Posted by yxibow on September 12, 2008, at 2:55:41
In reply to Inderal for pounding heart, posted by MommyK on September 10, 2008, at 8:52:35
> Hi - my doctor has suggested Inderal for the heart pounding/racing that occurs during physical "anxiety," attacks. These are physical and not an emotional/mental attack, as they occur with my cycle. The heart pounding can get extreme, leaving me frightened that my heart will explode and making my chest wall sore. These attacks have lately only lasted 8-12 hours, but the severity leaves me exhausted and really messes up life, you know? 1) Will the Inderal help the pounding? 2) What does the Inderal feel like when it starts to work (light headed, stomach problems, etc?)? and 3) I was asthmatic as a child. Is this a problem? Thank you all.
Yes to 1 and part of 2 -- watch for lightheadedness at first, should go away, although a cuff monitor from a drugstore is always a good thing, headaches can occur, some people claim depression can occur too, thats individual -- it is a CNS depressant but I'm not clear exactly on the depression link.
I would say its 50/50 that its anxiety or organic or other medication induced. Certainly if its anxiety, it helps the fight/flight system and calms the peripheral shakiness. Then you do not want a cardioselective beta blocker (propranolol is not cardioselective). If its organic, which should be through your GP really with an EKG test, then it should be cardioselective.Either way, once you start it and are on one, you should not drop it cold. Causes pulse and blood pressure dyscrasias and is not a good thing, go slow and go down.
Propranolol is widely prescribed off label for anxiety symptoms but not for the source of anxiety.
-- hope that helpsJay
poster:yxibow
thread:851315
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080903/msgs/851627.html