Propranolol taken for panic attack & Anxiety

It sounds like you may be having side effects to the propranolol. I'm not sure about the anxiety as a side effect, but you're anxiety could be coming from you not feeling well. I don't know about you, but when I take a new drug and get side effects, especially nausea, it increases my anxiety. Is there a doc on call at the office you go to? If so, I would call. It could be you are taking too much. What's your bp running since you started it before the side effects started. My doc gave me a prescription for it, but my bp stays low. It's usually around 95/70 or a little less. She told me not to take it unless my top number was at least 100. I haven't taken it yet. I really need to because I get bad heart palpitations and my anxiety goes through the roof when that happens. I've had to go up on my clonazepam to control it, but I sure didn't want to.

Hi BethieBee,

It's coming up to the 40th anniversary of my anxiety problems starting so I believe I can help you, to some extent.

I think it's important to remember that, generally speaking, the side effects  of a new medication start before the beneficial effects. You must also remember that the presentation of side effects isn't the same for us all. That said, the side effect profile of a medication - the one in the leaflet - is arrived at by statisticians.They go in the leaflet when it's found that a number of people fell the same effect(s).

I was taking Bisoprolol Fumarate and finding that it knocked me flat as regards tiredness. I had my doctor pu tme on Half Beta Prograne (active ingerdient Propanolol) instead. This is my eleventh day on it (at 80mg/day). The initial tiredness subsided after about a week and I'm setling down to the medication well. As on the bisoprolol, I find that, although I'm sleeping 9 hours a night but I rarely feel rested, It clear;y isn't quality sleep.

Now for the traitor in our midst, the anxiety that brings us to places like this.Anxiety is a traitorous companion and - believe me - there's very little it can't cause. Panic attacks, palpitations, dizzines, hot flushes, nausea - the blame for all these and more can be laid at its door. 

The good news is that beta blockers, and particularly Propanolol, are often prescribed for anxiety. We all have a fight/flight response, which is fuelled by hormones including adrenaline and noradrenaline. It is a blast of these that makes us feel anxious, especially as our heart rate increases. Beta blockers tone down the production of adrenaline etc so our fight/flight response is moderated.

I've found that while it's always wise to listen to what your body is telling you. However, be prepared to not always believe it.