Do BETA BLOCKERS help?

[vancouver24]

What ARE beta blockers exactly? (in simple English please)
Do beta blockers help with severe SA?..
Do they have side effects?
Which beta blockers are good for severe SA?..well, i dont know if its severe but i have hard time going to parties and meeting new people, everything else i can do.

 

[Jack Blue]

Beta blockers are basically drugs that will relax your nervous system. They are typically used to help people with irregular heartbeats or those at risk for heart attack, but can also help with social anxiety. The reason for this is due to the fact that beta blockers will basically override your 'fight-or-flight' response and therefore make you feel more comfortable in social situations.

They can have side effects, look under Adverse Effects: Beta blocker - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've never used any and really wouldn't know which ones are good for SA. I think you should talk with a doctor about it beforehand, though.

 

[mikebird]

I was given beta-blockers. Can't remember why, but I believe it slows the pulse and reduces blood pressure. It may have been to do with migraine. As with many doctors, someone will advise differently, and I was told to stop them.

Either dangerous if you have a lot of exercise or it just prevents the exercise possible, if you can't have a pulse or air intake enough

 

[mikebird]

This is my opinion of doctors, by the way, especially GPs:

Is the diagnosis correct?
Is the acute treatment being used correctly?
Have predisposing factors been identified and treated?
Have trigger factors been identified and treated?
To what extent is control of symptoms inadequate?

They refer to a book, such as the BNF dictionary / bible. They don't care if something hurts, or if you live or die. They care only about their salary

 

[BDDgirl]

They refer to a book, such as the BNF dictionary / bible. They don't care if something hurts, or if you live or die. They care only about their salary

Interesting.... when I was nursing, I worked with many doctors. I always got the impression they cared. I once saw a female doctor in tears after losing a patient.

 

[BlueDays]

Beta blockers don't help with the psychological side of SA in particular they only prevent certain physical symptoms from occuring. For example, the rapid thumping heartbeat and badly shaking hands.
I only use them for circumstances when I know people will be able to see my badly shaking hands.
You should definitely talk to a doctor because some people are unable to take them.

 

[divethruhaze]

They refer to a book, such as the BNF dictionary / bible. They don't care if something hurts, or if you live or die. They care only about their salary

There are many who actually care about curing the patients, generalization from a few bad experiences is not respectful towards the good ones

 

[hoddesdon]

Beta blockers fix the symptoms, not the complaint. The physical symptoms of a racing heart and shaking are blocked. The emotions within remain the same. They break the vicious circle of physical symptoms making you look nervous, hence making you feel that you are being judged adversely, which itself makes you feel nervous. Someone on this site, who is a teacher, uses beta blockers when teaching. I suppose it makes him feel more confident that he has credibility in the eyes of the class.

 

[kihira]

Beta blockers fix the symptoms, not the complaint. The physical symptoms of a racing heart and shaking are blocked. The emotions within remain the same. They break the vicious circle of physical symptoms making you look nervous, hence making you feel that you are being judged adversely, which itself makes you feel nervous. Someone on this site, who is a teacher, uses beta blockers when teaching. I suppose it makes him feel more confident that he has credibility in the eyes of the class.

Yes, well put. The emotions stay the same initially, but with the physical symptoms no longer feeding back into the anxiety, the brain can process social situations positively and thus improve the emotions about them. A analogy, from my point of view, for using beta blockers is that its like turning down a boiling pot of water to a gentle simmer.

 

[Remus]

I guess they work for some people, for me I felt faint and breathless, which in turn made me anxious lol

 

[vancouver24]

im always scared at what my actions are, and what i look like and what people think of me... so i think these might help ..even with the psychological part of SA

 

[djkghigh]

the drug binds to the beta adrenergic receptors located in heart and kidneys helping to block the action of epinephrine

they have no effects on the psychological symptoms but they do control the racing heart, trembling hands and the light-headedness experienced