Talk to me about Propranolol please I'm too scared to take it

This an old thread so nobody may see this comment but I'll do it anyway and then try and find a thread that's more current. I've been taking propanolol for migraine prevention and it works reasonably well. It also calms you down.
Unfortunately it also gives me bad heartburn. Took me a little while to realise the connection but then I googled and found it's quite a common side effect. The advice is to take omeprazole or similar to reduce stomach acid, which I am now going to do.
Apparently the problem occurs because beta blockers (of which Propanolol is one) can relax the sphincter between the stomach and the gullet which allows stomach acid to rise into the gullet, which doesn't have a lining adapted to deal with it - hence heartburn.
Just thought someone might find the info useful.

I was prescribed propranolol 80mg twice a day for migraines and anxiety and didn't have any side effects until much later (I was taking them for years when apparently your not meant to be in such a high dose long term).

They did the job to an extent, I did counselling and learned how to control my anxiety to a big extent while on Propranolol, it gave me the headspace to cope. It didn't help with the migraines unfortunately.

I ended up after a few years finding out was affecting my memory and had made my blood pressure too low - but this was a high dose and taken long term (think over 5 years!). I think you should give it a go, if I'd known before I started what I do now I just would have asked for a lower dose like yours.

It just works on physical effects of anxiety. It's not altering your brain chemistry in anyway. It works quickly and is a really very commonly prescribed medication. It sounds like you need to try a different ssri as it doesn't seem venlafaxine is working.

Also I often have had low blood pressure in my life and no adverse effects for me.

Good luck op.

No side effects for me, they don't make you feel altered in any way like anti depressants can.

I also don't believe they are physically addictive?

I take them as and when these days but when I was in crisis a few years ago they were very helpful.

Got me through my (4th) driving test.

Gp gave them to my 13 year old for panic attacks. No adverse effects for her. GP said they are extremely tested and safe with minimal people experiencing anything negative. They give them to kids a lot for exam anxiety etc.

I had this zombie feeling when I was on sertraline and amitriptyline. Hated them both!
Have been on propranolol for the last two years due to migraines and I’ve had no side effects except it’s stopped them. If I miss a dose (I take 40mg twice a day) or take it a few hours late I’ll get a migraine. So it definitely helps me. I’ve had anxiety forever and I don’t know if I’ve learnt to manage the feelings myself or if it’s the medication but I rarely spiral like I used to in to full on can’t breathe mode.

I take them for my heart and for essential tremor. I find they make me feel a bit like I'm wading through treacle, and very tired. I wouldn't drive within four hours of taking 40mg, for example (half life is 4-5 hours). So you might find that 40mg 3 times a day is a bit much to start with. You could always take half (20mg) and then take the other half if it doesn't work.

Sorry to hijack but I've been prescribed them to prevent chronic headaches (daily and debilitating) and I've been too scared to take them too! I tried amitriptyline but it made me feel like a zombie.

DP wasn't leaving the house because he felt as you did - to the point of hiding under the duvet still afraid.

He works fulltime now. He has a packet of them with him all the time and he knows that if he needs one, they're there for him. Which means he doesn't feel as though he needs them as much.

He says make sure you're well hydrated (water/tea) and don't skip meals as you can feel a little weak if you take one on top of being low on energy and dehydrated, they're absolutely fine and take away the crippling, paralysing terror in about ten to twenty minutes with no negatives.

It's the most effective manager of the anxiety that leads me to have escalating overthinking, panic and MH episodes. I've been on 120mg per day for a year for high blood pressure and the bonus effect has been the effect on slowing the physiological aspects of anxiety. I am on a strong gold standard type drug for MH illness but the propranolol has made a massive difference compared to MH drug alone. I'd go for it, not addictive and not valium.

Made me so numb and everything grey that I felt suicidal. Upped the dose which only made those feelings worse.

Worst tablet I've ever taken.

Therapy worked for me

They definitely help with the physical symptoms of anxiety like a racing heartbeat and therefore give your brain a chance to calm down without getting into a full blown panic attack. I took them for 2 years every work day and they really do help with the immediate fight or flight response.

I took it for two years for severe panic attacks and anxiety, it's brilliant. I was very reliant on it for a while because it worked so well, I would panic if I forgot to renew my prescription. It's a very gentle effect, it just helps, nothing major. Eventually I realised I'd been forgetting to take them regularly so switched to just when needed, and now I don't have them at all.

They work really quickly to make you feel better @MoreRainbowsPlease

As quickly as a paracetamol.

You could be feeling relaxed in 30 minutes time, imagine that

I take them as and when for stage fright type symptoms - to me they are like rescue remedy that actually works, they just help me function without the racing heart, fluttery stomach and nervous symptoms. I do get an upset stomach and heartburn the evening after taking them though so only have them when I really feel I need to.

Dd has them, life changing (for the better) she tried various antidepressants but the side effects were terrible, these are different because she only takes them as necessary and they combine well with non medical techniques.

I take 40mg of propanolol up to 3 times a day for anxiety and it really helps - it gets the physical symptoms under control enough that I feel much more able to think clearly and less out of control. Maybe start with half a tablet to test the water and see how it makes you feel?

I'm so sorry your having such a bad time, I know how horrible and frightening it is to feel such extreme anxiety. Sending solidarity and 💐

I’ve taken a lower dose, 10mg, recently. Like you I was a bit worried about taking it but it really helps even at that low dose and nothing happened. It really just cuts out the anxiety so you can function a bit better. l would take a higher dose if I needed it having tried the lower one.

I've never heard a bad thing about propranolol, and it had no ill effects for me.

As already mentioned, the worst case is you'll feel no different. It doesn't typically create a perceptible sensation. It's only on reflection most people see the difference. For example, by thinking things like, 'Ah, I struck up a conversation with the person next to me in the queue yesterday... I probably wouldn't have done that last month'.

It sounds like you're desperately in need of some relief and this could be just the ticket for you.

I really hope you can give it a try and that you feel better soon.

I take them, no side effects whatsoever and they make a huge difference to me. I take them for migraine and anxiety- I had issues with panic attacks about 20 years ago and they helped massively with that. Now I take them for less severe anxiety that triggers awful migraine. They have completely stopped my headaches. I used to
live on painkillers and now barely ever need any.

I notice if I miss a few doses as my symptoms come back but no
side effects. I take 40mg twice a day with an extra one occasionally if I have to do something very triggering.

I gave birth 3 times without pain relief, I don’t take paracetamols or anything. I don’t like medication, as you can tell.

I was experiencing horrendous panic attacks (is there any other kind) a few years back until the Dr prescribed propranolol.

I was so desperate to stop the palpitations and panic attacks that I gave them a try and as everyone else says - they worked, no side effects. I just took them when I needed them (or maybe I started off on a regular dose at first) and at some point I noticed I hadn’t needed them for ages.

I highly recommend using them.

I had to take propranolol for a racing heart when I had severe hyperthyroidism. Absolutely no problems whatsoever. Hope you are feeling reassured.