Xanax Vs Ativan: How They Work, Uses, & Side Effects

Xanax and Ativan are both benzodiazepine medicines or drugs mainly used to treat anxiety & panic attacks. Benzodiazepines are a class of psychoactive drugs known for their depressant effect on the Central Nervous System (CNS).
Xanax and Ativan are both generic medicines. The generic name of Xanax is alprazolam, which was developed in the 1960s by J.B. Hester of the Upjohn Company. The generic name of Ativan is Lorazepam, which was developed in the 1977s by D.J. Richards at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
In this blog, we discuss the comparison between Xanax & Ativan, like what they are, How They Work, Medical Uses, How Long They Stay in the Body, Side Effects, Addiction, and Dependence Risk, Withdrawal Symptoms, Which Is Better, and Important Safety Tips.

What Are Xanax & Ativan?

What is Xanax?

The generic name of Xanax is “Alprazolam”. It is a benzodiazepine drug. It is used to treat mainly anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia. Xanax is the approved medicine from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States. It was created by J.B. Haster in the Upjohn Company to treat anxiety-related issues. Xanax is the best medicine for anxiety, and it is also an approved medicine for some other panic disorders like GAD. The reaction time of xanax is faster compared to Ativan.

What is Ativan?

The generic name of Ativan is “Lorazepam”. Ativan is also a benzodiazepine drug. It is used to treat mainly anxiety and panic attacks. Ativan is the approved medication from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States. It is developed in search of the safest option for anxiety issues. It was created by D.J. Richards at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. As a comparison to Xanax, it does not have the fastest reaction time, but Ativan stays longer in your body, giving you long-term relief. If you search for a medicine that has the longest activation time, Ativan is the best option for you as compared to Xanax. Ativan is also used as a pre-anesthetic.

How Xanax & Ativan Work And Their Medical Uses

Xanax and Ativan work on the central nervous system. Their effects reduce the activity of the central nervous system to calm your brain and reduce the effects of anxiety. The reaction time of Xanax is less, taking only 15-20 minutes to reduce the effect of anxiety, but it doesn’t stay long in your body. The reaction time of Ativan is slow, but it stays longer in your body compared to Xanax. It stays in your body for 12-18 hours.

Medical Uses of Xanax and Ativan

Medical Uses Of Xanax

Xanax is mainly used to treat anxiety and but doctors also prescribe it for:

• Panic disorder is a mental disorder. The cause of the panic disorder is sudden panic attacks. Xanax is also used to treat panic disorder.
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental disorder and different from normal anxiety attacks because of the excessive and uncontrollable worry about everyday things. Xanax is also used to treat GAD.
• Chemotherapy-induced nausea & Vomiting(CINV) is a common side effect of cancer. Xanax helps to reduce the impact of nausea and vomiting. Without affecting the treatment of the cancer
• Agoraphobia- Xanax helps with agoraphobia to reduce the effects of anxiety and panic attacks.

Medical Uses Of Ativan

Ativan is also used in the treatment of anxiety, but this medicine is also used for:

• Insomnia is a sleeping disorder. Xanax is a CNS depressant. It calms down your brain activity and helps you sleep.
• Psychomotor agitation is a wide range of mood disorders, such as emotional distress, restlessness, and tapping.
• Seizures(SE) are the sudden dispersion of brain activity. Xanax helps to treat seizures because it calms down your brain.
• Alcohol withdrawal helps to reduce the anxiety and tremors that are common during alcohol withdrawal. It works by slowing down the central nervous system.
• Pre-surgical medicine calms down your brain’s activity before the surgical operations.

Side Effects of Using Xanax & Ativan

Xanax and Ativan are both benzodiazepine medicines. The side effects of these medicines are almost the same:

Side Effects of Xanax

Here are some common side effects of using xanax:

• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Changes in appetite
• Skin rash
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Headache and Tiredness
• Blurred vision
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of balance
• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nausea & Sleep problems

Rare side effects:

• Depression
• Difficulty speaking
• Suicidal thoughts

Side Effects of Ativan

Here are some common side effects of using Ativan:

• Constipation
• Sweating
• Headache
• Nausea and Sleep Problems
• Tiredness and Dizziness
• Poor balance or coordination
• Slurred speech, Memory problems
• Trouble concentrating
• Irritability
• Diarrhea
• Upset stomach
• Weight changes and weakness
• Blurred vision
• Swelling in your hands or feet

Rare side effects:

• Unusual mood changes, eg, aggression, agitation
• Dry mouth, Stuffy nose
• Loss of interest in sex
• Vomiting
• Confusion and Hallucinations,
• Depression and Suicidal thoughts

Safety Tips & Precautions for Using Xanax and Ativan

If you are taking these medicines regularly, here are some safety tips and precautions that you must follow:

• Don’t take these drugs with alcohol
• Avoid driving
• Do not use heavy machinery until you are aware of the effects
• Do not change and take it abruptly. Ask your doctor to decrease the dose
• Keep the medicine locked up where nobody can get it, since it is a controlled substance
• Don’t take this medicine when you are pregnant and breastfeeding
• Taking the doctor’s prescribed dose in overdose is dangerous for you it affects your health

Xanax Or Ativan: Which One Is More Effective?

If you want to choose between Xanax and Ativan, which one is more effective so Here we describe the features of xanax and Ativan, which help to choose which one is the best option.
Xanax and Ativan are both medicines used to treat anxiety. The reaction time of xanax is just 15-20 minutes, which is the main feature of xanax. The reaction time of xanax is faster than Ativan. But sometimes quality has some drawbacks. The reaction time of xanax is fast, but it doesn’t stay long in your body. Xanax stays in your body 10-12 hours, which is less than that and Ativan.

Ativan, the reaction time is slow, but it stays longer in your body as compared to Xanax. It stays in your body 12-18 hours. Ativan is the more smoother than xanax because its reaction time is slow that’s makes Ativan smoother. It is used in multiple medical conditions, like insomnia, Alcohol withdrawal, Psychomotor agitation, and CINV. Ativan is smoother than xanax, but they have fewer withdrawal symptoms. It stays long in the system. But if you want a quick solution, xanax is better for you. It gives quick relief from panic attacks.

Quick Difference Between Xanax And Ativan

1. Mainly used for: Xanax and Ativan are both prescribed medicines. It is mainly used in the treatment of anxiety and panic attacks.
2. Which one is faster: The reaction time of xanax is faster than Ativan. And the reaction time of Ativan is slower than Xanax.
3. Which one stays longer on your body: Xanax stays less in your body as compared to Ativan. And Ativan stays longer in your body as compared to Xanax.
4. Certified or not: Both medicines are certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) United States.
5. Main Difference: The main difference between Xanax and Ativan is their speed of action on your body and duration of effect.
6. Other uses: Xanax and Ativan, both drugs are mainly used in the treatment of anxiety, but they are also used for other purposes:

• Xanax: GAD, CINV, Psychomotor agitation, and Agoraphobia.
• Ativan: GAD, CINV, insomnia, Seizures(SE), Alcohol withdrawal, and Pre-surgical medicine.

Conclusion

The conclusion is that Xanax & Ativan are both benzodiazepine medicines mainly used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. If you have sudden panic attacks and anxiety issues. Use Xanax for quicker relief because it has a faster reaction time as compared to Ativan. When you use these medicines in the long term, you may experience dangerous side effects, like depression. We suggest that if you have symptoms of anxiety issues, please consult a doctor first. If you take this medicine without consulting a doctor, or do not take the doctor’s prescribed dose, or take an overdose, it is dangerous for you and it affects your health.