User Reviews for Propranolol to treat Panic Disorder

"I had major issues with SSRIs. I think it’s because I didn’t need an increase in serotonin so they gave me horrendous side effects. I found this webpage and asked my Dr to try propranolol as my most common symptoms were a raving heart and an intense adrenaline rush. It had been months of my fight or flight “switch” being turned on and this medication was able to switch it off. Along with meditation, deep breathing, and positive thinking...the anxiety is practically gone. I truly felt that I was going to be stuck feeling AWFUL for the rest of my life. I’m so thankful for this medication and I encourage you to try it if you have had issues with SSRIs. I"

"I had suffered for 6 long years with panic attacks, to the point I was suicidal. I could hardly go to work, did hypnosis, went for walks in the middle of the night to fight the attack that would wake me out of my sleep. By misdiagnosis of probable thyroid disease I was given Propranolol. It took about 3 weeks for it helped with the panic. This drug literally saved my life. I have been diagnosed with a severe general anxiety condition and I have been panic attack free. I have been on this drug for approximately 20 years, and although Drs suggest this is far too long they decided to keep prescribing it as I have had no adverse reactions in this time frame. To the makers, I thank them for this drug."

"This drug is a miracle to me. I have been in and out of hospitals for months non stop with panic attacks that really feel like death is near. I was taking benzos here and there to keep anxiety and panic away. Then I was introduced to propranolol. It has completely changed my life my anxiety is in check and panic attacks gone. I do get a little nervous some times but this drug helps keep it in check. This drug has changed a lot of fears I have. Thank you."

"Hi there I've been on propanolol 80mg for 2 years along with mirtazapine 15mg . On these two meds I will say I feel absolutely amazing it stops my panic attacks like a cure and it help with stopping me thinking about the panic disorder. I used to get fast heart rate, hot flashes, turning stomach, thoughts racing but not anymore. It's a miracle combo yippeee so yeh but it works differently on different body's. It's how your body responds to the medication with me it slows my heart right down not dangerously low but low enough were I feel more relaxed but with energy I feel happier with a mild euphoria and my sweating goes away, my sweaty hands have stopped and the shivering has gone. If anyone is suffering anxiety please try propanolol first it will make the difference xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

"I’d suffered on and off with panic attacks for years, oftentimes worsened by prescriptions (particularly Citalopram). My doctor recommended I switch to Sertraline after regular panic resurfaced. but after such a bad experience with Citalopram I asked if there were any options besides antidepressants. I felt that my problems were oftentimes worsened by physical issues such as palpitations and shortness of breath (for example, running up some stairs too fast would obviously raise my heartbeat which I oftentimes struggled to differentiate from the beginnings of a panic attack and thus it would escalate into one) and my doctor suggested I try Propanolol. It has been a game changer for me. I feel more secure in the knowledge my heartbeat is more controlled (or at least it feels this way). I’ve been on this for over a year now and wouldn’t try anything else. I would definitely recommend it if you experience panic attacks that are often triggered by more physical problems."

"After waking up with panic attacks more days than not lately, my doctor and I tried sertraline for a few months with no success. I got a prescription for Ativan from the ER, which is a miracle drug, but obviously wanted something else for a long-term solution. I asked my doctor what he thought about a beta blocker and he was onboard and gave me 60 mg of the extended release formula (the lowest extended release dose) so it would be in my blood 24-7. I’ve only been on it a couple of days, but I love it so far! I actually did wake up in the middle of the night last night feeling anxious, but my heart wasn’t racing! I kind of laughed because my body was almost unable to produce a panic attack, and went back to sleep. Today I went to the gym for the first time in forever and was able to get my heart rate up to 120, but it didn’t feel like it was going to beat out of my chest."

"Been taking propranolol for around 3 years it has worked wonders for my panic disorder I take it every morning at 10am at 40MG as soon as I've taken it I feel calmer and my anxiety, and racing thoughts go away. I can control my anxiety attacks a lot better it takes away the racing heart rate associated with panic attacks. There are some common side effects of this medication these are drowsiness a slow heart rate and mild dizziness when you stand up but apart from that it has been very effective at dealing with my panic attacks. I highly recommend to people with anxiety issues or fears of going in for a job interview or on a air plain it works really well for these things"

"I have had panic disorder my entire life, and racing heart never used to be one of my symptoms. About 23 years ago, when my mom was in the hospital. I had a horrible tachycardia attack with my heart racing over 240 bpm. I was in the hospital visiting my mom at the time, and they wrote it off as anxiety related. I have had benign tachycardia as a symptom ever since. When I'm anxious, my heart races and I cannot do anything. Getting on propranolol was the number one best thing I have done. I am also on a very low dose of xanax (two to three quarter mg's per day). I take three to four 10 mg tablets of propranolol, more as needed. If I have something difficult to do, or have to drive far I need more. But if my heart isn't racing, then I feel more comfortable doing things. If I didn't have it, I would be completely housebound agoraphobic like I was when I was 18."

"My panic disorder often works this way. I will just be sitting there and all of a sudden I feel a surge of adrenaline. My brain starts worrying about the physical response to a surge of adrenaline which sets up a feedback loop during which my mind accentuates the physical response which heightens the mental fear which worsens the physical response and so on. Propranolol does a very good job of blunting that type of attack in my case since there is nothing going on in my head to cause panic except for what is going on in my body. It's not quite Xanax which doctors are increasingly unwilling to prescribe but it really does work to greatly lessen the physical component of a panic attack."

"Propranolol is a game changing drug with a really safe side effect profile. It’s worth remembering, too, that the majority of people don’t experience side effects with any drugs and people tend to be more inclined to share negative experiences. I first tried propranolol a couple of years ago for panic disorder, and oh my days did it work. I felt SO relaxed. Yeah, the intrusive thoughts tried to push through and start the cycle of panic, but with no physical response for them to hang on to, they simply fizzled away. The cycle broke. I’m a bit of an anomaly in that I was unfortunate enough to experience a (very unlikely) interaction with fluoxetine which made my heart rate drop to below 40. (This was following taking two 40mg doses) Needless to say, I wasn’t allowed this drug anymore whilst taking the fluoxetine. Remember, you will likely not experience any side effects. I got unlucky - it happens. Please give this drug a try, it absolutely works."

"I've tried Buspar, Xanax, Ativan, various anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and even cyclobenzaprine (muscle relaxant). Propranolol (20mg daily) has been the best medication of ALL of these for generalized anxiety. No "swimming head", no dry mouth, no ravenous hunger... almost no side effects, except I feel a bit slow before my morning shower. Propranolol gives a nice "body calm" - heart rate steady, no sweating palms and no jittery feeling. I now use low doses of Propranolol and Imipramine for generalized anxiety and panic, and Lamotrigine for cyclothymia, and (rarely) Ativan. I feel like a new man! They also use Propranolol to treat PTSD patients... it blocks the "fight/flight" reaction and allows processing of trauma."

"I'm 29 years old, I have suffered from panic disorder among other things like agoraphobia for about 10 years to the point I wake up in panic attacks phone ambulances regularly. And generally think I am going to die. My whole days are generally me in my home panicking. Yesterday I started propranolol. I could feel my body wanting to panic at first, the fear of taking a new medication. But I had no panic attacks yesterday. I struggled to sleep last night and woke up a bit spaced like today. Also messes up your stomach a bit."

"After 6 months of severe panic attacks and anxiety, I was prescribed propranolol. Wow, what a huge turn around! I was very paranoid about taking ANY medication but I sucked it up and dealt with it. I'm so glad I did because my life has now changed because of it. My heart rate would beat out of control triggering panic and anxiety. I should mention that I am a strong believer in medication to only be a GUIDE into creating a healthy lifestyle both mentally and physically."

"Propranolol is great at stopping the physical symptoms of a panic attack. When I have a panic attack I start feeling terrified inside, then bad physical symptoms follow that makes me feel even more terrified. I still get panic attacks but thanks to propranolol my panic attacks aren’t as scary as they once were, barely noticeable physical symptoms. My panic attacks have gone from 10/10 to 5/10. I take 40mg three times a day."

"I've had major depression, severe generalized anxiety, and a hefty helping of social anxiety too. Working in the medical field I've tried near everything. Benzos had breakthrough panic attacks near daily and they are so addictive I didn't want to go down that path, so my doc switched me to propranolol. I took my first capsule that night and slept past 3am for the first time in 5 years. I honestly think it saved my life. I've been on propranolol 60mg extended release (combined with my antidepressants) for two years. The only side effect that I've ever noticed is that sometimes I feel a bit groggy in the morning until I get in the shower. I can live with that. I recommend it over benzodiazepines to anyone with panic or anxiety issues."

"I take propranolol (40mg) twice a day - one first thing in the morning and another at lunch (early afternoon). It’s not a miracle pill that will take away your anxiety and panic for good, but it certainly helps. I don’t feel so “panicky” through out the day (it takes the edge off the anxiety) and although I still get panic attacks they aren’t as intense or as terrifying as they were before. For me the surge of adrenaline and the physical symptoms of a panic attack were very distressing - my heart felt like it was going to explode, I would shake terribly, my body would feel very weird (numbness/tingling/hot-cold flushes/muscle tension). However, thanks to propranolol these physical sensations that occur when I have a panic have significantly decreased in intensity. They are very mild now, barely noticeable and I no longer fear having a panic attack as much as I did before and it’s helped me face my fears and give more freedom to my life. I highly recommend."

"Over the last 6 months , I've been suffering from panic attacks and severe anxiety. Accompanied with frequent fear I experience daily physical symptoms ( pain in chest, dizziness rapid heart rate etc. which started to control my daily life. I started taking Propranolol 10MG 3 times a day, within about 2-3 days I felt so much calmer and could cope with day to day life a lot better. Over the course of a few weeks my anxiety attacks and panic were becoming fewer and fewer . this medication has been a big turning point for me . Fingers crossed this continues"

"I was prescribed propranolol for panic attacks. This drug was almost as effective as a benzodiazepine. It calmed the very uncomfortable physical effects of having a panic attack. It did nothing for my racing thoughts, but I was able to control those after my body was calm. Sadly, I had to discontinue using it because it gave me double vision and extremely heavy eyelids. It is a fantastic alternative to other anxiety meds since it isn’t addictive. I’d recommend propranolol to anyone who suffers from panic disorder."

"Propranolol saved my life! I was suffering greatly from panic attacks and constant anxiety (on a daily basis) until I started taking this medication. The only side effect I had from it was I struggled with some insomnia the first few months but then that side effect seemed to disappear."

"I have a quite severe anxiety randomly that can give me physical symptoms like racing heartbeat, dry heaving, nausea and shortness of breath. Not to mention the Panic attacks that gets me every time after that. I found this drug propranolol on some website and I tried it myself, works really great on treating my anxiety and I'm on 20mg twice a day. My panic disorder seems gone too, but it has a troublesome side effect for me like Acid Reflux on my stomach and a little bit of dizziness. For people that have medical history on Ulcer or GERD, I suggest you take this med with your Ulcer/GERD meds (like PPIs and Sucralfate). Overall this med is the champ for beating up any kind of anxiety or Panic disorder. Very Recommended."

"This pill is nothing short of a miracle drug. I was hesitant at first, but after reading all of these comments I figured why not give it a shot. I had a bad presentation about a year ago and ever since then I’ve been petrified of standing in front of a large group of people and giving a few minute presentation. I just did a 30 min presentation and by golly did the pill work. I took 40mg around 2 hours before, then another 20mg 45 minutes before the presentation. It completely got rid of the physical symptoms Including red face, quivering voice, and sweating. That presentation was a breeze...it should be a legit crime that people don’t know about this drug. Doctors don’t have a problem prescribing it because it’s an old medicine and makes it nearly impossible to take too much."

"I have panic disorder and post traumatic stress disorder. Before I started taking propranolol I would have fast heart rates and the shakes, I could not function. This medicine enables me to live a close to normal life as possible! It does give me cold hands and a little morning dizziness but so what. Compared to a life without it that's nothing."

"Inderal is a really great alternative to benzodiazepines for anxiety and panic attacks. I have generalized anxiety disorder and am prone to having panic attacks, especially in high stress situations that I can't get out of right away. I am prescribed 20mg to take as needed, up to three times a day. When I have my panic attacks, I fear that I might have a heart attack or some bad heart problem because my panic makes my heart pound so hard and fast. Inderal is a beta blocker that blocks adrenaline, so when I take it, my heart slows down a little and doesn't feel as though it is pounding in my chest. It doesn't remove my panic completely but it prevents my anxiety and worries from building. I like Inderal because it is safe and not addictive."

"I tried Cipralex for 6 months, then Wellbutrin XL for 4 months. They helped but still not able to function ( No work, moved home, no friends, Not willingly leaving the house, avoiding social anything). I was then prescribed Propranolol with the Wellbutrin, a gradual build up to 20mg over 1 month. Now I am as cool as a cucumber. Still a bit nervous to head outside but that is just thoughts and not a physical reaction. No side effects besides weird dreams but that might be from the Wellbutrin. The first time in a year since this all started I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I am 28, male, heavy drinker. Alcohol might be why this all started. I went from traveling extensively to never leaving the house overnight."

"I am 52 and have had devastating panic attacks since age 12. I tried tricyclics, then an SSRI (Zoloft) with limited results. Than I was given a "wonder drug," the benzodiazepine Xanax and my panic went from a 10 to a 2. That didn't last long because Xanax requires increased dosage to get past the tolerance your body develops to achieve the same result. After two years my doctor had me on a prescription of 8mg/day, (2mg 4x/day), an extremely high amount. In addition, Xanax is not intended for long term anti-anxiety therapy. I was getting into car accidents, couldn't concentrate, had slow reaction times, memory problems, etc. I also had to walk around with my prescription bottle in my pocket. I went to another doctor who introduced to Propranolol and it works wonders. Effexor XR also works well for me. I presently take Propranolol 60mg twice a day, Effexor 150mg/day, Klonopin-,a longer acting benzo-ONLY as needed and continue with counseling."