At the start of therapy, the treating physician should monitor the patient's individual response to the medicinal product, so that any relative overdose can be detected as quickly as possible. This particularly applies to children, elderly patients, as well as patients with a diminished state of health. These patients may show a more sensitive response to the effect of lorazepam and should therefore be monitored more frequently during therapy.
Depression or other psychiatric disorders
Lorazepam is not intended for the primary treatment of psychotic illness or depressive disorders. In depressive patients, the possibility of emerging or worsening of depressive symptoms is to be expected. Benzodiazepine treatment can unmask suicidal tendencies in these patients; it should not be undertaken without adequate antidepressant therapy.
Suicidality
Some epidemiological studies indicate an increased incidence of suicide and suicide attempts in patients with or without depression, and treated with benzodiazepines or hypnotics, including lorazepam. However, a causal association has not been demonstrated.
Renal and hepatic impairment
Although bioavailability and metabolism of lorazepam are not significantly altered by renal dysfunction and are only significantly altered by severe hepatic dysfunction, caution should be exercised due to the observed greater sensitivity to the effect of these medicinal products; this also applies to elderly patients, who are at greater risk of falls, especially when they get up at night.
Exacerbation of hepatic encephalopathy may occur with the use of lorazepam.
Blood dyscrasia
Some patients taking benzodiazepines have developed blood dyscrasia, and some have had elevated levels of liver enzymes. Periodic haematological and hepatic function assessments are recommended where repeated courses of treatment are considered clinically necessary.
Hypotension
Although hypotension has occurred only rarely, benzodiazepines should be administered with caution in those patients in whom a drop in blood pressure may lead to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular complications; this is of particular importance in elderly patients.
Hang-over
Although lorazepam belongs to the benzodiazepines with a medium-long half-life, hang-over effects may occur, especially at higher doses and if the duration of sleep is too short. It should therefore be ensured that sufficient sleeping time (approximately 7 to 8 hours) is available (see section 4.2).
Amnesia
Transient anterograde amnesia or memory impairment has been reported in association with the use of benzodiazepines.
Patients should also be given precise instructions on how to go about their everyday life, taking their particular lifestyle into consideration (e.g. occupation).
Paradoxical reactions
There have been uncommon reports of paradoxical reactions occurring with the use of benzodiazepines (see section 4.8). Such reactions are to be expected especially in children and elderly people. Treatment with lorazepam should be discontinued if paradoxical reactions occur.
Respiratory depression
Potentially fatal respiratory depression may occur with use of benzodiazepines, including lorazepam.
Muscle weakness
Lorazepam can cause muscle weakness. Therefore, in patients with pre-existing muscle weakness or spinal or cerebellar ataxia special caution is required and a dose reduction may be necessary.
Acute narrow angle glaucoma
Caution should be used in the treatment of patients with acute narrow angle glaucoma.
Drug dependence, tolerance and potential for abuse
Drug addiction comprises behavioural, cognitive and physiological phenomena that may include a strong desire to take the drug, difficulties in controlling drug use and possible tolerance or physical dependence. Physical dependence is a state that develops as a result of physiological adaptation in response to repeated drug use, which manifests as withdrawal signs and symptoms after abrupt discontinuation or a significant dose reduction of a drug. Addiction and dependence are related but distinct presentations and in discussing these themes, terminology that apportion blame to the individual should be avoided.
For all patients, prolonged use of this product may lead to drug dependence and addiction but can occur with short-term use at recommended therapeutic doses. The risks are increased in individuals with current or past history of substance misuse disorder (including alcohol misuse) or mental health disorder (e.g., major depression).
Additional support and monitoring may be necessary when prescribing for patients at risk of drug misuse.
A comprehensive patient history should be taken to document concomitant medications, including over-the-counter medicines and medicines obtained on-line, and past and present medical and psychiatric conditions.
Patients may find that treatment is less effective with chronic use and express a need to increase the dose to obtain the same level of symptom control as initially experienced. Patients may also supplement their treatment with additional medications to achieve the same effect. These could be signs that the patient is developing tolerance. The risks of developing tolerance should be explained to the patient.
Overuse or misuse may result in overdose and/or death. It is important that patients only use medicines that are prescribed for them at the dose they have been prescribed and do not give this medicine to anyone else.
Patients should be closely monitored for signs of misuse, abuse, or addiction.
The clinical need for treatment with clonazepam should be reviewed regularly, with frequent assessments of patients being undertaken during the course of their treatment.
Drug withdrawal syndrome
Prior to starting treatment with lorazepam, a discussion should be held with patients to explain the risk of dependence, addiction, and drug withdrawal syndrome. A withdrawal strategy for ending treatment with clonazepam should also be put in place with the patient before starting treatment (there may be exceptions to this in specific clinical situations such as symptom management in end of life palliative care).
Drug withdrawal syndrome may occur upon abrupt cessation of therapy or dose reduction. When a patient no longer requires therapy, it is advisable to taper the dose gradually to minimise symptoms of withdrawal. Tapering from a high dose may take in excess of weeks or months. Patients should be informed of this when the medication is first prescribed.
The reduction schedule for a patient should be tailored to the individual and should be modified to allow intolerable withdrawal symptoms to improve before making the next reduction. If using a published withdrawal schedule, apply it flexibly to accommodate the person's preferences, changes to their circumstances and the response to dose reductions.
Suggest a slow stepwise rate of reduction proportionate to the existing dose, so that decrements become smaller as the dose is lowered, unless clinical risk is such that rapid withdrawal is needed.
If a patient develops withdrawal reactions, consider pausing the taper or increasing the dosage to the previous tapered dosage level.
If women take this drug during pregnancy, there is a risk that their newborn infants will experience neonatal withdrawal syndrome.
Alcohol
Patients should be advised that since their tolerance for alcohol and other CNS depressants will be diminished in the presence of lorazepam, CNS depressants should be avoided or taken in reduced dose and alcohol should be avoided.
Risks from concomitant use with opioids:
Concomitant use of lorazepam and opioids may result in sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death. Because of these risks, concomitant prescribing of benzodiazepines and opioids should be reserved for patients for whom alternative treatment options are not possible.
If a decision is made to prescribe lorazepam concomitantly with opioids, the lowest effective dose should be used and the duration of treatment should be as short as possible (see also general dose recommendation in section 4.2).
The patients should be followed closely for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation. In this respect, it is strongly recommended to inform patients and their caregivers (where applicable) to be aware of these symptoms (see Section 4.5).
Anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions
Severe anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions have been reported with benzodiazepine use. Following ingestion of the first dose or subsequent doses of benzodiazepines, cases of angioedema involving the tongue, glottis or larynx have been reported. Some patients have experienced other symptoms while taking benzodiazepines, such as dyspnoea, swelling of the throat or nausea and vomiting. Some patients had to be treated as a medical emergency. If angioedema occurs with involvement of the tongue, glottis or larynx, airway occlusion may occur and may be fatal. In patients experiencing angioedema during treatment with a benzodiazepine, re-exposure to the medicinal product should not take place.
Elderly patients
Lorazepam should be used with caution in elderly due to the risk of sedation and/or musculoskeletal weakness that can increase the risk of falls, with serious consequences in this population. Elderly patients should be given a reduced dose (see section 4.2).
Elderly patients should be warned of the risk of falls.
Paediatric population
Children and adolescents under 18 years should not be treated with lorazepam, unless strictly indicated for sedation prior to diagnostic procedures, as well as before surgical procedures. For children under 6 years, lorazepam is contraindicated.
Excipients
Lorazepam Aristo contains lactose. Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicinal product.