{"id":18773,"date":"2021-02-18T09:30:40","date_gmt":"2021-02-18T14:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=18773"},"modified":"2021-02-08T17:14:41","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T22:14:41","slug":"beta-blockers-for-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/beta-blockers-for-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Can beta blockers help with anxiety?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In March of 2020, I had an appointment with my primary care physician. I explained to her that, even though I was on Lexapro, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), for anxiety and depression, I still felt overwhelmed sometimes. By 5 p.m. every day, when the kids were home, hungry, and wanting attention, I felt a rising panic in my chest. I\u2019d sweat and sometimes feel dizzy. Sometimes I\u2019d snap at my children, or I would need to take a break somewhere quiet, away from others. Last Thanksgiving, I\u2019d been preparing and cooking for two days, only to spend most of the meal in my bedroom. I told my healthcare provider I wanted to be able to handle the inevitable stressors in my life without feeling like I was drowning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My doctor told me I was having a flight response and my physical symptoms indicated anxiety attacks. She prescribed me propranolol, a <\/span>beta blocker<\/span><\/a>, for anxiety. This type of medication is typically used for blood pressure control and heart conditions. I didn\u2019t have a history of high blood pressure or cardiac problems, but she told me taking a small dose of this Rx is a good way to deal with \u201csometimes\u201d anxiety. As someone who is generally pretty sensitive to medication, I didn\u2019t want to take something stronger or possibly addicting. I decided to give it a try.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m so happy I did! The pandemic shut down schools (and everything else) a week after my appointment. I found myself home 24\/7 with my kids, and it felt like the end of the world was right around the corner. I was very thankful for propranolol for anxiety in those early pandemic months and now, still safe at home almost a year later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>Anxiety attack vs. panic attack<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Are beta blockers effective for anxiety?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Beta blockers were not created for the purpose of anxiety reduction. \u201c<\/span>Beta blockers are often prescribed <\/span>off-label<\/span><\/a> for anxiety,\u201d explains <\/span>Spencer Kroll, MD<\/span><\/a>, Ph.D. in pharmacology, the <\/span>director of the Northeast Lipid Association<\/span>.<\/span> \u201c[Off-label use] means they are not approved by the U.S. FDA for anxiety treatment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Even though they are not made specifically as an anti-anxiety medication, beta blockers can help to create a sense of calm when you take them. \u201cBeta blockers can reduce heart rate,\u201d Houston psychiatrist <\/span>Jared Heathman<\/span><\/a>, MD, explains. \u201cWhen anxious, our heart rate elevates. This elevation gives the brain feedback that our body is appropriately panicking. This reinforces anxiety. If you inhibit the ability to raise your heart rate as quickly, your heart can give feedback to your brain that it isn’t panicking, especially not as much as would be otherwise expected. If our heart and body is calm, it provides calming feedback to the brain. This reduces anxiety.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sheldon Zablow, MD<\/span><\/a>, board-certified psychiatrist, calls this process a \u201cnegative feedback loop.\u201d He prescribes beta blockers for anxiety because they \u201cbreak up this cycle by limiting the body\u2019s ability to express the physical symptoms.\u201d<\/span> Tackling the body\u2019s physical reaction to stress helps an anxious person\u2019s brain feel more calm and in control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That can make a huge difference in quality of life when anxiety affects you daily. Some anxiety symptoms feel so severe, and upsetting, that people experiencing them head to the closest hospital. \u201cThere are many symptoms that bring patients into a doctor or emergency room that turn out to be anxiety,\u201d Dr. Kroll says. These physical symptoms of anxiety include:<\/span><\/p>\n