Got prescribed diazepam today because the propranolol was causing me to feel short of breath and this has triggered some breathing anxiety now. So now im terrified of not being able to breathe and am now terrified of taking diazepam incase it causes me to not breathe.
I have 5mg of tablets to take up to 3 times a day. Doctor said to take one tonight but I’m really hesitant. If i do, i will cut it in half so its 2.5mg but still not sure. If not, i will take one in the morning maybe?
Hi I did say the other day propanolol doesnt agree with a lot of people especaily if you have asthma.even though I know you said you didn't.you will be fine on the diazepam as they will relax your muscles( we overbreath with anxiety ) so the diazepam will relax you and you will be fine ,take half that's 2.5 mg I take 2 mg or most times I just take half tablet and that relaxes me just fine.
The doctor still said to take the propranolol at times but i dont feel comfortable with that. Will diazepam help with breathing? Im feeling it hard to to breathe right now and its harder when i think about it
Yes diazepam will put your breathing right,I've taken diazepam for my breathing lots of times.take the diazepam it will relax you in about 10 to 15 minutes I promise you.
I have never heard of diazepam causing people not to breathe, I've taken it on or off since 1974 and I'm still breathing. On the contrary, diazepam 5mg taken three times a day will make your breathing anxiety vanish in about ten minutes flat. No waiting 4 weeks for the effects to kick in, it's instant.
If I have a symptom and I don't know whether its organic or anxiety I take a valium and if its anxiety the symptom goes.
Why would you ever want to cut the 5mg in half. Halve the tablet, halve the benefit. If you're going to take it at least take a therapeutic dose decided by your doctor who went to medical school for 5 years.
They say you shouldn't take them continuously for longer than a certain number of weeks, your doctor knows how long. I took them daily for about a year and never had any problems about 40 years ago but if you're on them a long time you have to come off them gradually.
Please remember: Anxiety about taking anti-anxiety meds is just another symptom of anxiety.
My health anxiety is bad so halving the tablet makes me feel less anxious. As long as it takes my breathlessness away then im fine
Thank you for your response!!
Hi are you feeling more relaxed now you have taken your diazepam ?
I didn’t take it, i managed to fall asleep! However i had heart palpitations during the night and felt like my heart was racing whi h makes me want to take propranolol to calm down but scared that it will cause me to not breathe. Does diazepam stop heart palpitations?
You should have taken it; just take it; they will relax you; most likely it would help, as your whole body will feel relaxed, x
I agree with you he should take the diazepam ,and relax
Yes the diazepam works by calming the brain and bony so it will also stop palpitations.
I feel a bit better now
Did you take the diazepam ?
I took it this morning before i left for college, i feel calmer, just a bit sleepy
So pleased you are feeling calmer ,have a good day at college.
Hi jeff1943 I to have taken diazepam since 1973 off and on.most doctors will only prescribe them for a few weeks at a time.but as I've always had anxiety and over 60 my doctor let's me have them on repeat prescription.but like yourself I only take when I really have to.and thank god they are great for relaxing the mind and body and help you to relax and also help with sleeping.
Blimey, Jessie, you've been taking them for a year longer than me. I'm sure I've told you the story how diazepam was synthesised from the rawalwulfa root that has been used in India for centuries for hysteria. Mahatma Ghandi used to start the day with a porridge made out of diazepam. Hence his peaceful pacific nature. It was discovered by two La Roche pharmacologists about 1948.
My doctor allows me 28 x 5mg tablets every 6 months which is ample.
Hi I can have 28 x2 mg each month but I usually get them every 3 months .no wonder Gandhi was so chilled .I have only ever had diazepam for anxiety never tried ativan or other tablets for anxiety.I'm happy with diazepam they work just fine I also find they lower my blood pressure if it shoots up to 179/90 I take diazepam and it goes down to 125/70 .
Diazepam has wrongly been demonised for the past 20 years and some doctors won't provide it. But this is only because if your on it daily for any length of time you have to come off it gradually. But then that's true of most anti-anxiety meds, you have to taper off them. I've never understood what all the fuss has been about diazepam.
No I don't see what all the fuss is for if used sensibly .they have got me on many planes ( don't like flying) and enjoyed lots of holidays due to taking the diazepam before boarding.I said to the doctor I don't drink thank God otherwise I would be a alcoholic if I didn't have diazepam.as you well know anxiety can be severe at times.also I live on my own and have to go to work to support myself.as I'm on zero contract I don't get paid if I'm off work.so a diazepam has got me through the door many a time.do you live in England ?
Yes I'm in England, south of London, are you U.K.? Been retired 10 years. Thank Heavens for the National Health Service, everything free from cradle to grave (except prescriptions if you're working) I know it has its faults but we just need to pay a bit more in tax for it everybody has such high expectations regarding health.
Yes I live in Milton Keynes ,I lived in south London many years ago,near to peckham ,Sydenham hill I worked up by St Paul's cathedral.
I can barely get any, any more; so had to resort to my own methods; its ridiculous how little they give me. Its the addictive nature partly they worry about; but its absurd, when you have an anxiety disorder and you get hardly none.
Hi I know you can buy diazepam online,I know a guy he has bought them this way.I would be worried to try buying online,but he said he hasn't had any problems getting them.he pays around £1 for 10 mg tablet.
yes, you can or similar; its not recommended, but sometimes you have no choice.
I wish doctors would give people diazepam if there anxiety is affecting there life's so bad and they are unable to enjoy life because of there anxiety symptoms.they have got me through the door to work many times and on planes.the best medication for anxiety.
Sorry, Aozora_3, I disagree, taking the whole tablet will make you feel less anxious, not halving it. Take 2.5mg for the first day if you like but for maximum benefit take the therepeutic dose your doc has provided.
May I suggest you don't start looking out for side effects when you start on the diazepam, there aren't any, but if you become introspective and start to EXPECT side effects then your imagination will oblige you.
I don't know anything about the side effects of propranolol but breathlessness is a very common symptom of anxiety. I've had a bit of it myself just recently but I know its anxiety and accept it for the time being and I don't fear it and now I think about it it's gone.
Well i think i will take the tablet today before i go to college. Not sure if it will make me sleepy but it should definitely calm me down and I’ll be with a friend which makes me feel more comfortable too.
If i have any concerns i will most likely message it on here!
I’ve never been on diazepam. Please keep us informed.
I will. Though there are many posts about it on here 
a 5mg diazepam will relax you very quickly; take it as prescribed. you may find you dont need them 3 times a day; maybe have one in morning and one at night. x
You are actually fortunate to get any at all; as they hate giving them out. But they will def help. x
side effects are unlikely; dont even look that up; it will just relax you; maybe make you slightly tired. x
Thank you for responding, i think i will take one this morning i just feel anxious and sick 
maybe fresh air and the tablet will help x
Take it; you have nothing to fear from a 5mg valium; you feel alot less anxious very quickly. x
Its cut up slightly but i dont think that will matter too much, thank you! x
I wouldnt have cut it up; but you will still a difference ; let us know how you feel xx
I’ve just taken it, im hoping I won’t fall a sleep on the bus i have to get in 15 minutes 😅 xx
You wont fall asleep; unlikely hahaha! though people do occassionally; you will be fine xx
Just over thinking it as usual aha! Xx
Hahaha! have a great day! and relax.....
I think my breathing anxiety has started again and trying not to blame the tablet 😭
Don't dare blame the tablet for breathing anxiety, you should have taken the therepeutic dose of 5mg as prescribed by your doctor. You had the breathing anxiety before you took this tablet, how can you say the duazepam is causing the breathing anxiety, you started talking about that before you even took the tablet.
It's very simple really, if you want relief from the breathing anxiety take the 5mg tablets as prescribed.
Im slowly trying not to. It’s just breathing anxiety is a brand new symptom I’ve got so it’s terrifying.
I think the propranolol did affect my breathing slightly too which may have triggered my breathing anxiety, but i still have to take it occasionally which im a bit scared about.
Aozora_3, palpitations are another common symptom of anxiety but it means different things to different people. My wife gets palpitations but when I check her blood pressure and heart beat they are normal. I think it can mean that you become aware of your heartbeat. To others it means missed heartbeats. I've had 3 short episodes of that in the past year but as I know it's a symptom of anxiety and is harmless I don't pay much attention to it and it generates no fear so it soon goes.
That's the thing, whether its breathing anxiety, palps or missed beats, if we stress and obsess about it and constantly test ourselves then it generates more fear hormones that keep our nerves over sensitise. If we accept these things for the time being and stay calm knowing that although they're not nice they are just glitches in our nervous system that can't harm us then it gives our nerves a chance to recover and all these unpleasant symptoms of anxiety disappear.
Taking anti anxiety meds like diazepam give us respite and make us feel free from the symptoms and we should use this period of calm to investigate talking therapies and self help methods of dealing with anxiety.
I get constant palpitations which is feeling my heart beat and sometimes a racing heart. I do try and ignore it but when im trying to sleep it’s awful. The medication definitely helps, and im waiting on therapy now as the CBT works.
I am beginning to think that the medication (propranolol) isn’t the cause of my breathing issue. So i may take some instead of the diazepam as i do not want to become reliable on diazepam. Thank you for your help though!
I won't keep on about the metits of diazepam but I think you will find them far more effective in relieving you of your breathing symptoms than propranolol. You would have to take diazepam for a long time before becoming dependant on it and all that means is that you would have to spend a few weeks graduallyvreducing the dose - exactly as you have to do with many anti anxiety meds.
Feeling your heartbeat should be reassuring to you, it means you are alive, consider having no heartbeat! If it beats fast too through anxiety that is no cause for concern, if you ever see a heart muscle you would see it is one of the strongest muscles in your body and can withstand beating fast.
I think I definitely prefer diazepam anyway , just my doctor said to use propranolol occasionally as well so not really sure when to take it.
That is a good way of looking at it though, i will try and think more like that. I study medical science so you’d think I wouldn’t be worried about my heart too much but I’ll manage with the therapy i hope.
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