Mental health articles

HOW DO BETA-BLOCKERS WORK FOR ANXIETY?
When we are anxious, our brain becomes more active and alert. Our brain
may then make more of the chemicals called noradrenaline and adrenaline.
These will then cause our body to have a faster heart rate, shake, sweat etc.
and make us feel more anxious. Beta-blockers reduce the effect of these
chemicals and so reduce these symptoms of anxiety.

Beta-blockers should start to work on the symptoms fairly soon after
taking them, e.g. within a few hours. After that the doctor may need to
change the dose to suit the person. The beta-blockers are best taken in a
fairly low dose as a ‘first aid’ measure. They are not addictive. They only
act on the physical symptoms and not the cause of anxiety. It is not a good
idea to stop taking a beta-blocker suddenly if it has been used every day for
more than 4 to 6 weeks, although there probably would be no great
problem. A gradual reduction in the dose is probably best.
If the person forgets to take a dose they should start again as soon as
they remember unless it is almost time for the next dose. Never try to catch
up by taking two or more doses at once as this might cause more side
effects. If several doses are missed they should start again when they
remember. Tell the doctor about this at the next appointment.
Common side effects include fatigue and the person’s toes and fingers
might feel cold. These may happen early on in treatment and should go
away. If the person feels like this for more than a week after starting the
beta-blocker, the doctor should be told. It may be possible to adjust the
dose slightly.
Uncommon side effects include stomach upset, sleep problems (not
being able to sleep very well and maybe having nightmares) and dizziness.
The doctor should be told about these at the next appointment. If the
person gets dry eyes the doctor should be contacted as soon as possible. If
the person is wheezy or has a slow pulse or skin trouble the doctor should
be contacted immediately.
Some people feel a little drowsy, particularly when they first start
taking beta-blockers, but this should wear off. If they do feel drowsy, they
should not drive or operate machinery. It is against the law to drive or
attempt to drive when unfit because of drugs.
Do not be worried by this list of side effects. It is possible that the
person who uses these medicines gets none of these side effects as they are
rare. On the other hand if the person develops any unusual symptoms they
should ask the doctor about them. Be aware that alcohol may slightly
reduce the effect of the beta-blocker, but this is unlikely to be a problem.
The doctor should know about any other medicines the person is
taking. Also the doctor should know about any heart, breathing, thyroid or diabetic problems in the past (e.g. you should not normally take a
beta-blocker if you have asthma). The doctor should know before starting
or stopping these or any other drugs. There is no need for a blood test to
check on the beta-blocker, although the doctor may want to check the
person’s blood for other reasons.