You may be wondering about why on earth we are warning you about Beta Blockers when everybody else seems to advocate the wonders of these modern drugs. The main reason is that beta blockers have harmful effects to your physical and mental health.
Taking beta blockers might help alleviate your symptoms on the short term, but they will give you a whole new set of problems in the long term. These include sleep disturbances, low pulse rate and nausea. They might not be as effective as you might hope in treating your anxiety disorder or relieving its symptoms.
How do beta blockers work?
Beta blockers, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are prescription medications that block the effects of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). They are given for the management of various conditions that include hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, angina, myocardial infarction, post heart attack, glaucoma, and diabetes. Likewise, these drugs are used off-label for the treatment of anxiety, including performance anxiety and social phobia. They work by blocking the action of endogenous catecholamine (particularly, epinephrine and norepinephrine) on beta receptors of the SNS.
Commonly used beta blockers
Propranolol is primarily prescribed to treat heart and circulatory conditions, particularly hypertension and heart attack. The frequency and severity of migraine significantly reduce with the use of this drug. It also decreases feelings of anxiety and helps prevent stage fright and other situational anxiety. Common side effects include diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and insomnia. Depression, confusion, hallucinations and erratic heart palpitations include its serious side effects.
Atenolol mostly affects the heart with no effect on air passages. It is used to treat chest pain and high blood pressure by decreasing heart excitability, cardiac output and oxygen consumption. In relation to anxiety, this drug is given to alleviate physical symptoms and is not appropriate for general anxiety. Some common side effects of this medication include diarrhea, dizziness, headache and tiredness. Reported severe side effects are breathing difficulty, allergic reactions (hives, itching, rash), fainting, bruising and bleeding.
Labetalol is taken to regulate the blood flow in the arteries and veins. It is also directed to prevent anxiety and panic attacks. It is highly advised to avoid driving or operating heavy machinery when taking this drug because it impairs thinking and lowers down alertness. People using labetalol is known to experience indigestion, unusual tiredness, mood changes, depression, uneven heartbeats, sudden weight gain, etc.
Beta blockers are therefore pharmacological discoveries for heart and hypertensive patients. Their efficacy helps regulate heart rate and only reduces anxiety-like symptoms. For this reason, they shouldn’t be used as first-line treatment for anxiety.
Other reasons why beta blockers shouldn’t be used to treat anxiety:
- High risk of inducing chemical dependency
- Not a real solution because it only diminishes the symptoms (not the condition)
- May cause hallucinations, nightmares and depression
- May disrupt the normal operation of the central nervous system
There are several natural alternatives you should explore while looking for a solution to your anxiety problems. You should only think of beta blockers as a last resort n one that you should use only when nothing else works in reducing your anxiety.
