Prescription medication · Benzodiazepine
lorazepam
Also sold as Ativan. Lorazepam is used to manage anxiety disorders.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 174,469
- FDA reportsHeavily reported
- 11
- InteractionsSeveral interactions
- 99% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- In shortage
- FDA status
What the data shows
lorazepam (Ativan) is a prescription Benzodiazepine, more reported than roughly 9 in 10 tracked drugs (174,469 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 99% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
lorazepam (Ativan) is a prescription Benzodiazepine. Lorazepam is used to manage anxiety disorders.
Lorazepam is a medicine that can help with anxiety. It belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, which slow down activity in the brain.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Shortage Alert
lorazepam is currently listed as in shortage by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC. Status: Available.
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$32.81/unit
Generic Price
$0.04/unit
Generic Savings
99%
Generic Available
Yes (16 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Lorazepam is used to manage anxiety disorders.
Common side effects
Feeling sleepy or drowsy, Dizziness
Key warnings
Taking lorazepam with opioid medicines can cause very serious problems, including slowed or shallow breathing, coma, and death.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from lorazepam's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Lorazepam works by affecting certain chemicals in your brain. It enhances the effects of a natural brain chemical called GABA. This helps to calm your nerves and reduce anxiety.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 174,469 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for lorazepam, by number of reports
- Fatigue
Fatigue
13,457 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
13,332 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
10,350 reports
- Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea
9,235 reports
- Anxiety
Anxiety
8,840 reports
- Headache
Headache
8,661 reports
- Pain
Pain
8,643 reports
- Vomiting
Vomiting
8,561 reports
- Dizziness
Dizziness
8,103 reports
- Asthenia
Asthenia
7,079 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for lorazepam each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where lorazepam sits
lorazepam has more FDA adverse-event reports than 93% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is lorazepam; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 174,469 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 1998–2025.
Total Reports
174,469
Reports Mentioning Death
25,012
14.3% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
72,527
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FATIGUE | 13,457 |
| 2 | NAUSEA | 13,332 |
| 4 | DIARRHOEA | 10,350 |
| 6 | DYSPNOEA | 9,235 |
| 7 | ANXIETY | 8,840 |
| 8 | HEADACHE | 8,661 |
| 9 | PAIN | 8,643 |
| 10 | VOMITING | 8,561 |
| 11 | DIZZINESS | 8,103 |
| 12 | ASTHENIA | 7,079 |
| 13 | DEATH | 6,638 |
| 14 | FALL | 6,408 |
| 15 | INSOMNIA | 6,272 |
| 16 | PYREXIA | 6,209 |
| 17 | MALAISE | 6,022 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Taking lorazepam with opioid medicines can cause very serious problems, including slowed or shallow breathing, coma, and death. Only take them together if there are no other options. Lorazepam can be habit-forming, leading to abuse, misuse, and addiction, which can result in overdose or death. Using lorazepam for a long time can cause you to become dependent on it. Stopping it suddenly can cause dangerous withdrawal symptoms. Your doctor will slowly lower your dose to prevent withdrawal.
Known Drug Interactions
Concurrent administration of lorazepam with valproate results in increased plasma concentrations and reduced clearance of lorazepam. Lorazepam dosage should be reduced to approximately 50% when coadministered with valproate. The effects of probenecid and valproate on lorazepam may be due to inhibition of glucuronidation.
Mechanism: Valproate slows down how fast the liver breaks down lorazepam, which causes the drug to build up in the body.
Concomitant use of clozapine and lorazepam may produce marked sedation, excessive salivation, hypotension, ataxia, delirium, and respiratory arrest.
Mechanism: Combining these medications can cause a dangerous increase in side effects like extreme sleepiness and slowed breathing.
Concurrent administration of lorazepam with probenecid may result in a more rapid onset or prolonged effect of lorazepam due to increased half-life and decreased total clearance. Lorazepam dosage needs to be reduced by approximately 50% when coadministered with probenecid. The effects of probenecid and valproate on lorazepam may be due to inhibition of glucuronidation.
Mechanism: Probenecid blocks the liver from processing lorazepam, which makes the drug stay in your system longer and work more strongly.
Administration of theophylline or aminophylline may reduce the sedative effects of benzodiazepines, including lorazepam.
Mechanism: Theophylline acts as a stimulant that can cancel out the calming or sleepy effects of lorazepam.
Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam) The intensity of sedation was greater with the combination of oral aripiprazole and lorazepam as compared to that observed with aripiprazole alone. The orthostatic hypotension observed was greater with the combination as compared to that observed with lorazepam alone [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8)] Monitor sedation and blood pressure. 7.2 Drugs Having No Clinically Important Interactions with Aripiprazole Based on pharmacokinetic studies, no dosage adjustment of aripiprazole is required when administered concomitantly with famotidine, valproate,...
Mechanism: Both drugs can cause sleepiness and low blood pressure, and taking them together makes these side effects much stronger.
This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.
Common Questions
Can I drink alcohol while taking lorazepam?
How long does lorazepam stay in my system?
Can I drive while taking lorazepam?
Can I stop taking lorazepam suddenly?
What should I do if I feel like the medicine is not working?
Can I take lorazepam with other medications?
What are the symptoms of lorazepam overdose?
Is lorazepam addictive?
Can lorazepam cause memory problems?
What if I have narrow-angle glaucoma?
What are the common side effects of lorazepam?
Does lorazepam interact with other medications?
What drug class is lorazepam?
Is there a generic version of lorazepam?
What pregnancy or breastfeeding source fields are listed for lorazepam?
Has lorazepam been recalled?
Is lorazepam currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Failed impurities/degradation specifications and Sub-potent Drug: Out-of-specification results were obtained during routine stability testing for Assay and Impurities.
The Harvard Drug Group LLC dba Major Pharmaceuticals and Rugby Laboratories
CGMP Deviations: Firm went out of business and could no longer continue stability studies.
Akorn, Inc.
Related Medications in Benzodiazepine
Other drugs grouped near lorazepam - same-class peers and common alternatives.
acamprosate
Campral
Acamprosate is a medicine that can help you stay away from alcohol if you are alcohol-dependent and have already stopped drinking.
Compare with lorazepam →
alprazolam
Xanax
Alprazolam (Xanax) is a medication that can help you with anxiety and panic disorders.
Compare with lorazepam →
amitriptyline
Elavil
Amitriptyline is a medicine used to treat depression.
Compare with lorazepam →
amphetamine/dextroamphetamine
Adderall, Adderall XR
Adderall XR is a stimulant medicine.
Compare with lorazepam →
aripiprazole
Abilify
Aripiprazole (Abilify) is a medicine used to treat certain mental disorders and mood problems.
Compare with lorazepam →
Compare beyond drug class
Nationwide peers by FAERS volume & death-report share
Two PlainMeds-derived comparison paths for lorazepam: nearest FDA FAERS report volume and nearest death-report share among drugs with at least 1,000 logged reports, excluding same-class neighbors listed above. Counts reflect reporting volume, not proven individual harm.
Similar FAERS report volume
Nearest drugs by total FAERS reports. This record: 174,469.
Similar death-report share
Nearest drugs by FAERS death-report share. This record: 14.34%.
- hydroxyzine Δ 0.03 pts · 44,206 reports · Antihistamine / Anxiolytic 14.37%death share
- venlafaxine Δ 0.03 pts · 68,147 reports · Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI) 14.30%death share
- triazolam Δ 0.04 pts · 8,521 reports · Benzodiazepine (Hypnotic) 14.29%death share
- moxifloxacin Δ 0.05 pts · 13,400 reports · Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic 14.28%death share
Medication Guides
Understanding Drug Interactions
How CYP450 enzymes, inhibitors, and inducers affect your medications
Generic vs Brand Name Drugs
FDA requirements, cost savings, and when the difference matters
Narrow Therapeutic Index Drugs
FDA bioequivalence and label-record context for narrow therapeutic index medicines
Common Drug Interactions
Dangerous medication combinations and how to protect yourself
Save on lorazepam
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What the FDA Data Shows for lorazepam
The FDA label for lorazepam (sold under brand names such as Ativan) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Benzodiazepine class. Lorazepam is used to manage anxiety disorders. Official labeling lists 2 commonly reported side effects, including Feeling sleepy or drowsy, Dizziness.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 174,469 voluntary reports. The database also lists 11 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated minor severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $0.04 versus $32.81 for the brand - a 99% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 2 recall records on file), and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.
Last updated: July 24, 2025
PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages