Ativan vs. Xanax

• Ativan (lorazepam) and Xanax (alprazolam) are both members of the benzodiazepine family of drugs used mainly to treat anxiety and other psychiatric disorders.
• Researchers believe both Ativan and Xanax – like other benzodiazepines – work by enhancing the effects of a neurotransmitter that helps inhibit excess brain activity. Excessive activity of nerves in the brain may cause anxiety and other psychological disorders, according to the current understanding of neuroscience.
• The central difference between Ativan and Xanax is Ativan leaves a person's system more quickly, reducing the chance of toxicity or side effects, a few of which are:
  • sedation,
  • dizziness,
  • weakness,
  • unsteadiness,
  • memory problems, and
  • addiction.
• Lorazepam also has fewer unfavorable interactions with other medications when compared to alprazolam. Each medication, however, can cause dangerous increased sedation when consumed with alcohol, other depressants or other anti-anxiety medications.
• Both drugs also have the potential for addiction. Stopping either Ativan or Xanax abruptly can cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms, depending on how long a person has been taking the drug.

Both Ativan and Xanax can cause sedation, dizziness, drowsiness, weakness, memory trouble and other problems. Both lorazepam and alprazolam have other side effects, including potential addiction, in common.

Ativan, has some rarer, but more dangerous side effects, such as extrapyramidal symptoms, which are drug-induced, involuntary muscle movements. Ativan also may cause suicidal thoughts, seizures, respiratory depression, and psychological depression.

This is not a full list of side effects. If you take either medication, ask your doctor for more information.

Each drug is physically addictive, especially if prescribed at high doses over a period of many months.

People taking either Ativan or Xanax should avoid recreational or prescription drugs that depress brain activity. Substances like alcohol, narcotics, barbiturates, and tranquilizers can combine with any benzodiazepine to magnify dangerously the sedative effect. Specifically, Ativan combined with the tranquilizer loxapine (Loxitane) has caused cases of excessive sedation, so use caution when taking these two drugs at the same time.

Several specific drugs outside the categories mentioned above can increase or reduce the effects of Xanax. The following may increase blood concentrations of alprazolam, thereby exacerbating potential side effects:

• Ketoconazole (Nizoral),
• itraconazole (Sporanox),
• nefazodone (Serzone),
• cimetidine (Tagamet), and
• fluvoxamine (Luvox).

On the other hand, Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equetro, Carbatrol) and rifampin speed up the liver's ability to metabolize and get rid of alprazolam, reducing its effectiveness.

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