Anybody here know anything about beta blocker's

[Jolt]

Brandi,

I do recall being told that once you start a beta blocker and wish to stop it you must wean yourself off the drug (not unlike a lot of drugs out there).

That is true. If you stop it abruptly, your heart rate and blood pressure will go up dramatically and that can cause problems. Tapering it slowly prevents this from happening because it allows your body to have time to adjust to having less and less of the drug bound to the receptors. As far as general info, beta blockers are considered quite safe drugs but they do have some side effects that can be unpleasant such as feeling tired or depressed (especially an issue with the ones that are not selective for the cardiovascular system) and exercise intolerance (due to not being able to get your heart rate as high).

[Brandi]

Ok now i am really going to look into some other ways to deal with this. I think Message therapy is in order for sure!More bubble bath's and maybe some wine. I hear choccolate is good too. I mean anciety is my brain doing this which means I should be able to stop it.

[Wahine]

Acupuncture is also helpful for the treatment of anxiety.

[Triskeliongirl]

How about yoga, and cycling for that matter. To me there is nothing like a good hard ride to get a lot of stress out of my system. You can follow it with some soothing yoga stretches. Or if you are having trouble to sleep, try a hot bath followed by some calming yoga stretches before bed, stuff like that.

Or, if there is real stuff stressing you, try to deal with the real stuff, one problem at a time, assuming of course that they are things you have control over and can make changes that would allow you to feel less stressed. If they are things you don't have control over, like your nieces illness, then all I can think of is physical activity, yoga, good books, etc.

[mimitabby]

i'd heard that beta blockers were good for occasional use; like if you had to get up on stage and give a speech and you were nervous. But for daily use? ew..

[Possegal]

My b-i-l takes propranolol daily for his hypertension. Pretty old school drug (ie, not a lot new to learn about it, which is good, means we know exactly what to expect). He's taken it for about 15 yrs without any issues, though it took him a while to get comfortable with how it made him feel when he exercised. He ran marathons and cycles all the time, all while taking it. (and in pittsburgh, which means up and down lots of hills!).

I'm a pharmacologist, so of course I need people to take drugs, or I'm out of a job. That said, I"m all for any time you can find a behavioral way to destress. Yoga, massage, accupuncture, cycling, all sound very good for you and a wonderful alternative. I don't use the word 'natural' because I fear that would include "natural" products and the assumption that if something is natural it can't be bad for you is a dangerous one.

I hope you feel better soon and your life becomes less stressful.

[Aggie_Ama]

I took one for a while when my occular migraines first started. I cannot remember what it was but it made me feel dumb as could be. I was tired, my mental functions seemed impaired and I felt dizzy constantly. Took it for two weeks and hated it.