Inderal (propranolol) [Beta Blocker]

[Positive]

What dosage and symptoms b4/after do you people notice?

[rnancy]

Originally Posted by Drew

(Copied over from old review system)

Posted by aabbccdd44332211

Treatment Experience
This is like a miracle. I was prescribed 20 mg of propranolol by my very reluctant doctor. This enabled me to give speeches and other public performances without my physical symptoms such as shaking, etc. I could not do this prior. I can't begin to describe how much this has saved me. I take it one hour before my presentations.

I am new to this and not sure if I am using this correctly! My daugher is suffering from inability to speak in class, she is in nursing school. A confident young lady in every other aspect of her life. I urged her to seek help to get through this part of school so it does not ruin her career path and the doctor said no to a beta blocker!! Actually a nurse practitioner is who she saw, they put her on zoloft and ativan! Hard core meds for very situational panic attacks. So frustrated. Could it be because they are worried it will lower her blood pressure? She is a small person, maybe 120 pounds..

[mandeep]

i have taken 10mg for my presentation and it5 works good. it reduces the physical symtoms of anxiety like tremors and sweating

[AdrianG]

You can take two,just be aware of light-headed feeling if it should arise and stand up SLLOOOWLY!!

[MilkWasABadChoice]

Originally Posted by rnancy

I am new to this and not sure if I am using this correctly! My daugher is suffering from inability to speak in class, she is in nursing school. A confident young lady in every other aspect of her life. I urged her to seek help to get through this part of school so it does not ruin her career path and the doctor said no to a beta blocker!! Actually a nurse practitioner is who she saw, they put her on zoloft and ativan! Hard core meds for very situational panic attacks. So frustrated. Could it be because they are worried it will lower her blood pressure? She is a small person, maybe 120 pounds..

I hope she will not start taking the zoloft for this issue, very risky and pointless. The ativan will help her in presentations but propranolol is key. Have her go to other doctors and explain thoroughly that she will not be able to properly function in the classroom without an aid, you seem to have tried other options, now try the reliable one. She will have to take a low dose since she sounds like the smaller type. Also, does she have history of asthma or low blood pressure or diabetes?

P.S. Go to a psychiatrist not GP

[jaytee]

Just want to share my experience inside the trial court today where i stand as witness in a certain crime, as usual, i took 10 mg 2 hours before i seat in the witness chair then pop another one an hour before..Damn! i grilled the defense lawyer instead of the contrary, i was able to express everything, answered the lawyer and the judge with full confidence!! propranolol is really a miracle for me..Next week i'm going to deliver speech in front of many people, im pretty excited..physical symptoms such as shakings, rattled voice, tremors are gone

[missbritton]

As above, i just wanted to share my experience also! Last year i gave a university presentation for my degree and just passed by 4% as I had a panic attack half way through. My hands were shaking, my stomach was turning which made me feel sick, i developed a lovely little twitch in the corner of my mouth that Id never had before - fabulous. Determined not to let my SA destroy my career this time, I went to the doctors and he prescribed me 20mg to take an hour before presentations. I had a presentation last Wednesday and managed to get a first (75%). I cant believe it. All the physical symptoms were gone and I was actually the calmest person in my group. I cant believe how much this has helped me, I would seriously recommend to all!

[th3crow7]

Originally Posted by drue

My doctor prescribed 10mg Propranolol for the mild stage fright that I experience during public speaking. I usually split the pills and only take 5mg, which still reduces my physiological reactions. I think that Propranolol is very effective for me because I only experience physical symptoms of anxiety, not cognitive (thought) symptoms.

And this was enough? I always hear about higher doses being effective, never a low one.

[th3crow7]

Originally Posted by jaytee

I would like to share my experience about inderal (propronalol)..I am a police officer here in the philippines..My only fear is public speaking, not afraid of apprehending criminals. Now i already made every excuses to avoid speeches and any form of public speaking.But If unavoidable, everytime same situation, heartbeat racing, voice tremors, shaking hands and wobbling legs so I finished quickly without the audience understanding what I have said, embarrassing indeed..Last week, my boss called me for a presentation, lecture to non officers, about hundred of them, damn. So I did research and discover beta blockers, esp propranolol, inderal is the brand name, I bought it over the counter at local drug store. I took 10 mg the morning I left home, traveled for two hours then another 10 mg an hour before my presentation..Lo and behold!! normally when somebody is about to introduce me, panic starts attacking, all i heard is my racing heart, everything is blocked out. But it all changed when I took inderal, i felt calm and composed, physical symptoms of panic are all gone.. I kept talking for about more than an hour, cracks some jokes, wtf! After presentation, other officers congratulate me for a job well done. Then when i was in my car going home, I thought of what I have done, wow! I even thought of resigning before, now i have found the cure to my weakness.. thanks to inderal.

Glad you had such success with it. I have propranolol now and waiting for my next big presentation or interview to see how it works. Your post gives me hope!

[th3crow7]

Originally Posted by puffins

all i can say about beta-blockers is....they have handed my life back to me on a silver platter, for me, this was the cure. My life is now amazing!

Awesome! This pill seems to be the real deal.

[Jericho187]

Propranolol works well for the physical symptoms of anxiety (sweating, rapid heart beat, tremor, trembling etc). It does nothing for the psychological symptoms. I would try a dose before your presentation to see how it affects you first, and use the lowest dose possible that is sufficent to control your symptoms (usually 20-40 mg is where it's at for most people).

I just wouldn't recommend daily long term use due to the many side effects (sexual dysfunction, nightmares, insulin resistance etc). You also have to be very careful if you have asthma, or diabetes because it decreases your breathing ability if you have an asthma attack, and reduces your ability to tell if your blood sugars are too low.

If you have asthma, there are other beta blockers which dont affect breathing as much like atenolol.

[puffins]

i dont know if i've updated everyone here on my propranolol use, i ended up going up to 60mg/day so that i may spread it out and have a near constant effect through out my work day and social life, it's still the most amazing thing for me. I've been getting great exposure from it and situations I would have felt before that I needed the propranolol, i'm breezing through without it. Now I only really need it for work and restaurants :P (i'm a hotel front desk clerk, its very very unpredictable and sometimes i'll have 10+ people gathered around my desk so I tend to take it as a precautionary tool). Even at this higher does (i started at 20mg) i've had not a single side effect EXCEPT if I haven't eaten all day and I take it i'll get a nasty headache and I can't take it before getting in the tanning bed as it makes me photosensitive only in that situation it seems (I can go outside all day and the sun doesn't do the same thing).

[diamondheart89]

I'm on this for an arrhythmia, got my dose upped today. It does help my anxiety too, but it also makes me a bit fuzzy, like I'm looking at everything through a window. :/

[JasmineElizabethR]

I've been a little reluctant to try my propranolol! (Always am with new medications!) I was just prescribed 10mg to get through practicals and oral examinations in school. I wasn't able to even complete the prior examination I had because of the anxiety....I'm really hoping this works! I'm not taking any other medications except the occasional benzo once again only in certain situations. I suppose the reluctance is totally my fault because I went ahead and researched all the "possible" side effects lol, it's nice to see the majority of you had good experiences though!

[Pinnigig]

Hello, I'm reading the feedback about propranolol and am so happy to know how much of a life saver it can be. I am a bit worried, however, that it will make me 'off' while I present. Can't be anymore more 'off' than when I'm practically having a panic attack in front of everyone, but I do worry about being drowsy and unable to deliver. Thoughts on this?

I have tested it twice at home and was a bit drowsy, but not at work or in a mock presentation. I'm doing that tomorrow.

[hewinsred]

Hi Pinnigig,

I've been prescribed this drug recently and had the same reservations as you initially. This past couple of weeks at work, on three seperate occasions, I've had to present to a senior management team at work, a team of marketing executives and the senior management team of an external company to whom my employer is a customer. I found the drug didn't hinder my thinking at all, however you may find when you are not engaged in conversation that you feel a little "spaced out". I take 30mg at least 1hr before the meetings and have found it is a very useful tool. My only criticisms of the drug are that it doesn't deal with the mental anxiety - only the physical manifestations of it. Also I have had very vivid nightmares following all three occasions when I took the drug - so be warned!

[mickeym66]

I have tried it in the past and found it helpful. I actually have to give a toast next week at a wedding (I'm the best man) and I am fearful that my voice will freeze and I will start to physically start shaking. I take Clonazepam semi regularly for anxiety. I actually found I still had some Propranolol left from 3 years ago and am wondering if it is OK to take it if it is so old (I just want to take some before the wedding and before the dinner where I have to give the toast). I am afraid that either while standing in front of everyone I'll start to shake.

Funny story - I was going through TSA security at the airport last month and they pulled me aside (I was wearing a heating pack on my back) and they had to pat me down and check me out - my leg was shaking so all I could think is that they must think I am doing something wrong or why would I be nervous - which just made me more nervous.

[Positive]

It took me about 1 year to finally come and challenge myself in that my anxiety was because of my physical symptoms. Since then, I have been on PROPANOLOL for 20mg / day for just the work days and have found them to be a BETTER ALTERNATIVE to BENZOs.

It really helps, as I feel I'm a totally diff't person. I do feel myself slow down though.

[Benjee]

Originally Posted by JackNoah

I've been to see a doctor about meds earlier in the year and was told because I'm a minor (16), she didn't want to prescribe me any without a course of CBT first. I'm honestly not one for counseling or the likes so I turned the offer down and went home.
A friend of mine who suffers from panic attacks and GAD told me her doctor put her on a prescription of propanolol beta blockers and that they worked really well for her when she upped her dosage.
Would it be worth going back to my docs and requesting propanolol, or would they just turn me down again? I'm almost 17 now and my anxiety gets worse every month I wait. I'm honestly not willing to try counseling or therapy, and I'm not hesitant to try any medication that I've been told helps.

i think you should go back and try the CBT first, if it doesnt help at all they can prescribe you beta blockers

[Benjee]

Originally Posted by frodocloud79

My career as a classical performer, so far, has brought me to concerts throughout Japan, North America, and Europe. I used beta blockers for many years (inderal 5-10 mg), having learned about them in college from all of my conservatory friends in America who were also using them.
I stopped using them eventually, because despite the feeling of total control and technical power over my instrument that they gave me in high pressure situations (for example concerts on TV, international music competitions, or even playing for people who made me nervous, etc.), I wasn’t actually progressing in a way that I would have liked in my career by using them.
In fact, performing without adrenaline coursing through my veins may have had a dehumanizing and dulling effect on my performances, despite the feeling of total technical supremacy. After all, to experience a noticeable adrenaline rush is a common human experience for anyone who is doing something for a group — a preacher, a politician, a presenter at a meeting, a teacher in front of a large class, a musician performing for a crowd.
In all of these human activities, the “one” in front of the group will probably experience some adrenaline, and that natural high can help naturally focus the receivers of information or the listeners on the person at the center sharing information or music.
When I chose to use beta blockers for performance anxiety, I think that I was disconnected from the human purpose of all music in this world. In the orchestral world, especially, that disconnection was illustrated by mentally associating the adrenaline rush that comes from an individual performing for a group with fear of failure.
I thought that the effects of adrenaline (a little tremor) meant I was a afraid to fail or failure was looming, when in fact the effects of adrenaline is something that nearly every person in every field of life experiences when they are in the situation of being "one in front of a group." Whether one is afraid to fail or not afraid to fail, experiencing an adrenaline rush is a natural human reaction to being one in front of a group, being judged by others, or performing for others.

If one can mentally accept this fact, as a fact of life, then it is possible for one to get used to it. Experiencing an adrenaline rush during an international music competition, a performance on TV, an orchestral audition, or even a weekly music lesson is something that we can all get used to and even learn to enjoy, I think. Isn’t it exciting to play music for people whilst experiencing a natural high?? One can make a mistake while on a beta blocker, and one can make a mistake without a beta blocker, so why worry too much during the performance? The people just want to enjoy the music that they are hearing.
Now, I live and play music regularly in Japan. It is interesting because in this culture, classical musicians rarely use beta blockers compared with Western classical musicians. It might not be used at all here actually. Here, people seem to accept the nervousness and the adrenaline of performance as simply part of the situation of performance.

The audience for classical music in Japan remains extremely strong and young, compared with an audience in America that seems to be disappearing and graying. … I’m not saying that beta blockers killed classical music, but personally when I listen to a recent live performance of a great orchestra here like Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra and compare that to any of the great orchestras in America, it sounds like all of the performers in Yomiuri are experiencing that excitement that comes with adrenaline. A performer experiencing some adrenaline will certainly make a different kind of sound, and to me, that is a more exciting sound.

Despite what we may perceive as debilitating, classical music was actually much more popular in Western cultures before people started using beta blockers for performance anxiety…. I think that over the course of our lives, we can learn to use the adrenaline that we experience during our performances to enhance our performances, and that we can even learn to enjoy the experience of adrenaline during a performance or an audition.

thats interesting, but i think i produce to much adrenaline in situations where it doesnt really help, so i think i will ask the doc for a prescription for inderal