Atrial fib benzo related?

Things are going from bad to worse.

 

I spent last night in the ER due to arrythmias that were diagnosed as atrial fib. My heart was going crazy all day with palpitations but the scary thing was my heart was actually stopping for up to 5 seconds and beating totally out of sync. I also felt like I was dying and thought I was. I almost hoped I was because I've had it with this.

 

I've had arrythmias before but never this bad. This is life threatening because atrial fib can cause strokes. I was given a beta blocker which I refuse to take. They're as bad as the problem itself. I have to see a cardiologist urgently in the next week and was told to come straight back to the ER if I go into AF again.

 

Its not good. Did the valium wd cause this?

 

If so this is very good reason to go back on. I never had life threating cardiac events while on benzo's.

Gussy i came by because i don't want you to think, aha, now morreweg is hiding.

 

i know you don't want to hear this but i had about 48 hours of AF but did not go

to the ER because i was on the phone to a help line in england and was told to hang on.

its wd and it will pass.

and this took place about 6 weeks after my last Benzo. so since valium has such a long half

life  it would explain the timing i think.

 

i seriously believe life threating cardiac events are part of wd.

may be somone will come along with similar experiences . i am sorry Gussy,

its so scary i know, i've been through it all, still alive and doing much better.

 

Thanks Morreweg.

 

It is scary because AF can kill you. It causes strokes and heart failure. They gave me beta blockers which I don't want to start.

 

This is a nightmare.

Thanks Morreweg.

 

It is scary because AF can kill you. It causes strokes and heart failure. They gave me beta blockers which I don't want to start.

 

This is a nightmare.

 

i know Gussy. i remember it , i thought i was going to die. i called the help line every hour

and told her i am going to die and she said you are not , and i kept my house unlocked

day and night, just in case.

 

but hey, i am out of this hell, no meds at all for the last 10 months ,still in wd but

oh boy, i can laugh again , i can't explain the feeling to you, its so good,

its like freedom out of this benzo cage. no more prescriptions. fantastic.

how would one say.........cool man.

 

Morreweg

You had life threatening symptoms and somebody told you not to go to er ? That doesn't sound right.

Gussy

Why not take the beta blocker?

Morreweg

You had life threatening symptoms and somebody told you not to go to er ? That doesn't sound right.

Gussy

Why not take the beta blocker?

 

i am forever grateful that they told me not to go to the ER. if you read all

the posts where people went to the ER, you will see that they don't believe its part of wd

and will put you on more meds .

 

by the way , i am 12 months off, my heart works better than ever, my Bp  is sooooooo

back to normal, (had to take a med for high Bp for 3 years), no idea it was due to the

benzo crap.

 

but i shall stop trying to convince people how good it is to get off Benzos

because its taking too much of my strength. i am still a bit weak after this horrifying

ordeal i had to experince. i think i've done my best.

ciao

Take the damn beta blocker..

All meds are not created equal. There is nothing wrong with having serious symptoms checked out.

All meds are not created equal. There is nothing wrong with having serious symptoms checked out.

 

by all means bobo and i was just talking about my experience. i was just explaining

one of the sxs of benzo wd and not preventing someone to go to the ER.

Gussy,

 

No matter what the cause of heart issues are, it is important to take them seriously.  I personally don't have any experience with beta blockers except that I know many musicians take them before a performance for performance anxiety.  I also know of several members who take them for various reasons.  If it were me, I think I would listen to my doctors now and from what I know beta blockers are not bad medicines for symptoms like yours.

 

pianogirl

I'm on a beta blocker for hypertension (atenolol), and I agree with Pianogirl.  Beta-blockers reduce heart rate and also block the physical aspects of anxiety, and I know that being on one has really helped me get through the worst part of withdrawal.  I would guess that you've been prescribed a relatively low dose, and IMO it would be beneficial for you.  You might have to taper off eventually, but it would be a very fast and uneventful taper when compared to benzo withdrawal.

 

The beta blocker will help your heart and also help your anxiety about your heart and your anxiety in general. Don't mess around with cardiac issue. ER folks always take cardiac issues seriously whether they are brought on by w/d or not. Cardiac issues are something they can see on an ekg and they know how to treat them.

 

Take the beta blocker.

 

Okatz

Yeah I gave in and took it. Its called sotalol.

 

My cardiologist said that benzo wd can cause tachycardia but NOT AF. Therefore I must've had it all along and the wd just exposed it.

 

Therefore I'll likely need to take the heart medicine for life. Does this sound right?

Not necessarily gussy, a lot of people manage arrhythmias without taking meds for it, in many different ways, but for now, your SXSs could he bad enough to agitate your afib to the point that taking the betablocker would really help you in many ways during this time, you could very well not need it once you're through the withdrawal/SXS time.... Just take it for now, it will give you a break in your SXS symptoms..

Guzzy, may I ask how old you are? x

37.