The prolonged sedation from lorazepam may, however, be an acceptable trade-off for its reliable duration of effects, particularly if the patient needs to be transferred to another facility.

On discontinuation, lorazepam serum levels become negligible after 3 days and undetectable after about a week. Lorazepam is metabolised in the liver by conjugation into inactive lorazepam-glucuronide. As paradoxical effects appear to be dose-related, they usually subside on dose reduction or on complete withdrawal of lorazepam. However, adverse effects such as behavioural disinhibition may make benzodiazepines inappropriate for some acutely psychotic patients. Blood or plasma lorazepam concentrations are usually in a range of 10-300 ug/L in persons either receiving the drug therapeutically or in those arrested for impaired driving, and 300-1000 ug/L in victims of acute overdosage. Lorazepam, as with other benzodiazepine drugs, can cause physical dependence, addiction, and what is known as the benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. Adverse effects are more common in the elderly, and they appear at lower doses than in younger patients. On discontinuation, lorazepam serum levels become negligible after 3 days and undetectable after about a week. It is the classic way in which acute alcohol intoxication may affect a person. On regular administration diazepam will, however, accumulate more, since it has a longer half-life and active metabolites with even longer half-lives.