Patient/caregiver was educated on precautions to be exercised while taking Lorazepam as follows:
- Lorazepam use, especially in individuals with history of anxiety and bipolar disorder, can sometimes result in exacerbation of depressive symptoms, hallucinations, changes in behavior, irritability, compromised sexual drive, and provoke thoughts of suicide. Individuals taking Lorazepam can also present compromised memory and forgetfulness. Report any deterioration of symptoms of mood disorder immediately to your physician, so that, a change in plan of care could be considered.
- Individuals develop tolerance to the dose of Lorazepam with diminished therapeutic response over time. Report to your physician regarding any blunting of therapeutic response, with poorly controlled anxiety episodes, seizures, muscle cramps, nervousness, irritability, restlessness, and insomnia. Your physician could consider a change in the plan of care to provide the desired therapeutic relief.
- If you miss a dose, try taking it at the earliest notice of noncompliance. If it is time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take the dose scheduled. Do not take an extra dose to try making up for the missed dose, to avoid toxicity with Lorazepam. Notify your doctor and other health care personnel regarding your dose noncompliance.
- Caregivers should be aware and keep a close watch on the symptoms of overdose with lorazepam. Individuals can present with severe confusion, dizziness, very low blood pressure numbers, severe difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, and coma. In the event of an overdose, seek emergency medical service to prevent fatal outcome.
