Pre-operative medication or premedication for uncomfortable or prolonged investigations, e.g. bronchoscopy, arteriography, endoscopy. The treatment of acute anxiety states, acute excitement or acute mania. Lorazepam is the generic form of the brand-name drug Ativan, used to treat anxiety disorders and to relieve anxiety that's associated with depression. Recommended dosage Lorazepam is taken several times daily by mouth or injected to treat anxiety. Dosage ranges from 1–2 mg taken either every 12 or every eight hours. Benzodiazepine Dosage Converter Based on Potencies Benzodiazepine Dose Conversions. Comparative dosages for alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, temazepam. Detailed dosage guidelines and administration information for Ativan (lorazepam). Includes dose adjustments, warnings and precautions. Lorazepam official prescribing information for healthcare professionals. Includes: indications, dosage, adverse reactions, pharmacology and more. Lorazepam (Ativan) is thought that excessive activity of nerves in the brain may cause anxiety and other psychological disorders. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that nerves in the brain use to send messages to one another that reduces the activity of nerves in the brain. Lorazepam is a prescription medical treatment used to manage anxiety. Lorazepam belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines which act on the brain and nerves (central nervous system) to produce a calming effect that relieve symptoms of anxiety. Learn about Ativan (Lorazepam) may treat, uses, dosage, side effects, drug interactions, warnings, patient labeling, reviews, and related medications. As with other benzodiazepines, lorazepam should be used with extreme caution in patients with pulmonary disease and in patients with respiratory insufficiency resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), status asthmaticus, abnormal airway anatomy, cyanotic congenital heart disease, or pulmonary hypertension.