Ativan usage?

karlyn12 · Feb 14, 2005

I remember the days before we had Ativan for heme/onc patients. I thought it was wonderful from the very beginning but it was when I had it given to me in the ER for dystonia caused by compazine that I was taking for the flu nausea,that I really saw it's benefit. Not only did it immediatley stop the dystonia but I had such a wonderful floating feeling that I my anxiety disappeared. Now, I recommend it to our patients not only for nausea but for anxiety. Pain causes suffering but so does the high level of anxiety that being treated for cancer. Our patients deserve Ativan!!

Stitchie · Feb 14, 2005

When I worked a vent/med-surg floor, we had a Hospitalist who would write almost everybody for Ativan for PRN nausea.

I asked her about the order because of the general anti-anxiety use of Ativan; she explained to me that Ativan is being studied for its anti-nausea properties and works wonderfully for most patients experiencing anxiety/N/V. I thought it was a very interesting use for a good drug, especially if it helps with the horrible nausea some patients experience while hospitalized -- sometimes because of other drug treatments they are on.

To anyone who has survived CA of any sort: my best wishes to you and anything that helps manage your symptoms, I hope you get what you need. Having lost both parents to lung Ca, (both smokers) I hope you continue to do well.

g'daymate · Mar 5, 2005

Hi There,

Good luck with your recovery..I am a Kiwi RN and unfamiliar with your treatments for oncology nausea. is Ondansatron used in the US ? We use ondansatron, domperidone , and Halaperidil (Haldo) i presume. Ativan makes sense too i guess . What are the legal ramafications of Marijuana use? And what is xanax? Do i sound backward? Sorry im interested right now in your onco nursing system. I have a friend in SC who is going through treatments for Adenocarcinoma of his tongue. He is a singer so hes very certain he doesnt want any radical surgery.He has had RT and is on the chemo trail right now, having three a week. His nausea is very bad and hes dry retching all the time. Its hard for me to work out a lot of what is going onfrom him but hes always had nausea and nothing seems to help. They have started him on sleeping meds and antidepressants now to get him into a position where he can sleep for a bit...anyway im interested in any information.

Cheers from down under,

Trish

As a recent synovial sarcoma survivor, I can attest to the powerful anti-nausea properties of ativan/benzodiazepines. I had mets in my lung so the treatment was rather wicked and aggressive (dose dense, every two weeks for 28 weeks). While in the hospital, I received 2 mg/m^2 ifex/mesna infusion daily for 7 days. By the 3rd day, the room spinning would become uncontrollable. 1-2 mg of ativan stopped that better than anzemet or zofran ever did. Also, when at home and experiencing hardcore breakthrough nausea, a bar or two of xanax or a marijuana cigarette worked much better than compazine. It may depend on the type of nausea...mine was not a retching kind but a dizziness and room spinning, leading to a retching. Once the room stopped spinning and I calmed down (with xanax, pot or ativan), I was fine.

infullbloom1 · Mar 5, 2005

Just out of curiosity,knowing that Ativan has a paradoxal affect on some elderly patients, if an elderly chemo patient has to be given ativan, does it have the same stimulating affect?

aimeee, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2005

I am a Kiwi RN and unfamiliar with your treatments for oncology nausea. is Ondansatron used in the US ? We use ondansatron, domperidone , and Halaperidil (Haldo) i presume. Ativan makes sense too i guess . What are the legal ramafications of Marijuana use? And what is xanax?
Trish

Ondansatron is used widely in the US but most people know it by its trade name, Zofran. Xanax is another benzodiazepine, generic name Alprazolam.

Medical marijuana usage is illegal in most states. The federal government does not recognize any legitimate usage for marijuana and considers it an illegal substance in all circumstances. http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030718.html

g'daymate · Mar 6, 2005

Thankyou for your information.

I recognise alprazalam now,

I also enjoyed reading your quote, i have seen it before but didnt know the author,

Kia Ora

Trish

Ondansatron is used widely in the US but most people know it by its trade name, Zofran. Xanax is another benzodiazepine, generic name Alprazolam.
Medical marijuana usage is illegal in most states. The federal government does not recognize any legitimate usage for marijuana and considers it an illegal substance in all circumstances. http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030718.html

chemosabe · Mar 24, 2005

While marijuana use is illegal, and thus I legally can not condone it, I have heard from several patients that it is effective. I was wondering if anyone has used Marinol for nausea? We only use it for catchexia and usually only when megace fails or is contraindicated. As I am usually giving it in addition to nausea medications (including mucho ativan) Im not sure what exactly is helping the nausea...

mommatrauma, RN · Mar 24, 2005

When I worked in oncology 6 years ago, we used marinol for appetite stimulation in the patients that failed megace...seemed to work pretty good...we also used ativan a lot for pre-nausea and zofran for nausea...both seemed to work well...

Ber · Sep 11, 2005

We use Ativan (Lorazepam) 1mg half an hour pre chemo for patients who have Anticipatory N & V. It is never used as a single agent but is instead used in combination with a 5HT -3 receptor antagonist such as Zofran, Kytril etc. and Dex. Patients who tend to suffer from Anticipatory N & V are usually younger women, who are highly anxious and have a history of pregnancy sickness and/or travel sickness. They also tend to have the expectation of being sick while on chemotherapy --- it would appear to be an almost self- fullfilling prophecy in many instances. In my experience of just over 4 years in the day oncology setting it is a very useful adjunct and works very well. It's amnesic and anti - anxiety properties have no doubt a lot to do with it's efficacy. Hope this is of use.

Ber

missy2b · Jan 29, 2006

We use it all the time--with Kytril as a premed and prn by itself.

Modified doses for the elderly and renal impaired.

Not nearly the confusion Phenergan can give.

Sadie04 · Feb 11, 2006

We use Ativan often for anticipatory nausea along with Kytril or Aloxi and Decadron. We also use Emend for pts receiving big doses of Cisplatin or CPT. It seems to work quite well esp. when pts have failed other PO antiemetics.