Lorazepam and Afib

[mirtilla]

I there a link between Lorazepam and atrial fibrillation? I used a 1 mg pill to sleep in the night and both times, after 5 or 6 hours, around 6am, I awoke in fibrillation . My usual dangerous time is the early hours of the morning, but Afib comes probably once a month . Is it possible that to pass those hours with Lorazepam in my body is bad for Afib?

[Blearyeyed]

Benzodiazepines can cause an increase in cardiac arrhythmias and could trigger aFib in many people.On the other hand , if you have been on a benzodiazepine or Lorazepam daily or regularly before you develop aFib you also need careful management on reducing it because just stopping or coming off a Benzodiazepine abruptly can also trigger acute aFib.

Use of a Benzodiazepine while being treated with aFib , even if you had no issues taking them before you began to suffer aFib, also takes careful consideration, and depends on whether you will require medications like commonly used blood pressure medications to treat your aFib or other cardiac problems.

Although in some cases if Medical Anxiety is a key trigger to hypertension or heart arrhythmias Benzodiazepines can help relieve these symptoms and prevent a future event occurring , so as you can see it's quite complex.

If you take Amlopidine or Lisinopril, for example, combination with Lorazepam has been noted in research to have a more rapid blood pressure and heart rate lowering effect which can cause lightheadedness, dizziness , hypotension , bradycardia or Tigger arrhythmia particularly at night time when your natural heart rate and blood pressure is also low. It is a listed drug interaction on pharmacy check lists.

Low heart rate or hypotension during rest or sleep can be a common trigger for some patients with cardiac Arrhythmias or aFib , as the heart overshoots it's reaction to this subnormal heart activity causing a yoyoing effect of low to high heart rate activity and eventually triggering the heart rate to remain high or advance into an aFib event,

The Yo-yo effect is also a common trigger for morning aFib and general cardiac symptoms when the heart rate spikes in response to waking and changing your position too quickly , this is what's known as an orthostatic or postural reaction and is more common in people whom have tachycardia, vagal/autonomic and severe hypertension conditions as well as Afib.

The same triggering side effects can occur on a case by case basis for patients that take Benzodiazepines daily and any sort of betablockers or calcium channel blockers and in some cases Triptans even if you initially follow guidelines when using both medications for your Care that leave a 4- 6 hour break between taking high blood pressure or heart rate medications and Benzodiazepines or Antidepressants.

Which is why its often considered better to try other options than Benzodiazepines for sleep disturbance because of the drug interactions and potential side effects.

And, even if you were originally prescribed Benzodiazepines for Anxiety and develop cardiac Arrhythmias later , that the Benzo is tapered and replaced for a different anxiety medication if it will still work well enough to control the patients mental health requirements.

Sometimes night time antihistamines are recommended by doctors more knowledgeable about treating sleep disturbance or insomnia because they can improve sleep and duration of time to reach sleep with less side effects in many cases.

[mirtilla in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you for all this research, which I ignored.

[Ppiman]

I occasionally take something similar and find, if anything, the opposite effect. An elderly friend has permanent AF and takes regular nitrazepam, without problems. However, I have read studies that do show some increase in AF with all benzodiazepine drugs, especially when taken in large doses, so it is just possible that this is happening with you - even though your usage is low dose and occasional.

Tiredness is considered to be a cause of arrhythmia, also, as it is with me. In that respect, lorazepam might actually help your sleep and reduce the risk of these.

Steve

[mirtilla]

I realize that everybody is different. Thanks.

[OzJames]

This is not answering your question directly but some people find it better to sleep on their right side. Sleeping on your left side can put pressure on heart and can kick off AF

[Karenjaninaz]

Mirtilla, coming off benzodiazepines may take a year. Stopping suddenly results in a strong rebound anxiety and seizures. What helps me sleep is Tylenol : I take the 8 hour time release.

Antihistamines help a lot of people but, before I had af, they gave me palpitations if taken for several months.

Recent research found a higher incidence in dementia associated with taking benzodiazepines not to mention memory issues.

[mirtilla]

Hope not!