Propranalol making me too sleepy

[Lady Penelope]

Been on Propranalol for 9 days for anxiety. First couple of days 40mg at night then changed to 20mg morning and evening. I find it is making me sleepy so I was thinking of stopping. For instance went to sleep at 10pm last night and did not wake until 8am then went back to bed at 10am and slept to 11.30 am and again from 2pm to 3.30pm! Every time I sit down I fall asleep.
Anyone else had this reaction with them? And do they need to be tapered off after 9 days or could I just stop? Don't have a GP appointment for another week and don't really want to carry on like this for all that time.
I am also on Fluxoetine (day 28)

[Pipkin]

The question to ask is whether the benefits outweigh the side effects. If not, there's little point taking them. You should discuss with your GP before stopping though.

To answer your question, yes they can make you tired but for me, that's better than bouncing off the walls with anxiety! I find the sedative effect a benefit and quite calming.

Pip

[Lady Penelope]

Thank you. They definitely calm me down but maybe a bit too much. Think it is making me feel quite depressed as I don't have motivation to do anything or even leave the house. I was prescribed 40mg at night but have been splitting the tablet in half so I am taking 20mg twice a day. I found it has helped with the anxiety but maybe the dose it too high for me. Did you find that the side effects wore off after a while of taking them? Maybe I could ask for 10mg when I see the GP
My GP has also prescribed Diazipam to take if I feel really bad but obviously they are not a long term solution. I am hoping that once he Fluxoetine kicks in I won't need anything else. I find the Propranalol makes my blood pressure quite low as well (109/69) this afternoon and my heart rate drops to 55 -60.
I would be interested in other people's experiences as I am new to all these medications and I suppose it's about getting the right dose/combination. I a. The sort of person who reacts to medication and I always take a lower dose of things.

[SLA]

I really like Propanalol, but I dont take them every day.

Only on stressful days, when I know that lots of stuff is going on.

They can make you feel a little lethargic, and its difficult to exercise with them.

But I really find them beneficial some days.

[Pipkin]

When I'm feeling bad, I take 40mg 3 times a day so your dose is quite a bit lower. I think you're probably overthinking it as you're monitoring your pulse and BP, anticipating them to be low which is making you worry.

Propranolol is great for the physical symptoms of anxiety and it's a good resource to take when needed. I doubt that you'll need it very often when your fluoxetine has kicked in fully.

To answer your question, I only get mild side effects with propranolol and I rarely take them for more than a few days at a time so I haven't noticed if the SE get better. Others may know but I'm guessing they do as is the case with a lot of meds.

Try not to think about it too much and practise some relaxation techniques.

Pip

[Lady Penelope]

Thank you for the replies. Had in my head that they needed to be taken every day but see that lots if people on the forums take them when needed. Will chat to doc about it next week.

[Lady Penelope]

So I have decided not to take the Propranalol on a regular basis and just when I need it. Did not take one last night or this morning. However I was on another beta blocker, Bisoprolol, since the end of April and just swooped to Propranalol by GP on 27th september. I am not sure about tapering off? I was only on 1.25 bisoporil and GP said I could just stop them and start the Propranalol straight away. I have been on 40 mg Propranalol a day for last 9 days. Can't get a GP appointment until next Thursday and am unsure what to do in the meantime. I have had one 20mg dose tonight and 20mg yesterday - only because I was unsure about stopping without tapering off. Would be grateful for anyone's opinion

[Mermaid16]

Thank you. They definitely calm me down but maybe a bit too much. Think it is making me feel quite depressed as I don't have motivation to do anything or even leave the house. I was prescribed 40mg at night but have been splitting the tablet in half so I am taking 20mg twice a day. I found it has helped with the anxiety but maybe the dose it too high for me. Did you find that the side effects wore off after a while of taking them? Maybe I could ask for 10mg when I see the GP
My GP has also prescribed Diazipam to take if I feel really bad but obviously they are not a long term solution. I am hoping that once he Fluxoetine kicks in I won't need anything else. I find the Propranalol makes my blood pressure quite low as well (109/69) this afternoon and my heart rate drops to 55 -60.
I would be interested in other people's experiences as I am new to all these medications and I suppose it's about getting the right dose/combination. I a. The sort of person who reacts to medication and I always take a lower dose of things.

Hi Mazza. Your blood pressure is in the normal limits (60-90) and (90-140). When I first had my anxiety return, my heart rate was about 55bpm. I ended up going to emergency because I thought there was something wrong with me, they said that even though it is low, it may be normal for me, also I have read that anxiety over a long period of time can make your heart rate slower (weird when you think that a panic attack seems to make it race). Other than that I have no idea about the medication you are taking. Tracy

[Lady Penelope]

Well I managed to get a telephone appointment with the doc and she says I should not just stop beta blockers as I have been on them since April so should reduce gradually. She said I can take 10 mg twice a day and then drop to once a day as see how I feel.

[Kuatir]

Follow the doctors advice, but here is my experience:

I was put on 40mg Propanalol twice daily. I did this for two weeks and my GP said I could just stop and only take them when feeling particularly anxious. I am on no other meds. I find this works great, I tend to keep them at home though so I can't just immediately swallow one if things get bad. This helps we try to deal with the sitution with other learnt skills (mindfullness, CBT, etc.). I did go back onto 40mg a day when my son was born, but I stopped again as soon as I felt I could. That was March this year and I've probably taken 5-6 since.

[Lady Penelope]

I tried 40 mg when I first got them and they made me feel so sleepy but then I was supposed to be taking one every day. I will give the 10mg a try and see how I go. I also have Diazipam for when things get really bad but usually try to keep them for emergencies. I usually only take 1 or 2mg at a time and maybe only take them once or twice a week. I think we are all the same that we want to manage on the least medication possible! I am having one to one CBT which I am finding helpful and I have also joined the headspace online programme for online mindfulness which is also good. I am reading all the books I can get my hands on about anxiety and they all basically say they same thing in a different way.
Good luck to you