Talk to me about Propranolol please I'm too scared to take it

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I have suffered with anxiety panic attacks and depression for years and as a result have become agoraphobic. The last couple of weeks I have taken a turn even worse than I normally am, but because I am in my home (which is normally my safe place) I have nowhere to run to and have been having what feels like near constant panic attacks. It is awful and has been making me have all kinds of frightening thoughts which have been scaring me even more as I worry I am losing my mind.

On Friday I called my GP who was lovely and prescribed me 40mg of propranolol which I can take 3 times a day if needs be, but I am too scared to take it. I am worried it might make me feel worse than I do, or I might have some reaction to it and I can't leave the house to go to hospital. But I am really frightened of feeling how I do for another night especially as DP who has been staying up with me a lot needs a good night sleep as he is back to work tomorrow. Also I have to be ok enough to get DS2 (14) off to school tomorrow. I know DS2 should be able to sort himself out, but I think I have really worried him this week so I want to make sure he is ok getting ready for school.

What are people's experiences of propranolol? Is the worst thing it could do nothing? I would read the instruction leaflet, but I know if I do that there is no chance of me taking them.

I took it for two years for severe panic attacks and anxiety, it's brilliant. I was very reliant on it for a while because it worked so well, I would panic if I forgot to renew my prescription. It's a very gentle effect, it just helps, nothing major. Eventually I realised I'd been forgetting to take them regularly so switched to just when needed, and now I don't have them at all.

They definitely help with the physical symptoms of anxiety like a racing heartbeat and therefore give your brain a chance to calm down without getting into a full blown panic attack. I took them for 2 years every work day and they really do help with the immediate fight or flight response.

Made me so numb and everything grey that I felt suicidal. Upped the dose which only made those feelings worse.

Worst tablet I've ever taken.

Therapy worked for me

It's the most effective manager of the anxiety that leads me to have escalating overthinking, panic and MH episodes. I've been on 120mg per day for a year for high blood pressure and the bonus effect has been the effect on slowing the physiological aspects of anxiety. I am on a strong gold standard type drug for MH illness but the propranolol has made a massive difference compared to MH drug alone. I'd go for it, not addictive and not valium.

DP wasn't leaving the house because he felt as you did - to the point of hiding under the duvet still afraid.

He works fulltime now. He has a packet of them with him all the time and he knows that if he needs one, they're there for him. Which means he doesn't feel as though he needs them as much.

He says make sure you're well hydrated (water/tea) and don't skip meals as you can feel a little weak if you take one on top of being low on energy and dehydrated, they're absolutely fine and take away the crippling, paralysing terror in about ten to twenty minutes with no negatives.

Sorry to hijack but I've been prescribed them to prevent chronic headaches (daily and debilitating) and I've been too scared to take them too! I tried amitriptyline but it made me feel like a zombie.

I take them for my heart and for essential tremor. I find they make me feel a bit like I'm wading through treacle, and very tired. I wouldn't drive within four hours of taking 40mg, for example (half life is 4-5 hours). So you might find that 40mg 3 times a day is a bit much to start with. You could always take half (20mg) and then take the other half if it doesn't work.

I had this zombie feeling when I was on sertraline and amitriptyline. Hated them both!
Have been on propranolol for the last two years due to migraines and I’ve had no side effects except it’s stopped them. If I miss a dose (I take 40mg twice a day) or take it a few hours late I’ll get a migraine. So it definitely helps me. I’ve had anxiety forever and I don’t know if I’ve learnt to manage the feelings myself or if it’s the medication but I rarely spiral like I used to in to full on can’t breathe mode.

Gp gave them to my 13 year old for panic attacks. No adverse effects for her. GP said they are extremely tested and safe with minimal people experiencing anything negative. They give them to kids a lot for exam anxiety etc.

Got me through my (4th) driving test.

No side effects for me, they don't make you feel altered in any way like anti depressants can.

I also don't believe they are physically addictive?

I take them as and when these days but when I was in crisis a few years ago they were very helpful.

Also I often have had low blood pressure in my life and no adverse effects for me.

Good luck op.

It just works on physical effects of anxiety. It's not altering your brain chemistry in anyway. It works quickly and is a really very commonly prescribed medication. It sounds like you need to try a different ssri as it doesn't seem venlafaxine is working.

I was prescribed propranolol 80mg twice a day for migraines and anxiety and didn't have any side effects until much later (I was taking them for years when apparently your not meant to be in such a high dose long term).

They did the job to an extent, I did counselling and learned how to control my anxiety to a big extent while on Propranolol, it gave me the headspace to cope. It didn't help with the migraines unfortunately.

I ended up after a few years finding out was affecting my memory and had made my blood pressure too low - but this was a high dose and taken long term (think over 5 years!). I think you should give it a go, if I'd known before I started what I do now I just would have asked for a lower dose like yours.

This an old thread so nobody may see this comment but I'll do it anyway and then try and find a thread that's more current. I've been taking propanolol for migraine prevention and it works reasonably well. It also calms you down.
Unfortunately it also gives me bad heartburn. Took me a little while to realise the connection but then I googled and found it's quite a common side effect. The advice is to take omeprazole or similar to reduce stomach acid, which I am now going to do.
Apparently the problem occurs because beta blockers (of which Propanolol is one) can relax the sphincter between the stomach and the gullet which allows stomach acid to rise into the gullet, which doesn't have a lining adapted to deal with it - hence heartburn.
Just thought someone might find the info useful.