Beta-blockers for meltdowns? (was Re: Clonodine?)
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From: Sarah Vaughan on 22 Jul 2008 15:30 Bob Badour wrote: >> Dr Sarah > > Since you mention blood pressure, what are your thoughts on using a > low-dose beta blocker (inderal) for preventing meltdowns? > > I am aware of some issues like it is contraindicated for people with > asthma and certain allergies. > > I have been finding it effective with few or no side-effects. (At least, > none that I have noticed.) Interesting. We do sometimes use beta-blockers for anxiety, though they don't have a brilliant success rate. I suppose the same effect is behind the anti-meltdown effect - because they block some of the effects of adrenaline, they could potentially break into a vicious circle of getting more worked up by the physical symptoms of being worked up, and could help you to calm down. Given that you're currently finding a) that it works and b) that you're not troubled by side-effects, the only other concern would be long-term risks. This, I would not be too bothered about. There may be a small extra risk of diabetes, especially if you also take some types of diuretic for any reason, but I don't think that's a high risk - it would make more sense to concentrate on a healthy diet, regular exercise, and keeping your weight stable if you want to prevent diabetes. Propranolol has been around a long time and - to be brutally cynical - there isn't the same potential issue as with antipsychotics of it being used only in a group of patients who are of low status within society. So I think that other long-term side-effects would be fairly likely to be picked up. In summary: if it's working well for you, continue. HTH. All the best, Sarah -- http://www.goodenoughmummy.typepad.com "That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be" - P. C. Hodgell
From: Ken on 22 Jul 2008 20:34 On Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:30:48 +0100, Sarah Vaughan <nannyogg(a)samael.demon.co.uk> wrote: >Bob Badour wrote: > >>> Dr Sarah >> >> Since you mention blood pressure, what are your thoughts on using a >> low-dose beta blocker (inderal) for preventing meltdowns? >> >> I am aware of some issues like it is contraindicated for people with >> asthma and certain allergies. >> >> I have been finding it effective with few or no side-effects. (At least, >> none that I have noticed.) > >Interesting. We do sometimes use beta-blockers for anxiety, though they >don't have a brilliant success rate. I suppose the same effect is >behind the anti-meltdown effect - because they block some of the effects >of adrenaline, they could potentially break into a vicious circle of >getting more worked up by the physical symptoms of being worked up, and >could help you to calm down. > >Given that you're currently finding a) that it works and b) that you're >not troubled by side-effects, the only other concern would be long-term >risks. This, I would not be too bothered about. There may be a small >extra risk of diabetes, especially if you also take some types of >diuretic for any reason, but I don't think that's a high risk - it would >make more sense to concentrate on a healthy diet, regular exercise, and >keeping your weight stable if you want to prevent diabetes. Propranolol >has been around a long time and - to be brutally cynical - there isn't >the same potential issue as with antipsychotics of it being used only in >a group of patients who are of low status within society. So I think >that other long-term side-effects would be fairly likely to be picked >up. In summary: if it's working well for you, continue. HTH. > > >All the best, > >Sarah I would be interested in your dosage. My Dr prescribed a low dose of Inderal for stress headaches. It only partially works; I still get headaches, just not as frequent or severe. I have not noticed it reducing the anger fits tough.
From: Bob Badour on 22 Jul 2008 21:40 Ken wrote: > On Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:30:48 +0100, Sarah Vaughan > <nannyogg(a)samael.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > >>Bob Badour wrote: >> >> >>>>Dr Sarah >>> >>>Since you mention blood pressure, what are your thoughts on using a >>>low-dose beta blocker (inderal) for preventing meltdowns? >>> >>>I am aware of some issues like it is contraindicated for people with >>>asthma and certain allergies. >>> >>>I have been finding it effective with few or no side-effects. (At least, >>>none that I have noticed.) >> >>Interesting. We do sometimes use beta-blockers for anxiety, though they >>don't have a brilliant success rate. I suppose the same effect is >>behind the anti-meltdown effect - because they block some of the effects >>of adrenaline, they could potentially break into a vicious circle of >>getting more worked up by the physical symptoms of being worked up, and >>could help you to calm down. >> >>Given that you're currently finding a) that it works and b) that you're >>not troubled by side-effects, the only other concern would be long-term >>risks. This, I would not be too bothered about. There may be a small >>extra risk of diabetes, especially if you also take some types of >>diuretic for any reason, but I don't think that's a high risk - it would >>make more sense to concentrate on a healthy diet, regular exercise, and >>keeping your weight stable if you want to prevent diabetes. Propranolol >>has been around a long time and - to be brutally cynical - there isn't >>the same potential issue as with antipsychotics of it being used only in >>a group of patients who are of low status within society. So I think >>that other long-term side-effects would be fairly likely to be picked >>up. In summary: if it's working well for you, continue. HTH. >> >> >>All the best, >> >>Sarah > > I would be interested in your dosage. My Dr prescribed a low dose of > Inderal for stress headaches. It only partially works; I still get > headaches, just not as frequent or severe. I have not noticed it > reducing the anger fits tough. I take 20mg twice daily. My migraines basically went away when I started it; although, I get the occasional aura still.
From: Eva on 22 Jul 2008 22:03 "Bob Badour" <bbadour(a)pei.sympatico.ca> wrote in message news:48868c2c$0$4037$9a566e8b(a)news.aliant.net... > Ken wrote: > >> On Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:30:48 +0100, Sarah Vaughan >> <nannyogg(a)samael.demon.co.uk> wrote: >> >> >>>Bob Badour wrote: >>> >>> >>>>>Dr Sarah >>>> >>>>Since you mention blood pressure, what are your thoughts on using a >>>>low-dose beta blocker (inderal) for preventing meltdowns? >>>> >>>>I am aware of some issues like it is contraindicated for people with >>>>asthma and certain allergies. >>>> >>>>I have been finding it effective with few or no side-effects. (At least, >>>>none that I have noticed.) >>> >>>Interesting. We do sometimes use beta-blockers for anxiety, though they >>>don't have a brilliant success rate. I suppose the same effect is behind >>>the anti-meltdown effect - because they block some of the effects of >>>adrenaline, they could potentially break into a vicious circle of getting >>>more worked up by the physical symptoms of being worked up, and could >>>help you to calm down. >>> >>>Given that you're currently finding a) that it works and b) that you're >>>not troubled by side-effects, the only other concern would be long-term >>>risks. This, I would not be too bothered about. There may be a small >>>extra risk of diabetes, especially if you also take some types of >>>diuretic for any reason, but I don't think that's a high risk - it would >>>make more sense to concentrate on a healthy diet, regular exercise, and >>>keeping your weight stable if you want to prevent diabetes. Propranolol >>>has been around a long time and - to be brutally cynical - there isn't >>>the same potential issue as with antipsychotics of it being used only in >>>a group of patients who are of low status within society. So I think >>>that other long-term side-effects would be fairly likely to be picked up. >>>In summary: if it's working well for you, continue. HTH. >>> >>> >>>All the best, >>> >>>Sarah >> >> I would be interested in your dosage. My Dr prescribed a low dose of >> Inderal for stress headaches. It only partially works; I still get >> headaches, just not as frequent or severe. I have not noticed it >> reducing the anger fits tough. > > I take 20mg twice daily. My migraines basically went away when I started > it; although, I get the occasional aura still. ---------------- In the 1980s I was prescribed Inderal for migraines but it did not work at all for me. (Fortunately, since 1990, Imitrex does.) ISTR seeing something on TV some years back about classical musicians taking Inderal to improve their performance in competitions. Am I misremembering? Does anyone else remember this? Eva
From: Bob Badour on 22 Jul 2008 22:20
Eva wrote: > "Bob Badour" <bbadour(a)pei.sympatico.ca> wrote in message > news:48868c2c$0$4037$9a566e8b(a)news.aliant.net... > >>Ken wrote: >> >> >>>On Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:30:48 +0100, Sarah Vaughan >>><nannyogg(a)samael.demon.co.uk> wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>>>Bob Badour wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>>>Dr Sarah >>>>> >>>>>Since you mention blood pressure, what are your thoughts on using a >>>>>low-dose beta blocker (inderal) for preventing meltdowns? >>>>> >>>>>I am aware of some issues like it is contraindicated for people with >>>>>asthma and certain allergies. >>>>> >>>>>I have been finding it effective with few or no side-effects. (At least, >>>>>none that I have noticed.) >>>> >>>>Interesting. We do sometimes use beta-blockers for anxiety, though they >>>>don't have a brilliant success rate. I suppose the same effect is behind >>>>the anti-meltdown effect - because they block some of the effects of >>>>adrenaline, they could potentially break into a vicious circle of getting >>>>more worked up by the physical symptoms of being worked up, and could >>>>help you to calm down. >>>> >>>>Given that you're currently finding a) that it works and b) that you're >>>>not troubled by side-effects, the only other concern would be long-term >>>>risks. This, I would not be too bothered about. There may be a small >>>>extra risk of diabetes, especially if you also take some types of >>>>diuretic for any reason, but I don't think that's a high risk - it would >>>>make more sense to concentrate on a healthy diet, regular exercise, and >>>>keeping your weight stable if you want to prevent diabetes. Propranolol >>>>has been around a long time and - to be brutally cynical - there isn't >>>>the same potential issue as with antipsychotics of it being used only in >>>>a group of patients who are of low status within society. So I think >>>>that other long-term side-effects would be fairly likely to be picked up. >>>>In summary: if it's working well for you, continue. HTH. >>>> >>>> >>>>All the best, >>>> >>>>Sarah >>> >>>I would be interested in your dosage. My Dr prescribed a low dose of >>>Inderal for stress headaches. It only partially works; I still get >>>headaches, just not as frequent or severe. I have not noticed it >>>reducing the anger fits tough. >> >>I take 20mg twice daily. My migraines basically went away when I started >>it; although, I get the occasional aura still. > > ---------------- > In the 1980s I was prescribed Inderal for migraines but it did not work at > all for me. (Fortunately, since 1990, Imitrex does.) > > ISTR seeing something on TV some years back about classical musicians taking > Inderal to improve their performance in competitions. Am I misremembering? > Does anyone else remember this? > > Eva Yeah, musicians and other performers sometimes take Inderal prior to performances to reduce performance anxiety. |