Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEffectsDurationDetection TimesEliminationImportant InformationGetting Help

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Effects

Duration

Detection Times

Elimination

Important Information

Getting Help

Ativan (lorazepam) is a benzodiazepine sedative used to treatanxiety disorders. It depresses the central nervous system and, as a result, has risks when combined with other depressants or alcohol—including the possibility of fatal respiratory depression.This makes it important to understand how long lorazepam stays in your system if you’ve been prescribed this drug.

How Long Does Ativan Stay in Your System?Urine: Up to six daysBlood: Up to three daysSaliva: Up to 8 hoursHair: 30 days or longer

How Long Does Ativan Stay in Your System?

Urine: Up to six daysBlood: Up to three daysSaliva: Up to 8 hoursHair: 30 days or longer

Urine: Up to six days

Blood: Up to three days

Saliva: Up to 8 hours

Hair: 30 days or longer

How Long Does It Take to Feel Ativan’s Effects?

How Long Does Ativan Last?

If you will be taking a urine drug screen for employment or other purposes, it will test positive if you are taking Ativan. Disclosing your prescription to the testing lab helps them accurately interpret the test results.

Blood

Urine

Ativan is eliminated in the urine for one to six weeks, depending on how much is administered and for how long. Urine screening tests can detectintermediate-acting benzodiazepinessuch as Ativan up to five days after the last use.

The longer detection window for lorazepam-glucuronide may be due, in part, to having a half-life of 18 hours versus lorazepam’s 12 hour half-life.

Hair

As with other substances, Ativan can be detected in hair samples for much longer than with other methods. If given a hair test, this drug can be detected for up to 30 days after use.

Factors that can influence the level to which drugs are incorporated into or eliminated from one’s hair include:

If a person has no hair on their scalp, a hair test can be conducted with hair taken from the armpit, pubic area, or arm.

Saliva

While no recent studies could be located in this area, older research suggests that Ativan could be detected in saliva samples up to eight hours after use.However, saliva tests are rarely used to screen for benzodiazepines such as Ativan.

False Positive Testing

Some medications may result in a false positive urine screen for Ativan. TheantidepressantmedicationZoloft(sertraline) is one such drug known to cause a false positive for benzodiazepines.Efavirenz, an antiviral drug used to treat HIV, is another.

Always disclose any prescription or over-the-counter medications to lab clinicians so they can accurately interpret your drug screen results.

Factors That Affect Detection Time

There are a number of things that can influence how long Ativan remains in a person’s system. While rates usually follow a fairly consistent timeline, some people metabolize and clear the drug more quickly than others.

Biological Factors

Some of the factors that can influence how long Ativan remains in your body include the following.

Dosage and Frequency of Use

Higher doses of Ativan take longer to metabolize. The drug is also detectable for longer periods in individuals who have been taking the drug for a longer period of time.

Use of Other Substances

How to Get Ativan Out of Your System

Important Information to Know About Ativan

Ativan is classified as aSchedule IV drug, which means that it has a lower potential for misuse and a lower risk of dependence than Schedule II and III drugs. But Ativan can still be habit-forming.As a result, it’s usually prescribed only for short periods.

With long-term use, you can build a tolerance such that larger doses are needed to achieve the same effect. Stopping Ativan after using it for an extended period can result inwithdrawal symptomssuch as increased anxiety, sleeplessness, and irritability.

Your healthcare provider may gradually lower your dosage to help reduce withdrawal effects. If you experience bothersome or severe withdrawal symptoms, contact your provider or seek emergency medical treatment.

Overdose Risk

An overdose with Ativan is most commonly seen when taken with alcohol oropiate medicationslike Vicodin (hydrocodone) and OxyContin (oxycodone).This combination can be life-threatening, and it is important that your family or household members know what symptoms to look for so they can get emergency help quickly.

If you suspect that someone has overdosed on Ativan, call 911 immediately. Signs of an Ativan overdose include:

Whether taking, starting, or stopping Ativan, it’s important to be alert for thesymptoms of an overdose—or severe side effects—and work closely with your physician to avoid these situations.

Precautions

If you take Ativan with alcohol or other medications that can depress breathing, you risk serious breathing problems, sedation, and coma. To prevent accidental overdose or other complications:

Discuss all medications (prescription and over-the-counter), supplements, vitamins, and herbal products you take with your care provider as you may need dosages changed when you have Ativan in your system. Always tell your provider whenever you plan to start a new medication or stop using one.

Getting Help for Stopping Ativan

In most cases, you can detoxify from the drug on an outpatient basis. There are no medications approved to treat Ativan dependence, but the standard approach is to slowly reduce the amount of the drug used over a period of time to prevent severe withdrawal symptoms.Your physician will monitor your progress as you slowly taper off of the drug.

They may also recommend other treatments, such as psychotherapy.Types of psychotherapythat may be used during drug recovery include cognitive-behavioral therapyand dialectical behavioral therapy.If you need help with your treatment, ask your provider to refer you to a psychiatrist or another mental health professional who specializes in addiction recovery.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

17 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Boon M, van Dorp E, Broens S, Overdyk F.Combining opioids and benzodiazepines: effects on mortality and severe adverse respiratory events.Ann Palliative Med. 2020;9(2):542-557. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.12.09Cleveland Clinic.Benzodiazepines (benzos).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) tablets label.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) injection label.Raouf M, Bettinger JJ, Fudin J.A practical guide to urine drug monitoring.Fed Pract. 2018;35(4):38-44.Turfus SC, Braithwaite RA, Cowan DA, Parkin MC, Smith NW, Kicman AT.Metabolites of lorazepam: Relevance of past findings to present day use of LC-MS/MS in analytical toxicology.Drug Test Analysis. 2011;3(10):695-704. doi:10.1002/dta.305United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.Guidelines for testing drugs under international control in hair, sweat and oral fluid.Kintz P, Villain M, Cirimele V, Pépin G, Ludes B.Windows of detection of lorazepam in urine, oral fluid and hair, with a special focus on drug-facilitated crimes.Forensic Sci Int. 2004;145(2-3):131-135. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.04.027Schwebach A, Ball J.Urine drug screening: Minimizing false-positives and false-negatives to optimize patient care.US Pharm. 2016;41(8):26-30.Saitman A, Park HD, Fitzgerald RL.False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: A review.J Analyt Toxicol. 2014;38(7):387-396. doi:10.1093/jat/bku075U.S. Food and Drug Administration.As you age: You and your medicines.Brett J, Murnion B.Management of benzodiazepine misuse and dependence.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(5):152-155. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.055National Library of Medicine.Lorazepam.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Lorazepam (Ativan).Anderson PO.Treating insomnia during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2022;17(3):207-209. doi:10.1089/bfm.2022.0008Carroll KM, Kiluk BD.Cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders: Through the stage model and back again.Psychol Addict Behav. 2017;31(8):847-861. doi:10.1037/abd0000311Cavicchioli M, Vassena G, Ramella P, Simone G, Movalli M, Maffei C.Group relationships during a dialectical behavior therapy skills training program for the treatment of alcohol and concurrent substance use disorders: Evidence and theoretical considerations.Group Dynam Theory Res Pract. 2021;25(2):152-173. doi:10.1037/gdn0000138

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Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Boon M, van Dorp E, Broens S, Overdyk F.Combining opioids and benzodiazepines: effects on mortality and severe adverse respiratory events.Ann Palliative Med. 2020;9(2):542-557. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.12.09Cleveland Clinic.Benzodiazepines (benzos).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) tablets label.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) injection label.Raouf M, Bettinger JJ, Fudin J.A practical guide to urine drug monitoring.Fed Pract. 2018;35(4):38-44.Turfus SC, Braithwaite RA, Cowan DA, Parkin MC, Smith NW, Kicman AT.Metabolites of lorazepam: Relevance of past findings to present day use of LC-MS/MS in analytical toxicology.Drug Test Analysis. 2011;3(10):695-704. doi:10.1002/dta.305United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.Guidelines for testing drugs under international control in hair, sweat and oral fluid.Kintz P, Villain M, Cirimele V, Pépin G, Ludes B.Windows of detection of lorazepam in urine, oral fluid and hair, with a special focus on drug-facilitated crimes.Forensic Sci Int. 2004;145(2-3):131-135. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.04.027Schwebach A, Ball J.Urine drug screening: Minimizing false-positives and false-negatives to optimize patient care.US Pharm. 2016;41(8):26-30.Saitman A, Park HD, Fitzgerald RL.False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: A review.J Analyt Toxicol. 2014;38(7):387-396. doi:10.1093/jat/bku075U.S. Food and Drug Administration.As you age: You and your medicines.Brett J, Murnion B.Management of benzodiazepine misuse and dependence.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(5):152-155. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.055National Library of Medicine.Lorazepam.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Lorazepam (Ativan).Anderson PO.Treating insomnia during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2022;17(3):207-209. doi:10.1089/bfm.2022.0008Carroll KM, Kiluk BD.Cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders: Through the stage model and back again.Psychol Addict Behav. 2017;31(8):847-861. doi:10.1037/abd0000311Cavicchioli M, Vassena G, Ramella P, Simone G, Movalli M, Maffei C.Group relationships during a dialectical behavior therapy skills training program for the treatment of alcohol and concurrent substance use disorders: Evidence and theoretical considerations.Group Dynam Theory Res Pract. 2021;25(2):152-173. doi:10.1037/gdn0000138

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Boon M, van Dorp E, Broens S, Overdyk F.Combining opioids and benzodiazepines: effects on mortality and severe adverse respiratory events.Ann Palliative Med. 2020;9(2):542-557. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.12.09Cleveland Clinic.Benzodiazepines (benzos).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) tablets label.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) injection label.Raouf M, Bettinger JJ, Fudin J.A practical guide to urine drug monitoring.Fed Pract. 2018;35(4):38-44.Turfus SC, Braithwaite RA, Cowan DA, Parkin MC, Smith NW, Kicman AT.Metabolites of lorazepam: Relevance of past findings to present day use of LC-MS/MS in analytical toxicology.Drug Test Analysis. 2011;3(10):695-704. doi:10.1002/dta.305United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.Guidelines for testing drugs under international control in hair, sweat and oral fluid.Kintz P, Villain M, Cirimele V, Pépin G, Ludes B.Windows of detection of lorazepam in urine, oral fluid and hair, with a special focus on drug-facilitated crimes.Forensic Sci Int. 2004;145(2-3):131-135. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.04.027Schwebach A, Ball J.Urine drug screening: Minimizing false-positives and false-negatives to optimize patient care.US Pharm. 2016;41(8):26-30.Saitman A, Park HD, Fitzgerald RL.False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: A review.J Analyt Toxicol. 2014;38(7):387-396. doi:10.1093/jat/bku075U.S. Food and Drug Administration.As you age: You and your medicines.Brett J, Murnion B.Management of benzodiazepine misuse and dependence.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(5):152-155. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.055National Library of Medicine.Lorazepam.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Lorazepam (Ativan).Anderson PO.Treating insomnia during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2022;17(3):207-209. doi:10.1089/bfm.2022.0008Carroll KM, Kiluk BD.Cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders: Through the stage model and back again.Psychol Addict Behav. 2017;31(8):847-861. doi:10.1037/abd0000311Cavicchioli M, Vassena G, Ramella P, Simone G, Movalli M, Maffei C.Group relationships during a dialectical behavior therapy skills training program for the treatment of alcohol and concurrent substance use disorders: Evidence and theoretical considerations.Group Dynam Theory Res Pract. 2021;25(2):152-173. doi:10.1037/gdn0000138

Boon M, van Dorp E, Broens S, Overdyk F.Combining opioids and benzodiazepines: effects on mortality and severe adverse respiratory events.Ann Palliative Med. 2020;9(2):542-557. doi:10.21037/apm.2019.12.09

Cleveland Clinic.Benzodiazepines (benzos).

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) tablets label.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Ativan (lorazepam) injection label.

Raouf M, Bettinger JJ, Fudin J.A practical guide to urine drug monitoring.Fed Pract. 2018;35(4):38-44.

Turfus SC, Braithwaite RA, Cowan DA, Parkin MC, Smith NW, Kicman AT.Metabolites of lorazepam: Relevance of past findings to present day use of LC-MS/MS in analytical toxicology.Drug Test Analysis. 2011;3(10):695-704. doi:10.1002/dta.305

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.Guidelines for testing drugs under international control in hair, sweat and oral fluid.

Kintz P, Villain M, Cirimele V, Pépin G, Ludes B.Windows of detection of lorazepam in urine, oral fluid and hair, with a special focus on drug-facilitated crimes.Forensic Sci Int. 2004;145(2-3):131-135. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.04.027

Schwebach A, Ball J.Urine drug screening: Minimizing false-positives and false-negatives to optimize patient care.US Pharm. 2016;41(8):26-30.

Saitman A, Park HD, Fitzgerald RL.False-positive interferences of common urine drug screen immunoassays: A review.J Analyt Toxicol. 2014;38(7):387-396. doi:10.1093/jat/bku075

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.As you age: You and your medicines.

Brett J, Murnion B.Management of benzodiazepine misuse and dependence.Aust Prescr. 2015;38(5):152-155. doi:10.18773/austprescr.2015.055

National Library of Medicine.Lorazepam.

National Alliance on Mental Illness.Lorazepam (Ativan).

Anderson PO.Treating insomnia during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2022;17(3):207-209. doi:10.1089/bfm.2022.0008

Carroll KM, Kiluk BD.Cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol and drug use disorders: Through the stage model and back again.Psychol Addict Behav. 2017;31(8):847-861. doi:10.1037/abd0000311

Cavicchioli M, Vassena G, Ramella P, Simone G, Movalli M, Maffei C.Group relationships during a dialectical behavior therapy skills training program for the treatment of alcohol and concurrent substance use disorders: Evidence and theoretical considerations.Group Dynam Theory Res Pract. 2021;25(2):152-173. doi:10.1037/gdn0000138

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