Posted by WhatToDoNext on July 28, 2008, at 7:03:10
In reply to Re: Question about Propanolol (Beta Blcoker) Anxiety, posted by Phillipa on July 27, 2008, at 23:54:09
I'm new here, and when I made the first post It didn't show up, so I thought I did something wrong and typed it all over again only to find out that the original post showed up later.
Anyway, here is the story so you understand it.
I was on Propanolol for a few years and it controlled my HR so that I wouldn't go into panic mode as it was my first symptom of a panic attack. It worked great, but than my HR started going in the 140's at rest with free floating anxiety. I went back to the cardiologist and he told me maybe my body had gotten use to the med and he switched me to a Calcium Channel Blocker after a quick wean of the Propanolol. The first dose made me feel kind of sick, so I called him and he just said not to take either.
So, somewhere between 1 and 2 weeks after this, I developed this severe shortness of breath accompanied with severe anxiety and I mean severe. It has been at least 5 x worse if not more (the anxiety), since this began. I loaded up double on my Xanax and Klonopin to no avail. I only became very sedated, but the anxiety didn't budge. I tried eating benadryl, as this has helped my anxiety in the past, again to no avail. Then I realized I had stopped drinking coffee a few days prior due to the increase in anxiety and shortness of breath, so I made some coffee thinking it was caffeine withdrawl, again, to no avail.
Finally, I took 20mg of the Propanolol and poof, within 20 minl, the shortness of breath resolved as did the intense anxiety and other symptoms, dizzyness, mental fog, etc.
This is what is puzzling me. All the literature talks about start up shortness of breath, but this was shortness of breath due to not having the med on board and it's this that I can't find in the literature. Not only the breathing problem, but when I tell you the anxiety was intense, you have to understand that it was INTENSE, like I've never felt. Just to give you an idea, I've been out of work for several months due to the underlying anxiety that began, which would cause me to shake and make me unable to drive, barely leave the house, etc. So when I say this was 5 x worse or more, just imagine. I am a strong minded individual and can take alot of pain, both physical and emotional, but what I just went through was disatourous. I took 20mg of Propanolol last night before bed again and just woke up here at 8 am and I am pretty much anxiety free. Nothing else has changed in my med tx.
I take: Zoloft 50mg, Klonopin 1mg twice / day, and Xanax as needed now, Thats it..... And of course, restarted the Propanolol.
I will call the Cardiologist regardless, but the literature doesn't mention anything about Shortness of breath as a withdrawal symptom nor does it mention the severe anxiety that developed.
Remember, this went on for almost a week. It was so bad, I was so close to checking myself into the Psych ward. But the reinstation of the Propanolol got rid of everything. I am not a conditioned person by nature, so forget any type of placebo effect.
Thanks again for all of the great support I've received thus far on this Board.
Steve
poster:WhatToDoNext
thread:842480
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080727/msgs/842532.html