Lorazepam dosage
What is the recommended dose of Lorazepam?
What is the usual Lorazepam dosage?
Perhaps we should better divide that issue into two parts:
Lorazepam is mainly available as 0.5mg, 1mg or 2mg tablets. Also you can find 1mL ampoules of injectable solution containing 2mg or 4mg Lorazepam. In some countries the medication is available as a skin patch, an oral solution (syrop) and a sublingual tablet, too.
Lorazepam is ten times more potent than another benzodiazepine, Diazepam. So, the less the dose (especially the initial dose) of the medication is, the better. As a rule, Lorazepam is administered to healthy adults in 0.5mg oral doses in the beginning of treatment, then the dosage can be gradually increased up to 2mg at a time. Intravenous injections should be performed slowly and patients closely monitored for side-effects. In case of any unwanted reactions (respiratory depression, hypotension or loss of airway control) the injection should be immediately stopped, leaving the rest of the ampoule's contents unused.
Lorazepam dosage should be determined on an individual basis, depending upon the condition to be treated, the severity of symptoms, the body weight of the patient, and any comorbidities the patient may have.
In pediatric and elderly patients Lorazepam dosage should be normally less than in adults and individualized even more carefully.