Lorazepam - New Findings?

[AmberLucky]

Hi,

This is my first post.

My mum was diagnosed in March 2021 with PSP.

I just wanted to share this link to see if anyone else had read this.

medpagetoday.com/neurology/...

My mum has had such bad anxiety with this condition. She cries and wails a lot. Mainly when she can’t be understood. She has been prescribed Lorazepam 2 days ago and it’s helped a great deal with her being calm. However I just came across this. I will be asking the Dr for one of the alternative suggested.

Worth a read though for anyone who might be on it?

🙏🏼

[Bergenser]

Thank you for sharing. We have not had any of these drugs prescribed so far; though it could come up and it's useful to be aware in advance, to ask the right questions. I am generally worried about changes to medication since so many of the tablets might help, but can interact with other drugs or with the condition itself, and upset the balance.

Best wishes 🌻🫂

[AmberLucky in reply to Bergenser]

I’ve seen it being prescribed before on the forum over the few years I’ve been reading others posts, so I was at first happy that it might help. Obviously I went and googled Lorazepam and PSP to bring up to my mum how it might help, but then this new article came up! I’m going to look at carehope suggestions below. I have sent the link to my mums doctor and I’m going to see what she comes back with ♥️

[carehope]

Hi AmberLucky .That was definitely a worthwhile read. Thanks a lot for bringing it to everyone's attention ! My sister had Alprazolam ( Trade name- Xanax ) prescribed years ago , when she was much more capable physically and mentally. She would have episodes of anxiety and agitation with OCD behavior. It was obvious that she was not at ease and her anxiety would elevate to troubling levels. We found that even low dose Xanax would have an overly sedative "zonked out" effect more than anything positive, and Elavil and Zoloft were much more effective and without the unwanted side effects . I'll forward that article to A's neurologist in case he's not aware of those findings.

I appreciate your posting it !

Take care and best wishes , ❤️

Elise

[AmberLucky in reply to carehope]

Hi Elise. Thanks for the reply and I’m going to speak to her doctor with suggestions as above. Your advice is very helpful. Thank you 🙏🏼

[Cianodude]

my mum took lexepro for the same issues your mum had and also mirap 40mgs at night and stilnocht at night also. She had no side affects at all. And it did help her. She passed away at Christmas with CBD. Hope this helps

[AmberLucky in reply to Cianodude]

That’s most helpful. I think the benefits obviously outweigh the tiny risks laid out I suppose. It does make her calmer slightly x

[LuisRodicioRodicio]

Hi AmberLucky!

In our case, the patient took "Lorazepan" for 6,5 years without perceiving effects other than those described for standard cases of PSP-RS. From the first symptoms (non-specific or defining) to the diagnosis, 2 years passed and from the diagnosis to death 6.5 years, which is within the average.

Also in my opinion, it should be assessed under what quality conditions it is prolonged, whether the study is accurate, the patient's lifespan and whether there are alternatives to benzodiazepines that offer an equivalent solution for the patient and caregivers.

The authors of the work themselves indicate circumstances that weaken the scientific solidity of the study; however, in my opinion, they begin a line of study that is worth pursuing.

Hug and luck.

Luis

[Richard33]

AmberLucky,

Thank you so much for posting this - very helpful as PSP patients are often prescribed benzodiazepines for immediate anti-anxiety / insomnia help. We definitely do not need any drug that is going to make the symptoms worse. Ruth never got on with benzodiazepines as they always made her feel even more muddle-headed. But she does take SSRI drugs - Sertraline (50mg initially but now max 200mg) for her mood - and Mirtazapine (15mg - never more as it is less effective) for her sleep. She has taken them for years without any side effects I can see.

Richard 🙂

[AmberLucky in reply to Richard33]

Thank you Richard 😊

[messier]

It's important to bear in mind that this sort of retrospective study is only identifying correlation not causation. Bluntly it cannot say if the drugs are causing faster progression. It is as likely that the sort of people who are being prescribed these drugs ie those with cognitive issues will progress faster because of wider brain disease. I'd say that if you can find something that improves quality of life it's worth it because you can't tell how fast the disease will progress.

[AmberLucky in reply to messier]

You are completely right. Thank you 🙏🏼