From the Guidelines
Lorazepam can cause several side effects, including drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, unsteadiness, and impaired coordination, as well as more serious side effects like severe drowsiness, mood changes, and hallucinations 1.
Common Side Effects
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Weakness
- Unsteadiness
- Impaired coordination
- Memory problems
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Blurred vision
- Headache
- Nausea
- Changes in appetite
Serious Side Effects
- Severe drowsiness
- Mood changes
- Hallucinations
- Thoughts of suicide
- Difficulty breathing
- Allergic reactions (rash, itching, swelling)
Special Considerations
- Lorazepam can be habit-forming, leading to physical and psychological dependence, especially with prolonged use or higher doses 1.
- Withdrawal symptoms may occur if stopped suddenly, so dosage should always be tapered gradually under medical supervision.
- Elderly patients are particularly sensitive to these side effects.
- Patients should avoid alcohol and other CNS depressants while taking lorazepam, as these combinations can dangerously increase sedation and respiratory depression.
- The use of lorazepam should be limited to patients who have distressing delirium symptoms or if there are safety concerns where the patient is a potential risk to themselves or others, and medications should be used in the lowest effective dose and for a short period of time only 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
ADVERSE REACTIONS Most adverse reactions to benzodiazepines, including CNS effects and respiratory depression, are dose dependent, with more severe effects occurring with high doses. In a sample of about 3500 patients treated for anxiety, the most frequent adverse reaction to lorazepam was sedation (15.9%), followed by dizziness (6.9%), weakness (4.2%), and unsteadiness (3. 4%). The incidence of sedation and unsteadiness increased with age pt, ataxia, asthenia, extrapyramidal symptoms, convulsions/seizures tremor, vertigo, eye-function/visual disturbance (including diplopia and blurred vision), dysarthria/slurred speech, change in libido, impotence, decreased orgasm; headache, coma; respiratory depression, apnea, worsening of sleep apnea, worsening of obstructive pulmonary disease; gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, change in appetite, constipation, jaundice, increase in bilirubin, increase in liver transaminases, increase in alkaline phosphatase; hypersensitivity reactions, anaphylactoid reactions; dermatological symptoms, allergic skin reactions, alopecia; syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), hyponatremia; thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis, pancytopenia; hypothermia; and autonomic manifestations Paradoxical reactions, including anxiety, excitation, agitation, hostility, aggression, rage, sleep disturbances/insomnia, sexual arousal, and hallucinations may occur.
What are the possible side effects of Lorazepam Oral Concentrate The possible side effects of lorazepam include:
- CNS effects: sedation (15.9%), dizziness (6.9%), weakness (4.2%), unsteadiness (3.4%), ataxia, asthenia, extrapyramidal symptoms, convulsions/seizures, tremor, vertigo
- Respiratory effects: respiratory depression, apnea, worsening of sleep apnea, worsening of obstructive pulmonary disease
- Gastrointestinal symptoms: nausea, change in appetite, constipation, jaundice, increase in bilirubin, increase in liver transaminases, increase in alkaline phosphatase
- Hypersensitivity reactions: hypersensitivity reactions, anaphylactoid reactions
- Dermatological symptoms: dermatological symptoms, allergic skin reactions, alopecia
- Paradoxical reactions: anxiety, excitation, agitation, hostility, aggression, rage, sleep disturbances/insomnia, sexual arousal, and hallucinations
- Other effects: headache, coma, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH), hyponatremia, thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis, pancytopenia, hypothermia, and autonomic manifestations 2 2
From the Research
Side Effects of Lorazepam
The provided studies do not directly address the side effects of lorazepam. However, some information can be inferred from the available data:
- The study 3 mentions that repeated administration of lorazepam causes dependence, which might be caused by increased dopaminergic neurotransmission and altered 5-HT metabolism.
- The study 4 discusses the role of benzodiazepines, specifically lormetazepam, in the treatment of insomnia and other conditions, but does not provide detailed information on the side effects of lorazepam.
- The study 5 is not relevant to the topic of lorazepam side effects, as it focuses on cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia.
Related Information
Some key points related to benzodiazepines, including lorazepam, are:
- Benzodiazepines can cause dependence and withdrawal symptoms with repeated use 3.
- Lormetazepam, a related benzodiazepine, has been shown to be effective in improving sleep duration and quality with minimal next-day effects 4.
- The use of benzodiazepines, including lorazepam, should be carefully considered due to the potential for dependence and other side effects.