I'm 17 and taking Propranolol for the first time please help!?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hi, I'm 17 and been prescribed 10mg propranolol 4 times a day for anxiety and stress. i was so scared of taking them i got myself into a panic haha but i ended up taking my first 10mg tablet yesterday and i felt fine just the slightest headache but I'm unsure if that was the tablet as it was hardly noticeable and i haven't been sleeping due to my anxiety for a long time anyway. Anyway the only symptoms i had really was just chilled out and tiredness(still unsure if this is the tablet, doesn't bother me anyway) but then i noticed just a pain in my chest but not bad kind of like trapped wind maybe so i told my dad and he said yeah its fine might just be when you swallowed the tablet. So when i got home around 11:30pm i took another which i think is the problem as it was a bit late and then i started with more anxiety and the chest pains was more noticeable i tried staying up to see if i could chill out a bit. I went up to bed after a bit i was so tired could hardly keep my eyes open but Every time i drifted off i would jump up gasping for air and was scared i would die from not breathing enough as stupid as it sounds haha but it was horrible(i used to have this a lot before due to anxiety so still is this due to the tablet or is it in my head?) i was awake until about 4 and felt so horrible just kept crying and this was only after taking my second dose of 10mg tablet. So confused. Should i carry on taking them maybe 1 a day to start with? I want to take them because i want to get back to doing what i used to rather than being held back from fear all the time but then again im scared if this is the worse option? But college is a big stress for me at this time as i finish in marchrolleyes what do i do? I have not took any today and can feel myself getting agitated and stressed. Woke up in the worst mood just wanting to cry and still have a ache on my heart like someone is stood on my chest now. Please help hahah going mad here

2 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    I have been on propananol over a year and it has changed my life completely for the better...i must ask you b4 i continue do you suffer from astma?
  • Posted

    10mg is a low dose i'm on 40mg 3 times a day..go bk to your g.p if your worried or have a word with your pharasist(soz hopeless at spelling) trying not to overload you with to much info at the mo
  • Posted

    haha is okaysmile nope i dont have astma and yeah my dad keeps saying its good so its probably just me but it made me feel worse when i took them
  • Posted

    Part n parcel of the panic i'm afraid...we tend to over dramatise things...keep on taking them give them a chance...carry a lil pill box with u so your med's are at hand...you didn't overload yourself with caffeine b4 u felt bad cause that can cause u to feel uck....i mean coke/pepsi too....from what i've researched it takes upto 2 hrs for propananol to get into your system and 2 day's to get out...i still have to recearch now and then lol....hope they work as well for u as they do me
  • Posted

    Yeah its a nightmare haha! Nope iv been having trouble since i was in high school so i cut all caffeine out which worked for a good while and yeah think i will start on a low dosage from tomorrow and go from there. Thank you is nice to get a second opinion smile hopefully it does work fingers crossed!
  • Posted

    Aw no bother...glad to have bn of some help...keep me posted on how ur doing t.c
  • Posted

    Hello,

    I am also taking propanalol 40mg for anxiety and i take it once daily at the same time every day with food. From reading what you said it is scary the first time you take it because there can be side effects to it but these usually disappear after a while (I suffered from dizziness and just feeling a little sick/ tiredness) It is important to note though that drugs don't work straight away so give it time to work. It may just be your anxiety that heightens the intial side effects of the drugs and after perhaps a week of taking it your system will get used to it. This drug works wonders but from outside speculation i think it is because you are acutely aware that

    you are taking a drug and therefore you phscologically react to it. Personally, i would take this drug with a meal, at the same time every day and to distract you from the side effects perhaps take it when you are busy and not at night?

    yours,

    olivia

  • Posted

    Thank you smile

    Iv been taking them since about 2 - 3 a day so far they are good and have helped me, but starting counselling soon so I think that's when it will become more effective.

    I cant feel them kicking in if that makes sense but I can feel them wearing off after about 3-4 hours

    Not had any side effects either which is good apart from low blood pressure when I went to the doctors but haven't been dizzy or anything so she said that's okay. but I think that's because im on a low dose at the moment so I wont see any real side effects

  • Posted

    Hi,

    Firslty, I really hope that since this post you have been doing better with your anxiety, being as young as you are it must be a terrible feeling. I had a panic attack for the first time when I was 19, and I have to admit it frightened the life out of me. I still remember what happened moment by moment, and these have links to anxiety as anxiety can be a root cause of a panic attack (not always). 

    I am 27 now and I am going through what I hope is a short phase of anxiety, which from reading your post, is similar to yours as I think the world is ending and having trouble sleeping and eating. I have been given propanalol, and so I hope they begin to ease me soon. I think it's quite hard to get yourself out of the habit of having those thoughts, especially if you try and forget what your worrying about, your mind thinks about what you are trying to avoid more. I am considering having some kind of cognitive treatment to help rationalise the feelings I have, though I do realise that there is in fact nothing to worry about but it's the mind that makes you think there is some danger when there isn't (which is where adrenaline plays a part). 

    I suppose really i wanted to see if speaking to others with this same issue would help me and particularly to know others have a similar problem and to find out what you are doing to help yourself.

    It would be nice to hear from you to see how you are and I genuinely hope you are getting better from this as its an awful thing to deal with.

    Simon :-)

  • Posted

    It is ok to take propanolol. Initially it causes diziness and tiredness but try to drink more water as diziness sometime is due to decreased BP. Drinking water helps me. I take 40mg XL and then as needed before group talking and may end up taking extra 160mg immedaite release if I have to do presentation. It keeps me confident and helps with by blushing.  When you stop it immedateily it cause depression thought but I try to keep myself busy and really dont feel depressed now. Rather not taking propanolo and feeling blushing, anxious in front of others makes me more depresse and worthless. BTW, I am physician myself with blushing problem and some social anxiety (but only in bigger groups).  Try not to stop immediately incase you are taking higher doses. It is alway safe to taper off slowly 

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