October 17, 2006 - 9:49am
Howdy, recently had an Rx for generic of Ativan so I could get an MRI. The doc luckily told me to have somebody drive me. I'm finding that in looking back on the episode I only remember bits and pieces of the approx. 5 hours of time after I took the pills. (I did take 3 mg, and I know thats a lot, esp. considering I haven't taken that med. in years)
Does amnesia seem like a normal side effect for this dosage? The technician (who I have obviously since called) said I seemed sleepy, but responded to commands, and did not appear to do more than just doze. I don't even remember being driven home, or checking in at the clinic...2 things that happened 3 or so hours apart (I think!)
Ideas/Comments? This sounds like those ambien problems, but it sure helped my anxiety/claustrophobia. --------Carlos
October 17, 2006 - 10:27am
#2
amnesia ativan
Carlos -----You mean this is what was desired! Oooo! I get it. Makes sense, I suppose, and IF I felt anxious (had an abortive attempt at the test, so this was the re~schedule) I can't remember, but the technician said I was just kinda drowsy and cooperative.
These other meds. you are talking about; are they something one takes only in a hospital? I'm wondering why my doc gave me something old fashioned, so I'm figuring it was because I was outpatient?
If I ever need chemo, I'll know what to ask for! Thanks for your quick reply. I wonder if other people have had these experiences before, and if its the kind of thing that goes away. (My aunt takes this med. in a lesser dose daily!)
October 17, 2006 - 10:52am
#3
ativan is a great medium
ativan is a great medium acting benzo that manages anxiety.
maybe i used a poor choice of words when i stated that about chemo. in fact it is a great medicine to lessen the anxiety when someone is having a MRI. i am assuming that he gave it to you for your closterphobia of the tight fit of the MRI.
he probably did choose it for the outpatient setting since it takes a little longer to set in and last longer which might be benifical b/c the uncertain time restraints of an MRI.
Versed is another one they use, but it is most commonly given intravenously during procedures where they don't want a patient to remember an unpleasant experience, like a colonoscopy.
these types of drugs are beneficial b/c the patient can still interact and doesn't have to be very deeply sedated, yet they still wont remember the experience (if they do, it is far less traumatic or is only bits and pieces). it creates a win-win situation!
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
October 17, 2006 - 11:44am
#4
another question
Carlos Then how do people function who take ativan regularly? I can't figure that out.
Thank you for re-assuring me, though. Was this similiar to those ambiien stories;do you (or anyone know)? ---------Carlos
October 17, 2006 - 12:05pm
#5
ambien has been known to
ambien has been known to cause retro grade amnesia.
you took a large dose of ativan. at lower doses it doesn't cause one to forget, but rather only reduces the mental alertness and has a calming effect.
most benzos have the potential to cause the amnesia in large enough doses (though ativan is preferred as it does more commonly).
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
October 17, 2006 - 11:02pm
#6
Not quite Ativan, but Klonipin
I just thought I'd pop in on this conversation. I thought I was the only one who had that weird side effect, although mine was to the tune of about 3 weeks. I have pictures of myself celebrating a birthday party, which I have no recollection of. I do not drink or "party", so I know that's not what caused the loss of memory. However; when I look back on it, I was taking Clonazepam .5 mg three times per day. I don't know why it was prescribed 3 times per day, but I don't really remember much about it. On the other hand, I have been taking Xanax XR for over 3 years now, just .5mg twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, and have had absolutely no memory loss. Absolutely no memory loss. (haha) Seriously, I just wanted to second the testament that some benzodiazepines do cause memory loss and to give my two cents.
gtrplayer
October 18, 2006 - 2:40am
#7
Ativan, KLONOPIN, Tranxene, Valium, Zanax, Bezo's
Wanted to add/ask comment? I have been taking anti-anxiety meds for 16 yrs (wow, long time when I just counted). Started out taking Ativan (I beleive that was the first one), and now many benzo's later I have been on Klonopin 2mg (yes 2mg) 3 X a day. From what I have read throughout the years this dosage I am on is a massive amount. I have been prescribed the Klonopin in this dose for the past 9 or so years by 2 different Doctors because I moved (with only a short break ie: when I took zanax instead of KLONPIN and when I tried to quit taking Klonopin or any benzo for that matter at a inpatient Detox center because I wanted to get pregnant). To shorten this I was off of Klonopin only a few weeks and went back on (this was 4 or so yrs ago). In all that being said I have had memory problems for a long time... short and long term memory "blackouts", mostly long term memory loss. Sometimes I will recall something if a family member tells me but other times I have no idea what they are talking about (long term memory). Could this be associated with the benzo's??? How exactly does this work??? Also was on different anti-depressants on and off for 16 yrs (off now for over a few years & still memory problems) and someone told me Prozac caused memory problems, any ideas, opinions on this would be appreciated. Have so much to say but trying hard to keep it short! Jamie
October 18, 2006 - 3:22pm
#8
memory loss and ativan/benzos
Carlos I find it fascinating that the only one we hear about is the ambien stories. I guess those are more dramatic. Prozac, eh? Thats fluxoteine or some spelling like that?? My sister in law takes that and she is SPECIFICALLY told to take her dose in the a.m., more to worry about if it can cause mem. loss.
Why would anxiety reducers cause memory problems? I understand if a person falls asleep, but if one stays awake; how can the brain just switch off...or are we the only ones who are having this problem? Still, though, I'd use it again for any yucky medical or dental procedure.
October 18, 2006 - 3:37pm
#9
one more thing
Carlos Would ambien have been a better thing to prescribe for the side effect of forgetfulness if I were having a longer or worse procedure?, ie is that what conscious sedation is (for surgerys that don't need general anes.) Thanks
October 18, 2006 - 3:43pm
#10
not in my unprofessional
not in my unprofessional opinion.
ambien is for sleep, and the amnesia it causes is only a remote side effect for some people.
they needed you to be conscious for the procedure.
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
October 18, 2006 - 6:19pm
#11
Comparing Benzo's
All this got me thinking which benzo's are best or better for what, say anxiety or sleep, and I know Klonopin has a value to epileptics. Which is the strongest and the weaskest of them(xanex,K-pin,Ativan,Valuim) and what is equal to another, for example is 2mg clonozepam equal to 2mg of alprazolam?
October 18, 2006 - 7:11pm
#12
Benzodiazepine Comparison
Try benzo.org.uk
The site has a negative outlook on benzodiazepines, but overlook that and read the many, many articles. Here is one page you might find interesting:
Benzodiazepine Equivalence Table
The table compares all the common US benzodiazepines and others not marketed in the US. The table also mentions the main use of each drug, such as anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant etc.
I'm not a pharmacist or a medical doctor. This message is not medical advice nor is it an offer to provide medical advice. All drug identifications should be validated by a licensed MD or pharmacist.
October 18, 2006 - 7:14pm
#13
you know....you bring up a
you know....
you bring up a good point.
it would be very cool if we had a benzo comparrison chart like the awesome opioid one that Rawoody made.
i dont know very much about benzos but i will try to look into it as i get some time.
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
October 18, 2006 - 7:31pm
#14
thanks Kirby!that is
thanks Kirby!
that is perfect, and just what i was looking for.
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.
October 18, 2006 - 8:24pm
#15
Still wondering about that person who commented about Prozac
Carlos Thanks for all the discussion and the link to the website. When I first joined here I was leery that this would be one of those pill pushing places, and I'm so glad it is not.
Earlier in the discussion, someone said that s/he(?) said that prozac caused memory loss, and I'm worried that it or something in it's class (the whole serontonin blah blah) might cause UNWANTED side effects. Anybody have comments, and is that person still around to discuss this?
October 18, 2006 - 11:59pm
#16
Benzo's and Antidepressants memory loss
I am posting again. Carlos... I don't know if you were inquiring about me when asking about Prozac, but if you were then yes I am still around just been busy. Female by the way not that it makes a difference. I don't know what the cause would be, whether it has been the benzo's or the antidepressants ( Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ie: Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro etc... I have taken them all and a few more in the past. I started when I was 19 yrs old with Antidepressants and took them on and off until the age of 33 yrs old or so. I have been off of the antidepressants (SSRI's) for about 5 yrs. The complication to all of this for me is I started taking Antidepressants first without any other meds and then a few years later started to take the benzo's ie: Ativan, Klonopin, Valium etc... The reason I beleive it may be the antidepressants is because of a friend I had known since middle school who could not beleive I did not remember different things when we talked in my early twenties however now I have been off antidepressants for approx 5 years and I still don't remember different things from a few years ago and even when I am told and do remember it is like a dream or very distant memory. I don't know I find it very strange and sometimes very frustrating so I welcome any comments from anyone who has had something like this. I also take other meds for pain, blood pressure, etc... and have been for many years so that may further complicate my situation! Although I feel very aware and coherent. Don't know if this helped or not but I am looking for others similiar so hope it helped all the way around. Jamie
October 19, 2006 - 12:32am
#17
memory loss
Carlos Yup, it was you! I wonder if it wasn't the synergistic affect of some of your meds that may have caused the memory loss. Yours sounds pretty severe in some cases, and certainly not isolated (though scattered) I am curious what your pain Rx was for?
Looking forward to others feedback. Thanks for replying.
October 19, 2006 - 12:45am
#18
synergistic effect pain rx
Little confused.... are you asking what I have taken or why??? I'll answer a little of both. Degenerative disc disease...mostly lumbar and 1 cervical. Many pain meds starting with codeine 3 in early twenties when this all started for me, and currently taking methadone now I am in my late thirties so long time and many surgeries later. Hope that answer it. 
Yeah mine is a loooong story!!!!!!!!!
October 19, 2006 - 10:43am
#19
pain meds and benzos
Carlos I'm pretty sure that pain med. doesn't cause memory loss, and I KNOW someone here will correct me if I'm wrong. But I wonder if your codeine/methadone used with the anxiety SSRI use could cause the memory loss.
Interesting...
October 19, 2006 - 10:43pm
#20
pain meds benzos SSRI's Memory loss?
I don't think that the pain meds caused the memory loss either because before I was on the pain meds or the benzo's I was only on an antidepressant (specfically Prozac). So if I go all the way back when the memory loss started the one and only medication I was taking was Prozac (it was when it first came out or around that time). Here I am again though questioning why would I have memory loss still now??? NOW I don't take ANY antidepressants and haven't for over 5 yrs or so, I went the opposite way from taking only one medication to taking quite a few... but blood pressure meds and others like that are doubtful to cause memory loss, the pain meds I am so tolerant to and very aware and alert so I don't beleive it is that either, and any other med I take once again very doubtful. ah, um, what was I saying I forgot (just kidding, I have to have a sense of humor with this stuff or it gets to me) so this would leave me to believe that maybe benzo's do cause memory loss but again even on the benzo's I am pretty high strung and have a tolerance to them as well... thinking maybe the antidepressants taken on and off for so long caused possible permanent damage(well I just freaked myself out!), I pray that is not the case. I do know this for me anyway... that the antidepressants only worked once and that was the first time I took them and it lasted about 6 months, I was REALLY happy after being really out their with depression... after the first time of taking the antidepressants they never really worked again taken alone or with other meds so I beleive their is an entire topic on antidepressants side affects on the memory and on tolerance as well which is a TOPIC all to itself. Maybe I will start a topic on this one... Antidepressants cause memory loss and tolerance??? What do you think? Thanks Carlos for writing with me. No one else has jumped in on this and it is nice to have somebody to sort of bounce this stuff off of. Does your sister-in-law suffer any side effects? Has she been on antidepressants a long time? If prying or not my business I apologize not trying to offend! Jamie
October 19, 2006 - 10:57pm
#21
hasn't this been covered?
I thought this was covered before. many benzos do cause memory loss, and some are used for that very purpose. Halcion is given before some dental procedures for that very reason. I have also heard that versed is used for the same thing, before I had my injections I was given this. But I still remember the entire thing, but didn't care because they also gave me fentanyl so I wouldn't feel anything while they were doing them.
gtrplayer
October 19, 2006 - 11:42pm
#22
Confused on being covered already? OOPS I think
I read the thread from the beggining and it started out to be one thing and turned into another topic I think.... It began with procedures and memory loss and between "Carlos" and my posts I think we added to it a new topic. Kind of new here so don't know the "protocol". I was thinking of starting a new topic as I had put in my earlier post, I hope I did not confuse this thread, was not trying to
. I know you have been here a while so if you could suggest something I am open to it and sorry if I caused confusion. Jamie
October 19, 2006 - 11:49pm
#23
gtrplayer benzos memory loss
I take benzo's on a daily basis does this cause memory loss?? The reason the subject turned was because of SSRI's(please read my earlier posts here (I am still interested in the SSRI topic and wondering if need to start a new thread for that one) Do you think benzo's cause memory loss and what I mean by memory loss is a loss of long term memory and some short term by taking benzo's every day? Would appreciate your input... Jamie
October 20, 2006 - 8:46am
#24
non-professional opinion
Jamie- I do believe that some benzos can cause memory loss in some people. As for me personally, the Klonopin I was taking seemed to kind of fog about a 3 month period. It's weird, because there are pictures from a birthday party that I do not remember taking. I do remember the birthday party, but I do not remember being involved in the activities that we were doing when the picture was taking. To be clear, I do not "party", it was my little sister's birthday party. So, I know that the memory loss isn't from alcohol (I don't drink), or any other party drugs (pot, whatever else people use to get high). I also know that a couple of relatives who had periodontal disease gum cleaning were prescribed 1 halcion tablet to be taken 1 hour prior to the procedure, and they were absolutely zonked. Neither remember having the procedure done, except they knew that the pain they were in was from the dental appointment. So, some can cause memory loss, but it's like the insert on all meds say: Different people respond to medications differently. I don't think this cleared it up as I rambled, but to be to the point. Can they cause memory loss? In my opinion, yes. I'm not a doctor or pharmacist though, so all I have to go on is personal experience and things I've read about medications. Take care.
P.S. Isn't Rohypnol a benzo?? And what was it used for (not a question), unfortunately?? Just an example.
gtrplayer
October 20, 2006 - 11:16pm
#25
Qtrplayer wiki...
Last night I was up very late I found a site called Wikipedia and although some of the information was way beyond my grasp I beleive I found my answer. I am still investigating quite a bit but I believe from what I read on the benzo's that irregardless of the SSRI's and any side effects they may have had that if they did not do it then the benzo's certainly did! The frustrating part is I still have to take them and when I can't remember certain things as clearly as say the person I am with then it causes problems for him a little and defintely for me. I hope noone else has to go through this and that they don't. I happen to be one of those people that has had side effects with certain Rx's that others don't. I know it was not a question but yes I know what you are talking about with the other thing and I did not even think of that. By the way I have been meaning to just say hey after I read your post in Who are you? I really liked your honesty, it was moving and refreshing not being a sissy or pansi. When you opened up like that it helped me and I am sure it will help others. You never know who you are helping... bet you didn't know you helped me! just thought I'd let you know. Talk to you soon. Jamie
October 21, 2006 - 1:23am
#26
always glad to make new friends
Hey Jamie, I'm always happy to make new friends. I hope you do not have the side effects anymore from benzos.
gtrplayer
yeah, this is a normal experience.
years ago before versed and drugs like that became more common patients receiving chemo would regularly be rx'ed ativan because it often tends to cause retro amnesia.
at a dose like your talking about, ecspecially in someone not regularly taking benzos, your experience is very common.
no need to worry.
all thoughts and opinions expressed are those of my own and should not be mistaken for medical advice. i am not a doctor nor a pharmacist. all medical questions should be answered by a licensed pharmacist, doctor, or primary care manager.