My experience with Inderal (Propranolol)

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
I have suffered of social anxiety since my teen years, I'm 24 right now. I first discovered about this condition around the same time I discovered this site, which was about 2 years ago. Since then, I've been looking at different alternatives to overcome my social anxiety. It seems that there is 2 different possibilities in trying to overcome the social anxiety, either with medication or with CBT.

I haven't really explored the CBT route, I'm not exactly sure how it would help....but as far as medication goes, I have to say that the side effects is something that really scares me, specially drug which have sexual dysfunction.

With the research I've made not only on this site but also on others...I've came to the conclusion that beta blockers is what seems to have the most impact at improving the S/A...I say this based on experience of others who have tried this. I'm talking about propraonolol. There is a thread that is stickied on this forum about it, and 90% of comments in that 6 page thread are all somewhat positive.

So I went online and ordered Inderal (propranolol) and tried it. I have decided to make a journal and my day to day usage of this drug, and give you guys basic info on how this drug is helping (or not) with my social anxiety, and also giving info about side effects.

I placed my order for 30 (40 mg) Inderal from mexmeds4you.com on september 3rd. I got it exactly on september 19th and tried it for the first time on that date.
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
Propranolol is normally prescribed to patients who have high blood pressure and migraines mainly. From what I understood, for those conditions the dosage are higher, and with small dosage of propranolol is helps with social anxiety symptoms, as it kinda blocks the adrenaline factor. I guess taking proranolol at low dosage compared to high dosage diminishes the potential side effects.

Friday September 19th

I got the pills for the 1st time. I took one 40mg tablet and cut into half and took it ...so 20mg. That was around 1:15PM. I had class from 2pm to 5pm.

On my way to school (I was driving) after maybe 15 minutes of taking the pill I noticed that i felt really relaxed and without worry. I stopped at the gas station to put gas in the car, and didn't feel any anxiety at all during the whole process...

I got to school, while I was walking in front of the school and making my way to class, I noticed again that I felt really relaxed but was also feeling more confident. I crossed some groups of students and even some good looking girls, and normally my heart would start beating real fast but it didn't. I was even able to look em in the eye without feeling nervous.

My 3 hour class to sum it up, I felt 0 anxiety, was able to focus and felt confident. At the end of the class we had to do a group work, we were a group of 5....I was really getting involved, giving my opinion and making good conversation, again feeling confident with no heart pounding...just totally relaxed.

My first experience in a social situation with Inderal was a success, I was amazed on how effective it was.

Having said all that, I felt really tired afterwards....at night I almost didn't sleep despite feeling really tiered. I had read about one of the side effects of Propranolol being insomnia.
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
Saturday September 20th

I like weed, I try to cut down on my smoking habits but it's not easy. On saturday I decided to smoke up...after doing so I kinda felt paranoid after and got some anxiety....I took half of the half pill I had from the previous day, so took about 10MG. I felt relaxed and it really killed the anixety. I didn't face any social situations.

My energy level was really low...maybe from the Inderal maybe because I didn't sleep much the night before. But this was my 2nd day straight I didn't go to train at the gym, I normally train 5-6 days a week and keep in shape and do lot's of sports.

At night, again my sleep was not consistent. My dreams were kinda fucked up and not the usual kind of dream I'd have. One of the side effects of inderal is having vivid dreams.
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
Monday september 22nd

I took 10mg around 6:00PM. Went to train at the gym after, was able to do my normal routine without any problems. I went to work afterwards around 8pm even tough I wasn't scheduled to work, I had to print some documents....I talked with my boss and another colleague, they were surprised to see me there as I'm still on vacation till the 28th. I have to say I felt anxious while I was there and sweating like crazy, my whole shirt was wet. The 10mg dosage I took didn't seem to have much effect.

I have classes tomorrow, I'll go back to 20mg and see how it goes...
 

kerrinj

Member
Great post, I'm taking the same at the moment but only 30mg a day 1 x 10 1 x 20 and it's going well not much energy but no flushing or social issues.

thanks for the posting keep in touch.
 
Hmm I just got prescibed this drug, a few days ago. I haven't taken it yet. I got it for migraines and I'm suppose to take it everyday in the morning because I have them so frequent. I had no idea it helped with any of this stuff. Maybe that's good for me ;).
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
Psychedelicious said:
Hmm I just got prescibed this drug, a few days ago. I haven't taken it yet. I got it for migraines and I'm suppose to take it everyday in the morning because I have them so frequent. I had no idea it helped with any of this stuff. Maybe that's good for me ;).

What dosage were you told to take ?
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
Tuesday, September 23rd

I had class between 6h30pm and 9h30pm and decided this time I would go back to 20mg. I took it around 5:00pm

I didn't get the total relaxed feeling I got the first time. When I got to school and class, I didn't feel the same confidence as I did last friday when I took the same 20mg. I sat as usual all the way in the back of the class. I was feeling a little weird, kinda hard to describe the feeling. Maybe 10 minutes later, I started to become a little nervous and started sweating heavily.

Now normally sweating is one of the symptoms I have when something triggers my anxiety, but this time it seemed that, even tough I was surrounded by people, there was no reason for me to get anxious or nervous. But here I was sweating like crazy...I was trying to wipe my forehead and try to not embarrass myself. I had this feeling and was about to go into panic mode (isn't this drug supposed to block that ?)...then I started talking to myself and started breathing deep and I got back to normal. But still, I was uncomfortable for some reason and at our first break I decided to take my stuff and just leave.

While I was heading home, I got this feeling of regret because I anticipated things to go well today and was actually looking forward, considering how well I reacted to the drug the first time. I just don't understand why it didn't have the same effect as the first time.

I'm tempted to go with maybe 30mg or 40mg next time. But can I really take this everyday ? I'm not sure if I'd be able to deal with the side effects on daily basis.

Side effects today were...feeling tiered as usual...dry eyes, feeling sleepy, a little confused...didn't find the energy to go train at the gym...
 

kerrinj

Member
hmmm strange it has no effect on the 20ml I'm on 30ml and I find this good if I take 10ml nothing happens.

I must say I'm having very vivid dreams while taking these drugs, I do feel relaxed but I feel normal again.. I wish this would happen with out taking the drugs..

I'm in the same boat angel I sweet so much it's not funny....

I would like to work together withe veryone to find a solution until yesterday I never knew other people had the same issues. I feel better but at the sametime want this to go away and get my life back...
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
You're right, it is kinda strange. I took the exact same dose as the first time...and the first time I took it I could really feel a HUGE difference...I had no anxiety symptoms and I was full of confidence.

I experience anxiety in so many social situations, even at home....so I have really high hopes on this drug. I can just hope that I can find the right dosage for the drug to be effective and also for me to able to cope with the side effects. I'm not sure how likely that is. But I've read so much of people changing their life by taking propranolol...that now I kinda have the same hopes.

As for the sweating, it's really weird...I've had social phobia since my teen years (I'm 24) but the symptom of heavy sweating is something that I've had just for the past year...I've never had it this bad before. When the sweating starts, it's always on my chest, stomach and back,...then it goes to my head and forehead....but on the chest and stomach it's really excessive that the whole front of my shirt/t-shirt becomes visibly wet. It can get really embarrassing.
 

kerrinj

Member
Angle believe me I know how you feel my first attack was when I was 22 and I was in a business shirt and to be honest it looked like I had been hit with a bucket of water. I was so wet from sweating and I never understood why until 3 years later.

I myself have been through what you are going through and now going through it as well... Mine has gone from sweating to really bad blushing / flushing so bad it happens at home when I'm talking to family or even worse if some one knocks at the door and they want to ask me some questions.

I'm 31 outgoing and I'm really trying to get over this issue as I was once into sports,bars, and social things with friends now I do nothing as I'm a walking match head...

I myself find myself reading and trying everything... Now here is something that I have tried and I'm using at the moment... Now I'm not a doctor but this works for me. I have 30mg deralin and 1 tablet of Claraty a day and I seem to be better...but still tied and bad dreams.. But I find if I take the deralin alone it's not as effective but if I take Claraty with it I find it to be more affective.

Now this is just my thoughts.. Claraty is for heyfever so not sure if you have it there but I have been on this for 2 months now and I'm seeing a difference if I stop one of them..
 

KurtG85

Well-known member
I discussed this med with my doc yesterday and he said its reduction of norepinephrene can lead to increased feelings of depression in some people.
Have you experienced any changes in your general mood outside of your observances of its effect on your panic response?
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
KurtG85 said:
I discussed this med with my doc yesterday and he said its reduction of norepinephrene can lead to increased feelings of depression in some people.
Have you experienced any changes in your general mood outside of your observances of its effect on your panic response?

It's really hard to say, as depression is something I've dealt with prior to using this drug. I've felt depressed while using this drug, specially after the last time where it seemed to be ineffective....so if I feel depressed while using propranolol, it would be hard for me to determine if it's a side effect from the drug.

Today I didn't take any inderal/propronolol....I went training in the afternoon, played soccer in the evening....and at night went out to a bar with some friends to drink. I just came home, it's 3:40am....I didn't feel any anxiety today, and at the bar since it's a weekday, it wasn't really crowded and it was mostly males that were there....

All I want is to be able to function like a normal human being....is that really too much to ask ?
 

Angel_Of_Death

Well-known member
Thursday September 25th

I took one whole pill, 40mg around 2h30pm. I went to pick-up my mom at work around 3h30 and then we went to do grocery. Came back home around 6h00pm.

So this time I took double of what I took last time, expecting or atleast anticipating good results. Overall, I'm still not convinced that Inderal can lead me on the path of beating my social anxiety, but at the same time the very first time I took Inderal the results were great. Today, I can't really say I had a bad experience, but at the same time I didn't feel "bulletproof" like the first time.

Tomorrow I have a class in the afternoon, I hope all goes well. I will be taking 40mg again, as I don't wanna add to the dose.

I'm starting work again on sunday, and once a month I have to meet with one of the managers 1 on 1 for about 30 minutes where we have to talk. The lady is HOT! My anxiety goes trough the roof every time we have one of these meeting, my heart beats like crazy, I sweat like crazy and I can hardly put 3 words together. I always end up feeling depressed and embarrassed when I leave her desk. I have the meeting on sunday, and I hope the Inderal can make a difference.

Side effects today : Dry eyes as usual. I felt less tired than when I took 10mg or 20mg...funny I up the dose and feel more energy. I also felt a little irritable and noticed I was a little less patient than normal.
 

KurtG85

Well-known member
Thanks for the reply and keep us updated on how things are going for you.

I can relate exactly to the kinds of symptoms you describe. I also wish more than anything to be able to feel comfortable interacting with people so that I can share the positive qualities of myself with others and enjoy the other emotional bonds which form. I have always found it strangely natural to form strong bonds with people and avoid conflict but even with my best friends the overpowering anxiety which results from not wanting them to think negatively of me and the exhaustion I feel from trying to manage these thoughts often strongly outweighs and saps the joy I get from being around them. Taking medicines which I feel alter how I interact with my friends and which I interpret as diminishing the positive interaction I have with them makes me a hundred times more fearful of 'hanging out' but these same meds I need to even stand a chance at functioning normally and not being totally crippled by my anxiety/depression.
 

nohope

Member
I tried inderal some time ago, started with 40mg, did not help anything, then tried 80mg, I could feel my heart rate go down quite a bit, then finaly I tried 120mg and sure my heart rate went down so that I did not even feel it pumping at all, and thats a very nice feeling , but the anxiety would never go away, back to benzodiazepines
 
Hi guys, Ive been taking this drug for the past 6 months so I can help you guys out here. My dosage is small 40mg a day (10mgx4) and I have a review coming up next month.

I took this medication because i got a tremor from anxiety in my head. I wont go into detail incase you all start worrying youll get it. Initially it was quite good, it reduced my adrenaline somewhat although i still felt like i was fighting the tremor a bit but i was less housebound from it. Recently it still had more of a moderate effect and is definately still worth taking under my personal circumstances, but it is not a cure for anxiety psychologically!

This medication is far the safest and is probably the first port of call for most Dr's, because the other meds can start making the patient dig a hole for themselves i imagine, im wary to indulge deeper in meds because ppl go further n further down (heath ledger). HOwever, having said that this med has started to make me emotionless, it is reported that it can make you depressed and it does slightly infact im going to talk to my Dr about using anti depressents with beta blockers on my review small doses to kill two birds with one stone.

My final advice for any1 is, when you first start taking these do yourself a favour and ask for CBT courses with them immediately these combined will have high success rates/low side effects and the longer you wait the closer youll be to taking SSRI's or BENZO's.
 
Top