Propranolol for anxiety

[moggie22]

I have posted about this a few times but am looking for advice or experience from anyone who has take propranolol for anxiety and panic attacks.

I am really struggling lately. When I'm home, close to home or in a familiar place or routine I'm totally fine. However travelling, going to new places, attending appointments or basically anything outside of my daily routine causes a big panic attack. Today for example we took a drive out with the dc to the seaside. Should have been a lovely day but within the first 10 minutes in the car I was having an attack and had to get dh to change route and find a loo.

My panic creates the urge to use the loo really urgently. And it is a real need not something in my head. I have realised anxiety cannot hurt me but it seemingly can and nearly has made me shit my pants on a few occasions. I think this is why I am so scared of travelling and new places - I need to know I can get to a loo quickly should my panic flare up.

I am seeing my GP this week and plan to ask for propranolol because from the research I've done I feel like it's the most appropriate treatment for me. If I could take a tablet that stopped physical panic symptoms when I was due to go somewhere I feel like it would transform my whole life. I could start doing things again.

However I also read that diarrhoea and nausea can be symptoms of this medication which could be totally counter productive. If you have taken propranolol for anxiety how have you found it? Do you think it would work for the type of physical symptoms I have? I'm desperate to just feel normal again.

I was prescribed it for panic attacks but never found it that helpful to be honest. Just made me feel a bit light headed.

Can’t tell you if it will help with your particular physical symptoms, but I take it for anxiety and it really makes a difference. But wobbly for the first few weeks, but I stuck with it and am really grateful for it now. Good luck, OP.

I didn’t get any side effects taking this, it worked really well at calming the physical symptoms so my anxiety didn’t ramp up. But it’s not a cure for anxiety, CBT was the biggest help and the meds kept the physical under control while I did that too.

I take it for anxiety, I find it helps with my symptoms and not had any unwanted side effects, though I am on a relatively low dose

Not sure about propanalol OP, but I take escitalopram for anxiety and depression. I was on a different medication but that was more for the depression, my anxiety got worse so dr recommended this as it’s more for anxiety and it’s definitely helped. Hope this helps.

I took a low dose for a while to prevent migraines. No diarrhoea and nausea, and they are things I do get on occasion.

I take it for anxiety but recently had a really bad panic attack and they didn't really help for that. They wanted me to go back to 40mg 3x a day but because my BP is already quite low I can't tolerate much more than 20/40g a day. Breathing really helped for me. And someone gave me a 5mg Valium which was like absolute heaven. Slept so well. Dr won't give me those though 😂 quite rightly.

I’ve taken it for years, I used it a lot when I started having panic attacks. By taking them I was able to more calmly and rationally deal with the actual anxiety. Now sometimes I can go months without them!
I found them super helpful as they slow down that rapid heart beat, and the best way I can describe it is that you just don’t feel that awful sensation of panic running through your body anymore, it’s almost like it numbs it.

It won’t make the actual anxious thoughts go away, however what it does do is help you to calm down and think things through much more rationally, addressing the anxiety in that initial moment.

I had no side effects while taking mine. I’d recommend taking it about an hour before a stressful event and it will have a good effect for around 6 hours in my experience. Hope this helps, I would very much recommend trying it as it helped me so much in combination with antidepressants 🙂

It can work. But I suffer from the shits when I get anxious. Tbh if you can afford it counselling can help. Good luck I know that panic about not knowing if there is a loo

I also had severe issues much like yours with extreme nausea/dirrohea and even vomiting when in moments of panic, and I’d have to rush to a toilet in public. The propranolol helps because when your fight or flight is activated your body feels the need to expel all its waste immediately in order to prepare for the fictional ‘fight’.
Look it up, it may help with your toilet issues!

I take it for anxiety. It really helps me. I don't get any side effects.

Really helps me with the "fight, flight or freeze" physical elements of my anxiety, and allows me to get through it

Same here - it made me feel a bit like there was constricting clothing around my neck even when there was nothing there, which wasn't ideal for reducing stress It didn't give me diarrhoea though. Could you try it out at home or somewhere where you know there'll definitely be toilets, to see if you get any side effects?

I've taken it on and off for years. I take 10-20mg when needed, 40mg makes me feel a bit light headed. It just switches off the whole adrenaline rush.

Have never experienced any stomach related side effects at all.

The good thing is you can just take it when needed...try one at home the first time and then you won't be stressing about any possible side effects while out and about.

Thank you all this is really helpful. I've read a lot but nothing quite compares to peoples actual experience.

I've read a lot about fight or flight and I think what happens to me is a classic example of it. My body perceives 'danger' and activates the adrenaline that causes a lot of these unpleasant sensations. I also retch, sweat and get the feeling that my throat is closing up like my clothing is too tight around my neck. The absolute worst is the toilet issue though as there's a very real consequence of that - I.e having an accident. And I think it's that fear that is responsible for a lot of my anxiety.

If I could get that fight or flight under control and reduce that initial panic I think I would naturally stop worrying and the cycle might be broken.

I have tried cbt and counselling in the past and it didn't help.

I just wish I could do normal things like jump in the car with my friends or get on a bus or go for long walks in the countryside (totally out of the question due to lack of toilets). Even going to watch my ds play sports is an ordeal as I never know if there'll be toilets at the away games. It's a nightmare.

I know it's crude. But a portable potty, or bushes for country side. I found it helpful

I’ve recently been prescribed this. I don’t think it’s working for me as I still have the same anxiety but now with added massive heartburn.
I’m going to try and get back into the doctors this week to see if I can try something else.
Everyone is different though OP, so what doesn’t work for me may be perfect for you.

Yeah I've considered these things. I also do things like try not to eat the night before I'm due to go somewhere or take Imodium. But even these things don't always work. I'm not sure if it's some deep rooted desire to need to feel in control and once my bowels start acting up I feel so out of control it's scary. Or maybe fear of embarrassment if I were to have an accident. It's just hideous to be honest and takes all of the enjoyment out of things that should be fun like holidays and days out.

It didn’t cause any side effects in me, nor did it make a jot of difference re anxiety

I take it for situation specific anxiety at work (doing presentations/meetings with lots of people) Stops me getting breathless and unable to speak and helps with the worrying as part of that is worrying my nerves will cock things up. Think only symptom I've noticed is perhaps struggling to sleep after on occassion. I wouldn't want to take them too regularly tbh and not sure if it would be ideal for your circumstance but sure your doc will advise..

I understand and it's a awful situation. Ps get a radar key for disabled toilets. Gives you some control and means quicker access 🤗

I have it prescribed. I don’t take it regularly, just if I feel a panic attack coming on (I take a different medication on a daily basis). I have found it brilliant to alleviate the physical symptoms of panic attacks, and haven’t had any noticeable side effects.

I’ve taken these before for anxiety.
I think if you can break the link with starting to feel anxious and then the anxiety that breeds further anxiousness it could really help you. It’s a vicious circle. Beta blockers help to break that circle. I would echo a pp to take one at home to see how you feel first and if all ok, take one before a potential stressful situation.
They’re very mild and the effects are short lived but hopefully they could help break that anxiety cycle and you can enjoy doing things again with your family.
Good luck xx

Have also never experienced any gastric side effects from this medication but have done as a result of feeling anxious x

I take it for anxiety. It's been life changing for me as they also prevent migraines.

I was taking them 3 times a day and I felt really dependent but it's been a year now and it's dropped to now and then like a big event at work stuff like that.

They take the edge right off the physical symptoms so I can focus and push through it.

If it's a full blown panic attack they have their limits of what they can achieve but the act of bringing the BP down helps a lot when anxiety makes you feel like nothing can help.