What is Lorazepam primarily used to treat?

Prepare for the Houston Methodist Pharmacology Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready to ace your test!

Multiple Choice

What is Lorazepam primarily used to treat?

Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine that quickly enhances the effect of GABA in the brain, leading to rapid calming and relief from anxiety. Because of this fast onset, its primary clinical use is to relieve severe anxiety and acute anxious distress. It can also be used in emergencies for seizures or as a sedative for procedures, but those are not its main indications when teaching pharmacology. It is not a first-line treatment for schizophrenia or for depression, which rely on antipsychotics and antidepressants, respectively. So the best answer reflects its most common and primary clinical use: severe anxiety.

Lorazepam is a benzodiazepine that quickly enhances the effect of GABA in the brain, leading to rapid calming and relief from anxiety. Because of this fast onset, its primary clinical use is to relieve severe anxiety and acute anxious distress. It can also be used in emergencies for seizures or as a sedative for procedures, but those are not its main indications when teaching pharmacology. It is not a first-line treatment for schizophrenia or for depression, which rely on antipsychotics and antidepressants, respectively. So the best answer reflects its most common and primary clinical use: severe anxiety.

More practice questions