Propranolol for akathisia

Anyone ever tried this? Or another beta blocker? Does it work?

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I take Atenolol for the physical symptoms of anxiety and it works very well.
I took Propranolol as my first beta blocker but it gave me Insomnia.
I am not sure if beta blockers help with akathesia as I have only been on Quetiapine and Chlorpromazine since I have been on them and they don’t cause me akathesia.

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I took it today and actually I think it’s been working very well! And so far I haven’t gotten any of the low blood pressure effects I got the last time I was on it (for a diff reason). I think the low blood pressure was actually because of the trazodone I was on at the time.

I’m very happy w how it’s working so far! I was starting to get the akathisia, took the propranolol and now I’m fine.

We learned in pharmacology that beta blockers are sometimes used for akathisia I think. I’d never heard of that before.

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I was given propranolol for tremors when I was on lithium, and it worked great for that. I hope it takes care of the akathisia for you.

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I was presrcribed propranalol and benztropine for akathisia. The propranalol didn’t work so well but the benztropine did.

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Yes propranolol and klonopin work ok for akathisia.

I know with that med you have to be very careful to take it exactly as prescribed, and never stop it on your own. Same for any med that interacts with your heart/blood pressure.

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I was in a mental facility and a doctor said here take this people take it for stage fright. Been on it ever since. I’m not sure if I had akathisia or not.

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Oh yes thank you for reminding me we learned that in pharm as well, you can die if you quit them cold turkey. However I’m not sure if that’s with higher doses only that someone with heart issues would be on or for this purpose as well. Still I will be very careful definitely.

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Yeah we also learned it’s prescribed for stage fright. Some famous people take it for that apparently.

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I take propranolol. I forget why I take it. My hand tremor is a lot less since taking propranolol.

Jayster

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I found an empty foil back (individually dispenced package) of propranolol just inside my front door when returned home- and had been the last out, first returned.

Wasn’t mine, nor the husbands either. No idea who’s it was, no one admitted knowing anything about it- only two of us in the house.

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My pdoc discontinued my Latuda rather than take that drug. Apparently it has side effects also.

I specifically told my pdoc I didn’t want to discontinue vraylar because the side effects really are very mild and minimal compared to other APs I’ve tried. Even the akathisia isn’t super bad but it was unpleasant enough to want it to stop. Other than that it just causes me some sleepiness which is fine after taking my modafinil and a cup of coffee.

And it works very well most of the time unless I’m irregular in taking it which duh means it wouldn’t work as well.

I take Propranolol for hypertension.

My girlfriend, who also has schizophrenia, takes Cogentin (Benztropine).

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I think he chose propranolol over cogentin because I also struggle with anxiety/ptsd/nightmares which it’s also prescribed for. So it makes sense. That’s why I was prescribed it in the first place but I didn’t really give it a shot because I thought it gave me bad low blood pressure but turns out it was a different med I was on at the time.

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I am glad your pdoc listened to what you wanted.

I didn’t know what to do so I just followed his advice.

Thinking back now, I would have preferred to have stayed on Latuda - I have failed to find something as effective as that was for me specifically and like you have experienced, one side effect bothered me.

It’s good that you have found this. Sometimes counter measures are required and it sounds like the benefits are much greater for you.

I am on Procyclidine. This just confuses me now why it’s not ok to take Latuda and Propranolol but it’s ok mixing a cogentin in with something else…Seems odd.

Waiiiit propranolol helps with PTSD? That’s huge! I thought only antidepressants helped and they make me manic so I thought I’d be stuck with my flashbacks from my mania forever, I gotta bring this up with my pdoc next time I see him!

Plus I’ve heard it helps with the physical symptoms of anxiety, I shake and stutter a lot from social anxiety so hopefully it’d help with that too

I think research found it helps with the nightmares of ptsd specifically. I’m not sure what else but it could definitely be worth a try!

It helps shut off your sympathetic nervous system which is hyperactive in ptsd.

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Cool, thanks I’ll look into it. I get nightmares occasionally but they’re not really fearful ones, they bring shame and embarrassment mostly. Not sure if they’d help with that but yeah I’ll ask about it :slight_smile:

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