Can anyone update me the reason why a doctor would choose to prescribe Valium over Ativan or vice versa?
Does it have anything to do with their half lives? If it does than why would a doctor choose to prescribe a long-acting benzo over a short-acting one?
Any responses are appreciated.
Answers:
I use both. For a muscle relaxant, Valium (diazepam) seems to work better, but it's half-life is so much shorter that Ativan (lorazepam) while for the releif of anxiety, Ativan seem to work better.
I prescribe each for different patients. (They are both cheap.)
Old Doc
Valium have a long half-life of 30-90hrs.
Ativan has a modest half-life for about 16hrs max (almost always less).
But they are surprisingly different.
Valium is lipophilic. So it like fat. And it will stay there for a long time. Some people enjoy taken it for years and the build up became toxic.
Ativan is lipophobic. So it hates fat. So it will not go off any residual chemical.
However, Valium is the standard drug for alcohol, barbiturate, and often Benzo detoxification (as is Librium, Serax, and Tranxene). It is ideal because it has a long half-life and will stay surrounded by the system longer making dexox more comfortable. This is similar to Methadone. Methadone lasts a long time vs. Heroin is short acting.
But Valium is metabolized by the liver and has several active metabolites (Temazepam and Oxazepam for the most part). So next to Valium’s active metabolites being benzo's like Valium here is an even greater time when benzo's are active.
Ativan has no active metabolites. So Ativan (along near Oxazepam) are used for people who are hepaticly compromised (liver damage) because the liver does not "use" Ativan like it does with Valium.
And some empire with anxiety or insomnia might need a short acting drug (Ativan, Xanax) to use as needed. Valium is more often taken through the hours of daylight (or for sleep) so there is anti-anxiety coverage all of the time. But Ativan is used like this too- but typically requires 4 doses and Valium individual needs 3.
Valium is typically more sedating (could be good or bad).
Ativan is more potent (a lower mg dose is used) so a Valium dose of 10mg (the largest dose) is less potent than the maximum dose of Ativan (2mg for most nations). As a result it can be more difficult to stop Ativan if dependence occur.
And, of course, Valium is infamous. Almost everyone knows what it is and knows Valium is "Mothers Little Helper." Ativan does not own that sort of stigma. Source(s): I am a Pharmacology/Pre-Med undergrad
Think give or take a few short versus long acting. A short acting benzo may be helpful in acute panic attacks, lacking the sedating effects lasting very long after. However, for a patient next to a fear of flying going on a long plane ride a longer-acting benzo may be helpful. Source(s): PharmD candidate
Valium is cheap, natural for the patient to use, and clears the system rather rapidly.
It can be used beside many other scripts as well. It has over 50 years of usage information.
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Any responses are appreciated.
Answers:
I use both. For a muscle relaxant, Valium (diazepam) seems to work better, but it's half-life is so much shorter that Ativan (lorazepam) while for the releif of anxiety, Ativan seem to work better.
I prescribe each for different patients. (They are both cheap.)
Old Doc
Valium have a long half-life of 30-90hrs.
Ativan has a modest half-life for about 16hrs max (almost always less).
But they are surprisingly different.
Valium is lipophilic. So it like fat. And it will stay there for a long time. Some people enjoy taken it for years and the build up became toxic.
Ativan is lipophobic. So it hates fat. So it will not go off any residual chemical.
However, Valium is the standard drug for alcohol, barbiturate, and often Benzo detoxification (as is Librium, Serax, and Tranxene). It is ideal because it has a long half-life and will stay surrounded by the system longer making dexox more comfortable. This is similar to Methadone. Methadone lasts a long time vs. Heroin is short acting.
But Valium is metabolized by the liver and has several active metabolites (Temazepam and Oxazepam for the most part). So next to Valium’s active metabolites being benzo's like Valium here is an even greater time when benzo's are active.
Ativan has no active metabolites. So Ativan (along near Oxazepam) are used for people who are hepaticly compromised (liver damage) because the liver does not "use" Ativan like it does with Valium.
And some empire with anxiety or insomnia might need a short acting drug (Ativan, Xanax) to use as needed. Valium is more often taken through the hours of daylight (or for sleep) so there is anti-anxiety coverage all of the time. But Ativan is used like this too- but typically requires 4 doses and Valium individual needs 3.
Valium is typically more sedating (could be good or bad).
Ativan is more potent (a lower mg dose is used) so a Valium dose of 10mg (the largest dose) is less potent than the maximum dose of Ativan (2mg for most nations). As a result it can be more difficult to stop Ativan if dependence occur.
And, of course, Valium is infamous. Almost everyone knows what it is and knows Valium is "Mothers Little Helper." Ativan does not own that sort of stigma. Source(s): I am a Pharmacology/Pre-Med undergrad
Think give or take a few short versus long acting. A short acting benzo may be helpful in acute panic attacks, lacking the sedating effects lasting very long after. However, for a patient next to a fear of flying going on a long plane ride a longer-acting benzo may be helpful. Source(s): PharmD candidate
Valium is cheap, natural for the patient to use, and clears the system rather rapidly.
It can be used beside many other scripts as well. It has over 50 years of usage information.
Related Questions: