propranalol quick ques.

[xLJx]

ive been told by my therapist i can come off the props. im on one 10mg tablet a day ( down from 3 a day, then to 2) ive been on them since december. now ive run out and ive not yet been to the docs for anymore/to tell him id like to come off them.
and it says on the packet dont come off them without like telling your doc whatever. dont just suddenly come off them.
so i havent got one for tonight and i wont have one for tomorrow (the nearest time i cud go the docs is friday)
and im scared cos i wont have tabs for 2 days.

has anyone come off them like this? is it ok?
10mg isnt really much is it. and ive weened down from three a day

any suggestions? bit worried.
xxxxxx

[Cathy V]

Hiya, i take propranolol and have been on 80mg slow release since last november. It was pescribed for high blood pressure and migraine (the migraine has since been misdiagnosed!) as the doc said it was good for treating both conditions. I started off really well with them, but in the last few months theyve started to cause a few probs. My weight has increased on them, and they just seem to zap my energy. Also my anxiety seems to have returned complete with the dreaded ectopic heartbeats !

I'd also read that you shouldnt just stop taking them, so i asked the doc if i could stop them and he gave me something that only treats the blood pressure, but within a few days my anxiety was really bad, so he put me back onto the propranolol and although the anxiety is still there, its not really bad. But i do know that there are newer betablocker around than this one and theyre supposed to be kinder to the body with less side effects. I have the names of three of these and am going to talk to the doc about it tomorrow.

I wouldn't have thought that the small dose youve been taking will make too much difference to be honest, though everyone reacts in different ways. If you think that you're now ready to give it a go without them then not having them for yesterday and today would be a start i guess, though its prob a good idea to just let your doc know that you're gonna try and see what happens. I hope it works well for you and that your withdrawl reaction is minimal. Let me know how you get on, and i'll keep you posted with news of any alternative that my doc agrees to let me try.

Best wishes
Cathy x

[xLJx]

Hi Cathy, thanks for the great advice, please do keep me posted.
im feeling a bit panicky today but i think thats brought on by thinking about not being on the tablets!! im off to the doctors tomorrow so ill see what he says

good luck and keep me posted xxx

[Cathy V]

Yep I agree with you when youn say your panic is prob due to thoughts about stopping the propranolol. You're obviously worried about how your body will react without it, and the worry will probably cause more side effects than not taking the pills !! If you're really are down to just 10mg a day i really think you'll be fine without them...really really! Keep in touch and let me know how you feel, i'm here most days.

Cathy xx

[jellybean43]

HI Cath
Sorry to hijack the thread but I sent you a PM about propranalol and i just got a message back and it was the one i sent you!!Did you send the wrong one by mistake.
Anyhow,sorry to hijack xxx

[Coni]

Hi Cathy, I was on propranolol for a few months and had to stop them because they were making me cough....my doctor told me just to stop them and I was on 40mg twice a day....cant say I noticed any major problems when I stopped (apart from being able to sleep at night cos no more cough lol), but everyones different and ideally you should go with your GPs advice.

luv Coni XX

[Cathy V]

Jelly bean, yes sorry, don't know what i did but must have pressed the wrong button and it was such a good message too!

In answer to your question though, as you can prob see from other people who take propranolol, the effects, even with the same dose, can be different. Though most people seem to have the weight increase problem. For me personally, besides this they just about mask the anxiety, but i can still feel the ectopics, and i think thats what makes me feel despondent. To have to cope with the weight gain and the loss of energy,weakness in my muscles etc, only to know that they don't help the one symptom that i find hard...the ectopics. Because i know that if the dose is increased in order to treat the ectopics, then the other side effects increase also...can't win can we? and its also a bit disheartening to know that more than a few people have stopped taking them without any trouble, but everytime i try to come off them, its like going back 20 years with my anxiety, like the battle has begun all over agin

Carthy xx

[Cathy V]

I also apologise for some of the apelling mistakes. The german keyboards are not exactly the same as 'Querty' and some of the letters are in a different place, and if i touch type it can come out like gobbledygook!

Cathy x

[Cathy V]

Hi Coni, Doesn't surprise me about the cough as ive heard that it can also effect people who have asthma and make their symptoms worse. not sure if thats all betablockers or just the older ones.

I'm off to have a chat with the doc at lunchtime anyway and see what he thinks i can do about these meds

Regards
Cathy x

[xLJx]

well ive been back to the docs today and been told to keep on them but take one every 2 days now. i spose their just weening me off them.

i was really jumpy and off tho all day yest without one. i hope ihavent come to rely on them :(

xxxxx