So I have been on Propranolol since October and have to say not had a 'great' time on it although I can see benefits of it regulating my heart and had no massive attack whilst being on it.
HOWEVER when I first started on it doctor prescribed 3x40mg every day which I took for a few weeks but had to go back to doctors as 'brain fog' and tiredness was making simple tasks impossible. I reduced to 2x40mg and that was better and I started feeling 'ok' after a few weeks so doctor said I could reduce to just one and 'increase and decrease dose depending on how I was feeling'-basically giving me a licence to play with my medication which I didn't like idea of!
Anyway one wasn't enough through Christmas so I increases to two again and been fine since in fact felt so fine I reduced back to one last weekend and have been fine until yesterday when heart 'fluttered' all day then heart and pulse racing last night.
I've carried out loads of research and withdrawing from Propranolol has to be done gradually (like 3 to 2 to 1) over weeks before doctor will agree you can stop altogether (or just take them on the odd day you are particularly anxious).
I appreciate easiest answer is to go back up to 2 however I really want to come off altogether now and I'm a bit confused why doctor was so dismissive of self medicating as I am definitely feeling impact of reducing but end game is I want to be off these tablets eventually so need to persist safely!
My question is-has anybody successfully come off and if so what were their withdrawal methods and symptoms?
I think you can cut them in half and the quatres...
So it'd be one full tablet and the 3/4s of the second.
Then one full tablet and 1/2 of the second.
Then one full tablet and 1/4 of the second and so on...
Until your taking 1/4 of one tablet
Thank you-had to go back up to 2 last few days-anxiety was immense on one! Maybe I'm just not as far along my recovery as I thought (and hoped!) I was! So frustrating!
Propanolol never agreed with me, so I literally forced myself through the side effects to come off them. (I was only on them a week)
You'll get there... :-)
Thank you-I've made the decision today I will try my hardest to only take 2 when I'm doing something that may cause anxiety or stress but it is very hard to ride it out today -it's panic and all those other horrific feelings I have to combat as opposed to stress today!
God before all this I was such a different person and keep reminding myself of that bubbly confident self but it's so hard!!!
Do you know the triggers?
Are you having CBT?
My anxiety is constant at the minute, what ever I do it's there! All my friends have gone out this eve and ive missed out.
But I know it's got to end at some point, if not next week in a couple of months. There's a light somewhere.. :-)
Mine is pretty much constant so either the panic or the tension or the pains! All this originated from a job I have now left so having not worked for a month I thought I would be 'cured' by now but my 'panic disorder' has just manifested itself in to other areas like going out with friends or shopping etc or sometimes for no reason at all!
Somedays it is more manageable than others (magnesium helps greatly) where as other days it's all I can do to get out of bed (thankfully not that many of those recently!)
I do find if I am going out to make sure I keep 'busy' thinking of other things as opposed to the actual act of going out to keep anxiety limited-I do talk to myself an awful lot!!
What pains are you getting??
Are you looking for a new job? Hopefully when you get back into a daily routine it may help?
I used to go out all the time & keep busy because I had generalized anxiety. Which helped. Im just so in myself at the moment its constantly there. Just becareful because I burnt myself out keeping too busy.
Because of all the stress of the job I had I would tense my back and shoulders for up to 13 hours a day so all my muscles have seized so I'm exercising and had many a massage but just takes time I guess (wheat bags help!)
My original plan was just to have January off and start looking for a job then (I have never been without a job not even for a few days since leaving school) but my head just isn't in the game as yet-January seems to have flown by and not having a job is so alien to me! So trying not to put too much pressure on myself to look for work but obviously financially I will have to soon!
I know what you mean about being in yourself-every morning I try to gee myself on to be positive but the 'demon me' sometimes wins and I end up feeling pathetic but guess it all takes time-I'm an impatient person at the best of times so just want a switch to turn it all off!!
Just hope I can look back at this episode in my life and think 'jeeez why was I like that?' And not have to live with this every day!