Ativan Overdose – What Should You Do In An Emergency?
Given the popularity of Ativan for treating depression and anxiety disorders, there is a high potential for this drug to result in an overdose if the correct dosages are not administered carefully. There are a number of signs that someone may have overdosed on Ativan - all of which will be visible between 20 minutes and one hour after the ingestion of too much of the drug.
If you or someone in your family is taking Ativan on a regular basis, it makes sense to familiarise yourself with any possible interactions and symptoms which may pop up, indicating that an overdose has occurred. Ultimately, knowledge of what to do in an emergency may be the difference between life and death.
Symptoms Of Ativan Overdose
The first and most common symptom of an Ativan overdose is increased sedation and confusion. Ativan is prescribed to calm the nervous system down by increasing the production of serotonin in the brain. If too much of this production occurs, sedation is the ultimate side-effect.
With sedation comes confusion. One of the leading giveaways that someone has overdosed on Ativan is when their wording starts to become jumbled. At this stage, if what someone is saying is making no sense whatsoever, or if they are unable to tell you what day of the week it is or where they are - medical advice should be sought immediately.
Never wait around to see if the symptoms are relieved by themselves. Waiting could lead to more serious side-effects. Following sedation and confusion, convulsions and vomiting may occur, and in many cases - although dependent on the dose taken - patients may become unconscious and nonresponsive.
How Is An Ativan Overdose Treated?
Ativan is most commonly treated by using activated charcoal - either via intravenous drip, or through the administration of liquids. Additionally, because of the fast acting nature of Ativan - stomach and gas pumps may be required to extract the already broken down materials in the body.
One of the main risks of an Ativan overdose is that the kidney and liver of a particular patient will not be able to handle the excess load that the drug puts on the human body. This is why it is extremely important to get someone to the hospital as soon as the traditional symptoms of overdose are showing.