Propranolol Question ?

[Sorry1982]

Hello. I’m currently taking Propranolol . It does seem to be helping although it seems to wear off quickly so I take throughout the day and evening. My question is if I stopped taking the propranolol would it make my anxiety worse ?
I don’t want to stop taking it at the moment but am taking more and more each day . I try and wait till the afternoon as I does make me feel lazy and I have a lot of jobs I need to get done at home . so ideally I want to take as least as possible.
My mental health has never been this bad before I was was very close to suicide. So for now tablets are a lifesaver although each day is a struggle.

How much are you taking? I was on 40mg three times a day when I was really struggling. I had to ween off slowly as I got better.

it might be worth a chat to your GP. Are you on any other medication?

Your doc prescribed this meds based on their professional opinion when you spoke to them.
Were you completely honest? They not there to judge.
what mg do you take and how often? You prescribed every day or as you need it? How long have you been on them?

as you’re feeling this way you may consider spray to your doctor again and telling them exactly what’s going on, they may prescribe additional medication or support groups.

the way I see my own MH struggles is if I had a broken leg I wouldn’t try and fix it myself I’d need professional help, my MH needs professional help. I don’t care what or how often I have take my ADs/anxiety meds as long they help

The tablets are 10mg and I believe this is a low dose . I take about 6-8 a day on a bad day . I’m just woundering if I try and cut down is the anxiety worse than it was before ? Also I’m on sertraline for depression but that’s not something I can stop in fact I just increased it today .

been taking them about 6 weeks now

I would speak to your doctor and tell them the current prescription isn’t working. I’m on 40mg and on bad days take 3x a day. I don’t get any adverse effects from this and feel like they’re just enough to get me through the bad days.

Ok thankyou . So if your on 120mg a day then I am on a very low dose .

Never stop taking a medicine before talking to your GP. I suggest you meet him as soon as possible.

I'm on a beta-blocker for my heart. What I would say is perhaps you need to change beta-blockers. But also, perhaps, in your case, beta-blockers might not be the right approach to your type of anxiety.
I myself switched from propranolol to bisoprolol (but my needs are entirely heart-related; I'm a cardiac patient). Propranolol didn't agree with me at all and it's quite common for people to feel rather sluggish on it. I feel much, much better on bisoprolol.
I don't know if bisoprolol is used for anxiety but there are other beta-blockers for your anxiety other than propranolol.

Just to add: Don't stop taking a beta-blocker without guidance from your GP or consultant. It can really mess with your heart rhythm (your body's gotten used to it, so you want to come off of it gently when you do).

Thankyou. They are good at taking the anxiety problems away but like I say they make me feel very lazy . Washing up is like a days work ! I have to keep having a rest . Not good when you have a ton of jobs that need doing

I’ve been prescribed propanol too for anxiety but is it just for palpiatations arising from anxiety or help with general anxiety as well? I’m having an awful time with insomnia, sweating, gastritis, diarrhoea and sheer panic. Will propanalol help with these issues? I’ve looked into specialist therapy for the specific sources of anxiety and it’s £150 for 55 minutes. That’s another source of stress worrying how to afford therapy 🥺

For me it’s the racing heart and that horrible feeling in my stomach. That also can cause nervous diarrhoea so I’m guessing it may be useful for that to . They make me tired and sleepy so probably good for insomnia to

It’s all really horrible isn’t it Sorry1982? I feel really drained as well and every job seems so overwhelming plus the horrid symptoms start up again.

@Mydoghealsmyheart
oh yes . Before the doctor told me what it was I thought I was going crazy! I didn’t realise anxiety could make you so ill. Have you started taking yours yet ? And I can’t believe the price of that therapy ! That’s so expensive! I tried to find a psychologist but I couldn’t even afford the £40 for a counsellor so gave up ! Am waiting for NHS treatment now 😮

They're a tool to help you. Now you know they work, would it be possible to try telling yourself when you feel the anxiety start 'I'm OK, I'll take a tablet in a minute'?

You know they're there and they work, so you've got the safety net of being able to experiment with calming techniques, such as resting your hands on your belly, gently blowing out through your lips as though you're trying to move a candle flame but not blow it out and saying to yourself 'I'm OK. I'll take one in a minute'.

It's what DP does and it got him from having to take one multiple times a day to just on occasion to hardly ever - he also found that the security of knowing they're there and that he could try other techniques first gave him the confidence to look at other ways to help his anxious 'fight/flight/freeze' response - because he would freeze, he reasoned that maybe being able to tell his body he was escaping would help; which meant exercise. As time went on, he found that rather than having all the adrenaline swirling around in his body, exercising gave it somewhere to go and be useful, rather than mess up his entire life.

And if you don't feel ready to try that yet, it's fine to go back to the doctor and see whether the prescription needs to be increased. It's up to you - you are in control of this, you manage the best way for you.