Lorazepamdosage

Lorazepam tablets are administeredorally. For optimalresults,dose,frequency of administration,andduration of therapyshould be individualizedaccording to patientresponse. To facilitatethis,0.5mg, 1 mg,and 2 mgtabletsareavailable. The usualrange is 2 to 6 mg/daygivenindivideddoses, the largestdosebeingtakenbeforebedtime, but the dailydosagemayvaryfrom 1 to 10 mg/day. For anxiety,mostpatientsrequireaninitialdose of 2 to 3 mg/daygiventwotimes a day or threetimes a day. For insomnia due to anxiety or transientsituationalstress, a singledailydose of 2 to 4 mgmay be given,usuallyatbedtime. For elderly or debilitatedpatients,aninitialdosage of 1 to 2 mg/day in divideddoses is recommended, to be adjustedasneededandtolerated. The dosageoflorazepam tablets should be increasedgraduallywhenneeded to helpavoidadverse effects.Whenhigherdosage is indicated, the eveningdoseshouldbeincreasedbefore the daytimedoses. Discontinuation or Dosage Reduction of Lorazepam Tablets To reduce the risk of withdrawal reactions, use a gradual taper to discontinue lorazepam tablets or reduce the dosage. If a patient develops withdrawal reactions, consider pausing the taper or increasing the dosage to the previous tapered dosage level. Subsequently decrease the dosage more slowly (see WARNINGS: Dependence and Withdrawal Reactions and DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE: Dependence ).