Beta Blockers for Anxiety: Side Effects and Withdrawal

When you take beta blockers for anxiety the pill will work on reducing the physical symptoms of anxiousness that you may be feeling. This includes reducing symptoms such as racing heart, shaking and breathing quickly.

Beta blockers work by blocking specific receptors from receiving certain signals. For example, the part of your brain that speeds up your heart shouldn’t get activated.

When Should Beta Blockers Be Used?

There is much debate about whether beta blockers such as Propranolol should be used for everyday anxiety, or even for one off anxiety provoking events like making a speech or going on a plane when you have a fear of flying.

Some doctors are even hesitant to prescribe beta blockers unless the person who is receiving the drug has chronic, severe anxiety.

Beta blockers Side Effects

These prescribed drugs aren’t without side effects, which can sometimes be severe. These include:

Lowering of blood pressure – This can lead to fainting and collapse if you take beta blockers when you aren’t particularly anxious.
Weakness and tiredness – Which can happen when you become too relaxed after taking a beta blocker. This can be compounded by lowering of blood pressure.
Interaction with diabetes – Beta blockers can cause lowering of blood sugar, or masking of the symptoms associated with low blood sugar. So you might not realize there is a problem (which can have negative consequences of course).
Worsening of heart problems – Doctors are very careful about prescribing beta blockers, which work on the heart and circulatory system, to people with heart conditions. This is because stopping the drugs suddenly can cause heart disease to get worse.

These are examples of the more serious side effects associated with beta blockers. Most side effects of a beta blocker are very mild and people tolerate them well.

Beta Blocker Withdrawal

There is controversy over prescribing beta blockers because of the potential issues surrounding withdrawal. The main problem arises when you stop taking the drug suddenly. In that cases you won’t just be at risk of withdrawal symptoms, you could have a heart attack!

If you must take the medication long term, never suddenly stop taking it on your own since they must be stopped gradually to minimize the stress to the heart.

Natural Alternative to Beta Blockers

Beta blockers have their place, and most people do tolerate them well. But they aren’t a permanent solution to chronic anxiety, that only mask the symptoms which soon come back when the medication wears off.

There is a natural method for combating anxiety that doesn’t put you at risk of such severe side effects as beta blockers can have. All it requires is for you to set aside some time to sit down and learn exactly how to manage your anxiety naturally, with permanent results.

That method is detailed in the downloadable eBook called Panic Miracle. As the title suggests, this crucial information can be used to stop panic attacks, but it also focuses on treating anxiety in a safe and holistic way.