taking propanolol and scared of side effects im getting

[kellybean1981]

ive been on propanolol for nearly 2 weeks because i stated to feel anxious in the evenings which lead to being short of breath and panic attacks
the first week i felt fantastic, i was able to get to sleep within minutes of being in bed however im now in to my second week and its worse than ever.

my throat feels constantly swollen, but there is nothing wrong ...no pain , no visible swelling etc, very dry mouth, almost forcing any swallowing of saliva and feeling very anxious. this feels even worse at night when i lie down, i then become very restless and feel i cant swallow and breath. Obviously i can as im here to tell the tale but it doesnt make you feel very good at the time throat lol
ive been to 3 doctors in 48hrs about it and they have all said its anxiety and upped my dosage, but then i lost all sensation in my lips and throat.
has anyone else had similair siide effets and do they dissapear over the weeks.

i was put on these as i was scared of being unale to breath at night which caused the panick attacks but now im stuck in a visous circle as i start to panic becasue my throat is uncomfortably swollen.

any help would be fantastic!!!!

[Newton]

Hi
I've taken propranolol for quite a long time. I do get a very dry mouth but am never sure if it's a side effect or an anxiety symptom. I am the same as you. My throat closure feels worst when I lie down in bed. I take extra dose about 20 minutes before bed and it sometimes helps. Not always. Since joining this forum I've had some benefit from taking the advice to keep my tongue off the roof of my mouth. This is the only self help tip that has worked for me.
I'm afraid that if your doctor is like mine, then they will just keep upping your dose until it starts to work.
My doctor let's me take as many as I need! I don't have to stick to a set routine. Some days I don't need as many as others.
I'm sorry I couldn't really help. X

[kellybean1981]

Ah thanks for the advice, im glad its not just me.
i think it was a side efect as this week i seem to be fine. i have uped the dosage and am into my 3rd week of taking them so think my body was getting used to them.
however i still get a similair thing when i become anxious so think its a bit of both. luckily its not as bad as what i was getting last week.
IM deffinately having a better week on them than last!
xx

[spongebob]

Hi Kelly

Hope you're feeling better today. I have the same symptom and am also on Propranolol, but I think it's a symptom of the anxiety and not the medication.

My GP told me that she thought it was Globus that I was describing. Basically to me it feels like I have a cold with phlegm at the back of my throat which I can't get rid of.

Heres a little info on Globus;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globus_Pharyngis

As you see it says "It may also be caused by anxiety disorders".

I think it's because the anxiety makes your throat muscles tense and where you keep swallowing because of the phlegm feeling it actually can produce phlegm.

Anyway my GP recommended that I try using Flixonase the nasal spray, which would help open the airways up and stop me producing excess phlegm - it seems to work, I use it when I have a particularly bad throat feeling and it seems to help!

Hope it helps.

Matt