Propranolol Side Effects
 

I think I just ruled that med out :( I took it for almost a week, couldn't deal with it and stopped. The first day I took it I had a horrible migraine. I took it over the next few day, and I just got more and more sluggish. The tremors actually stopped though. Then on the 6th day I couldn't deal with it anymore, I ended up puking, had major fatigue, sluggishness, felt like somebody was pushing down on me when I tried to do anything, more headaches. Thursday was the last pill. I slept a lot over the weekend, anything I did was in spurts of a little bit at a time. I could barely think, move, drive, etc at the end of last week.

The tremors did seem to mostly stop, and then after a couple days of not taking the med, they've come back. So that means that they are not caused by the prednisone as they've come back after the med, and it's been a couple weeks or more since I stopped taking the prednisone.

I sent an email to my PCP letting him know what's going on. Waiting for a reply. I don't know what to do. I still think getting a round of IVSM would be good.

I just want to feel good enough to think correctly and at least fake being a normal person.

What dose were you on?

That is the weirdest thing I have ever heard of! I've never had anyone in 30+yrs with your side effects.

Perhaps the dose was too high? Perhaps you have a really complex neurological problem, besides the PN and suspected MS?

BetaBlockers will slow the heart rate down, some and people report aerobic difficulty when working out, doing stairs, etc., but this is mostly those who do high end exercise. I don't seem to be affected by my atenolol at all that way, in fact I am MORE active on it than I was on the ACE drug!

But they do not typically cause huge issues. They are actually used to treat some migraine disorders. They are also used for
stage fright (musicians will use typically atenolol).

I took propranolol after my pregnancy was over, to lower my blood pressure, which was still elevated (given by my endocrinologist who followed me during the pregnancy). My own doctor when I returned to her changed me to atenolol, as it is more easily tolerated. I am taking it now in fact with great success. It has
always been good for me, but over time, my doctor wanted me on those awful ACE inhibitors, which just about literally killed me.

Over time the propranolol version which is the original drug (other beta blockers are a little bit improved to work more on the cardiovascular issues), may cause depression, or some amnesia, or memory issues. It is for example used to treat PTSD today.
For this reason, atenolol, is now used for performance anxiety.

A too high dose for you may have affected your heart too much, slowing it down. This is called bradycardia.

I was on the lowest XR version, 80mg once a day. Many things either don't work at all, or they're too strong.

I did read that they help migraines by relaxing the capillaries. I know with my migraines I need something to constrict them, which is why caffeine works so well for mine.

My BP has always been really good, 110/70. The last few times I went to the docs it was higher, but I assume it's due to the stress my body is under. I think it was 128/88. But those two times I had the hives and then the tremors.

Yeah, weird? I know I wasn't ill with a virus. For example, I had a horrible reaction to Tramodol, puking, shakes, drop in body temp.

When I was having my hypothyroid symptoms, I did have heart palpatations. These haven't happened in months though.

Tramadol is not related to propranolol in any way. It is a coincidence that it has the --ol ending in its name.

The nausea from tramadol is from the mu receptor overload and is similar to the nausea from opiates therefore.

80mg extended release is the second lowest dose of extended out there. 60mg is the lowest. Propranolol also comes in immediate release starting at 10mg.

This would have blocked your palpitations completely I suspect.
Propranolol is one of the main drugs used to treat the signs of hyperthyroidism... It does not TREAT or change the cause, but will keep the heart from going crazy that many Graves' patients complain about. It is often used as a symptomatic aid for those patients to be more comfortable, and lessen the stress on the heart.

Headache is not a common side effect of this drug.
Here is a more comprehensive listing:
http://www.drugcite.com/?q=propranolol

Propranolol is a very old drug... It was just FDA approved in the early 70's after success in the UK. It is not first line anymore for blood pressure control (like I had) because the newer betablockers were developed to have fewer side effects. But it is still used for the indications I listed above. It is very effective for hyperthyroidism patients.

Yeah

I was on 60mg XR propranolol and while it made me wicked fatigued, it didn't give me half the grief it seems to have given you. I also got over the fatigue in...maybe 10 days or so? My blood pressure was super low, but the docs decided it was okay.

I also have thyroid issues and it didn't affect me at all there either.

Another drug to maybe try would be primidone? It helped my tremors as well, fatigue and nausea in the morning being my main side effects that eventually went away.

I'm now on topamax and I did not like it at first but now it seems to do the trick.

Please keep us posted.

I know they're not related, I just didn't want to list all the drugs I have weird reactions from. Tramadol was just one of the worst.

I don't even want to try the 10mg immediate release now. Obviously what I got built up in my system, and both took the tremors away and gave me horrible side effects at the same time. As the med went out of my system, the symptoms went away and returned the tremors.

I wonder what's next to try for me?

I would suggest the primidone-it isn't a beta blocker at all, it's a form of anti-seizure med.

Some people do react strangely to drugs. I am one of them too.

I do recall your posts on PN, so I understand.

The 60mg LA corresponds to 20mg 3 times a day of immediate release. The LA was developed after the patent expired on Ayerst's original Inderal. LA supposedly give a smoother response, but some people may find that too strong for them.

Using a small dose of propranolol immediate release say twice a day may not give such side effects and be more tolerable. It may work on the tremors that way. I think that is worth a try...it is very inexpensive generically. Ask for 10mg twice a day and see what happens (get 20 or so)? You might be surprised. To control tremors, that may be all you need. Doctors don't really understand dosing.
See Dr. Cohen's website (Jay Cohen MD) for further explanation of how many drugs are given in too high of doses.

I basically agree with MrsD. When I got atrial fibrillation, the cardio wanted me on 80 mg a day of Propanalol. Knowing my sensitivity to some drugs (and having had a bad response to ACE inhibitors as MrsD did), I decided to start off at ten mg. immediate release of Propanalol. This helped but I decided to go up to 15 mg. I take that now, in divided doses 5 mg X3 a day. But I'm probably different from you, as I do not have migraines as far as I know. If I do have migraines, they are atypical and painless.

I would have had bradycardia, which MrsD speaks of, if I'd taken the 80mg of Propanalol. I've gotten bradycardia from the Interferons and from the Chemo drug Hydrea, so I know I can get it from drugs. The cardiologist was livid that I didn't start the 80 mg of Propanalol. Another bad doctor experience, of which I've had many.

I am not urging you to start again on a low dose...as I really don't know what's up in your case, but I just wanted to say that some of us do well on a much lower dose of Propranalol. It is THE most useful drug I have ever taken. I oddly do not do as well on Inderal, which is the "brand name" version of Propanalol, I think. I have not tried Atenalol.