beta blockers for anxiety?

[Pleasedontdothat]

Dd(17) has been suffering increasing anxiety which has got markedly worse in the last 3-4 months.

Several times a day she says her throat closes up when she’s feeling worried about things and she finds it hard to breathe.

She has A-levels next summer and is already worrying about them - she did brilliantly in her GCSEs but couldn’t cope at all in her end of Y12 exams - she panicked and couldn’t think clearly.

She spoke to the GP today who’s prescribed her beta blockers - she’s turning 18 in a few weeks so CAMHS is a dead end.

Does anyone have a teen who’s taking beta blockers for anxiety - do they help?
Any thought?

Thanks

[Pinkshrimp]

I’m an adult that takes them -as and when needed rather than x amount of times a day-they do help.
They do switch the rising panic off.

[passthemustard]

I have beta blockers for anxiety. Dr called them the stage fright drug. They work. As PP I only take them when I need them

[MeadowHay]

I was prescribed them around your DD's age but sadly I couldn't take a dose high enough to be therapeutic as my blood pressure would drop too low even with a lower dose. I've always had quite low blood pressure though.

My DH took them when he was a couple of years younger than your DD during exam seasons at uni and he got no side effects and found them very effective. He's taken them temporarily on a number of occasions over the last few years.

[RainbowParadise]

I'm 32 and recently took them for driving lessons and my driving test. I passed first time with two minors 😁 so they must have helped!

Seriously though, I think they're really good at calming the physical symptoms of anxiety- the racing heart, tummy flipping over feeling. I'm no expert at all but took other anti-depressants (paroxetine, fluoxetine) in my teens and early 20s and would say that the anti-depressants are better for when there are multiple things going on to cause the anxiety, and when the anxiety is a constant thing that rarely goes away, especially given that kind of anxiety will be severely affecting mood etc. Beta blockers seem to be better for specific things- driving test for example, public speaking, or a lot of performers use them specifically for stage fright.

[Jakey056]

Hi,
I didn't take them despite crazy panic over two years. CBT was the thing for me. It sounds situational for her?
Diet, caffeine, sleep and having thyroid checked etc were important in my case. It is possible to recover so hang in there. I do think , in some cases, that drugs are good in the short term but you don't learn anything about coping with the feelings which you will eventually have to do if you want to be drug free.