Lorazepam

[Newheartplease]

Is anyone out there taking lorazepam to calm their arythmia?

[The_Lord_is_with_Us]

I've been AFIB patient for almost 15 years. Never prescribed Lorazepam for it. However, 20 years ago I had an acute case of Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

To break the negative anxiety cycle, the doctor prescribed Lorazepam.

At first, it really calmed me down and I felt a lot better. But my wife said it was turning me into a zombie with an unsteady gait ... and not quite with it cognitively.

Plus ... I read it's a benzodiazepine, which can be addictive.

So, I took the lowest effective dose and titrated off it for good after the anxiety cycle broke and I was on the way to healing. Last thing I wanted was to be drug dependent.

[Ppiman]

Lorazepam is from a family of drugs called benzodiazepines, or "benzos". In the UK, the most prescribed form is diazepam or "Valium". I've just written a post about that, which you might want to search for and read.

In about a third of people taking these drugs, it seems reliance or dependency can form. It never did with me, and I know others who have taken it safely, too. In my case, I only took it for a short time. I would say that it's the only family of drugs that can genuinely help reduce the intense feelings that anxiety can bring, as well as reducing the consequences of anxiety, such as muscle tightness. It doesn't cure it, but I believe it is useful and helpful, but only if used wisely and safely. Given the potential for misuse and harm, perhaps it is best if it is only used under supervision, with someone else also helping to keep an eye on things.

One area I think these drugs help well with is by relieving the generalised muscle tension that comes with being anxious. I am quite sure that this can make the anxiety worse and - who knows - might even lead to arrhythmias. This is because muscle tension in the abdomen and chest area, even a little, can lead to hyperventilation or "over-breathing", which directly causes anxiety of the kind that can easily build into a panic attack. This kind of anxiety releases a lot of hormones such as adrenaline and steroids into the system and it is these that have a direct effect on the heart.

Steve

[Baseball40]

I was prescribed Lorazepam over the summer to help with anxiety and panic attacks. I would take it at night because it helped with sleep. I started to rely it heavily for my anxiety. I stopped taking it about a week before my ablation in December. I think I have taken maybe 2 or 3 times since then. I have found that magnesium has made calmer and is helping with my arrhythmia. Lorazepam is something that should not be taken everyday. As much I felt better once I took it, I knew I was relying it it took much.

[Aegean56]

I too Lorazepam initially but it was too much with the beta blocker ...blood pressure was going too low.