The likelihood of dependence is relatively high with lorazepam compared to other benzodiazepines.

Lorazepam may also interact with rifabutin. Due to its poor lipid solubility lorazepam is absorbed relatively slowly by mouth and is unsuitable for rectal administration. Due to tolerance and dependence, lorazepam is recommended for short-term use, 2–4 weeks only. e. * Pregnancy and breast feeding – Lorazepam belongs to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pregnancy category D, which means that it is likely to cause harm to the developing baby, if taken during the first trimester of pregnancy. As a result dosage recommendations for the elderly are about half of those used in younger individuals and used for no longer than two weeks. Ativan can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Increasing the dose may overcome tolerance, but tolerance may then develop to the higher dose and adverse effects may persist and worsen. edit PharmacodynamicsRelative to other benzodiazepines, lorazepam is thought to have high affinity for GABA receptors, which may also explain its marked amnesic effects. Lorazepam, similar to other benzodiazepines and nonbenzodiazepines causes impairments in body balance and standing steadiness in individuals who wake up at night or the next morning.