Propranolol anxiety

[Peppa08]

Been put on propranolol 40mg three times a day for anxiety as it was giving me a fast heart rate when moving around, but now it’s gone the other way I’m scared it’s too low now, 80/90 when walk-in around and 50/60 at rest and 40/50 when sleeping I’m only taking one tablet split in half morning and night because I’m terrified it will go to slow and then stop, I really hate taking meds, in the last week I’ve upped my citalopram from 10 to 20mg given two new diabetic tablets to take and taking a Zopiclone sleeping tablet 7.5, I’m so scared all these tablets are going to do me in, it’s not helping my anxiety taking all these, how do people cope taking lots of meds?

[Skelson1]

Hi Peppa I’m the same with meds I have health anxiety so struggle to take them worrying what effects they will have, no answers from me but interested what people here would suggest ❤️

[MountainGoat52]

Hi Peppa,

I think you need to discuss your concerns with your GP or whoever is in charge of prescribing your medication. The pulse rates you quote are similar to mine and I would suggest these figures are fairly normal for someone prescribed the kind of medication you are on. It appears that you are achieving these results by adjusting the medication that you are on and this should be discussed with whoever is responsible for prescribing your medication. .

I have been fortunate to have the purpose of each drug clearly explained to me on several occasions and have, in conjunction with medical professionals, been able to vary the doses to achieve a balance between my various medications. This took a while to get right, but I am now thankfully happy with what I am taking. I would say that I would be resistant to any change without it being absolutely necessary. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I hope that you can get this matter sorted quickly. Kindest regards,

Gerald

[Peppa08 in reply to MountainGoat52]

Thanks for replying, I just hate taking medication, especially the beta blocker

[Hidden]

Peppa, you really do need to get help for your anxiety to improve your general quality of life. The high heart rate was making you so anxious you were scared to move, so they’ve given you something to bring your heart rate down, but now you’re anxious because of it being normal. Between 50 and 100 when awake is normal. Above 40 is normal when asleep. I suffered with anxiety for many years previously (although not around my health), so I can completely sympathise with what’s going on, but there are ways to improve it and stop worrying all the time. I would actually love to have a heart rate like yours.

The taking medication thing is straightforward for me: I know what they’re for, I know how they work, and I know what the consequences will be if I opt not to take them. Because taking the medication is a choice at the end of the day, you don’t have to take them if you don’t want to, no one is going to force you. I’m not diabetic, but if I don’t take my metformin, I know I have massive hypos on an almost daily basis. If I don’t take my heart tabs, my cholesterol will be out of control, and I’ll be needing to go to A&E to get my heart stopped because of my arrhythmia. If I don’t inject and take my oral immunosuppressants, my arthritis goes on the rampage and aside from crippling pain, long term further destroys my joints even more than they already are. For you, if you don’t take the beta blocker, you know your heart rate will be raised because of your anxiety, and will make you even more anxious, so the choice is either take the tablets, or live with the high heart rate. The third option is to get some serious help for your anxiety, and potentially be able to stop the beta blocker in the future due to no longer needing it when your anxiety has been got under control. Even if you can’t stop the beta, you might well be able to ditch the zopi if you sort your anxiety out. One less pill to take, but you might also find that with your anxiety managed, taking pills becomes less of an issue to you, too. The propranolol will reduce the physical symptoms of your anxiety, but they won’t actually solve the underlying problem or make you feel less anxious generally.

[Peppa08 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for replying, I sorry you have to take so many meds, I don’t know how people take them without worrying that they are going to make things worse or have horrible side effects x

[Hidden in reply to Peppa08]

It’s about the balance. The problem with anxiety is it’s one big ‘what if’: you spend all your time going what if this happens, what if that happens, what if I get this side effect, without any evidence to prove that these things will happen to you. Did you know that patient information leaflets detail every symptom that someone reported whilst taking a drug during the clinical testing phase, even if they can’t prove that the drug actually caused the side effect? As a consequence, some of the things listed are entirely coincidence, but they include them because they can’t prove it wasn’t the drug. It’s why practically every single medication known to man has headache listed as a possible side effect, including painkillers people routinely take for headaches. Somebody happened to have a headache after taking it, so in it goes.

I didn’t list some of my meds to make you feel bad, but to highlight the cause and effect in my own case. The things that will happen if I don’t take the medication are concrete, I’ve already experienced them, they’re proven facts. The potential risk of side effects are not facts, they’re unknowns, and anxiety absolutely thrives on unknowns, the what ifs?. It was one of the many strategies I was taught to manage my anxiety: what are the facts in this situation? Where is the evidence for the things that are worrying me? I do get some side effects from the meds I take, but then it becomes about a) are they unbearable, and b) are they worse than the symptoms and consequences of leaving the condition untreated. That’s why I said your choices are a high heart rate and that anxiety, or taking the tablets and that anxiety. Which one of those two is the worst? I’m 37 and, as my reply implies, a bit of a wreck: I don’t want to have these things wrong with me, I don’t want to be taking tonnes of pills every day to function, but unfortunately my body doesn’t work appropriately, so it ultimately comes down to which is the lesser evil. There are always choices in life, even if the choices open to us are all pretty rubbish. In my case, taking the medication is definitely the least worst of two not great options.

[Peppa08 in reply to Hidden]

Yes you have a point, I just can’t win, the fast heart rate was panicking me and now taking the propranolol is x

[Hidden in reply to Peppa08]

But you can win. You can learn to control the anxiety rather than have the anxiety constantly control you. It’ll take time, and effort, and it’s not easy, but with the right professional support, you can absolutely take your life back if you want to. I had severe depression and anxiety from the age of 12, was having panic attacks from the age of 19 until my late 20s in spite of huge doses of psychiatric medication from being 15 onwards, including drugs like diazepam. I even spent time in a psych unit. I thought I’d never get better, that I couldn’t get better, but it actually turns out that medication wasn’t what I needed to help me long term, and that’s true for a lot of people with anxiety. It absolutely helped keep me afloat in the short term, but meds rarely actually fix the underlying problem. I’m now 8 years out from my last panic attack, completely unmedicated from a mental health perspective for the last 6, and whilst the tendency to overthink and worry about things is still there (and always will be to some extent), I have the awareness and skills to ensure it doesn’t rule my life. It really doesn’t have to rule yours, either.

[Peppa08 in reply to Hidden]

I’m so glad you got a grip of your anxiety mine has me in it’s grips, I’m waiting for counselling what can I do I the mean time x

[Peppa08]

Before the beta blocker my Heart rate was 150 just moving around and 130 standing up and about 80 at rest

[Ash2021]

Hi Peppa I've been experiencing very similar to you with your racing heartbeat when moving around. I am 35 and as far as I know have no underlying conditions. I had a 24hr holter monitor 3 weeks ago but unfortunately im still waiting for my results. Your heart rate sounds very similar to mine 70 resting jumps up to 120 when I stand up or move around the house and easily gets to 145 if I go out for a walk. I have a fitbit sense which does have an ecg app and my brother is a paramedic so he has looked over my irregular ecgs and say its sinus tachycardia. I am 35 and I'm also recovering from covid so Im currently hoping it is just a reaction to covid and will settle in time. Im not sure I can offer much advice as Im so new to this myself but just wanted to say your not alone as I read your post and can completely relate to the anxiety. I was also given a beta blocker which dropped my heartrate down to 54 and it felt really strange and frightening and I can totally relate to feeling like your heart might stop. I was terrified everytime I took another one as it was getting lower and lower. Thankfully the cardiac nurse told me stop and I was so relieved as honestly I prefer the racing heart to a slow one at this point.

[Caitlyn6]

Don’t stop them . U need a dr to advise otherwise you get terrible withdrawal.

[Peppa08 in reply to Caitlyn6]

I think I need to come off them, I’m dizzy really tired and have blurred vision, I was taking 20mg twice a day I’ve gone down to once a day do think is alright to do

[Caitlyn6 in reply to Peppa08]

I wouldn’t come off without a tapering programme from a consultant. The rebound / withdrawal is horrific.

[Peppa08 in reply to Caitlyn6]

I’ve been on them for about 5 weeks shall I contact my doctor before reducing, what withdrawal effects did you get

[Caitlyn6 in reply to Peppa08]

Yes definitely contact dr. My HR shot up and my blood pressure shot up and I needed to go on beta blockers to stop the palpitations. Google propanalol withdrawal or rebound

[Peppa08 in reply to Caitlyn6]

Oh dear, yes I will contact my gp

[Caitlyn6 in reply to Peppa08]

And I was only on 10mg for three weeks which had been tapered to 5mg so not a big dose

[Peppa08 in reply to Caitlyn6]

What do you take now for the fast heart rate

[Caitlyn6 in reply to Peppa08]

Well I saw a cardiologist as I am on blood pressure tablets anyway and he put me on a very low dose of bisoprolol beta blocker and halved my blood pressure tablet . He said I can stay on it long term but I may go back after COVID restrictions to see if I should come off them but I’m not bothered. My resting HR is between 50 and 60 but I don’t steel dizzy and I have no tachycardia.

[appleby122]

This is happening to me right now but I am on Bisoprolol. Today i've noticed that my resting heart rate seems to be 55 + and I am only on the smallest dose possible 1.25. I have the Apple watch and that monitors my pulse and going back a few days my pulse has been this low when resting. I hadn't noticed before. I take the bisoprolol for racing heart and palpitations. Did write on here back last year for the first time when I was worrying about taking them. Got a lovely response and have since taken them religiously. They seem to keep my high races down but now I find they are taking my pulse right down, when resting. When I say resting this includes just sitting down relaxing and not sleeping. I have now just messaged my specialist who I haven't spoken to for a number of months about this. This last week my palpitations seem to be really playing up too, not sure if its hormonal or what. I am concerned I am going from tachycardia to brachycardia now. If he says its the tablets and so long as the low pulse isn't affecting me, carry on, i'll be fine with that, just want to make sure I am safe so I completely appreciate your worries.

[Caitlyn6 in reply to appleby122]

I think a resting HR of 55 is fine. I am also on 1.25 for tachycardia and my resting is between 50 and 59. If ur not passing out your fine.

[Peppa08 in reply to Caitlyn6]

What do you take now for the fast hr

[Catking]

Hi Peppa08, did you take the propranolol, I'm having the same issues as you, I'm worried about taking it as well even though the fast heart rate is really bothering me.

[Peppa08 in reply to Catking]

Hi yes I’m taking 20mg and it’s taking the edge of the fast hr, I was taking 40mg but I was really tired all the time