Posted by orbital on July 5, 2011, at 8:05:58
In reply to Beta blockers for panic disorder anyone??, posted by jms600 on July 4, 2011, at 8:32:47
They might be helpful if your general symptoms are mainly physical (irregular/racing heartbeat etc).
I'm not sure they would work for PD/ during a panic attack per se - any chance of finding a benzo (preferably sublingual) that's not depressogenic?
Personally, I find beta blockers extremely helpful for general anxiety, they've enabled me to take stuff that I couldn't normally tolerate; such as stimulants in general Provigil, caffeine etc. Also help with public speaking etc.
You mentioned propranolol. I found it too fatiguing and short-acting, there are plenty to choose from of course, my preference overall is atenolol which doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier, so it feels cleaner, less side effects. The dosage options are more limited, though.
The one drawback I can think of is having to taper off them after prolonged daily use, but then, that holds true for most meds.
hth
> Has anyone ever had any success with beta blockers for fairly severe panic disorder?
>
> I took propanolol for a short period of time years ago for general anxiety. It wasn't a huge success, however, I'm wondering if it may work with panic disorder which I've since developed. I also suffer from GAD, social phobia and unipolar depression.
>
> I'm currently on 225mg of Effexor, 600mg of lithium, and 15mg of Valium on an 'as needed' basis when things get really bad. Been on countless other anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, and anxiolytics - my last being Klonopin which really exacerbated my depression. My doctor won't prescribe MAOIs due to their dietary restrictions and side effects.
>
> I'm looking to take a beta blocker on a daily basis as a preventative, rather than just occasionally on an as needed basis.
>
> Any advice greatly appreciated.
>
poster:orbital
thread:990152
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110630/msgs/990225.html