Getting Off Propranolol, A Safe Way?
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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 hitting extreme exhaustion soon 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. (Went for a 40 minute walk a few days ago, legs are still sore as if i did 10,000 squats that day) It weakens the immune system. Sometimes i get hit with sudden vertigo / imbalance, feeling of dread and more. This is more uncommon. I'm starting to think now that i may have heart failure because of this drug. I mean, it makes sense. Less blood and less oxygen to the body even when it's needed.

One time i had to go to the hospital for a bad reaction. Electrical short circuit in the heart. After some digging found out is one of the listed side effects.(Heart failure) 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 on my own. 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 said... "I don't know". 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 especially for non selective BB's. 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. While there are some supplements that can help with this it seems contradictory as they stimulate adrenal gland activity. Which Beta Blockers, block.

I'm surprised few have 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 with propranolol :(

When it comes to L-citrulline / L-Arginine i read that it increases nitric oxide in the body and relaxes your blood vessels. 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? Or cause surges or adrenaline which could result in bronchial spasms or worse cardiac arrest?

CoQ10... Diet changes... L-taurine and other amino acids... pro biotics?
Please share what helped you with the withdrawal process and if you do remember please share as many details as possible. Did you start low and scale up? What changes did you notice when you first started taking the supplement / other with propranolol? Dosage and frequency related to your propranolol doses? Etc

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Right there without you. I have posted here on this medication. My friend was on it and was having palpitations, panic attacks, she was on their verge of seeing a heart specialist, no one else could understand what was causing these terrible symptoms. Until she went to her doctor, and as it happened she had an attack there in the surgery, asking what medications she was on, she said this one, propranolol. Immediately she told her to stop taking them. She has never looked back. These symptoms just went away. Good luck. Don’t cut them until you speak to your Dr.

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

My blood pressure levels have been in the normal range. Yes i am being careful hence the main post... As stated these effects are obviously from the drug. "beta blockers help the heart and lower blood pressure" They FORCE the heart to beat slower and reduce the amount of oxygen in the blood which in turn reduces oxygen going to the organ system, brain and muscles. It greatly inhibits the sympathetic nervous system. As already clearly outlined in the main post.

I guess there are only a handful of people will know the answers i seek.

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i heard about supplements helping too and have some symptoms you have

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What your current blood pressure levels? Are you monitoring it regularly?

Many of the symptoms you've described are indicative of high blood pressure, so you have to be very careful if you want to stop this medication, because that could actually worsen your symptoms, according to FDA reports. Some could also be attributed to congestive heart failure.

However, there are generally no known interactions with supplements, but you should always double check with your doctor, to be safe, since some of them may cause blood thinning and lowered blood pressure.

Beta blockers help reduce the workload on your heart, by blocking adrenalin, so your heart can beat slower, and lower your blood pressure.

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