Propranolol, what does it do

[JustJay]

Hi people, I've scanned through a few of the propranolol posts for the answer, so if this has been answered previously then I apologise. I'm a long term health anxiety sufferer, which manifests itself in the form of high anxiety in social / situations or if I'm alone and out of my comfort area, or in a strange situation. I also have quite extreme panic attacks. The main focus of my worries are focussed on my heart. I have palpitations, missed beats, chest pains etc. The doctor has just prescribed me with 40mg props, to be taken up to 3 times a day. I'll be honest, I'm reluctant to take anything that may slow down my heart. My question is, does prop slow down your heart at rest, or does it merely block adrenalin from speeding up your heart during heightened anxiety. Cheers in advance for any advice.
Jay

[oldnews]

Tbh this med is a miracle for me. It works by stopping adreline which causes panic attacks etc. It can reduce ur heart rate but i honestly wouldnt worry about that. I take one a day when im feeling anxious

[JustJay]

Thanks for that old news, makes me feel a little easier, but I'm still bricking it to take that first tablet.

[oldnews]

I was prescribed it in september after the birth of my daughter. Started suffering severe panic attacks which id never experienced before. It took me hours to take it i was so afraid of the side effects. I eventually took in and within an hour i felt like a different person. It doesnt stop the anxious thoughts just the symptoms. The only ever side effect iv had is cold hands n feet which is pretty common with it but only happens rarely n never noticed much until someone asked me if i get them symtoms. I would start of with one a day then work up if you need more

[Svojski85]

40mg per day, 3-4 times a day, is somewhere between an average and high dose of propranolol. You can always try 20mg, or just take one 40mg to find out how it works for you. Don't worry about it too much. It gets flushed away from your system after about 5 hours, so worst case scenario, you would just wait for it to go away. But in 99% of cases, you will not feel it at all since the heartbeat depression is really barely noticeable. You might only feel its effect under stress and panic, when the higher spiking heart beat is limited, therefore it is a certain "manual" brake on the panic attack overwhelming you. But bear in mind, the pill must be present in the system, therefore the doctor prescribed it 3 times a day. Some people take just one before a certain occasion. It takes about 1 hour for the drug to reach systemic circulation to start working for you.

[Catherine S]

Hi Jay, I take this at 40mgs split into two 20mg doses morning and evening and I up it to an extra 20 on a bad day with the palps and missed beats, which doesn't happen alot these days thanks to this medication, which ive been taking since 2007. I was started off on 80mg slow release capsule which I found was too much, so had the dose halved and now take it in normal tablet form which seems to suit my system better. It slows the pulse down and brings BP down a little too, but i'm ok with that as a thumping fast beating heart is exhausting!

I think like all meds...one size doesn't necessarily fit all so its a matter of finding your own level with it. Don't be scared of it though, like Svojski says it doesn't stay in your system and its not a mind-altering drug like some anxiety meds are. Some people take it as and when needed but I prefer to take it every day to keep the palps at bay! Let us know how you get on if you do decide to take it

ISB x

[reddevil]

Hi,

I take 80mg slow release and it does help, can make me tired a little but it helps with my anxiety and panic attacks.

Red

[jimsmrs]

Yes it helped me last year had a resting heart beat at 126, due to over-active thyroid, (which was later diagnosed)

[Dazza123]

I have been taking 80mg in the morning for years. Can't say I notice anything really. If I have a panic attack then I still get the racing pulse and heart rate, but maybe that's because I take it in the morning, and any panic attacks are usually at night. My resting heart rate is 60ish though so I suppose it must be doing something.

[JustJay]

Thanks folks, some reassuring words from you all. Much appreciated, I still haven't taken any yet as I've been pretty calm for a couple of days, I might try a small 20mg dose over the weekend to gauge the effects outside my normal working hours in case of a bad reaction.