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Low heart rate after transitioning to valium.


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I have just completed a six week c/o from 1.75 mg of ativan to 15 mg of valium.  Today is my 6th day of stabilizing on the valium.  Most days my BP and heart rate are normal, but other days (like today) when I feel groggy all day my BP is ok, but my heart rate is in the low 50's.  Has anyone else had this happen during the stabilizing process due to the valium?  If so, does it get better with time?

 

Sometimes drinking a soda or going for a walk helps.  It's like your body needs a set of battery jumper cables to get it going on some days.

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I did not have the experience with valium but I read on this forum about the slow heart rate. If you do a search on internet you can find the same. For example please take a look here:

 

https://www.narconon.org/drug-information/valium-information.html

 

"This drug depresses the central nervous system and so will slow the heart rate and the breathing. "

 

Hope this helps you a bit.

 

Hugs,

Mary

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Thanks for the insight Mary,

 

It explains a lot about the occasional low heart rate and the starving for air feeling sometimes.

 

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I have both of these jojodancer. My RHR can drop below 50 sometimes. I was a long distance runner for many years in my 20s so my RHR has really always been low except when I am having a panic episode. Then, everything speeds up considerably, Ugh!

 

I think the valium does make it lower tho. I hate the breathing stuff...like you can not get in enough air when you inhale. It feels like you are slowly suffocating often during the day. A feeling like this sets off alarm bells in the brain and is almost impossible to ignore.

 

 

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My resting heart rate has been between 48 and 52 all day, usually in the 70's-80's.  After my c/o to valium, I take 5 mg 3 x daily and have just taken the 3rd dose of the day.  This is the 5th day of total valium and I have yet to have this low heart rate s/x.  I am now afraid this last dose of the day may lower my heart rate even more.

 

And now, of course, all this worrying has made my anxiety skyrocket.

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Yes it is.  I don't smoke , drink, or take any other prescription meds. I drink 4 oz of aloe juice a day and a zantac for stomach issues.  I just checked my heart rate again and it has climbed to 65 bpm.

 

I do recall when I was taking the ativan, every once in a while I would get freezing cold extremities (hands, feet, and nose), but while I was having those s/x my BP was low not my heart rate.  It has climbed 16 bpm after I took my last dose of valium for the evening.  Weird, because I was afraid the last dose of valium would make my HR drop even further.  Maybe just a strange side effect from the ativan leaving my body.  I made my last transition dose from ativan to valium 5 days ago.  ??????

 

Thanks for the concern and replies.  It does help calm me down just to have someone to speak to these issues about.  Another reason I am so grateful for this site.

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You sound fine to me. Do you consider yourself almost stable on the valium now? It does take awhile for the valium to buildup. The mistake I made many years ago is I decided to just stay on the valium after I stabilized. I am paying for it dearly now some 10 years later. After you get good and stable on the valium, I would begin a nice and slow steady taper off it. It will not be easy but nothing like trying to direct taper a benzo like xanax, klonopin, or ativan. I don't see how anyone can direct taper a benzo like klonopin or xanax. I found it impossible and I have been struggling for almost 30 years now.
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I think I am getting closer to being stable.  I still have some daily sedation and periods of heightened anxiety, but like I said, it has only been 5 days and I went from 1.75 mg of ativan to 15 mg of valium.  I know Ashton says 1 mg ativan = 10 mg of valium , which would have made my c/o 17.5 mg of valium, but I thought by the end of six weeks I would try 15 mg instead of 17.5 since conversion rates all differ.

 

I plan on trying to stabilize for 2-3 weeks.  I may have to adjust up to 17.5 mg, I was just hoping I could start at a slightly lower dose of valium to begin taper.  Time will tell.  Either way, I have my mind prepared for a very slow taper.  I will have to make myself practice patience.

 

Thanks again,

Jo

 

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Your calculations sound about right for the ativan. Xanax and klonopin are the two most potent ones. Ativan is sorta in the middle IMO.
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