Ativan: What You Need to Know About Chris Cornell's Anxiety Pills

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

On Thursday morning, news broke that Chris Cornell, the groundbreaking singer who helped shape grunge, died by suicide the night before in his Detroit hotel room. Cornell's unexpected death shocked family, friends and fans, some of whom watched the 52-year-old vocalist and guitarist perform with Soundgarden hours before he passed. A local medical examiner ruled the cause of death as suicide by hanging.

Cornell's wife, Vicky Cornell, released a statement on Friday morning remembering her late husband and father of three children, and also calling into question what may have led to his death. According to Vicky, Cornell may have taken more than his recommended dosage of Ativan, a medication used to ease symptoms of anxiety. During one of their last phone conversations, Cornell seemed "different" and was "slurring his words," according to her statement. He had told her he "may have taken an extra Ativan or two," which prompted her to call security to do a welfare check.

"What happened is inexplicable and I am hopeful that further medical reports will provide additional details," Vicky said in the statement. "I know that he loved our children and he would not hurt them by intentionally taking his own life.
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It could take days to learn the results of Cornell's full autopsy and toxicology reports, according to a spokesperson with the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. So the role that Ativan played in his death by suicide is not yet known – a point Cornell's family attorney, Kirk Pasich, acknowledges. Still, what exactly is Ativan's connection to suicide? Could the drug contribute to a person's death? We talked with medical experts find out more about the anti-anxiety medication. Here, what you need to know. 

What is Ativan?

Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam, a type of benzodiazepine medication used foremost to treat severe anxiety and panic disorders in the short term. Benzodiazepines – or "benzos," as they're commonly called – are a broad class of highly-addictive sedatives that "have some effective medicinal uses," said Dr. Joseph Lee, medical director of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Youth Continuum. (The experts interviewed by Rolling Stone spoke generally about Ativan, suicide and their alleged link. None of them have reported a connection to the Cornell family.) In addition to anxiety, Ativan and other benzodiazepines such as Xanax or Valium can be used to treat seizures and substance withdrawal symptoms, as well as help with sedation during medical procedures, Lee tells Rolling Stone.

Public health officials do not recommended the drug for people with addictive disease, depression, psychosis or lung or breathing problems.

-more-

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/ativan-what-you-need-to-know-about-anxiety-pills-w483638?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=052217_16

[still_one]

1. It is used for anti-anxiety, same class as valium. It is also used for vertigo, and other things

While you can overdose on ativan, it is going to take a pretty large dose, around 2000mg.

Most likely it was due to a combination of drugs, regardless, it is very sad

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. I don't think the article is suggesting overdose

"What is the correlation between Ativan and suicide?

Research has shown that benzodiazepines, like alcohol, can cause anterograde amnesia if a person takes an excessive amount of the drug. Anterograde amnesia – or what's otherwise known as "blackouts" – is the inability to create new memories, meaning that the brain doesn’t record events as they happen forward in time. In other words: You lose chunks of time.

Similar to alcoholic blackouts, people experiencing anterograde amnesia from consuming too many benzodiazepines can engage in disinhibited and dangerous behaviors. That can include driving while intoxicated, committing crimes and even attempting suicide, Lee says. "We've seen a lot of people who had no [prior] disruptive behaviors have really serious consequences from their benzodiazepine use," he tells Rolling Stone. "So it can be a serious problem." (Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., which manufactures Ativan, did not return Rolling Stone's request for comment.)"

[still_one]

6. sorry, misinterpreted

[kimbutgar]

2. My doctor gave me a prescription of this for my adult autistic son

He will take his other prescribed meds but refuses this profusely when he gets overwhelmed. He says it makes him have wierd thoughts about hurting himself. He now will go to his room and get under his covers to bring himself down.

[mcar]

3. Ativan has some very strange side effects

My MIL, a high-strung but kind and nice person, was given Ativan in the hospital some years back.

My SO got called in there at midnight. MIL had gone completely whacko, used her knitting scissors to cut her IV and started yelling for nursing staff to be fired. She was delusional, thought she had been secretly moved to a nursing home owned by her primary doc (no such place).

He called me in an hour later and I went in. She wouldn't listen to either of us. Her BP was dangerously high. The staff thought she had dementia and was sun downing. Wouldn't believe us when we said no.

I asked what meds they had given her. Ativan was the only new thing. Could that cause this behavior? They insisted no. But an aide told SO that he'd seen it before.

Staff was ready to Baker Act her (forced psych ward). We pushed them and kept on her and she finally calmed down. No more Ativan. Next day she was fine.

We had lots of laughs over it before she passed a few years later. But it's some bad stuff.

[mvd]

4. I have a lot of experience with it

I have general anxiety, so I always take it at low dosage. It still helps after all these years. But I caution that the effects may be different in someone else. The withdrawal symptoms are also real.