I've been using beta blockers for my anxiety, mainly because of heart palpitations. I'm thinking about stopping them, but I'm a bit anxious about the right way to do it safely. What's the best approach to taper off them without causing issues?

Answered by 1 Apollo Doctors

Dr Ibrahim Salah

General Practitioner

MBBS
2+ Yrs

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To safely come off beta blockers used for anxiety symptoms like heart palpitations, it is important to gradually reduce the dosage under the supervision of your healthcare provider. Abruptly stopping beta blockers can lead to rebound symptoms and potential complications. Your doctor may recommend tapering the dose over a period of time, such as reducing the dose by 25% every week until you can safely discontinue the medication. One common beta blocker used for anxiety symptoms like heart palpitations is Propranolol. The dosage and tapering schedule may vary depending on your individual circumstances, so it is important to follow your healthcare provider's guidance closely during this process.

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Answered 20 days ago

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I'm experiencing this odd pressure on my chest, specifically on the left side where I've drawn a white line in the photo I sent. It's not quite pain, but more like an uncomfortable pressure. It tends to be noticeable when I lie down, which is pretty uncomfortable, but the pressure seems to go away when I'm up and walking around. There's no pain when I breathe or do exercises, which is confusing me. A few days ago, I was dealing with chest pain but it seems to have lessened. There's this constant pressure, though, especially when I'm lying down. Also, I had sinus tachycardia with a heart rate of 115 BPM during my first echocardiogram. The second one, however, was 77 BPM, and my blood pressure was 13383 mg. I'm wondering if all this is connected and if I should be worried about it?

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I'm really worried because my heart rate is usually at 100 or above. I check it by counting the pulse on my neck, and it comes out to be something like 24 to 27 pulses in 15 seconds, which is more than 100 when I calculate it for a minute. I have a history of panic attacks that started back in 2015 with a very fast heartbeat, and I was told it might have been due to acid reflux. It happened again in 2019. I'm really scared of traveling, especially late at night during long journeys. I get these terrible thoughts about what if I have an attack and theres no one around to help, like if the train is passing through a jungle. These thoughts just make my heart race even more, and I end up feeling extremely scared. Can you please help me understand what's going on and how I can handle this?

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