Propranolol and asthma

[Rainbowsandunicorns88]

I desperately need beta blockers for anxiety and migraines but even though the pharmacist and neurologist says a minimal dose will be fine 10mg bd, the GP says it's too dangerous for my mild asthma. So now I've convinced myself that taking the pill will make me struggle to breathe. Mind over matter, yes, but I've convinced myself of the side effects before even taking it. Has anyone else on here had propranolol and asthmatic?

ive just been prescribed propranolol this week - 40 mg up to 3 x a day and i have asthma (hospitalised 3 times past year)
haven't taken it yet ,as im only allowed to take it when i go out as i have low blood pressure , im worried about the blood pressure effect more than the asthma effect .

Do you mind telling me why you've been prescribed it?

severe social anxiety and trauma related panic.

Sorry to hear that. I too have extreme anxiety, health anxiety, panic attacks and migraines

have you tried them yet? my gp prescribed them thurs , then psych rang yesterday and said he'd give me a script for diazepam incase the beat blockers cause too many side effects. i asked about asthma and he said it can cause an asthma attack in susceptible patients but the majority are fine.

Hi, I also have awful health anxiety, convince myself there is such wrong with me then end up with symptoms. It's horrible isn't it. I was prescribed propanolol, however I am not asthmatic so couldnt advise whether you can take them or not. I take mine as and when I need to, mostly to help with palpitations, they work for me.

Hi Rainbows. I was prescribed propanalol a few months ago for high blood pressure, and also have mild to moderate asthma. My GP said that it would not usually be prescribed with propanalol as it can worsen asthma, but that exceptions are made if for whatever reason (in my case, previous medical history and other medication I am on) propranolol was felt to be the best treatment choice for the relevant problem. I did find that for the first few days I felt slightly more breathless, but I made sure I took my preventer inhaler regularly and my reliever as needed, and a few days later it settled down. It's been OK since then and my blood pressure is under control now so it has worked out fine for me. I am on 200mg 2 x a day, so a much higher dose than yours would be. In your shoes I would try it. You can always come off it if it doesn't seem right after giving it a reasonable go.

Thank you for all your replies. I haven't actually been given the script yet. Long story short but consultant wrote to GP to prescribe it but GP refuses so I've had to email the consultant.

Propranolol - which I was prescribed for migraines - brought my childhood asthma back, so I would be cautious! However it is unusual for a GP not to follow a Consultant's letter so it will be interesting to see what happens. But I can understand the GP's concerns.

I took Propranolol for heart problems for some years and it made me really short of breath and wheezy. I don't have asthma and yet these symptoms/side effects were bad enough to interfere with my ability to do physical activity!

Thankfully, I got reviewed by a cardiologist recently and changed to Bisoprolol. It is like night and day - I am no longer short of breath or wheezy. It is possible another beta blocker might be okay even if Propranolol doesn't suit you as they all seem to work slightly differently. I took Atenolol for a while before the Propranolol and it didn't give me breathing difficulties either.

Thanks. Propranolol, as far as I know, is the only beta blocker prescribed for migraine/headaches. I have booked to have a reverse spirometry test to confirm or disprove a diagnosis of asthma before I start the tablets.

I had two fairly short courses of it, I think - I was fine with the first one, then when the migraines started to reappear I asked for another course and it was the second one that triggered the asthma.

I am fairly sure that the GP said if I had any breathing issues to stop, but it took me a while to connect the two issues I have a vivid recollection of standing in my kitchen one bank holiday thinking 'if my breathing gets any worse I'll have to see someone because this feels like asthma' and then realising that it might be the tablets!

As I said, I do think they worked for me on the migraines so I hope you find something to help - they (migraines) are grim, and I assume you are getting them frequently for this to be an option. Triptans were a fab solution for me, and now I'm menopausal they have virtually disappeared (I'm drinking a coffee right now!).

Hope the test goes well for you.

I take propranolol for a tremor, first prescribed 10mg three times a day that made me really breathless(no asthma). Have switched to 80mg slow release and had no breathlessness at all.

Oh god. Are there any positives for this drug? Also have crippling anxiety hence the diagnosis. But with anxiety comes health anxiety so I know I'll be psychosomatically waiting for breathlessness.

Weirdly, I still had migraines on it, but maybe the dose I was on was not enough for them (as I wasn't on them for migraines).

For some reason, my breathlessness was worse in the afternoon and evening. I was like Cotswold in that I suddenly realised one day that I was developing quite bad breathing problems to the point of feeling I would need to see the doctor. It is quite crazy. One of my friends has been on it for migraines and didn't have breathlessness so I guess it does vary how the body reacts.

As I said earlier, I'm on a much higher dose and have been pleased overall with its effect for me. It does seem to vary quite a lot between individuals.

rainbows its really just hit and miss for individuals. As I said I take it for a tremor, its the very first med given for tremors, so have seen thousands of people in our groups who have suffered and others who say they've had no side effects at all from prop.

I'll give ya a good thing about it,on the 10mg, it made me fall asleep at 7/8pm, wide awake at 4 ready to crack on with the day. Got a lot of uni work done then!

I always wondered when I first started taking it how it helps anxiety, on the 10mg I had awful palpitations that made me feel anxious.

On the otherhand, I had an accident during my teens involving a head injury, had awful headaches/migraines after, was prescribed prop then and I was fine and they did help.

Also, id make sure your weight and obviously blood pressure is recorded properly. When I first tried them 6 years ago, I was underweight and low b.p... I collapsed!