prescribed beta blockers? panicing about taking them

[nic x]

iv just been givin beta blockers propranolol 80mg, from my g.p, as i suffer panic and anxiety episodes, im also currently taking 20mg citolaphram, and wud like to here if anyone takes the same? iv never taken a bete blocker yet, had them for 4 days, really need something to help me through this but just so scared incase it affects my breathing, as iv read i can!! im not ashmatic or have any other breathing problems, although i do smoke, i would love to hear from anyone who has felt this way, and anyone who takes or has done to help them in the past, please xx

[springblossom]

I've also been prescribed beta blockers and I'm afraid to take them because I suffer from breathlessness and closing throat sensations. I feel that the GP's don't take this condition seriously and we're fobbed of with any old sub-standard treatment.

[nic x]

did your g.p describe them to u? mine did and they sounded great, just what i needed, but as soon as i came home waited for my next attack and just couldn't take one!! now when im thinking of taking one im panicing more!!

[jenfromdenver]

ive never taken beta blockers, but i was prescribed muscle relaxers for my tension headaches and refused to take those because of the side effects. they can cause heart problems and im already so fixated on my heart it just wasnt going to happen.

i would suggest taking them when you have someone else around, that way if you have a side effect or soemthing happens youre not alone. that makes me feel better about trying new meds. I generally spend a night or two at my parents house whenever mine get switched (which is happening alot lately).

also, most major side effects are very very rare.

so my advice is to weigh the pros and cons of the meds and see which makes the most sense for you. also speak with your doctor about your concerns, that can help alot as well.

[Cathy V]

Hi, i was given propranolol 80mg slow release last summer for high BP and migraines. My anxiety at that time was very low but i had just moved to germany so the doctor put it down to the stress of living in a new country. These betablockers did bring my bp down well but unfortunately they didnt agree with me in alot of other ways.

Side effects for everyone are sometimes the same and sometimes different. For me they included breathlessness on walking upstairs, weight gain, and a feeling of weakness. They slow the system down and heartrate becomes slower so when i tried to come off them after 9 months my anx was sky high. So in effect they acted like a tranquilizer. Im now on another betablocker called bisoprolol. My doc told me to take only half a tablet for the first few days then increase to full one, but ive only stuck to the half so far as im scared of having all those symptoms back again. The weigh increase remains a problem though much to my despair. Ive gained 2st in 12 months, and cant seem to reverse it no matter what.

It makes me very angry that the medical profession have put me in this situation with medication. There are other more modern meds used for high BP which they could have given me, plus something seperate for the headaches, which i dont have constantly, but to give me what is in effect a tranquilizer, not knowing that if i did try to give them up would be a nightmare.

This is my own experience but for every person who has had a bad experience with betablockers, there are as many who will tell you how wonderful they are...watch this space..:)

Best wishes
Cathy xxx

[chriscml]

Hi
I take bata blocker at the moment they are realy gd for wen you have a panic attack it helps to slow your hart down.the only sideafect i have had is being very tired all the time my breathing been ok

[pooh]

Hi

Im a smoker and Ive used propranalol without any negative side effects. I would take it on an as required basis and boy did it do the trick in reducing the racing heart. You can but try it and see how it works for you. Best of luck with getting the right medication

Pooh xx

[sunnydays]

I was prescribed these instead of diazapam by my GP. I took one and had a terrible attack of gasping for breath. They narrow your airways and part of my panic attacks are shortness of breath so this was the last thing I needed. I don't want to scare you but I will never, ever take them again. I am now on diazapam along with Citalopram.

love
Sunny

[chriscml]

sunnydays just to help you dont keep taken diaspam they only work 4 abit they not gd there attictive even tho i toke them only if i hyervletalated.bta blocker are better to take

[decca]

I'm on low dose Diazepam and have been for 6 months now.
I have an unusal type of Angina and can't take Beta blockers so my heart Docs have put me on Calcium chanel blockers,Ace inhibitors and long term low dose Diazepam ,to help control my Blood pressure and heart rate . I am only allowed 2 mg of Diazepam per day in half of a mg doses to be taken alonside my other heart meds.
I've been told that Valium ( Diazepam) is not as addictive as some of the higher dose Benzo's such as Alazopram,Clonazapam etc.
Your Doctor is the best person to advise you.
Decca.

[sunnydays]

Thank you for your advice, Chriscml. I don't take diazapam on a regular basis, only if I get a really bad panic attack. Even then I only take half a 2mg tablet as I am only prescribed 14 tablets per month. Probably just as well really as I am sure I would be tempted to take a whole tablet three times a day if I were prescribed more.
You're right, you do get reliant on them and need a bigger dose for them to work.

love
Sunny

[decca]

.
You're right, you do get reliant on them and need a bigger dose for them to work.
love
Sunny

Sunny
This is known as tolerance not addiction. It means your body has become used to the dosage and needs more of a drug to control your symptoms.
Being concerned about this myself I asked my Docs about it and was told that it only usually happens with people that have been on high doses for a very long time and it's usually the tranquiliser part that stops working not the anti anxiety part.

Decca

[sunnydays]

Thanks Decca.

I must admit that diazapam, even half a tablet, calms my fears and I feel better for taking it. So it's good to know that it's the high doses that cause the problems and not the small amount of drug that I ingest each day.

love
Sunny

[Dawn08]

Hi Nic:)
I suffer from panic disorder/depression and take propranolol - I was in the same position as yourself .... scared to take them. It took me months before I would put one over my lips, but thank God I did.
These tablets stop the racing heart that you get with panics. I admit they dont do an awful lot for the anxiety, but lets face it, when your heart races with panic attacks, that worries you more doesn't it, and so the anxiety speeds up!!!
My recommendation would be to take them. Please dont be scared - they wont KILL you.
Here is a suggestion .... take them only when required .... for example maybe ONE twice a day or three times a day, and believe me I think you may find the little bit difference it makes, a bonus to you.
Please feel free to message me, if you need any more help on this one.
Good Luck and God Bless :hugs:

[Anxious_gal]

I got them for migraines, never taken them but i might if i ran out of seditives and reallyy really had too.
I would try taking one fourth, see how it goes then another fourth so thats half a tablet see how it goes... I did this with my benzo's-lexotan, it helps take away the paranoia of side effects

[beverley gango]

DONT WORRY BOUT TAKING THEM IVE BIN ON THEM YEARS , THEY DONT CAUSE U ANY SIDE EFFECTS HONESTLY , ALL THEY DO IS STOP UR HEART FROM BEATING TO FAST WHEN UR PANICKING . TAKE THEM THEY R OK XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:yesyes:

[Alisonj]

I think if you need them I would take them.
My personal experience with beta blockers was not a good one at all.
Beverley I wouldnt say there are no side effects as everyone reacts differently from medications.
It dropped my heart rate alot. Low 40's. I had major buzzing in my ears and it caused more palpations and lethargy and breathlessness. I ended up in the ER and was taken off them right away and given fluids to bring up my pulse.
They are ok for some and not for others.

[Alisonj]

I should add that I am by no means trying to scare anyone but I think its best to be honest in these cases.

[springblossom]

I have been prescribed them but I'm scared stiff to take them. I don't suffer with the racing heart or palpitations just breathlessness and globus so to take something that may CAUSE breathlessness is very scary.

I feel that our GP's don't support us enought through this. I have had a few consultations recently which have ended with me feeling more hopeless than when I first went in.

I think if we could be assertive enough to state that we are unhappy with beta blockers as a response to our anxiety we may, in fact, get further.

[noonoo]

I'm on 80mg Propanalol as well, i've been on them since the end of May this year. They're really good, nothing to worry about. They might take a few days to get into your system but after that you will start to feel better.

Plus, the doctor wouldn't have perscribed them to you if he/she didn't think you need them, so in this case I think you should go for it and see how it goes.

[keith.uk]

I take these for my angina and have no problems with then

Mediation for angina
Bisoprolol 10 mg Aspirin 75 mg
Isosorbide mononitrate modified release 60 mg x2 Clopidogrel 75 mg
Simvastatin 80 mg Lansoprazole 30 mg
Tildiem LA 300 mg Nicorandil 20 mg x2
GTN Spray

[shortstuff]

I started out on Propranolol and have to say they were wonderful for reducing the anxiety - mainly due to stopping many of the physical symptoms. My dose was gradually increased from 40mg per day to 120mg. Unfortunately, I was one of those whose breathing was affected so had to come off them. (Coming off them was hell btw).

Since then I have been on Citalopram and have topped up with Propranolol whenever my anxiety levels get really high or I get into the repeated panic cycle. They work well for me taking them this way. I have been using them in this way for a few months, including through my last really bad spell, which was at least 40mg per day over 2 weeks!! I had no ill effects whatsoever.

Different people react in different ways and you never know how you'll react until you try. The suggestion to take one when you're around someone you trust is a good one as it'll be reassuring to have a safety net.

Good luck

Nic

[connie1985]

i was fine while i was on beta blockers, they did slow my racing heart but didnt help my tight throat and as the tight throat is the only thing that bothers me i didnt continue taking them! my dr tried giving me Citalopram but i dont want to try them as ive heard the side effects are really really bad! im currently going to hypnotherapy which has helped me alot so far and im taking diazepam when i really need it! Because you are anxious about taking your pills i wouldnt take them coz they will probably make you have a panic attack because your worried about it, i took them because i was so desperate at the time to feel better! i took my first one then had a bath to relax myself and i felt a bit better! i would recomend them if you experience a racing heart but other than they dont really help much in my opinion! instead of taking 80mg you can get 10mg tablets so maybe ask for them instead and see how u get on... a low dose wont be harmfull!

connie x

[orangeblossom]

hi

ive been taking propranolol 40mg for my anxiety for over a year now and ive not had any problems at all with them. Ive not had any shortness of breath or anything else. I find them really helpful - I only take them when I need them.

x x

[JohnBliss]

Hi
I've been taking beta blockers for over two years with no side effects at all.
They will not stop the anxiety but they do stop the panic attacks. I have not had a full blown panic attack for nearly twelve months since I upped the dose from 25mg to 50mg (atenolol )-this despite no lessening of my constant anxiety.
Regards
John

[LACEYA1961]

iv just been givin beta blockers propranolol 80mg, from my g.p, as i suffer panic and anxiety episodes, im also currently taking 20mg citolaphram, and wud like to here if anyone takes the same? iv never taken a bete blocker yet, had them for 4 days, really need something to help me through this but just so scared incase it affects my breathing, as iv read i can!! im not ashmatic or have any other breathing problems, although i do smoke, i would love to hear from anyone who has felt this way, and anyone who takes or has done to help them in the past, please xx

Hey, Nic!

I was prescribed naldolol which includes a beta blocker almost a year ago and I was so afraid to take them at the time. But during that time my panic attacks were so bad because of my blood pressure and my rapid heart beat that I finally forced myself to start taking them. I started off with half a pill then waited 15 mins or so to see how I would react to it. When I didn't notice anything I took the other half. I did that for about a week and then I took a whole one. The only thing I noticed was that it made me a tad dizzy (more so than I usually am lol) so after awhile I'm back to taking a half at a time. I love the way I have a slower heartbeat now so it's worth it. Even when I'm having an attack my heart will speed up a bit but not NEARLY as bad as before the med! I call my pharmacist a lot to ask him/her about anything else I am taking and how the new meds will interact with anything else I'm taking...even vitamins and such. I trust a pharmacist more than I do a doctor cause medicines are their business and they take it very seriously. I've gotten to where I don't read the pamphlets that come with meds anymore because they always made me so afraid. I just call my pharmacist and ask my questions.

Take care,

Lacey

[Hos 65]

Hello, I'm new to this site. I have just got back from my GP and he has prescibed Propranolol 10mgs twice daily for anxiety attacks. I have been having anxiety attacks since the birth of my daughter 18 years ago; over the years they have been to a variable level but always there. My particular fear is of dying. I am able to function perfectly well during the day and feel that my fear is totally irrational however come evening/night this overwhelming feeling of helplessness and inevitability takes over. Over the years I have been prescribed Prozac but I do not feel I am depressed. For about a year I have been drinking 3-4 glasses of wine every evening as this is the only way that I can get to sleep. This is why I went to the GP today as I do NOT want to become alcohol dependent. My GP has put my name down to see a CPN and also prescribed Propanolol - he said that they will help me get to sleep (by the way once I'm asleep I sleep all night). Even though when i have an anxiety attack my breathing rate increases I do not have palpitations etc so, after reading some of the info on Propanolol I am wondering whether this drug is going to help. I'd be grateful for some advice. Thanks for listening!