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Propranolol for High Blood Pressure User Reviews

Brand names: Inderal LA, Inderal XL, Hemangeol InnoPran XL

Propranolol has an average rating of 5.6 out of 10 from a total of 50 reviews for the off-label treatment of High Blood Pressure. 40% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 32% reported a negative experience.

Propranolol rating summary

5.6/10 average rating

50 ratings from 54 user reviews.

Compare all 278 medications used in the treatment of High Blood Pressure.

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16%
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10%
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14%
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6%
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14%
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2%
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Reviews for Propranolol

  • Skylar
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • August 11, 2019

"I’ve been on propranolol for high BP for almost a year, does it work yes. However it comes with a hefty price tag and that being your overall well being. I slipped into a depression from it when I tried coming off it my heart rate rocketed to 95 beats a minute from 65 sitting still. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Scared to death I went back up to my normal dose. I don’t have any feeling inside towards people my wife or anything. I’m completely dead inside thanks to this but hey guess I’m alive so that’s a bonus. No interest in sex or anything that used to make me happy. I have no pre existing conditions that would of caused depression and was a happy person before taking it. Upside is that having no emotion you really don’t care about anything so no stress or anxiety. My suggestion is that when you talk to your doctor ask them if they would give this to their kids. That should help you make a decision as to whether or not it’s worth the price. Good luck people and heed my advice."

1 / 10
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  • MM44
  • August 23, 2016

"I take Propranolol 120mg along with Losartan and Hydrochlorothiazide 100mg/25mg once a day for severe high blood pressure and the results are awesome. My blood pressure is consistently averaging around 110/70 now, my heart rate is always around 70. I feel great and have zero side effects..."

10 / 10
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81 Report
  • piller
  • November 7, 2018

"Just received this med 60mg and reading the above statements is really scaring the hell out of me . I suffer from anxiety which is now spiking up my blood pressure I've already had a bad experience with one drug prescribed by a doctor and now I'm scared to take anything other than low smallest dosage of Xanax 0.05 and I only take a quarter of that. The doctor gave me this today and I'm just scared to take it. I don't know - these medications are scary I mean they scare me to death. I'm sitting here looking at this med and saying to myself I don't want to take this and I probably won't"

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Frequently asked questions

  • A rab...
  • January 4, 2014

"Took propranolol ER 80 mg before bedtime for the first time and woke up significantly calm and rested and my blood pressure went down to 129/79 versus 140/89 with a 30 day average. We'll see how it goes the next 30 days. At least I do not feel the need for a Valium this morning."

10 / 10
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79 Report
  • gzlnq
  • August 27, 2010

Inderal (propranolol) "I'm a 55 year old male and have been on Inderal since I was in my late 20's. This medicine was perfect for me with little side effects. Some light-headedness at times, nausea was probably the worst side-effect. Inderal has become expensive over the years and sometimes hard to find. After insurance company changes forced me to try other blood pressure drugs, I ended up back on Inderal. Now it seems it is not as effective as it was before. No one (Doctor, Cardiologist, etc.) seems to know why. Increase in palpitations, blood pressure rising, side effects have become worse, etc. Doctor put me on Bystolic. We'll see how it goes. LESSON: If a medicine works for you and you've been on it a long time, STAY ON IT. Don't let the insurance companies play with your health!"

8 / 10
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95 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

  • Anonymous
  • February 23, 2009

Inderal LA (propranolol) "i have anxiety induced high blood pressure. At first it didn't do anything for me, however I wasn't taking it at the right time of day. It works wonders when taken at night before bed. Extended release takes 4-5 hours to start working and much longer for peak levels in blood. I now take it at around 10PM and am really calm the next day."

8 / 10
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98 Report
  • Borne...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • July 23, 2020

"Started on a dose of 10 MG Propranolol in March for high blood pressure, with no side effects, then starting June 8th, I started getting these side effects of strange heart palpitations, it felt as if my heart was going to jump out of my chest, it occurs occasionally. Other side effects I've been having is chest pain, slight memory loss, sure it helps to lower your blood pressure, no anxiety anymore, but the side effects are NOT worth it. It also gets rid of your sex drive also, no sexual desire at all. Plus my hands and feet are almost always cold, and extreme irritation. I will never take these drugs again if its just going to mess with my hearts electrical system...."

5 / 10
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34 Report
  • Amanda...
  • January 1, 2014

"My blood pressure was lowered immediately after beginning this medicine, also helps with nervous shakes (visible in the hands and feet). It's a great prescription! I've combined this with sodium reduction and relaxation exercises and I have seen My BP drop to the level it was when I was an 18 year old vegetarian and just 80 lbs. Recommend taking this prescription if you are prescribed it. I was lightheaded and dizzy when I took first dose, but not a single issue since that."

9 / 10
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67 Report
  • coffe...
  • July 17, 2009

Inderal (propranolol) "I have taken Inderal and Inderal LA for the past 30 years with very few side effects. It helps both my arrhythmia and my high blood pressure. I felt slightly weaker and more tired in the beginning, but now I just feel normal. I have been able to live a relatively normal life and have always been able to do whatever physical activity I needed to do."

8 / 10
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  • Jae
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 25, 2019

"Hi, I've been taking Propranolol for a few weeks and I have to say that it did get rid of the headaches that came along with my high blood pressure. Also, my BP did go down. I was pre-hypertension at 130/110. After a week I started to notice that I am constantly nauseous and tired. I have been wiped of all energy and beginning to have insomnia worse than usual. When I do fall asleep, I have these odd dreams that cause me to wake up after only a few hours of sleep. Once I wake from the nightmares, I am sweating profusely and it is uncomfortable. I also noticed that my heart rate slowed a bit to 65bpm resting, not sure if that's bad or not. Overall, I am not happy with Propranolol 60mg and will not be taking it anymore!"

2 / 10
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33 Report
  • Prett...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 18, 2019

"I am prescribed to take a 10 mg tablet 3 times a day along with another bp medication as well. I have been on this medication for 2 days thus far to help with my high blood pressure and fast heartbeat. I do feel a bit calmer, my blood pressure is doing a bit better than before I started it, and my pulse rate is slowly coming down. My biggest issues with this medication are basically the same with every blood pressure (BP) med I've ever taken before: fatigue, dizziness, makes me get hot, it messes with my appetite, and it makes me really nauseated after taking it. I have absolutely no idea why, BP meds come with such a large amount of side effects, and it's like when are they ever going to go away. I am going to continue to stay on it for now, but the side effects are a real downer for sure. It's a shame how a lot of these medications are just poisoning us anyways."

5 / 10
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31 Report
  • benke...
  • August 23, 2010

Inderal (propranolol) "Lowered blood pressure but, caused severe hair loss (I saw clumps of hair in drain after every shower) and depression! I have since learned that this 'side effect' is known as 'beta-blocker blues'. However, my M.D. switched me to Tenormin (another beta-blocker) which did NOT have these side effects."

1 / 10
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68 Report
  • Not...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • August 29, 2015

"I would like to first and foremost state that I have never had performance anxiety, I was prescribed this for high blood pressure and heart palpitations. Every time I took one 10mg I lost an entire day, mild hallucinations, irritability, short term memory loss, and extreme mental and physical fatigue set in. I really can't stand this stuff, although I still take it from time to time to help my heart, I truly feel that it has had more negative repercussions than positive effects. I've found that increasing my exercise regime, low dosage marijuana edibles, meditation, healthy diet, and a quarterly psilocybin dosage has done leaps and bounds more for my overall health than this drug ever could. I truly believe that I was misdiagnosed."

1 / 10
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48 Report
  • Chris...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 13, 2022

"I have been prescribed 60mg of Propranolol once a day for a slightly elevated BP and headaches. My life has been miserable since taking it. A couple of days into it I had horrible insomnia, felt irritated, had no energy, and just felt miserable. The doctor took me off of it. However, I've had some scary problems trying to get off it like a high at-rest heart rate and heart palpitations. I would strongly urge people to do your research prior to taking a beta blocker. I've been miserable for the last 6 weeks over this stuff. Praying my life gets back to normal. The problems I was having before taking this med are nothing compared to the misery I've been dealing with since taking it."

2 / 10
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12 Report
  • Tess
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 30, 2020

"I was only on 40 mg of propranolol for 2 days for high blood pressure , first night slept well. Second night couldn’t breathe all night . Insomnia was worse . Don’t know is it because. I’m nearly 70 years old and I shouldn’t be On a beta blocker and it’s making my pulstate tinnitus louder"

1 / 10
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23 Report
  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • April 8, 2020

"My blood pressure was very high 150s/100s. Started taking propranolol and it immediately brought it down. I've been on it for about a month and my BP is now 90s/60s. I'm on the lowest dose so I might need to go off of it if my BP pressure goes too low. It also helps immensely with anxiety! Side effects are poor circulation (makes raynauds worse), fatigue, and nausea when you first start taking it. The nausea does go away after about a week. Overall, it's a good medication and works well!"

7 / 10
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22 Report
  • Bmw
  • June 21, 2019

"Took this for the first time today- 10mg daily is my dosage(once in am and once pm). I took 10mg this morning at 8:00 am on my way to work. This is used to treat both my anxiety and high blood pressure apparently.... after about an hour I started feeling very dizzy, then the nausea came.... my eyes were heavy and I was exhausted it was all I could do to stay awake at my desk. Flash forward to 12:00 pm I’m leaving work, want to go home and nap but can’t sleep and have a headache... truly just waiting for this to wear off and never take it again... the half life is 10 hours so only ... 2.5 more to go I guess."

1 / 10
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25 Report
  • Drugs...
  • March 3, 2017

"Started on 10mg daily for anxiety after I didn't want to take Lexapro and Valium anymore. It completely stopped my nervous palpitations. However, my bp on a check up was 170/90. My propranolol /inderal dose was upped to 20mg twice a day. Had several side effects. It did lower my bp and heart rate but took 10 days to start. Had some systolic dips to 47! My side effects were so bothersome I went back to Dr. 3 weeks later. Side effects were icy cold hands, very bad dizziness when my head was down or turned, a weird (like restless leg syndrome ) shaky feeling in my spine. Down my arms, legs and in my head. I would wake up wide awake at 3am. Anyway my bp in the office was 160/82! Now I'm trying lisinopril and only 10mg propranolol."

4 / 10
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  • GM577
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 19, 2019

"I was really excited about starting this medication. The benefits described by my doctor such as helping both my blood pressure and anxiety were very appealing. Well, I took just one dose (20mg) and had trouble breathing doing something as simple as walking out to get the mail. It should be noted I am a healthy, 30-year old male, and never experienced anything like this before. I also had severe insomnia the night I took it, despite taking a Xanax to try and get myself to sleep (which always works very well when I can’t sleep)."

1 / 10
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  • hypoK...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 16, 2017

"I was diagnosed with hypothyroidsm and extremely low levels of vitamin b12 which were wreaking all kinds of havoc in my body, so my doctor prescribed me Propranolol for high blood pressure and rapid pulse/palpitations, and it did really work for both problems, helped a little with my anxiety too, but I quit it after ten weeks because I was so drowsy all day long, I also started breaking out pretty bad in the face, scalp and hairline, not sure if it's related to Propral, but at least the fatigue and general "depressive mood" subsided instantly when I stopped taking it."

6 / 10
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29 Report
  • mcadw...
  • November 22, 2016

"It dropped my blood pressure but also stopped my tast buds from working correctly. If I take it I can't taste anything. If, after I stop taking it (after 3 weeks) my heart races. I guess I have to wean myself off of this menace."

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  • Paige
  • June 4, 2019

"Propranolol helps with hypertension & anxiety. My head is clear .Every day I used to take xanax but I'm totally off benzos. This is a nice clean pill. My blood pressure Is almost always perfect now. Only negative thing about it, is occasionally my left lung hurts but.. I smoke and my pharmacist said it could interact negatively with my inhaler. I've also gained a lot of weight since taking this medication. But, overall it's a good one. A neurologist started me on 40 mg 2x a day last year. I'm currently on 80 mg 2 x a day now"

9 / 10
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21 Report
  • Trig
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 3, 2021

"41 year old male, taking Propranolol for High Blood Pressure. I took 80mg once per day for 8 days. It made me feel weird and didn’t help with my blood pressure so I stopped. It has now been almost a month since I stopped. About a week after I stopped, I started having the following symptoms: - Dizziness when changing the orientation of my head. It lasts for about 5-10 seconds. - Nausea in the morning. - Insomnia. Every single night about 5 hours after I go to sleep."

1 / 10
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  • Charl...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • October 7, 2021

"Prescribed for high blood pressure. I’m African American (which does matter) and was prescribed 40mg twice a day. It caused me to have anxiety attacks- bad ones!! I ended up in the ER twice for pressure numbers being way higher than I’ve ever experienced. I dealt with constipation, no appetite, insomnia, and no sexual desire. This was after 5 days of use!!! Exercising would cause a panic/anxiety attack. Even taking a shower caused me to have one. I’ve lost 5 pounds in 5 days while on this. I’m done with this medicine as of last night. This morning, I feel A LOT better!!! I made my doctor put me on hydrochlorthiazide for my blood pressure and I took CLONAZEPAM for my anxiety attack that I had yesterday once the propranolol was coming out of my system. I started hydrochlorthiazide yesterday for my blood pressure. This morning, I’m at 129/79 with a pulse of 72."

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  • Annie
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • April 16, 2019

"I have been taking propranolol for arrhythmia for years with no problems and actually was on a very low dose. After trying several drugs for high blood pressure (HBP) resulting in horrible side effects, we increased the propranolol a little. It is doing a wonderful job at controlling the (HBP). I am a bit more tired, but it's not knocking me out, and I'm quite satisfied with this medication and how it's working."

8 / 10
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20 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.