What is Ativan?Ativan is in a group of drugs called benzodiazepines (ben-zoe-dye-AZE-eh-peens).

In addition to recreational use, benzodiazepines may be diverted and used to facilitate crime: Criminals may take them to deliberately seek disinhibition before committing crimes (which increases their potential for violence). Patients should not be discharged from the hospital within 24 hours of receiving lorazepam premedication, unless accompanied by a caregiver. It is fast acting, and useful in treating fast onset panic anxiety. Because of its relative long duration of residual effects (sedation, ataxia, hypotension, and amnesia), lorazepam premedication is best suited for hospital inpatient use. These effects are seen as more common with lorazepam than other benzodiazepines. On regular administration diazepam will, however, accumulate more, since it has a longer half-life and active metabolites with even longer half-lives. T. Blood or plasma lorazepam concentrations are usually in a range of 10-300 ug/L in persons either receiving the drug therapeutically or in those arrested for impaired driving, and 300-1000 ug/L in victims of acute overdosage. These effects are seen as more common with lorazepam than other benzodiazepines. Lorazepam may also interact with rifabutin.