Propanol & Prolonged Adrenaline

[MacPanic]

Hello Fellow Ladies & Gents
This is my first post on Nmp! Although i have been a long time reader!

I feel the need to post on Nmp it has helped me so much I hope I can help others too so!! I will add my history in the hello section soon...

But briefly I have Heart HA its been getting worse with panic attacks these past 3-4 weeks.. Just when I Stopped taking Simvastatin i have been on 40mg since 2008 as a precaution after I lost my mum she was 58 she had Heart bypass & then sadly TC Plus her Dad died Young of a HA!! so theres heart history


Anyway had my Ecg test again last week and this came back normal, Bp at docs slightly high 145/80 and my heart rate was 80 but doc says its ok & this could be due to my raised Anxiety!!

I told her about I can feel my Heart always racing away with itself. I don't think its Palpataions its just feels like my Heart is Beating too fast & racing away...
she said its due to the increased adrenaline caused by Panic etc! I know this of course & Thinking about it & checking yourself just makes it worse; Panic; racing Heart:Panic in a loop

So she Prescribed me 40mg Propanol twice a day when i need them>she said these do help with the production of adrenaline etc
This was two weeks ago & like a few people on here I have been worried & anxious to take them alone!!

I'm visiting friends over the weekend so I may give one a try then. I'm not feeling Anxious ( yet but may do )
But I don't want to start relying on them in my mind!!

My question is can prolonged adrenaline caused by Panic Attacks that can last for days be Harmful to your Heart ( causing it to beat faster ) or the other organs that it also affects?? How does the body get rid of the excess adrenaline?? Someone told me you just wee it out?

Oh I have given up Dr Google many years ago!! Anyone else please DO NOT use it!!

Thank you so much for reading this far I apologise for my first long post I do tend to go on ( sorry )

Positive Thoughts to All & Fight the fear

MacPanic

[Svojski85]

Hi. I think you got it wrong ... Propranolol blocks adrenaline uptake, i.e. when there is any adrenaline released in your body (especially under stress), it won't affect your heart though because propranolol blocks it. That's it really... There is not much more science to it, really... Just your heartbeat would drop (slightly). You will BARELY notice it.

[MacPanic]

Thank you Svojski85 for correcting me!! Yes of course I meant to say that my Dr said that Propanol DECREASCES / BLOCKS the uptake of adrenaline!! Silly Me!!

Anyway I went away to my friends for the weekend and felt slightly anxious later in the evening & with increased Heart HA my ( I think?? ) Heart rate racing that i braved it and took one of my 40mg Propanol and then thought oh no whats going to happen in an hour etc when it kicks in!! But i was so busy & occupied that i forgotten & I think I felt my heart rate decrease slightly?? But I wasn't checking myself & I never take / check my pulse either!! I don't wan't to start down that slippery slope!!

I also don't drink Alcohol anymore ( for about 3 months now ) it seems to make my panic Attacks & HA worse!! but I don't miss it or need it to have a good night

I guess I only noticed it maybe wearing off later on when i was in bed? I did think of taking another but I didn't! I really don't wan't to start relying on the Propanol all the time physically & more so in my mind to ease my racing Heartrate.. I really want to have them with me for the "Emergencies" HAs / Pas

I have lost my appetite a bit too.. is it best if you take Propanol with food or not?

One last question though.. Is it harmful to your Heart & other organs in your body that prolonged adrenaline affects over days & sometimes more than & week caused by Panic Attacks / HA? What does your body do to get rid of all that excess Adrenaline rushing around your body??

Someone said to me you just wee the excess adrenaline out of your body? surely it can't be that easy??

Anyway Thanks for reading this far again!!

Here is to everyone who may be going through the same as I am!! Just know your'e not alone & not the only one who is suffering sometimes in silence!!
This wonderful NMP website & forum & all the fantastic help & advice from members are invaluable comfort, help & resource!!

My Thoughts are with you all Kind regards MacPanic

Remember Don't Fear The Fear

[Svojski85]

Just to answer a few questions as I did not understand what everything you were asking in your second post, actually. I was confused...

Anyway, all propranolol tablets (excluding capsules) distributed in the UK start working within 60-120 minutes, and then last for between 3-5 hours. Then they are out of your blood stream, they end up in urine and they go out. You can create your own treatment plan, knowing these figures.

With capsules (called Beta Prograne, or Bedranol Sr), these both kick in in about 4-5 hours, but they last much longer then, e.g. 12hrs or 8hrs, respectively. You would have to ask you GP for these whole-day preparations if you think you are getting an uncontrollable panic attack all day long.

However, don't think too much about the "benefits" of propranolol, because most of the benefit is your placebo belief that it helped you "get rid of anxiety". This placebo effect works for many people, but I prefer knowing what my drug does to my body, for how long, and what to expect exactly. That fact in itself assures me that Im OK.

And the base line here is that any physical, psychological (good sleep etc.) and emotional problems arise from daily life. They do not happen without a cause. So any drug (propranolol, SSRIs) won't cure you. It's not like you take a tablet and you lose 5 stones; you have to change some things in your life and you need to identify what these problems are and what will be the best, easiest and least painful way of getting rid of those. These preparations only help kickstart the process of recovery from the circumstances which were troubling you and overwhelming you, causing you your health problems in consequence.

For a long-term therapy of anxiety, to alleviate tension and overall sensitivity, both emotionally and physically, the first-line treatment in the UK are SSRI antidepressants. You don't need to be depressed to take those, it works both for depression as well as for recurring anxiety attacks.

Needless to say, it has got noticeable side effect, notably tiredness in the first 2 months, numbness. As if you had a blanket over your head, sort of. But it helps on overall, once the positive hormones kick in and once your brain gets used to the dreadful blankety feeling.

[MacPanic]

Thank you Svojski85 for your understanding reply on propanol which helps a lot!

My question is really, without taking any drugs.. if you have prolonged Panic Attacks that go on for days will the natural Adrenaline produced by your body be harmful to an excessive amount for your organs / body to cope with?? How does your body naturally get rid of all that extra Adrenaline caused by the panic attacks?

Usually you only get a brief PA lasting 20mins or so, then it & the adrenaline goes away!!

I used to be on SSRIs ( Fluxotene ) in 2009 for around a year so i know what the side effects are like!! They can be much worse before they get better!!
They did make a difference & I managed to come off them gradually

If at all possible I would like to be drug free!! ( like anyone would do ) and work through this in other ways if possible ( positive attitude, CBT, self help, audiobooks, the NMp members hep etc!)

My Anxiety is HA ( heart related ) even though I have had an angiogram in 2008 and Ecgs, recently too, which all came back normal. This should be more than enough to tell you that you ARE FINE!! I hadn't had bad any panic attacks for years really until around 4 weeks ago when I stopped taking Simvastatin then one morning BAM!! it suddenly hit me again out of nowhere, then you think oh no here we go again!! Back on the PA Merry-go-round!!

Again Thanks for your learned advice

[Svojski85]

I'm sorry, I'm not a heart specialist, so I can't advise you on that.