Short term Lorazepam for BP spike

I work as a Flight Follower at a 135 outfit. Yesterday I was prescribed Lorazepam short term and given a three day leave from work when my BP spiked to 235/176, If I take my last 1 mg dose at 1800 the night before I start my second shift at 1400 Thursday, will it show up on a UA? Is it even a prohibited drug under FAA rules if it's prescribed by a doctor?I"ve heard it both ways.
 
For pilots, Lorazepam is very much prohibited as it is a psychotropic medication. Cannot fly on it, and need to need to be off it for minimum of 90 days before you can fly. Additionally, the underlying diagnosis must not be disqualifying in order to gain pilot medical certification. How this affects a flight follower, I have no idea. Best to consult your company manuals.
 
Thought I lost first thread so I started a second. Nothing specific, yet. I usually hang around 120/70.

Thanks
 
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A sudden onset BP spike without any pre-emptive factors?

Have you stopped drinking recently?
 
Now I'm thinking they gave it to me assuming I had a panic attack. I was totally calm despite the spike in BP. I've never come close to a panic attack in my life. ER= easy diagnosis. Crap!
 
I can't second guess why they gave it to you, but benzodiazepines are pretty powerful little drugs. They have a pretty short half life and are CNS depressants. One of the results of taking a CNS depressant is a lowering of blood pressure. They may be faster acting than other meds out that also lower BP.
 
You must wait 40 hours after the last dose to work.

Lorazepam is not a blood pressure medication. You need to see a family doctor or internist to get this evaluated.
 
Thank you. Realized after the fact the ER treated it as panic attack although I had no other symptoms. Saw my family doctor today and was prescribed BP medication. Appreciate the 40 hour information.
 
Are you sure you do not mean labetalol? I have treated many people with very high blood pressure, never given a benzo for it.
 
I_Money said:
Are you sure you do not mean labetalol? I have treated many people with very high blood pressure, never given a benzo for it.
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Yeah, I'm sure. After I left the ER, I read my discharge paperwork and learned they were treating me as an anxiety attack, even tho I was perfectly calm and had absolutely no symptoms of an anxiety attack. I took the prescribed Lorazepam for a day until I saw my family doctor who took me off the Lorazepam and prescribed a BP reducing medication.

I quit the Lorazepam 46 hours before I was released to go back to work, and I'm now on the high end of normal BP and trending down, so things are looking up. Lesson: ERs do not have time to diagnose. They treat symptoms and send you out the door when you're stable. That's not a bad thing, but it's a reality one needs to be aware of.
 
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