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Original poster

Any experiences with propranolol?

45 replies

orlamug · 13/05/2025 18:34

I've just been proscribed this for feeling physically anxious (not really mentally anxious) and night time insomnia anxiety. Anxiety feeling is probably due to lack of sleep due to insomnia.

Anyone tried this medication? GP says its mild safe and not addictive.

OP posts:
SilverBlue56 · 13/05/2025 18:35

It turns off the effects of adrenaline and is very effective. Try half 40mg tablet at first and see how you get on.

Original poster
orlamug · 13/05/2025 18:36

@SilverBlue56 Thanks hopeful that this helps me relax a bit and get some sleep!

OP posts:
NotAntisocialJustAllergicToNonsense · 13/05/2025 18:37

Yep.
I took it 3x a day for a couple of years then stopped it completely.
I restarted it a few years later and now take a much smaller dose am, to get me out to work, then just take as and when an extra dose is needed.

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Vax · 13/05/2025 18:38

Life changing. Saved my life. Good luck

Original poster
orlamug · 13/05/2025 18:39

Thanks everyone good to hear of positive experiences!

OP posts:
lissie123 · 13/05/2025 18:39

Yes took it during a very stressful period in my life for a year. Now only occasionally. It helped me through some difficult .

Devilsmommy · 13/05/2025 18:39

I take it for palpitations and it is brilliant. I'm an insomniac too so just to let you know propanalol can cause insomnia. It will definitely help with your anxiety though

Bonsaibaby · 13/05/2025 18:41

I take it occasionally if feeling anxious and for public speaking and flying. It’s brilliant

Original poster
orlamug · 13/05/2025 18:41

@Devilsmommy I saw that online, GP recommended I take it before bed. If it causes insomnia I guess I will try earlier in the day. I was never an insomniac until a few months ago then bam! Lucky if I get 3 hours a night.

OP posts:
Devilsmommy · 13/05/2025 18:42

@orlamug if your insomnia is caused by your anxiety then the propanalol should definitely help. Fingers crossed for you

GettingFestiveNow · 13/05/2025 18:43

Love it :)

Sometimes if I take it before bed I wake up in the middle of the night as it starts to wear off (has a pretty short half life, I believe). But it's still more than 3 hours! Magnesium is good as well ime.

WhatMe123 · 13/05/2025 18:43

It's a beta blocker so it's some purpose is to stop that racing heart feeling with anxiety. Works quite well if you feel your main concern are more physical symptoms op

susiedaisy1912 · 13/05/2025 18:45

I was on it for 7 years for migraines and it worked great until it didn’t when I hit peri menopause. I came off them fine I just reduced my dose over a few weeks and didn’t notice any withdrawal symptoms

DizzyDandilion · 13/05/2025 18:45

I took it a lifetime ago during my university finals.
I was an absolute state. It helped.

Whatthebarnacles · 13/05/2025 18:50

Changed my life when I had it (no longer need it). Stops the palpitations, the physical shaking, the sweating. Just calms your physical reactions. For me I was mentally absolutely fine - so confident etc , but my body massively let me down and I couldn't understand it. GP said it was a physical reaction to a recent trauma because I hadn't let it out emotionally. Or something like that!

Original poster
orlamug · 13/05/2025 19:08

@Whatthebarnacles My GP said the same thing to me, mentally I am fine but physically I am struggling . A friend committed suicide earlier this year and while I feel I have come to terms with mentally it its possible my body is still holding on to the shock and this is how its showing up. Fingers crossed the propranolol helps!

OP posts:
thatsmyumbrellaellla · 13/05/2025 19:12

I take it for similar reasons to you OP I am prescribed to take it up to 3 x per day but only ever take one before bed and it's been a huge help. I also have insomnia but I can't say that it's made my sleep any worse and it really stops the physical anxiety symptoms works extremely quickly as well.

Whatthebarnacles · 13/05/2025 19:21

orlamug · 13/05/2025 19:08

@Whatthebarnacles My GP said the same thing to me, mentally I am fine but physically I am struggling . A friend committed suicide earlier this year and while I feel I have come to terms with mentally it its possible my body is still holding on to the shock and this is how its showing up. Fingers crossed the propranolol helps!

So sorry for your loss. It is definitely in a similar vein to my situation when I needed propranolol.
My dad died incredibly suddenly and far far too soon when i was on mat leave, I watched him die. Afterwards i truly grieved but because i so busy making sure everything was taken care of and everyone was OK, had the baby etc... I mustn't have processed it fully. I returned to work after mat leave 4 months later and found myself physically reacting to stuff I really wouldn't usually bat an eyelid at. My brain was telling me to sort it out, I'm being ridiculous etc... yet my physical reactions were getting even worse.

It fascinates me how the body knows what the mind is feeling, not even thinking.

You really will feel the benefit from it. Genuinely changed my life, from an outwardly quivering wreck unable to sleep, back to the normal me. I was on it for around 6 months.

If you know you've a particularly stressful or intense thing coming up, so for me it would be a client meeting at 10am for example, I'd take it an hour before the meeting for maximum effect.

Good luck xx

wejammin · 13/05/2025 19:25

I take it for driving anxiety and really big work presentations, I only need 20mg about half an hour before driving on the motorway (something that just hit me when I turned 40, before then I would drive all over the country) and it's so effective - stops all the sweating and racing heart and feelings of doom.

PenguinLover24 · 13/05/2025 19:30

I personally liked it! I stopped to have a baby and ended up being diagnosed with ADHD so I'm on ADHD specific medication now but propranolol is always one I recommend if people ask and would happily go back on it.

Original poster
orlamug · 13/05/2025 20:19

@Whatthebarnacles I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, and especially at that time in your life. It must have been a huge amount for your brain and body to process.

I agree it is very interesting how these things show up bodily, I think of myself as someone with pretty robust mental health but these things come out in other ways. I keep seeing books about how trauma can stay in the body like "The Body keeps Score" and so on I must read one when I feel a bit better.

Thank you for the advice on taking before more stressful events I will definitely do that.

OP posts:
Original poster
orlamug · 13/05/2025 20:21

@wejammin Do you think anxiety has ramped up due to perimenopause, I'm at that stage myself so perhaps that is a factor as well. I am on HRT.

OP posts:
Original poster
orlamug · 13/05/2025 20:22

@PenguinLover24 Did you find it helped your adhd or was it just more calming? Glad you found it good and that you have medication for your adhd.

OP posts:
Vax · 14/05/2025 07:56

Just to say I only take it as and when now, so like before a job interview or important meeting. I read that Obama used to take it before a speech too

Organical · 14/05/2025 08:10

I took it to help with panic attacks as and when needed. It's non addictive. Really helped me.
My sleep wasn't affected by it but then I took it during the day. What helped with my sleep wad an adult bedtime story podcast called Nothing Ever Matters and then eventually I didn't have to use that. They're just Boeing stories that you never hear the end of because they're so boring. I tried others but that one seems to be the best.

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