Too scared to take BetaBlockers

[GillySmith3]

Hi,

This is the first post I have ever done, as I am looking for some advice. I am a 26 year old female with general anxiety with my health, suffering from panic attacks which always result from my fear of death, night terrors and what the doctor describes as OCD over control issues.

After many trips to the doctor with pains in my chest, 3 different doctors have told me that its caused by my anxiety and that there is no health reason for me to worry. With a history of anxiety I am on the waiting list for Cognitive Behavoiur Therapy but in the meantime I have been put on Propapanol to take the edge of the anxiety but I am too scared to take them incase they slow my heart down (in conjunction with my imaginary heart problem) and my heart stops. I know this is irrational and I have been on them before but I cant bring myself to take them even though I feel like I need them. I think its the thought of what they do to calm you down by slowing your heart. I am starting to think maybe an anti-depressant would be better as it affects brain chemistry and would lift my mood as I feel letharic and exhausted with the constant worry. So therefore if my mood was better then I would have a better outlook on my health and control issues.

Does anyone have any experience of the same and could give me a bit of advice on what worked for them?
I dont want to be on anything too addictive

Thanks x

[bronte]

i was put on propronalol when i first started with severe health anxiety and they calmed me down alot bot i was given them short term until my antideppressents got in to my system.Do try them if only till you go to the drs to discuss antidepressents they had no effect on my heart that i noticed give them ago x

[PokerFace]

I used to take 10mg 3 times a day and it didn't slow my heart rate at all, just made it less noticeable. I told the doctor I was scared about it slowing my heart rate down and my heart might stop but he said there was no way that would happen.

Propranolol definatley takes the edge off anxiety, it stops some adrenaline so there's less nasty symptoms to deal with x

[GillySmith3]

Thanks for your advice!
Bronte - do you feel the antidepressants help you with your oulook on things and prevent you from always thinking the worst?
When my doc had suggested an antidpressant I was quick to refuse and had the kind of attitude that the last thing I wanted to do was kill myself and therefore must not be depressed but the more I have thought about it logically it does make sense! I am just worried about being on antidepressants long term.

Every day I think I or those closest to me has some sort of terminal illness and I feel like I am dragging everyone down with me! When looking up all my symptoms I start to think oh my sister has been like that and then I phone her and say things like I think you have cancer or something equally as crazy! Then I get myself in a panic about it, I need to get out of this cycle of thought and my doc says I am obsessing over it. I hope the CBT will work but I think I need something in the mean time to help, I still aint convinced that Betablockers are for me though as I will only obsess over heart even more (routine pulse checking etc) as much as I tell myself I shouldnt!

I have a good career and I spend more time worrying about my health than I do my work, I really need to find a way out, I just wish there was an easy solution but I know this is something I am going to need to cope with for life, I just wish i knew how to! :( x

[Lizzyg]

Hi
I too was prescribed propapanol last week. Never taken these before and they did not agree with me. The worst symptom was when they wear off and I would would get I think would be a ruch of adrelenin which felt like my heart was jump starting and then my anxiety would go through the roof!
I am very lucky that I do not suffer with depression but from your post this looks like it is an issue for you. Perhaps anti depressents would be a better option, my sister swears by them!
My main problem is worrying which seems to set off physical anxiety symtoms which then I worry about. I get myself in a cycle which with alot of hard work I can break but it is always there!
Hope you find whats right for you xx

[amandaj]

i was put on propranolol yesterday 40mg, and ive got to say im gonna give them a go as feel so rubbish atm, think most of us with ha dont like taking meds but sometimes we need to hope you feel better soon xxx

[GillySmith3]

Yeah I think its going to be a bit of trial and error to see what works best for me. I have tried doing it on my own for a while now and with different coping techniques but I need to get out of the cycle rather than just trying to cope with the anxiety that comes from it. lizzyg your comment has worried me a wee bit about taking them! Think I am going to book myself ANOTHER doc appointment and say about the anti-depressants, just a bit worried that she will say something about me not taking the betablockers already prescribed, I dont want her thinking that I am not willing to help myself.
I think its really hard for people to understand anxiety when they dont suffer from it and especially health anxiety, people call me a hyprocondriact like I am making it up for attention but really the symptoms are very real when I am experiencing them as I am sure yous all know x

[Jannie2948]

Hi, I took propranolol when the Dr said that my problem was high blood pressure, I felt at the time that it was more anxiety/panic and that my blood pressure went up when I went to the Dr's! Unfortunately they did not agree with me, made me feel quite ill after taking them for a couple of months. Put on another beta blocker but had the same symptoms. Eventually a Dr I saw in my practice put me on Citalopram and just over a year later I am feeling fine now. It did take a while but I eventually got there, even if occasionally I have a minor blip, which I think we all do at times.
I hope you find the meds help you, just give them a try.
All the best to you
Jannie x x

[bronte]

Hi Gillysmith3 yes i do think antipressents work and im not bothered about being on them long term i have tried to come off them in the past but i know i need them has i also have ocd i worry all the time about terminal illness after losing both my mum and dad to cancer i still worry but antidepressent make life more bearable for me because with out antideppresent im a basket case regarding health anxiety x

[cookie10]

I was given proronol and i must say they calmed my heart down loads, with no side effects either, other than maybe a bit tired on first starting them. I have just started sertraline today 50mg, I'm sick of fighting this now, been trying for over a year. Here's hoping that things improve for me, been a nightmare, lost my Dad just over a year ago due to a heart attack, which in turn has sent me on a downward spiral with all sorts of health issues, mainly to do with my heart. I've just told myself that sometimes you do need a bit of help..... :)

[GillySmith3]

Thats awful Bronte, sorry to hear about your parents, its no wonder its something you really worry about!
Jannie I think your right that I should just give them a try, I suppose if i dont then I wont know what one will work for me! I have to take 3 a day, that way the doc say I can control it better if i dont feel at ease with them. Thanks for all your advice and I am sick of fighting it too and feel like I just have to do something about it now, I am going to start taking them 2mro, if I dont feel good I will stop then at least I can say I have tried, and in the meantime I am going to go back to the doc and see about antidepressants, I dont suppose I have anything to lose! This has really gave me the push in the right direction! Thanks xxx

[Hazel B]

Gilly, I had anxiety very badly last year, waiting for diagnosis of a health problem. I was prescribed 40mg of Propranolol 3 x daily and it really helped me break the adrenaline cycle. It helped my pulse go to normal (it was 130bpm) and calmed my panic. The only side-effect was a feeling of being drowsy and the odd headache - I just took them without thinking as the anxiety was frightening.

I also had counselling to help with other issues and the combination got me 80% better in 4 months. I really fought hard; stopped smoking, stopped caffeine, ate more healthily etc etc.

You have nothing to lose, best wishes.

[ChrisK]

If you're not willing to take propranolol, there are other ways to burn out those adrenaline (hence the main purpose).

[jmoid]

The thing to remember about Propranolol is that it doesn't so much slow your heart down as much as stop it speeding up, as I understand it. It stops adrenaline from making your heart race and breaks the cycle of panic. That's why it might make you feel dizzy when you stand or exert yourself because your heart can't speed up as much as it wants to, to increase your blood flow, but I can't say that's ever happened to me.

I know some people don't get on with Propranolol but it's been a God-send for me, it really does knock my panics into submission most of the time. One thing I've found is that I sometimes have to give it a way in to start working by distracting myself for five minutes, just by playing a videogame or doing some washing up or something, then when the distraction ends I find the Propranolol has started working. Also they usually take a whil to start working on me, about one or two hours sometimes, but the effect of taking one calms me a bit immediately because I know it'll start working soon. The only adverse effect I've noticed is that it sometimes gives me a bit of an upset stomach.

[pinkprincess]

HI,

I was put on them 10mg 3 times per day and they were fantastic, take your first one just before bed, you wont notice you have had one, it slows your heart rate to normal.

x

[pd]

I take a propranolol 40mg tablet three times a day and they do make me feel better. I definately notice it on the days when I don't take them (if I want to have a drink I skip them, my doctor said it was ok to have a small drink every once in a while on them, but I'm overly cautious).

I've had four different anti-depressants in the last eight or so years (depression has always been my main issue, before I had a problem with anxiety), and none of them has worked for me, I experienced horrible side effects (something I've never really had with propranolol) and they did little to lift my mood, so I was still as depressed as before, but felt like s**t physically too!

I'd reccommend giving the propranolol a try before asking about an anti-depressant, but that's purely based on my experience.