Coming Off Propranolol (Page 3) (Top voted first)

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i have stopped taking propranolol 80mg 3days ago and would like to know if there is any side effects coming off them

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158

I stopped taking Propranolol for 2 weeks already and I haven't encountered any side effects so far. I Been on it for 1 year. I just take Zoloft daily now and Xanax when I feel anxiety setting on.

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24

I can't tell u in any comforting words how sorry I am to hear about your Parkinson's. my dad has it and its been difficult for him. I would never have thought propranolol could mask other deseases like that. Know that I will be praying for u

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27

I was on 20mg a day, i took them for Eptopic heart beats, (missed heart beats). They have helped with missed beats but I've had lots of side effects while I've been on them, tiredness, zombie like, headaches, dry mouth and throat, ulcers on my tongue, my taste buds have been horrible couldn't taste food properly, stomach feeling yuck. Heartburn and i dont get heartburn normally, I've always been able to hear my heart beating in my ear for a few years now, but it seems even louder now when I wake up in the morning, I feel these tablets have made that situation worse, also I have now gone down to 10mg a day, 1 a day, I've started to get lots of shooting pains in my arm, back, chest and head occasionally, I've even felt a very slight and quick feeling of tightness in my chest, but that hasn't been very often, sick of being on them now, need to get of them, I've even been referred to have blood tests, to illiminate everything.

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29

Did u stop cold turkey? CuZ I did that the first time I quit and it was a nightmare. The migraines were insane and my heart was beating out of my chest and I only took it for a year. You've been taking it for 25 so u really need to go slow. Four weeks is way to soon to be off . It's a slow tedious process. Best of luck to u. Sounds like u need a break from all these health issues.

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36

Hi Nana.I was on them for 25 yrs and BP tablets for 20 yrs.I have gone cold turkey on both and I will NEVER go back on them.Tablets are dangerous and after all these yrs I blame them for a lot of my conditions.I have NO LIFE and I do not think there is ANY WAY OUT.Side affects are horrendous,but WHO CARES??

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41

I have been on Propranolol for about 13 years. Initially 3 x 40mg a day for severe migraines. As I have got older my hormones have changed and the migraines decreased both in intensity and frequency, so I lowered my does a few years ago to 40mg per evening as my life had changed too. I have been having nightmares/terrors which affect my husband's sleep and well being. I never had them before taking propranolol. I've also had restless legs, trouble sleeping, lethargy, mood swings, palpitations, cold feet, low libido . Recently i have had joint pain and was prescribed Amitriptyline which certainly helped joint pain but i felt tired, larthargic, had sluggish memory and was moody the next day. I've decided to come off propranolol after reading it could be the cause of many of my symptoms over the years which I hadn't connected with the propranolol until researching night terrors. I stopped taking both propranolol and amitriptyline 3 days ago and feel so much more positive and enthusiastic about life. i'm waking up refreshed and ready to go. I have been having headaches though and feeling a little bit racy, but happy still and so i can cope with that if it's only temporary. Also I haven't had the stiff hands and joints either that have been troubling me for the last year or so. Be interested to know if my husband notices the difference in me that I certainly feel positive about.

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57

Been off it now since mid November and feel 100% better. Not breathless or as tired. Weight gradually coming off too.

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65

OK, overdue for an update on my withdrawal experience as it is six months since I last posted. Slow withdrawal was fine over about six weeks. Some negative side effects like palps and increased likelihood of migraine (which is why i was taking 80mg a day in the first place) but they have faded over time. But the positives have been way better than I could have predicted. Some issues which i put down to age (59) I now know were caused or, at the very least, made much worse by Propranolol. I have never heard anyone talk about bladder incontinence on here but I was getting up in the night and had to be pretty damn fast to get there in time. has anyone else experienced something like that? Thats all over now I have reduced the pills. My family say I had a tendency toward Mr Grouchy for a while whilst withdrawing but that's gone now too. I now have competition standard libido (sorry to be gross but this is what we are dealing with here guys!) But I still haven't managed to get off the last 10mg morning and evening. It seems like the last tiny dose is the hardest to end. A friend suggested cutting the 10mg pills in half so thats next. It seems ridiculous but it's like the body needs just a signal that those Propranolol molecules are there. I will do it though soon. I also now have Immigran tabs from my doctor to take when i feel a migraine coming and they are nothing short of brilliant for me (but I said that about P as well - lets see).

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79

I have been on Propranolol 80 SR for migraine prevention for 6 months, after a couple of months without migraines they have increased in frequency along with all the usual Propranolol side effects, so I'm try to stop taking them. My doctor has told me to take one on alternate days for one week then stop altogether. This seems a bit abrupt- can anyone advise me if its ok to do it like this? I am a 55 yrs old woman? Thanks

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132

I am weaning off. I was on 20 mg 5 days ago. I would take 10 In the morning and 10 at night. Well, now I take 5 in the morning and 5 at night and to my surprise I have had no side effects. My heart tends to beat faster but not a fast that makes me worry about my health. Its all about breathing. And I do believe this medicine makes weight gain because ever since I've cut down I've had a loss of appetite, I don't eat as frequently as I used too. Best of luck. And keep your head up. Your beautiful.

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135

Hi Dawn and everyone. Yes!!! I can relate to all that you are saying. I took up to 10 mg/ 3 times a day and felt very anxious. One of the very reasons I was taking these meds for in the first place!!!I have decided to come off these Propranolol very slowly. I am now down to 1 tablet at night ( oh yes the dreams were horrendous) I am sure that these meds may help some people. Sadly,, I am not of them. I came off the first one and got used to that amount for two weeks then started missing out the next for another two weeks. This may not suit everyone and I am not recommending it to anyone. However,, I am now on the last one. I have had headaches whilst stopping them. Nausea at times. Crying for no particula reason as such also. Just feeling
down in general. Maybe they did work but not over noticably,,but I am never going back to try them out again. The Dr meant well when trying to help me. Unfortunately. Thus drug was not suitable for me. Good luck all of you and I hope you get where you are going very soon

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137

I was taking it for migraines and I too gained weight. I am cutting them off not as slowly as everyone else...but taking them has NOT helped my migraines at all.

I also went off topomax in November; if your doctor tells you to take it be advised it has serious side affects!

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170

Hi there, I feel like I can help you. I was on 120mg of Propranonlol and have been off for 2 weeks and am having severe withdrawal symptoms. I did withdrawal slowly from Propranolol. I see a functional medicine doctor these are doctors that go and get to the root cause of why you had anxiety in the first place. I do know that Propranolol can cause hypothyroidism which does a number on your body that is why I got off of Propranolol. I was put on Propranolol for awful headaches about seven years ago. I found out that Propranolol hats cause me to have low thyroid. So I'm coming off and the withdrawals are not fun but they don't last. I would recommend you see a functional medicine doctor. They can tell you why you have anxiety. Also Propranolol blocks the uptake of the thyroid hormone from getting to your cells and it also blocks magnesium from getting to your cells. Magnesium is supposed to do the same exact thing as Propranolol for panic attacks and anxiety. The body does not absorb magnesium really well in pill form a lot of the times. So what I did was I purchased some magnesium oil with you spray on your body and it gets right into your system. A functional doctor will be able to tell you through tests why you have anxiety. A lot of the time anxiety and panic attacks are deficiencies in the body of certain minerals vitamins and enzymes. I would have a lot of tests run by a functional medicine doctor test for your vitamin B your vitamin D for magnesium and calcium and for the thyroid. Most standard doctors do not test right for thyroid period they test your TSH which is overall thyroid but functional medical doctors know how to test for T4 and T3 cell function. I am still on the road to recovery and I will share with you anything I find out that helps with anxiety.

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195

Adult male here.
About 5 years ago i quit drinking. Anxiety, panic attacks, migraines and PTSD resurfaced. Went to the doctor and the waiting room triggered me. As a normal physiological response to a perceived threat, my BP rose. Now in the doctors office, they look at my BP and say "wow it's so high!" I try to explain but since it wasn't on file... got prescribed propranolol. 10mg twice a day. Would get migraine in the afternoon so this was increased to 10mg 3 times a day / every 6 hours.

Starting off with the side effects. It's like my lungs are coated in cement. Very hard to breath. Lung capacity has been reduced to about 30-50% of it's normal function. I told the doctor this she aid "Ya, it'll do that to ya!" casually... This has not gone away but i have gotten use to it. One day when out for a walk got hit with a tremendous difficulty of maintaining normal posture. Also, exercise tolerance has become really low. Gradually over the course of 4 years i can now barely do daily chores. shower, cook meals, go up and down the stairs 8+ times a day... without being exhausted after. Body is weakened. I'm sure heart is weakened as well. Psoriasis and very dry skin. Eye infections and ear infections. Takes much longer to heal on this drug. It weakens the immune system. Sometimes i get hit with sudden vertigo / imbalance, feeling of dread and more. This is more uncommon.

One time i had to go to the hospital for a bad reaction. Electrical short circuit in the heart. I'm starting to think now that i may have heart failure because of this drug. After some digging found out is one of the listed side effects. My doctor hasn't been any help in getting off. She is a GP but doesn't seem to know anything about coming off of the drug. Eventually i got down to 5mg per dose. Went smaller but it has been inconsistent since pill cutters aren't that accurate. Went to see if she knew of a way to have reliable doses and... "I don't know". Is what she said. Months later i found out that compounding pharmacies exist. Something she never mentioned. So 2 weeks ago i changed the 3rd dose to a compounded 4mg of propranolol HCL. (3rd dose was already close to the range of 4mg) 2 days ago, i switched the middle dose to 3mg compounded. (before was around 3.2-4mg) Will ride this out for 2 weeks. Morning dose is at about 4.2-4.7mg right now(again, pill cutters aren't accurate) but will be switching that to 4mg after the middle dose has gone 2 weeks and see what happens. Once at 4-3-4 will take the night dose down to 3. I think that one will be difficult 25% reduction. Then the first dose. From there i'll see if the compounding pharmacy can do 2.5. 6 weeks to get all doses on that. then 2mg. 1.5mg. 1mg. With 6 weeks for each step / 2 weeks for each dosage reduction.

Some may think these are low doses but that is not the case. It depends on body chemistry. These "low" doses are still very powerful and effective. As we speak the veins in my hands and throughout my body are extremely thin and small. 5x less their previous size when not on propranolol. This does not change with physical exertion.

Really stuck between a rock and a hard place here. If i remain on propranolol further heart failure, if that is the case. But if i come off i wonder what would happen in the case of a panic attack. A heart weakened by propranolol for 4-5 years suddenly going 250-300BPM... It's worrisome.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned CoQ10. Propranolol depletes the body of this enzyme. Further study is needed to see if it could be used while taking propranolol but i have heard that others have used it to help come off yet none of them outlined how. (in what doses, frequency in relation to propranolol)

Have also heard talk of amino acids but it's unclear if L-citrulline / L-Arginine, L-Taurine, L-carnitine, would conflict with the beat blocker or not. I must study further. For the effects i am experiencing from this drug. Nobody explains what it has done for them during the weaning process or what those do in the body in relation to propranolol. Most people just say "I used *this* and it helped" with no dosage or frequency details. No details on *how* it helped or possible bad interactions :(

When it comes to L-citrulline / L-Arginine i read that it increases nitric oxide in the body and relaxes your blood muscles. gives you "more energy" which means adrenal gland stimulation. Which is the activity the BB blocks. Isn't that a contradiction? When you get "more energy" wouldn't the BB over compensate to shut it down?

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23

Thank you to all who have replied on this thread. Since my post (#13 in March, 2013) I have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. It turns out that the propranolol is can control tremors. Therefore, when I missed the med the tremors, which had likely be present in some form for a long time, appeared. In addition, I take Requip for what I have thought was restless legs. Requip is indeed a Parkinson's drug. I have been on the propranolol for over 20 and the Requip over 10 years. So, long story short, I have probably been suffer from Parkinson's for over 10 years but the meds I have been on have controlled it until now. I am now also on additional meds for the Parkinson's. Thanks again for all the comments.

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38

Dear Craig.I went cold turkey 4 weeks ago after being on 80mg of propranalol for 27yrs and also 10mg of enalapril which is a BP tablet for 20 yrs.The main side affect I am having is sky high BP.also shaking,bad headaches,dizziness,anxiety and sweating and then feeling really cold and just feeling unwell basically.I know they will start to ease off in the future.(hopefully) I will NEVER GO BACK ON THEM!! If my BP stays at this level I MIGHT have to consider a BP tablet( I hope not) as I have tons of medical conditions,including Diabetes and I am virtually bedbound.Anyway Craig hope you can cope with the side affects as it will be worth it in the long run.xx

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61

I am taking two 40mg propanalol a day.(the brown one) but want to come off them, I was prescribed them for anxiety , they are working but im light headed all the time and sometimes feel like I have had a drink and can act silly or very giddy, this is not me my mood is all over the place I am also going through the menopause and thought increased night sweats were due to that but could it be the propanalol, going to cut down to one tab a day for a week which is still 40mg then maybe half week later then stop after that does that seem like a plan or should I go and get a lower dose from dr.

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66

P.S. Just a thought, soon after reducing Propranolol I also developed dry eye syndrome which, oddly, is a know side effect. So why might this occur when a potential cause is removed? Has anyone else experienced what might be thought to be counter intuitive, ie. known side effects of taking the stuff becoming apparent during withdrawal? Could be just a coincidence.

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76

I have been having anxiety/panic attacks on/off for about 6 months. About 3 weeks ago my anxiety levels were so high I ended up in A&E. The next day I visited my gp who put me on propanolol 40mg once day. At first these tablets were the best thing ever and certainly took the edge off, but as the days went on I could feel the effects wearing off after about 6 hrs or so. My gp increased my dose to 80mg slow release. Taking this tablet was awful!!! I felt out of my mind like I was drunk for hours and made me dizzy. I have now got to the point where I cannot go out. Even taking my kids to school is impossible because of how I feel.
I have an appt with my gp in the morning to try and get help for this as I do not want full blown agoraphobia. Any advice about other similar situations would be greatly appreciated. I just want to feel 'normal' again

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78

I want my life back - I want off this crap drug, Propranolol. I used to drink heavily six (6) years ago and my GP started me on Propranolol to control my high blood pressure (BP). He started me out on 80mg twice a day.

Last year I reduced it to 20mg of Propranolol once in the morning and half of that (10mg) in the evening - for some 6 years for occasional "high" blood pressure. It would vary from perfect 120/80 to 148/93.

Propranolol has definitely caused me to have ED, that I do not like and very embarrassed to even mention here. I'm 61 yrs. now and have never had side effects from taking Propranolol, but the crap takes a heavy toll on my personal life. I used to take 60mg years ago but self-cut the evening dose in half. I know that I can and will try to keep weening myself off of this drug.

Twice this year, in panic, I wound up in an emergency clinic from anxiety attacks. The anxiety can really be scary. You lay there at night and think your symptoms are leading to death. I think this panic was from worry of my recent sudden unemployment though. Wow, this crap is so powerful, that missing one dose is a real panic period.

Before I started taking Propranolol I had bouts of high blood pressure (BP) so the General Practitioner (GP) started me on this. Funny, I now look back and wonder if the nightly drinking caused all this. I truly believe that eating lots of Kale, exercise, and the right foods will be the answer, not this crazy drug. I'll be sure to ween myself off of this damn drug after 6 years very, very, slowly and monitor my vitals frequently.

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