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Benzos Benzos vs Propranonol (Anyone have success with beta blockers?)

L

Loo hoo

Greenlighter
Joined
Sep 12, 2015
Messages
2
Hiya. First post here.

I have terrible anxiety and I'm taking 1mg Ativan daily. I've been taking it 2 weeks. I know for sure
that when I stop taking it, I feel terrible. Headache from hell. Ears ring. Smell things that aren't there (burnt electrical smell),
and other bizarrites. Anyway, My real shrink will not give me any more ativan, and gave me a bottle of propanonol. I have no idea
how it works, and/or if it will relieve my anxiety. Anyone have experience with this drug? I do have high blood pressure. Trying to
stop everything. But a nervous wreck. Thanks in advance.
 
Propranolol is a beta blocker which historically was a very common agent used to treat high blood pressure and increased heart rate. It has largely been replaced by newer drugs that either can be taken less frequently or have less side effects for these conditions. However, propranolol has been found to have some efficacy in quite a few seemingly unrelated conditions including some forms of anxiety. It has long been one of the primary drugs used to treat anxiogenic phobic conditions such as stage fright or fear of public speaking. It seems best a diminishing the physical symptoms of these types of anxiety (increased heart rate, tremors) rather than the actual psychological reasons causing nervousness but there is evidence that propranolol may indeed help alleviate the psychological symptoms as well, only for these phobias but also generalized anxiety. It is one of the lipophilic beta blockers which means it can get through the blood brain barrier and have effects in the CNS, so these results are not all that suprising.

But even though propranolol may have some effects on the actual psychological as well as the physical symptoms of anxiety, benzodiazepines such as Ativan far exceed any beta blocker in the overall reduction of negative symptoms in those suffering from anxiety. Can I ask you to describe in your own words your anxiety condition as well as what other drugs you have used to combat it? Propranolol may very well be a suitable agent to add on to a benzo or other drug for anxiety in a patient also with hypertension, but it would neither be a first line choice nor something I would just throw at everyone.
 
Have you any experience with propranolol? Thank you for your reply Kittycat. I'm wondering if it will work, and the typical dosage.
 
My partner is on Propranolol for Generalised Anxiety Disorder. As we're both from the UK the chances of being prescribed any form of Benzo are slim to none. Only for the most serious cases of PTSD will you get a script.

Anyhoo the Prop. seems to work great for the physical symptons of anxiety like increased heart rate and tremors. Doesn't seem to help much with the mental state of the mind though.

Dealing with Benzos myself and suffering from the loss of memory, emotion and then when they're stopped the debilitating, worthlessness of withdrawal I would never suggest them to anyone unless their anxiety issues were extremely serious.

To compare the two would be difficult, Benzos are more emotional state yet Propranolol is physical.
 
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You probably won't find Propranolol to be a suitable replacement for Ativan, although it might help with your high blood pressure. I take a beta blocker called metoprolol for high blood pressure and it definitely doesn't relieve anxiety; just makes it so that my blood pressure doesn't shoot up as high when I experience anxiety. It only helps to control the physical symptoms while doing nothing for the mental/psychological ones. I can't even feel it at all.

In that sense, I think that even an over the counter sedative/antihistamine like diphenhydramine might be a more suitable replacement for your Ativan. At least then you might feel calmer once the drug begins to make you drowsy. The beta blocker would probably only relieve your physical symptoms.
 
The first response in this thread is good and I have nothing to add to it, except for my own personal opinion regarding propranolol: as an anxiolytic it isn't even a tenth as effective as benzodiazepine tranquilizers. Any "non-habit forming" pharmacological solution to anxiety is usually going to be a load of bullshit IMO. If something works then it's going to be potentially habit-forming, there's just no way around that. You're better off just not taking anything and attempting to moderate your anxiety with your own coping mechanisms if they're just going to push pills at you that are worthless at treating the immediate manifestations of a patient's anxiety. It's just an insult to everyone's intelligence.
 
^ what this guy said. Im prescribed propranolol for anxiety because I made the mistake of being honest about my substance use history with my pdoc. It works ok, mainly for situational anxiety, but its no benzo.
 
Loo hoo said:
Hiya. First post here.

I have terrible anxiety and I'm taking 1mg Ativan daily. I've been taking it 2 weeks. I know for sure
that when I stop taking it, I feel terrible. Headache from hell. Ears ring. Smell things that aren't there (burnt electrical smell),
and other bizarrites. Anyway, My real shrink will not give me any more ativan, and gave me a bottle of propanonol. I have no idea
how it works, and/or if it will relieve my anxiety. Anyone have experience with this drug? I do have high blood pressure. Trying to
stop everything. But a nervous wreck. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you got an emergency script, they’re not likely to re-prescribe with how fast you went through them.
 
Loo hoo said:
Hiya. First post here.

I have terrible anxiety and I'm taking 1mg Ativan daily. I've been taking it 2 weeks. I know for sure
that when I stop taking it, I feel terrible. Headache from hell. Ears ring. Smell things that aren't there (burnt electrical smell),
and other bizarrites. Anyway, My real shrink will not give me any more ativan, and gave me a bottle of propanonol. I have no idea
how it works, and/or if it will relieve my anxiety. Anyone have experience with this drug? I do have high blood pressure. Trying to
stop everything. But a nervous wreck. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I take Propranolol before any public speaking or presentations for work. It works so good. I normally would get so damn nervous with my heart beating so hard....i would get so dizzy and litterally about pass out from the adrenaline rush. The propranolol completely stops that. Its a miracle drug for me
 
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