Would sure like to hear your opinions. I get palpitations very often. Three years ago I had a Holter monitor, Echo. and a Nuclear stress test. Tests showed that I have MVP and had at one time suffered a silent heart attack. I am experiencing the palpitations again with lightheadness at times. When I take xanax, the palpitaions are completely gone. If I don't take the xanax, the palps will last for many hours. Would xanax help if the problem was with the heart and not anxiety related? Thanks.

It might help with both, but probably more likely to help with anxiety related "palpitations."

Xanax will not help your heart, just calm you down so your palps are most likely not heart related.

Anxiety is one of the major causes of palpitations. If the anxiety subsides due to the xanax, it is likely the palps may too subside...but this is not true for everyone.

You may do better on a longer lasting maintenence type benzo like Klonopin. I know it has helped me A LOT. I still get Palps..but I do not obsess about them which makes them so much worse.

The more you think about them, the more they happen. I know that for a fact!!

Oh benzos certainly DO relax your nervous system. But I believe that palps are many times created by adrenaline and a sensitive nervous system and so is anxiety. It is all related. So by that process, yes, xanax may help papls.

:bouncing:

Thank You all so much for taking the time to answer my question. I really appreciate it. I sure gain alot from this board and the feedback that is given.

Does anyone think a beta-blocker might also help his problem in the same way a xanax would?

Kimah,

And valium (dizepam) is much longer lasting than xanax. I can take valium for 2 days and remain relaxed for most of the week.) I think it is the IDEAL benzo but it's the really GOOD drugs that are so easy to get hooked on. :D

The reason the medical profession gave thumbs down to valium was that too many old-timers remained under its effect for a long time, exactly what made it a great drug.
So now they push the fast hit crap like Ativan (lorazepam)...the worst WORST benzo on the market, IMHO!

Anything that really makes us feel really good, is soon viewed as anathema by the medical profession. Must be the Puritan roots in the U.S....drugs are supposed to make us feel AWFUL.

I have been taking lorazepan off and on for about 3 months. It seems to help me relax but i have noticed that since ive been taking this sometimes i feel worse in different ways. I notice that i have alot of weakness off and on in my arms i dont know if that is due to the medicine or not, has anyone else noticed this while taking lorazepan? My doctor ask me on my last visit if i would like to switch to xanax and i said no since i already know how the lorazepan effects me, but that was before this weakness started.

I have taken xanax, ativan, and klonopin. All benzos. I took xanax off and on (as needed) for a couple years. Then they switched me to ativan, not sure why - had a strange psychiatrist at the time. Anyway, I have had an Rx for ativan for probably 7 years now. I will go months without taking it..then take it everyday for a week or two. I do not seem to have any dependancy issues with it and it is not losing effectivness at a low dose. However, about 6 months ago I started taking Klonopin on a daily basis (2-3 times a day). My newer psychiatrist (who I think is a marvel) said it is the best med for me and very very safe. Ativan has a half life of about 4 hours. Klonopin, about 40 hours. It is a maintenence drug for me and has changed my life. All drugs work different on different people. But I can say that this drug is fabulous and I would suggest it to anyone who is taking a short lived benzo on a daily basis. I still during VERY stressful times take .25mg -.50mg of ativan once in a great while.

Anywho...JMO...

confused,

Ask your doctor for diazepam instead. I'll bet you'll like it a lot.