She prescribed me propranolol, a beta blocker , for anxiety. This type of medication is typically used for blood pressure control and heart conditions. I decided to give it a try. The pandemic shut down schools and everything else a week after my appointment.
I was very thankful for propranolol for anxiety in those early pandemic months and now, still safe at home almost a year later. Beta blockers were not created for the purpose of anxiety reduction. FDA for anxiety treatment. Even though they are not made specifically as an anti-anxiety medication, beta blockers can help to create a sense of calm when you take them.
This elevation gives the brain feedback that our body is appropriately panicking. This reinforces anxiety. If our heart and body is calm, it provides calming feedback to the brain. This reduces anxiety.
That can make a huge difference in quality of life when anxiety affects you daily. Some anxiety symptoms feel so severe, and upsetting, that people experiencing them head to the closest hospital. Kroll says. These physical symptoms of anxiety include:.
As it turns out, anxiety reduction after taking a beta blocker is actually a side effect of the drug. So, instead my PCP went with a beta blocker. Officially, the half-life of propranolol is three to six hours, but in terms of how you feel, go ahead and plan for a couple of hours of relief. Beta blockers are usually prescribed in pill form to be taken orally.
The medication works relatively quickly, reaching peak levels in as quickly as one hour. The standard dose of a beta blocker varies based on your symptoms, diagnosis, and other medical conditions. For anxiety, alone, healthcare providers usually start propranolol at a low dose, slowly increasing if necessary.
There is also an extended-release version of propranolol, but for anxiety, usually the non-extended version is used. This prevents adrenaline from making your heart pump harder or faster. In addition to relaxing your heart, some beta-blockers also relax your blood vessels, which can help to reduce blood pressure. All beta-blockers used to treat anxiety are prescribed off-label.
Propranolol and atenolol are two beta-blockers that are often prescribed to help with anxiety. A doctor can still prescribe it for this purpose because the FDA regulates the testing and approval of drugs, not how doctors use them to treat their patients. Beta-blockers work best for managing short-term anxiety about specific events, rather than long-term anxiety.
A review of existing research about using short-term propranolol for treating different anxiety disorders found that its effects were similar to those of benzodiazepines. However, benzodiazepines can cause a range of side effects, and some people have a higher risk of becoming dependent on them. People respond differently to medications, especially when it comes to treating mental health issues like anxiety. What works for one person may not work at all for someone else. You may also need additional treatment options for your anxiety while taking beta-blockers, to get to the more psychological aspects.
Both atenolol and propranolol come in pill form. The amount you should take depends on both the type of beta-blocker and your medical history. Never take more than what your doctor prescribes. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor might suggest taking a beta-blocker regularly or just before stressful events. Usually, beta-blockers will be used in combination with other treatments such as therapy, lifestyle changes , and other medications.
If you take beta-blockers regularly, you may have serious withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop. For some people, the side effects of beta-blockers may actually cause anxiety symptoms. You should follow up with your doctor as soon as possible if you feel like taking beta-blockers is increasing your anxiety. Beta-blockers can also interact with other medications used to treat many heart conditions and antidepressants, so make sure you keep your doctor up to date about any medications, supplements, or vitamins you take.
Atenolol is longer acting than propranolol and generally has fewer side effects. It has less of a tendency to produce wheezing than other beta blockers. Once-a-day dosing is convenient. If taken daily, abrupt withdrawal can cause very high blood pressure. Cold extremities, dizziness and tiredness.
Less frequent is a decrease in heart rate below fifty beats per minute, depression, and nightmares. Dosages Recommended by Investigators. One 50 mg tablet a day for the first week. If there is no response, increase to two 50 mg tablets, taken together or divided.
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