Five participants in a sleep study were prescribed lorazepam 4 mg at night, and the next evening three subjects unexpectedly volunteered memory gaps for parts of that day, an effect that subsided completely after 2–3 days' use.

Males and females use benzodiazepines for nonmedical purposes equally. But diazepam's high lipid solubility also means it does not remain in the vascular space but soon redistributes into other body tissues. Children and the elderly are more sensitive to the adverse effects of benzodiazepines. Oral lorazepam is given 90 to 120 minutes before procedures, and intravenous lorazepam as late as 10 minutes before procedures. The higher the dose and the longer the drug is taken for, the greater the risk of experiencing unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines are drugs of abuse and you should be aware if any person in the household is using this medicine improperly or without a prescription. Potent benzodiazepines such as lorazepam, alprazolam and triazolam have the highest risk of causing a dependence. 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. Do not take this medication for longer than 4 months without your doctor's advice. In cases of a suspected lorazepam overdose, it is important to establish whether the patient is a regular user of lorazepam or other benzodiazepines, since regular use causes tolerance to develop.