Low Dose Propranolol Better Than High Dose

[jangle]

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/120/9/725.long

Came across this study which makes sense and certainly goes with my experience. Actually for me I felt better at 10 mg propranolol and began feeling bad at 20 mg.

[Guest Alex]

Same here Jangle.

I take propranolol 10 mg 2x day. It's better than metoprolol or bisoprolol which I've tried before and have turned me into a zombie - I have low bp to begin with so I guess the meds lowered it even further, making me feel miserable.

If I need to take an extra 10 mg of propranolol (which I do if I have a nasty episode of tachy or even tachy and high..er bp) then I'm in for a looooong day. Can't have it all i guess.

What about your exercise plan? Is it still working for you?

Best,

Alex

[arizona girl]

I was put on a high dose xtened release propran and it caused rapid weight gain and put me in an unfunctional fog. IMHO low dose is better. As well as short acting if you drop when you lie down.

[Debbie Rose]

Great timing for this discussion I recently went off metoprolol and WOW! I had some energy all of a sudden!! Of course now my HR is up with symptoms so I can't even take advantage of it...But good info to relay to MD when I go tomorrow to NEuro

[dakota]

I can understand how generally a low dose would be better, but I think it doesn't work for everyone. My daughter started out at a low dose, then was increased further and further until it helped her. At this point, she is at 120 mg ER, which I believe is a fairly high dose. But at a lower dose, she couldn't stand up for long or ride in a car at all without vomiting. Now she can.

[jangle]

I can understand how generally a low dose would be better, but I think it doesn't work for everyone. My daughter started out at a low dose, then was increased further and further until it helped her. At this point, she is at 120 mg ER, which I believe is a fairly high dose. But at a lower dose, she couldn't stand up for long or ride in a car at all without vomiting. Now she can.

That's interesting, I think 120 mg would put me flat on the floor.

[SoliDeoGloria]

I'm taking 60mg ER which is a bit of a blessing and curse. It is definitely helping me to be able to stand for a longer amount of time, and it is also helping my nausea. I'm on the lowest ER dosage, but it still seems to be too much when it peaks (about 6 hours after taking it)and the fatigue is horrible. And it takes so long to kick in that I spend most of the morning very tacky. I'd like to switch to the regular tabs so I can take a lower dosage.

I read that article about a month ago. I like the fact that they are doing this kind of research. It's important for us to have information that helps the doctors to fine tune treatments specific to our condiotion and not just lump us in with the general public. I'm tempted to take it to my cardiology appointment in a few weeks, but I'm not sure what his reaction will be.

I have two questions:

How do the regular propranolol tabs react as compared to the ER version?

When you take a really low dosage like 10mg or 20mg do you divide it up over the course of the day or just take it once in the morning?

[dakota]

SoliDeoGloria -- Have you tried taking the 60mg ER at night? My daughter takes hers at night. In theory, they say it's supposed to help her sleep, but it doesn't really. But if it takes a while for it to kick in for you, I wonder about trying it at night.

When my daughter was on the lower non-extended release doses, she was taking them twice a day, I believe, like alex74alex does.

[SoliDeoGloria]

Dakota -- Thanks for the suggestion. I tried taking it at night about two months ago. I had trouble sleeping so I switched back to days. But I think I'll try it at night again, just to make sure. You never know!