80mg slow release questions :-(

[Helencollins]

Was prescribed this for my anxiety 2 months ago and have been too afraid to take it.

Well I'm giving myself some tough love today and planning on starting it.

Just don't want to have a panic attack when I take the first tablet so a few questions with regards to the 80mg slow release version....

How quickly should I expect to feel different? I don't mean better or cured lol but would it be normal to feel drowsy or dizzy from these today or will they take a few days to build up in my system?

I am
Not worried about my bp dropping it can stand to drop a fair bit anyway.

I am worried that although I don't have asthma, sometimes when I lie down at night (probably due to smoking and being overweight!) I wheeze a little bit.

After reading the side effects back to front like a professional health anxiety nut I am convinced I am
Going to feel really breathless by taking these and that is my worst nightmare.

Anyone offer any words of advice
Or comfort. I know I have to take a chance on these tablets as racing heart is my biggest anxiety symptom :-(

[teej]

I don't know about the slow release - I take 20mg of the regular propranolol.

I just find it knocks the unpleasant anxiety side effects (I get tremors and a rapid heart beat) on the head and lets me get on with stuff.

I just take them as and when - I don't find they have a build or any side effects.

I actually have allergy related asthma and take these with no problems. I get a tad wheezy but nothing terrible.

I've got on badly with most medications out there and I have no problems with these - they seem to do the job!

[Catherine S]

I think its like most other meds, some people get on with them fine and others don't. My own experience of propranolol is that I prefer to take the normal pills twice a day as this seems to suit my system better. I was taking the 80mg slow release capsules a few years ago and found them too much for my system to cope with. I seemed to suffer with more of the side effects then I do with the normal pills, but then I know people here have no problems with taking the slow-release pills, so we all react differently really. The best thing is to try them and see how you go on them.

ISB x

[Helencollins]

Thanks really appreciate the replies.

Anyone got anymore info on personal experience with the 80mg?

I've got four days off work now so it's a good time to try it, why am I such a whimp I never used to be like this :-(

[Svojski85]

Hi there Helen, good that you are trying to learn more about the drug you are supposed to start taking. I am not a professional in charge of your health care, so I cannot advise you best on how your condition should be managed best. All I can say here is the publicly available information and talk from my own experience.

You were asking how quick these 80mg capsules would start working... Currently, there are only two such capsules available here in the UK. If your capsule is called BEDRANOL SR, then it is supposed to start working in about 2 hours... My experience was different though, so it took mine 3-4 hours to start working instead until I felt something. The other possibility could be a capsule called BETA PROGRANE which should starts working within 5 hours.

You were also asking if you would notice the effects of this propranolol version. I suppose you would but it depends on how much of this drug is being accepted by your body (up to 90% of this drug gets flushed away by the liver in the so-called first pass metabolism, after you take it, hence there is a high inter-individual reaction to propranolol, generally). Speaking generally, you could notice a slower heartbeat slightly, slower breathing slightly, that's all. Propranolol does not wipe out anxiety as only a minimal amount of it effects the brain. So you might still find yourself replaying all your anxiety thoughts but ideally, your body would not show any physical reaction to it. After some time, there is a chance that you would "trick" your brain into believing that without the physical side of anxiety, you might just cut off the discomforting thoughts and start living your life again... But that does not work always and with every person, especially if your drug is not covering the whole 24 hours.

Finally, you said that you wheeze a bit, generally, when lying on your bed. This can indicate asthma, whereby taking propranolol by asthmatics is undesirable. I think you should have this wheezing examined properly by your physician (by blowing a flow meter). If the flow meter would show no asthma, then you should not worry about taking propranolol since it would mean that you are not an asthmatic.

I would suggest that you see your GP at your earliest convenience.

[Helencollins]

That is incredibly helpful, thankyou so much :-)

The wheeze is not uncomfortable, I don't struggle for breath with it but it is audible.

Only thing is now my partner is going to think I've found yet another excuse not to start these on my planned time off :-(

I had a brief exam where the doctor listened to my breathing and noticed nothing - is that enough or should I really be 100% sure and go back
To the gp?

Thanks again,

Especially with the times of working. You've Been so informative!

---------- Post added at 17:33 ---------- Previous post was at 17:20 ----------

I just spoke to a pharmacist who said I should start them anyway. And that one of the main problems is the interference with asthma meds and as I don't take those and don't even know I have asthma then not to worry!

Urgh I just don't know!