I have been prescribed 40 mg Propranolol onece per day for high heart rate due to anxiety. This isn’t just a high heart rate during a panic attack- it is a constantly high HR and started after a long period of extreme anxiety. I am interested to see if anyone else has a higher HR all the time with anxiety and if so what dose worked.
Propranolol for reducing constant high heart rate caused by anxiety?
Question posted by Sbob1965 on 8 Jan 2021
Last updated on 28 January 2021
5 Answers
Yes it definitely lowers the heart rate- but for me when to take and the dose is still ongoing experimentation. Good luck.
Ok thanks!! Best of luck to you!
I was just recently prescribed this medicine as well for an elevated heart rate due to chronic debilitating anxiety. I didn’t know beta blockers could be used to treat anxiety. I have tried lots of meds to treat my anxiety disorder and so far I have not found a combo that works for me. She gave me 10 mg to take twice a day. She also gave me vistaril but I have not tried it as of yet, took a lot of courage just to take one dose of this new med... I’m super sensitive to meds and side effects.
Thanks for your reply - how did it work out for you?
I have only just started the med, I was researching information myself and found this support group. Although I can’t say I have seen any big changes in my heart rate so far. How about you? Have you had any success with it?
I am on 40mg X 2 daily. It works extremely well, for physical symptoms, as I just saw someone else relate to it that way. I wear an Apple Watch, I do see occasional spikes but that is random and not indicative of a lasting high heart rate. Sometimes I feel like my heart is racing, but I check it on my watch and it isn’t , so a lot of times it is all on my head. I really like being on this med, knowing that my heart rate is indeed not high.
I used to take it and it work wonders for me until my antidepressant kicked in! It literally stops all those physical symptoms in anxiety. You may feel tired but it really helped me at a time! Hope this helps!
That’s a good question. I have also had a high heart rate from bouts of anxiety. I currently take 2 10mg doses of propranolol daily. That keeps my heart rate in the 60’s for the most part. We are all different, and I had to go through some “trial and error” to find the dose that worked best for me. I will say this has been a great medication and at my current dose I’ve had no side effects, other than feeling much less tense and anxious. I hope this helps. Good luck to you!
How long did it take to know if that dose was helping? I’m so sensitive to meds and side effects. I’ve noticed a headache and sometimes just sorta woozy feeling in the head. I just started taking the second dose tonight. I’m hoping side effects subside soon. I wasn’t sure if this is a med that has to build up in order to get relief
I also forgot to add I have noticed dry mouth pretty bad
The dry mouth gets better after a week or so. I suck on ginger drops most of the time so it wasn’t too too bad for me. I was actually started on 20mg 2x a day, and that pretty much slowed me down so much I had to dial down the dose, but from someone who suffers from anxiety, there are WAY worse side effects than being too mellow/sedated. I also had some dizziness at 40mg a day because I found out my pulse was in the mid 40’s. That’s a good rate when you’re laying around, not so much when you’re trying to be active. My wife takes 80mg a day for migraine prevention and she’s never had any issues, other than very rarely getting migraines any more. I have friends that take it for HBP, at doses of up to 160mg a day, and that’s when I’ve heard about most of the side effects. My understanding is it’s one of the most well studied drugs around. I can certainly attest to it making my life better!
Thanks! What are the side effects at higher doses? I just started 10 mg twice a day, my heart rate hasn’t been below the 70s. Stays in the 80's to 90's at this dose, but it’s much better than 120.
Related topics
anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, propranolol, prescription, heart, heart rate
Further information
- Propranolol uses and safety info
- Propranolol information for Healthcare Professionals (includes dosage details)
- Side effects of Propranolol (detailed)
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