Propranolol for Performance Anxiety?

[Irene Iesu]

I've struggled with depression/anxiety for 15+ years. Currently on Bupropion + Prozac and this combo seems to be helping me so far. If I don't have to go out and meet people, I'm perfectly fine. But when I have to attend a social event, I feel super uneasy and often take Xanax.

I think the root of the reason I'm apprehensive of social events is performance anxiety. Even though I rarely would be put in a public speaking type of situation, I still feel "I have to perform" to look cheerful (not-gloomy) so people have a pleasant time with me. It makes me nervous obsessing over if I'm saying the right thing or don't look/sound strange.

I even do this with my family and close friends. I just can't help it. I pull through it okay most of the time (my friends didn't notice I have depression/anxiety issues until I told them), but it takes a lot out of me and leaves me utterly exhausted. Social events have become such an onerous task and not something I'd look forward to.

I heard doctors often prescribe a blood pressure medicine (beta-blocker) Propranolol for performance anxiety. I read user reviews where people had very satisfactory results. I'm wondering if anyone in this forum used the med, if so, can you share the experience with me, the pros and cons of the med? I'm hoping it can be taken on an as-needed basis, and I don't have to take it every day for it to be effective.

 

[HeadHigh]

Maybe its just me, but ive always thought of the term "performace anxiety" as pertaining to sexual performance, but maybe thats just a bad assumption on my part. But nonetheless, beta-blockers should NOT be taken on an as needed basis, they are something you need to stick with if youre going to use it. The best as-needed anti-anxiety medications that are not benzos are either clonidine or hydroxyzine in my experience.

You might want to try something natural like kava

 

[Johndoedoe.junk]

I was on Propanolol for quite some time, the latest dose being 20mg 3x a day. Honestly I didn't notice any benefit from it. Granted I've always been on a benzo including while using Propanolol so the benzo may have masked or overpowered so to say any effect of the Propanolol. The only thing I noticed from it in the beginning was that it made me somewhat tired but that effect quickly subsided.

Really all the beta-blockers are expected to do is treat the physical symptoms of anxiety i.e. heart palpitations, high heart rate etc. Eventually we switched to Clonidine and let me tell you it helped soo much better than the propranolol. If you are the type of person that is kept up at night due to anxiety then Clonidine will help there too as it can make you nice and sleepy. If you are already on propranolol I would suggest asking the doc to let you try Clonidine. My current regimen for my anxiety is Klonopin, gabapemtin, and Clonidine and they all work nicely together.

I hope this post was helpful to you and I wish you the best of luck as I know anxiety is a bitch and very hard to live with. Hope you find something that will help you in the social situations.

 

[Irene Iesu]

Thank you for your replies I heard similar things from people in other forums that propranolol only works on the physical symptoms and not necessarily take away anxiety. For that Xanax is better.

But I do experience bothersome physical symptoms when attending a social event ...Often my face gets warm, I can hear my heart palpitating and sweat profusely around my neck. Sometimes blank out during a conversation in search of a word or don't catch what others said. (I hear the words but my brain temporarily loses the ability to compute.) If propranolol can take care of these, it would be nice. So, it's okay to take propranolol and xanax at the same time?

I heard good things about Clonidine too, that it can relax you but also help with mental focus (often prescribed for ADD, which I may have to some degree) ... I'd definitely ask my doctor about it. It sounds like something I should try. Thanks!

 

[Edaw'Naflagn]

I've struggled with depression/anxiety for 15+ years. Currently on Bupropion + Prozac and this combo seems to be helping me so far. If I don't have to go out and meet people, I'm perfectly fine. But when I have to attend a social event, I feel super uneasy and often take Xanax.

I think the root of the reason I'm apprehensive of social events is performance anxiety. Even though I rarely would be put in a public speaking type of situation, I still feel "I have to perform" to look cheerful (not-gloomy) so people have a pleasant time with me. It makes me nervous obsessing over if I'm saying the right thing or don't look/sound strange.

I even do this with my family and close friends. I just can't help it. I pull through it okay most of the time (my friends didn't notice I have depression/anxiety issues until I told them), but it takes a lot out of me and leaves me utterly exhausted. Social events have become such an onerous task and not something I'd look forward to.

I heard doctors often prescribe a blood pressure medicine (beta-blocker) Propranolol for performance anxiety. I read user reviews where people had very satisfactory results. I'm wondering if anyone in this forum used the med, if so, can you share the experience with me, the pros and cons of the med? I'm hoping it can be taken on an as-needed basis, and I don't have to take it every day for it to be effective.

I got it prescribed about 2 and half years back maybe more can't recall, but, it helped me only some what... It worked wonderfully at first and I didn't take nearly as much xanax as I did but after a few months on propananol I started getting heart aches and pains and just super low blood pressure and made me pas out and fall on my face due to how low my blood pressure was use to this medicine. I changed doctors and my need doc is so cool and so dope man :D! I get 90 .5mg's of Xanax every month, I get up to 3-6 refills on my Xanax, & I get and use my Temazepam 15mg's [30 count for the Temazepam] once a night as needed for sleep since I have extreme insomnia. I'm super happy, I'm getting out more, I don't have nearly as much anxiety, & I finally started to get my GED, & as well as a job with my father. For me, SSRI's and other anti-depressants just don't help, work, or even do anything at all for me for some reasoning. I hope you figure out how to take your meds and I hope you stay happy and also hope that, that propananol doesn't start to fuck with your heart after taking it for a long duration of time. Just be safe man, I just stated what helps me and my personal experience with that medication.

 

[Johndoedoe.junk]

I'm glad I could help. I have found clonidine to be superior to propanolol very much so and the doc shouldn't have a problem prescribing that as it is a very benign medication. Not to abused like benzodiazepines. Good luck to you friend I hope things work out for you.

 

[Sol Andre Raz Somoza]

Yes