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Is coldness and muzziness normal to start with?

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carol63992
carol63992

Hi. I have just been prescribed proranalol. 3x10mg a day for severe panic.

I took one and it made my hands cold and I felt shivery and a little light headed, with urning cheeks. Is this normal to start with? After a couple of hours I felt really good for a few hours but was afraid to take another one! 

 

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • alison49177
    alison49177 carol63992

    Posted

    hiya carol63992

    I was prescibed these tablets too, three a day 10 mg and it took me three days to pluck up the courage to take one. I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack and die as I swallowed the first pil I was that anxious about taking it.I even went to my mums ( Im 37) to watch me with her hand ready to dial 999 if i collasped. I had within half an hour calmed down and felt hundred times better as you describe. I have had a few symptoms although not shivery or cold hands. I have had burning cheeks and a muzzy head though and I cant quiet get my dose right, however the releif I feel is without a doubt worth these symptoms. I had steadily got worse before I was prescribed these with sickness due to anxiety and I had to leave work and get a sick note.Im a secondary school teacher. I have been taking these now for about three weeks and I have more positive times by far than negative. I find that eating regulary really helps. I have in the last two days taken four a day at four hour intervals as I cant quiet get myself consitantly symptom free. Yes I said symptom free. I have had two whole days where I was perfect, like I used to be. Dont getme wrong though the other days have been near perfect too. My advice with these marvelous little pills is to give the 3 a day chance to get in your system but to do that you gotta take another. I was panicking at the start, the first, second ,third fouth, it was horrible but the relief was so woth while. Now i belive these tablet have given me back my sanity as I really was curling up and giving up literally. Take the pill, you will be so glad you did. The symptoms pass.I know, I lived through it. Ali x

    p.s let me know how you go on. I also have never been in a forum thingy like this and I posted a very similar message to yours, two lovely people responded and helped me through the start of all this. Other people have since responded too. Keep messaging I found it sooooooo helpful. 

    • carol63992
      carol63992 alison49177

      Posted

      Dear Ali,

      Thank you so much for replying. Already I feel slightly better knowing I'm not the only one panicking about taking a pill to STOP panicking!

      I have just got up and taken my BP which is 66/99. This seems low (even though doc said I have slightly high bp and fast heart beat) 

      I know as soon as I have to start doing something like going to the shop or leaving house for any reason I will get into full blown pacnic. But I was wondering if the propranalol is safe to take while blood pressure and heart rate is down. Should I wait until its up? I'm afraid it will take it too low and I will pass out??

      Thank you.

    • alison49177
      alison49177 carol63992

      Posted

      You know what carol, I asked somebody the exact same question, I really did. 'what happens if I take it and my heart rate is low? Will it cause it to drop below a dangerous level?? ' the answer I got really really helped me to understand how these pills work. Apparently these pills work by stopping your body from producing too much adrenaline. Adrenaline makes your heart beat fast. Fast heart beat gives all the anxiety symptoms we are all suffering with. Light headed Ness, tingling, feeling unreal, sick.. Etc.. Its all down to a fast heartbeat caused by excess adrenaline being produced. If our bodies can't produce extra adrenaline then our heart beats can't rise. As soon as we feel panick or anxiety our bodies produce adrenaline, we cannot control this. It's the 'fight or flight' scenario. These pills don't slow a normal heart rate down, these pills stop adrenaline being flooded into our systems so our heart beats can't beat faster. That to me makes perfect sense and I realise now that they dont work by simply slowing a heart beat down just stopping a chemical that makes our hearts work faster.People are prescribed these for public speaking, migraines, and tics. These people have no ongoing anxiety issues. If it was the case that public speakers took one and in some cases 80mg or more in one go, then they didn't do the speech for some reason so not expieincing the stress and elevated heart rate, wouldn't there be people dropping dead all over the place? I thought exactly as you, in fact you will be able to find my thread on here, but learning about the adrenaline thing really helped me to understand this just can't happen. Propanalol inhibits the production of excess adrenaline less adrenaline, less racing heart, less anxiety. Not a heart slower downer!! Xxxx
    • alison49177
      alison49177

      Posted

      Here is an example of how these pills work. Anyone who suffers with panic or anxiety their bodies have learned to deall with stressful situations by producing lots and lots of adrenaline. In my case a continuing problem at work resulted in my body getting used to everyday for a long long time producing too much adrenaline every single day. . So much so, and for so long that every little bit of stress I felt in other daily things was responded to by a flood of adrenaline so producing anxiety. Deciding what was for tea was enough to flood my system ten days ago. The propanalol in my body doesn't allow my body to produce this excess adrenaline when deciding what to have for tea now and because the flood of adrenaline can't happen, causing my heart to race and give me the horrid symptoms I feel calmer. It's more accurate, I think to say that it maintains a normal heart rate, not slows one down. The trick is getting your dose right. Everyone is different and different situations are found more or less stressful to different people. Given this, getting rid of anxiety and panic is achieved by 're setting' your adrenaline levels, this takes time and these tablets really really help to do that. Ali x
    • carol63992
      carol63992 alison49177

      Posted

      Dear Ali,

      Thank you so very much for taking the time to explain all the things I had no idea about. Just reading your words calmed me down enough to try another (half!) a tablet. That was an hour ago and this time I didn't get so cold, or lightheaded like the first time. I realise that was probably just me stressing! already I am feeling less stressfull. My heart has stopped racing and I am feeling hungry.....which I don't at all when I am in panic mode!

      This is a great site. If I hadn't come across it....and you....I would still be scared to take my tablets! Next time I will take the whole one!

      Thank you so much. I think I have now passed the first hurdle towards feeling better.

      What you said about panic arising just thinking about thinking what to get for tea rang true. I got in a state when I thought I'd go and sort out a cupboard (of all things!!). Also if I needed to make a 'phone call to a friend or family member I just panicked. It's unexplainable!!

      Thank you once more for your kind and reassuring words. And I wish you all the very best.

      Carol.

    • kaz50966
      kaz50966 carol63992

      Posted

      Hi carol I've been on these for 6 days now I'm getting coldness in my head ears I'm on 40mg x3 a day I'm still not eating much and what you said about talking on a phone I struggle with that too I'm so struggling wish it would just all go away 😣😣😣😣
    • carol63992
      carol63992 kaz50966

      Posted

      Hi Kaz,

      Panic and anxiety is an awful thing to suffer with. 

      I have now got into a routine of taking one as soon as I get up before I start feeling panicky (10mg) After half hour to an hour it seems to start working. I'm calmer but will then take another about 1pm when I feel panicky again. I'm supposed to be on 3 a day but working up to it. But Ive stopped feeling cold and muzzy with them now so thats good news. 

      Even on them there are still lots of things I can't do.....like getting on a bus or train. Going into a crowded shop. I still won't answer the phone but will do 1471 when I've psyched myself up to it!!' Maybe when I'm on 3 a day things will improve but I'm 80% better than I was 2 weeks ago!

      I hope you feel calmer gradually too. 

      I got some 'calming music for panic' up on youtube and sit with my eyes closed breathing slowly for 20 mins listening to it once a day. This is very relaxing. Do try it. There are lots to choose from.

       Best wishes. x

    • kaz50966
      kaz50966 carol63992

      Posted

      Hi carol I'm calmer but I keep getting a cold feeling inside my head and ears there's lots of things I can't do like eat answer phone have to make myself go out I just want to be me again carol it's doing my head in
  • kaz50966
    kaz50966 carol63992

    Posted

    Hi carol how's it going with the pills I've been on them a wk now felt a lot like me today went to see docter he's given me ampitrptaline to help me sleep but apart from that a lot better hope your OK. X
    • carol63992
      carol63992 kaz50966

      Posted

      Hi Kaz,

      I'm pleased to hear the doc has given you something that seems to help. It's trial and error sometimes to get it right. 

      I had a blood pressure check today and it's still too high so may have to up my dose! but I think they are helping a bit now anyway at least.

      Hopefully we will both start feeling human again without too much stress and panic in the future.

      All the best. x

       

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