Propranolol Beta Blocker for anxiety

[Day After Today]

Anyone tried this before to help with anxiety?

 

thanks

[Jeen]

When you are anxious, your brain becomes more active and alert. Your brain may then make more of the chemical messengers called noradrenaline and adrenaline. These will then cause your body to have a faster heart rate, shake, sweat etc. and make you feel more anxious. The beta-blockers reduce the effect of these transmitters and so reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety. There are other drug treatments for anxiety e.g. the benzodiazepines (diazepam etc.).

 

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[Day After Today]

thanks for the info Jeen, much appreciated!!!!

[dragon lady]

I took Propranolol for a heart condition at one point (I'm fine now) and at the time I had no idea it was even used for anxiety, which is interesting because I suffer from quite bad anxiety. Anyway, I didn't like the drug when I was on it. I remember being on a week long trip with some friends and all I wanted to do was sleep. I couldn't get excited about anything.

[live.ur.life]

Anxiety is triggered by a certain behavior. Whatever is triggering your anxiety needs to be worked on. You have to desensitize yourself to whatever is triggering it in you.

 

Also, this drug that you speak of, was it prescribed to you? I have worked with this drug many times before (past patients have been on it) and it is used to lower your B/P. It is a very dangerous drug, as all cardiac medications can be. It is used to block the beta receptors of the heart. Coreg is a common beta blocker prescribed to patients. Just be careful if you plan on taking this stuff, you will want to stay under doctors care.

[Day After Today]

Thanks for the replies....I'm on antidepressants and they help ease my anxiety too..this is just something else my doc thought could help....not planing on taking them every day just if I'm having a really tough day...

 

thanks for your help!!

[tiredofvampires]

Yes, I use propranolol for anxiety. Years ago I was on a benzodiazepine (alprazolam) for anxiety/panic type of symptoms, and after a while I felt it had bad rebound effects; and propranolol actually had much more of the desired effect without bad side effects. It's non-addictive, unlike anti-anxiety meds, too, so that's another good thing about it. As meds go, it's quite a bit more innocuous that psychiatric drugs. You just have to make sure it doesn't drop your blood pressure too much, but that's not ever been a problem with me, with the small doses I take from time to time.

 

I use it now when my heart's racing and I feel "amped" or upset and can't calm down. I've been really impressed with it.

[tiredofvampires]

It is a very dangerous drug, as all cardiac medications can be. It is used to block the beta receptors of the heart.

 

My doctors have all told me that it's quite safe, and since I am SUPER sensitive to medications and have bad side effects from virtually all of them, one would think if this was extremely dangerous, I would have had more in the way of side effects by now. I take only low doses though, and only occasionally. It depends how much you take of course, but at low doses, I've been able to address physiological symptoms of anxiety without lowering my BP.

 

I agree with you though that underlying causes for anxiety should be addressed as well.

[karvala]

For short-term or long-term occasional use in a patient with no underlying cardiovascular condition, it's quite safe. If you have a CV condition, you shouldn't take them except under specialist supervision. I vaguely recall something about long-term regular use having implications for diabetes risk, but I have to admit my memory is a bit hazy on that one.