Lorazepam is used for the management of anxiety disorders, the short-term relief of the symptoms of anxiety or anxiety associated with depression. Lorazepam also has been shown to be effective for improving sleep in people with insomnia, for panic attacks, and as an adjunct (i.e., when added to other medications) to prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.

Lorazepam is an antianxiety medication in the benzodiazepine family, the same family that includes diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (Klonopin), flurazepam (Dalmane), and others. Lorazepam and other benzodiazepines act by enhancing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that nerves in the brain use to send messages to one another. GABA inhibits activity in many of the nerves of the brain, and it is thought that this excessive activity is what causes anxiety or other psychological disorders. Because lorazepam is removed from the blood more rapidly than many other benzodiazepines, there is less chance that lorazepam concentrations in blood will reach high levels and become toxic. Lorazepam has fewer interactions with other medications than most of the other benzodiazepines.

Lorazepam is also used to treat irritable bowel syndrome, epilepsy, insomnia, and nausea and vomiting from cancer treatment and to control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

Daily doses vary greatly from 0.5 mg bedtime for insomnia and 2.5 mg every 6 hours and more in the acute treatment of mania, before the firstline drugs (lithium, valproic acid) control the situation.
The duration of action depends on the dose, and is normally 6 to 12 hours. The half-life of lorazepam in patients with normal liver function is 11 to 18 hours. Therefore, 2 to 4 daily doses are often needed.

Before taking any prescription medicine, it is important that you consult your doctor!