Ive been taking Beta Blockers (Propanalol) for past 3 years, for various reasons ,including side effects, I decided to slowly come off them and by Sept this year all gone and out of my system. (Liaised with doctor to do this)
Problem is my anxiety has come raging back full force over the past few weeks, probably worse than before, serious dizziness, rage, tired, confusion and so on. I have not been a nice person to be around recently which is upsetting me.
I have been seeing a psychotherapist for past 9 weeks who has diagnosed me Complex-PTSD and says I have a long road of recovery ahead of me. Problem is I can't take being continually tortured by my brain and body whilst this recovery starts. I have tried, but 12 weeks free of meds has left me a nervous wreck.
I need to go back to my doctor for medication as Im seriously on the edge of a nervous breakdown but I dont know what to ask him for. He just wants to feed everyone anti depressants, but Im not depressed.... I dont know if Beta blockers were good for me in the first place so Im just reaching out here for some suggestions.... Best types of Anxiety Medication :whistles:
Thanks in advance for any info :yesyes:
Hi Special K,
Psychotropics are a fickle thing. What works for one person may not work for another. One may work for a while and crap out on you.
My daughter suffers from anxiety and depression. She was on Zoloft (Sertraline) and it worked great fro her. It crapped out. She went through three meds and all the withdraw/cross-tapering side effects until she found one that works and now she's doing great. She also is in therapy. I personally used Zoloft for some depression after my 1st heart attack and it really helped. My sister has been on Prozac for close to ten years and just added a 2nd med.
I personally don't suffer from anxiety but due to some serious health issues with myself and my wife, I've been using some anti-anxiety meds. I used Buspar and as needed benzos and they helped. At this point I'm not taking anything but I know it's there if needed.
Best to discuss this with your doctor and along with your psychotherapist, come up with a med game plan that will work for you.
Positive thoughts
ADs not only work on depression but also for anxiety, some better at one than the other. You do need to go back to your doctor and discuss. He may just put you back on propanolol which helped before. Go and make that appointment now.
ADs not only work on depression but also for anxiety, some better at one than the other. You do need to go back to your doctor and discuss. He may just put you back on propanolol which helped before. Go and make that appointment now.
Thanks, got a phone appointment booked for the morning, couldn't deal with going into the crowded waiting room feeling like this. Last time my bp shot up to 180 / 90 waiting in their and I was feeling ok before I got into the crowded room from hell.
Ive got a box of propanalol in the cupboard but I found they can make me really dizzy at times so thats why I'm looking at other medical options whilst my body is free of chemicals. I did try calcium channel blockers but they where very weird things that made me glow purple and be red hot all the time :roflmao:
Ive been taking Beta Blockers (Propanalol) for past 3 years, for various reasons ,including side effects, I decided to slowly come off them and by Sept this year all gone and out of my system. (Liaised with doctor to do this)
Problem is my anxiety has come raging back full force over the past few weeks, probably worse than before, serious dizziness, rage, tired, confusion and so on. I have not been a nice person to be around recently which is upsetting me.
I have been seeing a psychotherapist for past 9 weeks who has diagnosed me Complex-PTSD and says I have a long road of recovery ahead of me. Problem is I can't take being continually tortured by my brain and body whilst this recovery starts. I have tried, but 12 weeks free of meds has left me a nervous wreck.
I need to go back to my doctor for medication as Im seriously on the edge of a nervous breakdown but I dont know what to ask him for. He just wants to feed everyone anti depressants, but Im not depressed.... I dont know if Beta blockers were good for me in the first place so Im just reaching out here for some suggestions.... Best types of Anxiety Medication :whistles:
Thanks in advance for any info :yesyes:
Antidepressants are the most common medication that doctors use to treat anxiety. I've been on Propranolol before, I was on them for a few years, until they seemed to of stopped working for me. Propranolol was great for the physical symptoms of anxiety but it never really helped me with the mental side of it such as the anxious thoughts. A few months ago my anxiety became so bad that Propranolol unfortunately wasn't doing anything for me. It lead myself to eventually start developing depressed feelings and I too felt I was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. At one point I was worrying all the time about really silly things which I shouldn't of been worrying about, I was having constant arguments with everyone, I felt angry and agitated and felt like I was not myself.
Since then, my GP put me on Fluoxetine which is an antidepressant. Like you, I was concerned about going on antidepressants as at the time as I wouldn't of considered myself to be clinically depressed. But my GP told me that antidepressants are great for anxiety if you find the right one. The first few weeks of an antidepressant can make you feel worse than better. It's not an instant fix, you have to wait about 6-8 weeks time for the medication to kick in and you may have side effects at first which do tend to go away after a few weeks. The side effects I had was tiredness and weight loss. I've been on Fluoxetine now for about four months now and I have to say it has changed my life. I no longer have the extreme anxiety I use to have, it has helped me control my anxious thoughts, I'm no longer angry all the time, it has made me more happier and more positive in myself. I would say for me it took two to three months for it to completely change my life.
If your psychotherapist thinks it's going to be a long road to recovery, then in the mean time, why not have a chat to your doctor about alternative medication such as antidepressants. You could take medication for say a few months or a year or so and then tamper off the medication when you feel your therapy is getting you well again. Some people maybe on this kind of medication for life and others will eventually come off medication. For me, it doesn't matter whether I'm on Fluoxetine for life. I would rather live anxiety free and be on medication, rather than not be on medication and be full of the anxiety I use to feel which stopped me from living a normal life. :)
Bike Rider
05-12-16, 19:18
As Punkyfish has said, Propranolol hits the physical symptoms of anxiety not the mental issues, but getting the physical ones under control can have an effect on your mental state as you feel easier.
My GP put me on them and told me not to worry about them as they are a generally prescribed drug for many issues, so they are well tested and I too would sooner take something for life, than suffer without them.
So phone call with doctor this morning...... told him the above (he's no stranger to my problem) and he decides a course of medication called 'Rewisca' should be good for me. Tells me it will take a week for it to kick in so if I want to take propanalol at the same time for some relief from the torture of anxiety symptoms then this will be fine.
Ive got various doses of propanalol at home so I take half a capsule of a low dose and within half hour I can feel the relief on its way, its a nice feeling :D
Collected the meds from the chemist and the 'Rewisca' box was a big box saying eat 2 a day. I dont know why but I felt compelled to read the side effects before eating any of these bad boys.....Im so glad I did as I wouldn't touch these with a barge pole !! Strap in, some of these are frightening.
REWISCA - Possible side effects
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
Dizziness, drowsiness, headache.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Increased appetite.
Feeling of elation, confusion, disorientation, decrease in sexual interest, irritability.
Disturbance in attention, clumsiness, memory impairment, loss of memory, tremor, difficulty with speaking, tingling feeling, numbness, sedation, lethargy, insomnia, fatigue, feeling abnormal.
Blurred vision, double vision.
Vertigo, problems with balance, fall.
Dry mouth, constipation, vomiting, flatulence, diarrhoea, nausea, swollen abdomen.
Difficulties with erection.
Swelling of the body including extremities.
Feeling drunk, abnormal style of walking.
Weight gain.
Muscle cramp, joint pain, back pain, pain in limb.
Sore throat.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Loss of appetite, weight loss, low blood sugar, high blood sugar.
Change in perception of self, restlessness, depression, agitation, mood swings, difficulty finding words, hallucinations, abnormal dreams, panic attacks, apathy, aggression, elevated mood, mental impairment, difficulty with thinking, increase in sexual interest, problems with sexual functioning including inability to achieve a sexual climax, delayed ejaculation.
Changes in eyesight, unusual eye movement, changes in vision including tunnel vision, flashes of light, jerky movements, reduced reflexes, increased activity, dizziness on standing, sensitive skin, loss of taste, burning sensation, tremor on movement, decreased consciousness, loss of consciousness, fainting, increased sensitivity to noise, feeling unwell.
Dry eyes, eye swelling, eye pain, weak eyes, watery eyes, eye irritation.
Heart rhythm disturbances, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, changes in heartbeat, heart failure.
Flushing, hot flushes.
Difficulty breathing, dry nose, nasal congestion.
Increased saliva production, heartburn, numb around mouth.
Sweating, rash, chills, fever.
Muscle twitching, joint swelling, muscle stiffness, pain including muscle pain, neck pain.
Breast pain.
Difficulty with or painful urination, incontinence.
Weakness, thirst, chest tightness.
Changes in blood and liver test results (blood creatinine phosphokinase increased, alanine amino transferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, platelet count decreased, neutropaenia, increase in blood creatinine, decrease in blood potassium).
Hypersensitivity, swollen face, itchiness, hives, runny nose, nose bleed, cough, snoring.
Painful menstrual periods.
Coldness of hands and feet.
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Abnormal sense of smell, swinging vision, altered perception of depth, visual brightness, vision loss.
Dilated pupils, cross eyes.
Cold sweat, tightness of the throat, swollen tongue.
Inflammation of the pancreas.
Difficulty in swallowing.
Slow or reduced movement of the body.
Difficulty with writing properly.
Increased fluid in the abdomen.
Fluid in the lungs
Convulsions
Changes in the recording of electrical changes (ECG) in the heart which correspond to heart rhythm disturbances
Muscle damage.
Breast discharge, abnormal breast growth, breast growth in males.
Interrupted menstrual periods.
Kidney failure, reduced urine volume, urinary retention.
Decrease in white blood cell count.
Inappropriate behaviour.
Allergic reactions (which may include difficulty breathing, inflammation of the eyes (keratitis) and a serious skin reaction characterized by rash, blisters, peeling skin and pain).
The underlined are symptoms I can get with no medication
The Bold are the outrageous side effects that need serious consideration.
BETA-PROGRANE - possible side effects
Common side effects (affects less than 1 in 10 people)
Feeling tired (often transient)
Slow heart rate
Cold hands and feet
Poor blood circulation which makes the toes and fingers numb and pale (Raynauds syndrome)
Disturbed sleep or nightmares
Uncommon side effects (affects less than 1 in 100 people)
Feeling sick (nausea) Being sick (vomiting) Diarrhoea
Rare side effects (affects less than 1 in 1,000 people)
Dizziness
Reduction in blood platelets, which increases the risk of bleeding or bruising
Worsening of heart failure, which can cause shortness of breath or ankle swelling
Start of heart block, which may cause an abnormal heart beat, dizziness, tiredness or fainting
Low blood pressure especially when going from sitting or lying position to standing up, which may cause light−headedness, fainting or dizziness
Worsening of pain and/or cramping in the lower leg (intermittent claudication)
Seeing or hearing things that are not real (hallucinations or psychosis)
Mood changes
Confusion
Purplish marks on your skin
Hair loss
Common skin condition known as psoriasis which causes scaly pink patches or worsening of the condition Skin rashes
Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
Dry eyes
Disturbances of vision
Very rare side effects (affects less than 1 in 10,000 people)
Low levels of sugar in the blood (hypoglycaemia). This can happen in people with or without diabetes. This includes infants, children, elderly people, people on artificial kidneys (haemodialysis) or people taking medicines for diabetes. It may also happen if you are fasting or in people with long−term liver disease
Increase in ANA (Antinuclear Antibodies − detected through blood test)
Severe muscle weakness or worsening of the condition (myasthenia gravis)
The underlined are symptoms I can get with no medication
The Bold are the outrageous side effects that need serious consideration.
Clearly the Beta-Prograne (propanalol) have hardly any side effects by comparison to the Rewisca but I draw the line at vision loss, heart failure and Kidney failure, Im not consuming any meds that have that as a direct side effect NB:Worsening of heart failure needs heart failure to begin with.
Im hoping a run on propanalol and therapy with my psychotherapist is the route forward for me here :unsure:
Not uncommon... Google pharmaceutical commercials (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTZvnAF7UsA)in the US. Fun eh? Listen to the long list of side effects. Same deal... They have to list them by law. Everyone is different and the vast majority benefit.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
Positive thoughts
Just want to add: I'm a cancer survivor. If you want to read about side effects, why don't you look up side effects from radiation to the neck and throat and the side effects of Cisplatin! There are side effects with every medication from aspirin to whatever. What you have to do is weigh the risks with the benefits. I could have refused the meds and it would have cost me my life! I have permanent side effects but I'm alive. If a bit of dry mouth or a couple other minor side effects (as most are) is worth reducing your anxiety level, then give it a try! Worst case is you stop or change meds. It's either that or keep going as you are.
Positive thoughts
Catherine S
07-12-16, 03:07
Special K, I took propranolol from 2007 until last year at 80mg a day in the first year and 40mg after, but the side effects from them were awful. I now take another beta blocker called Bisoprolol at 40mg, and they've been a lifesaver to be honest, minimal side effects I took tranquilisers many years ago but vowed never again after withdrawing badly from them so beta blockers have been a really good alternative for my anxiety. I also suffer with heart palpitations and they really help with these. If you're concerned about taking propranolol again, ask about some of the others available. Propranolol is the oldest of them and perhaps one of the more modern beta blockers could suit you better.
ISB x
I regret not having seen and read the post by Special K before now re' Rewisca, but then I have only just registered here in response to a Google search, which brought me to this site.
Further, I have been on Rewisca 50mg three times per day for two weeks as a treatment for GAD by my GP. Also prescribed Zolpidem for insomnia since that time, but this cannot be re-prescribed.
GP advised to take last 2 doses of Rewisca (100mg) last thing because it induces sleepiness or is a somnulent.
A restless overnight with no sleep and fell into a state of half being awake and half "drunk". Whole day stayed in bed as couldn't get out.
Rewisca is THE worst drug on the market for GAD and should have a health warning NOT to take it.
Came off cold turkey as just couldn't take it again and now have some horrendous withdrawals: chronic fatigue nerve spasms and twitches in my legs and occasional "zap-like" electrical signals across my Brain/felt in the scalp.
NEVER EVER take Rewisca FOR ANY REASON, as a Panic attack is infinitely better.
SPECIAL K is absolutely right in this thread. BE WARNED.
bluesunset
28-03-17, 02:25
like you i used to take beta blockers, anxiety was doing some crazy stuff to my heart rate. they did help with the physical parts of my anxiety, but when i weaned off, anxiety did come back. i started on lexapro afterwards and its going pretty good.
i dont know your situation so i cant speak for u personally, but generally, id say that betablockers arent the best to take long term, id personally go with an antidepressant (SSRI), they really do help with anxiety.
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