weeks. Acute delirium is sometimes treated with lorazepam, but as it can cause paradoxical effects, it is preferably given together with haloperidol.