i have loraz also. to be taken 3x a day PRN.
i take one late evening when i'm ready to settle down & one in the wee morning hours to help me sleep. (insomniac so am awake)
i only take mine during the day if i am having really bad anxiety or now if my pulse starts racing, but at those times i don't drive.

i find that taking it, the 8 hours apart 2 times at night seems to bring down anxiety that i normally dont need the daytime one.

also; different anxiety pills (benzodiazapenes) have different effects on people, even in the same class.
valium or xanax makes me too tired & druggy feeling (which might help my insomnia, but i don't like the feeling)
the loraz worked best for me as i didn't feel so druggy on it.
i know others that say the loraz made them druggy & xanax doesn't so i think it's working with your dr to find the right one for you.
and yes, after being on it awhile i think the body adjusts.

ps. lack of 02 affects brain also. i've gotten so senile i can't remember if i'm coming or going any more---it's very frustrating!

I hate to sound like I'm bragging but iwhen not medicated I function in the lower genius range. Today I feel like a drooling idiot who has to think out each step as I perform it to do anything. I just feel like I've lost another part of me....like grief. My life consists of only going to work 6 days a week no matter how badly I feel and shopping for groceries on the way home and sitting inside my house mostly alone till time to work again so it wasn't like I'm leaving an exciting life behind but I hate sleeping my non work hours away. I will say that breathing wise I feel less worry about will I get my next breath.....what a trade off.

Walking into any doctor's surgery in Oz you will see a conspicuous sign saying NO BENZOS will be prescribed....After 2 years being on Valium and Xanax was quite confronting at first....Luckily I never experienced any ''withdrawal'' symptoms and their replacements Lexapro and Cymbalta, seem to be doing the job quite well.

Peter

OMG is this what they call BENZOs or BENNIES? That's some hard stuff. The extent of my drug experimentation ever has been alcohol (UGH!!!!!) and pot. Never cared to try any pharmaceutical drugs. Sure wish to hell I was in Calif. or As or Oregon or any state that would let me vaporize some pot. If I didn't have to work I would do it anyway but afraid of test at work.

Pot smoked or medically administered is known to be quite beneficial, but where do you draw the line between relaxation and addiction? besides it not doing, whats left of our lungs, any favours. if smoked...

Arguably detoxing off prescription drugs including certain pain meds, is much harder than the usual drugs or alcohol...Giving up cigs is right up there with them....

Just my take......Peter

lorazepam also known as Ativan, so you can look it up...I take my Husbands Kalonipin from time to time when I cannot sleep. (insomnia). He takes it ONLY AT BEDTIME for his anxiety...Let me tell ya, its some kind of "high"....Just be careful while on it...Maybe after you get over this recent hurdle, you can find a schedule to take it on, that wont interfere with you functioning normally when you want too....

Or maybe see about taking a half dose (or cutting the pill if able) that way you can take it at lower doses but more frequently. without the drug effect feelings being as bad...Ask your Dr. about it...you need something for the anxiety, but you would also like to function.

in the discussion search on here we've discussed these a few times
antianxiety meds vs.antidepressants

i found this one as a fairly recent one;
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/COPD_Emphysema/forum/18626645-antidpressents-because-your-illness

i love the upper, downer, benzo, bennies, pot terms----can tell we all grew up in "the hippi" era LOL

by the way google them;
bennies were "speed"= Benzedrine (diet pills)
benzo's are"downers" = Benzodiazepine (tranquilizer/antianxiety)

then ya got the whole new class of SSRI's & NSRI's that are antidepressants which qwapo referred to that started with "prozac" and are a "psychotropic"
.
i personally don't want to go thru alocoholic or any drug withdrawals, so i will follow my dr instructions and P.R.N.

Beat alcohol over 27 years ago without a single relapse so I'm not weak minded but the cigs have a death grip....no pun intended. There are extra chemicals in them just to keep you addicted. Should be illegal!

A thought I just had is you put up with this bad breathing for how many days? So, you are more than likely physically exhausted, even though you slept a bunch. That, combined with no appetite and a new drug would more than likely make your system extra sensitive to the drug I would think, and your body is probably telling you even w/o the drug to sleep so it can heal from what it's been through.
Food and sleep.
Just my .02 on things
Healing thoughts your way~

Hi,
You might want to try 1/2 pill, if it can be halved, until you see your doctor. Then you can ask him to adjust the dosage, and also ask if the effects will eventually go away. The drug companies did add more nicotine, and it is harder to quit now then like in my mom's smoking years. But the only thing keeping one addicted, is one's self. I went thru that and a million more excuses, before I said it is time......Hugs
BJ

Thanks guys.....promises you was spot on. Once I caught up on some sleep and eased my mind by seeing a Dr and got med to relax I slept which helped my heal better than any drug or shot.