Hi McNugh: The worst Iv'e ever taken was Lisinopril and even the side effect notations say increased coughing is noted in higher than 20% of people who take if for high blood pressure let alone with copd.

As most I'm hypersensitive to meds and only after I read and re-read the stats on it did it ring a bell . . . I don't take it any more /best hank/

if your dr doesn't want you to take it, then that is where we are not dr's and i always express talking to your dr.
did your dr advise something else that may work better?
obviously you were taking it, why did the dr prescribe it then?
for me lorazapam eases my anxiety and helps me breath when i get "panicky". i also am a severe insomniac so i take 1mg at night to help me sleep.
personally, i am just trying to get through my life as independent and as comfortable as possible.
i have learned that there may be a time i will have to take morphine.
that shocked me that morphine can help COPD patients to breath in the final/later stages.
many dr's still think of morphine as a respiratory depressant and would refuse to give it to a patient.
i enjoy being able to learn these things now while i am healthy enough to discuss my options with my dr.
i don't want to be suffering in my last days & trying to find out what is or isn't "good" for me.
both my pulm & my pcp have said that there may come a time that i may need other medications, such as morphine. scary to me, but that is why i found dr's that i trust.
and i may not need it, but isn't being informed and able to ask your dr about these things nice to know now while still healthy enough to ask.
i took care of my immediate family as they passed away & i know how scary it is to know what is best & what to do (thank god for hospice help)---hopefully if i get educated now about this disease, my kids won't have to go thru "wondering what is best for mom".
remember; just because something works for one person---you should work with your dr to find what works best for you.
:)

Irene -
Since doctors are supposed to treat us as individuals, did he do any tests to see if it affected your breathing in particular - or simply use the corporate disclaimer? Mayhaps ask you how long and why you take it?
Norco and vicodin are often contraindicated in the case of COPD because they "might" depress your breathing. I use Norco and Benadryl for migraine relief.
Ambien or other sedative sleep aids are also contraindicated. I use Ambien nightly.
These drugs are prescribed by my PCP who is also a pulmonologist

Tis a case of weighing the benefits vs risks. If you have frequent panic attacks because of your breathing and have no history of trouble with the drug, I'd lean toward going in and asking what his reasoning is for not allowing you to use the drug other than what the label says. Don't be bullied or ignored - you get a vote in your treatment.

As Jarca says, the drugs we speak of here are nothing to what we use a mite further down the road. Probably won't have to worry about addiction...

Hugs,
Dennis

I was doing ok on lorazepam for anxiety for 2 years--until this dr. told me its not good for people with copd---maybe I should toss a coin --heads I take it again or tails I dont.

I find it quite argumentative and disingenuous to tell you he won't support your staying on lorazepam without offering a viable alternative. Is this your pulmonologist?

he is a therapist who knows alot about meds.But he also is always trying to get me off of ambien.which I refuse to do ---I am going to ask my GP.when I see her in 3 weeks --She will tell me the truth --I have been seeing her for 6 years --Whenever I go to a Dr. other then my own GP.they start the crap about the addiction of ambien and ativan--who cares about the addiction ...Im dying a little every day and am coping pretty good on these meds.So I think these Drs. who think they can preach to me --need to bug off

Tis spot on, Irene. In our case the risk (and consequences) from addiction will be far less as opposed to someone with a temporary condition.
While I'll pray for a cure (and there are some real good prospects on the distant horizon), I'll not sit here and suffer in pain or stay up nights keeping a stiff upper lip because I might become addicted to a medication that helps me cope with a mite of dignity...

Hugs,
Dennis

This is not advice for anyone. It is my personal take on the meds that I choose to use. The doctor and I discuss the med in question and then I decide if I want to use it.

I have taken Lorazepam since May 2008. I started at 1/2 gr per day. Within a couple of years that was not effective and I asked the Doctor to up it to 1 gr once daily ( mostly at night when I could sleep). He complied, In the last year, my breathing is becoming more labored and I once again asked to be able to take 1 gr every 12 hours. Whatever it does to my breathing (slow down), I have adjusted to it just fine.

This is my schedule now and the difference it has made in my comfort level cannot be understated. I have not had any problems with the dosage so I am going to continue until there is a change that I may have to have a heart to heart with the doctor again.

There is no cure for my emphysema and I want to have some level of normalcy to my life, not matter how little .

As I said, this is not to convince anyone to do something against doctors' orders but I consider that my doctor is there for me and I ask the hard questions and he gives me the truth and then I decide.

We all understand that COPD is the "orphan disease", Meaning that the research is not as driven as other diseases. So we do what we have to do to have some quality to each day.

Thank you all for bring "sensitive" or touchy subjects to the board. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs can be frowned upon because it is an emotional and not an illness readily apparent . BUT it is a credible medical problem so use the resources that you have at hand.

My love to each of you and for those that don't like them, love you too.
Anna

Funny really because lorazepam, being an anti anxiety med could in one way ease your ability to breathe expescially if there is an anxiety component to your difficulties. I'm not a doctor of course but I read an ungodly amount on anything that interests me and I've read a fair bit on this and other benzodiazapenes. It is also of course a central nervous system depressant which I think is what your doctor refers to, but if it is not depressing it to a significant extent as in a low to moderate dosage, you should perhaps even get a net benefit. Of course this would be known more about by your pulm doc. I wouldn't trust this to your gp alone unless he's uncommonly sharp. Also it doesn't seem to be too uncommon a drug here and this is of course a copd site so apparently several doctors disagree with yours. Just my two cents.

just something I wanted to tack onto my above opinion.

I don't know the extent of your anxieties, but I can say that with me the two panic attacks I had within the last month disrupted my breathing a hella lot more than the lorazepam did. I thought I was going to straight keel over, my stomach muscles were flexing and locking up, I didn't know whether to sit, or stand or lay down or run a hot bath.... Now lets say I had late stage copd, I think that could cause some really really serious trouble, more than the pill would. Again, just my two cents and for myself I'm not above doing my own research and questioning my doctors reasoning though I know that isn't everyones way. Some docs are awesome smart but ultimately some are just ex medical students.

Why do you think they call it a PRATICE?
They PRATICE on us the PATIENTS who sit PATIENTLY waiting for however long for them to PRATICE their medicine on us.

Hmm, interesting.

ty all for the good advice ...I am now back on lorazepam and I feel gooddddddd

My pulmonologist is the one who put me on lorazepam. It has really helped me the last few years. I only take .5 , but I can take 1.0 if needed. it has actually helped my breathing during difficult breathing days because it relaxes me.

Although this was many years ago, my father's pulmonologist prescribed lorazepam for him.