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Taking propranolol for anxiety as and when?

12 replies

Bubblegum89 · 04/08/2021 00:53

I suffer with anxiety and have done for a long time. I was prescribed propranolol but have never taken any because I’m worried that it will make me nauseous. My anxiety manifests as bad nausea and gives me an upset stomach however I’m emetophobic so being nauseous and feeling like I might be sick gives me bad anxiety. It’s a whole cycle. It often prevents me from leaving the house and if I do, I panic the entire time that I’ll be sick which makes my anxiety worse which makes my nausea worse etc etc.

I have a few things coming up that I know are going to be tough for me. I am travelling to Northern Ireland on a plane (love flying but my anxiety just cannot cope with sitting in an airport), I am driving down south which will take about 3 hours, I get motion/car sickness and I get anxious about not being by a toilet if/when I feel sick because of that. And thirdly I am getting married. We aren’t having our big wedding until next year so are just doing the legal stuff at a registry office but even the thought of standing up in front of only a handful of people and saying vows gives me really bad anxiety too.

I just wanted to know how safe it is to take it as and when you need it as opposed to every day. I got prescribed it a while ago and vaguely remember the doctor saying it can be used when you need it instead of all the time but can’t be 100% sure and Google is giving me mixed messages. I’ve heard it works pretty quickly, within an hour of taking it and that the effects last a few hours.

Also for anyone who takes or has taken it before, what were your experiences like with it? Did it work for you? Did you feel sick when you took it? If that’s the case, it seems a bit counterintuitive for me to take it to curb my anxiety nausea. I just don’t want to be stood saying my vows or in a plane seat feeling sweaty and dizzy and like my insides are going to fall out!

OP posts:
NiceTwin · 04/08/2021 00:58

I take it for migraine, one a day, so I can't comment on how it makes you feel having it as a one off.
It has never made me feel sick, is it even one of the side effects?

Colin56 · 04/08/2021 01:05

Hi, hate to be the bearer of bad news but taking drugs for your anxiety is a significantly well known anxiety safety behaviour and in the long term makes it worse.
Your issue is not whether the drug will work or not but is actually about re-reading your whole post and seeing that what you are doing is only making things worse.
I had significant anxiety and like you did the juggle of drugs, behaviour chages, worry etc. Until you address your anxiety, the drivers of it and the safety behaviours that perpetuate it you will not get better. It will just become more limiting.
Have you ever had cbt or looked at the vicious circle model?
Or worked on ambiguity tolerance exercises? Thats where I would be starting.
Every failed attemot you try to self manage will only increase your belief that you need an outside moderator (in this case a drug) to help you. I really wish you the best but you got to get right to the root of this. I know how hard it is but its possible to be much more comfortable with anxiety than you are at present.

Bubblegum89 · 04/08/2021 01:06

Yeah nausea and diarrhoea is one of the side effects which is a pain. There’s lots of other possible side effects too but that’s the one I’m most worried about.

When you first started taking it, did you find they worked straight away or did it take a while for you to get used to them?

OP posts:
WouldBeGood · 04/08/2021 01:31

I have it for panic and anxiety, just take it when necessary, and it’s great. Never made me feel sick.

It stops the physical symptoms of anxiety, which is a big help. Give it a go!

WouldBeGood · 04/08/2021 01:32

Oh, and each tablet works straight away

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 04/08/2021 01:34

My partner has Panic Disorder and is also an emetophobe. Her anxiety comes and goes, but if she's feeling particularly anxious she'll take half a propanolol now and again. It tends to make her a bit flighty for a few hours, I always liken the effect on her to something approximating as if she's had a couple of drinks. She comes across as being a bit dopey, but without the giggling and infantile behaviour you'd associate with being half-pissed. The effects wear off after a couple of hours and she's back to normal.

So yes, it is something that you can take 'on demand' on a longer-term basis, and she's never reported any significant side-effects from taking a small dose as and when she feels the need. It was different when she was taking it on an ongoing basis, but that stopped years ago.

Bubblegum89 · 04/08/2021 09:17

Thank you for your replies :) I’ll give it a try then, just taking it when I need it. I know you’re not supposed to drink while taking them and obviously with going away and getting married, I’ll probably want a few drinks so I don’t really want to take them every day, especially if I don’t need to be. I hear the withdrawal from them after taking them daily can be pretty brutal. Thanks again, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that they don’t make me feel sick!

OP posts:
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 04/08/2021 09:33

Personally I'd give it a go when it doesn't really matter — a dry run, so you can suss out how it's likely to make you feel. I don't really like the stuff but I know some people it's really great for.

Yutes · 04/08/2021 09:35

I took propranolol as and when I needed during a severe bout of anxiety and panic attacks.
I never relied on them.
They are a beta blocker, so lower the highest range your heart rate can get to.
I found them quite helpful. Never felt sick or had an upset stomach on them at all, if that helps

Serenissima21 · 04/08/2021 09:36

I agree with having a dry run. I was prescribed it for flight anxiety and it made me feel so awful that I almost had to cancel the flight. Luckily I took it in time for it to wear off.

Smartiepants79 · 04/08/2021 09:43

You don’t say what dosage you’ve been given.
I was given 40mg when my anxiety was at its worst I could take 3 a day I think.
I did notice side effects at this dosage.
A little dizziness and general fuzziness and fatigue. Weird dreams.
No nausea.
Mostly passed after a week or so when my body adjusted.
I’m now down to just 10mg tabs and they have no side effects at all.
For me they don’t have a noticeable effect on my mood or make me feel suddenly calm or ‘better’.
It does help significantly with the physical manifestations of my anxiety - heart rate/panicked feeling.
This allows me to handle the anxiety much more easily.
They work for me.
Are you having long term help such as CBT for this?

Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 09:46

They don't affect your mood at all but they do stop some of the panicky feelings.

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