Author: Charles Frank

Propranolol Oral Route Description and Brand Names

Your doctor will need to monitor you and may need to change your dosage of propranolol. Talk to your care team about the use of this medication in children. Take it as directed on the prescription label at the same time every day.

High blood pressure is a common condition and when not treated, can cause damage to the brain, heart, blood vessels, kidneys and other parts of the body. Damage to these organs may cause heart disease, a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, loss of vision, and other problems. In addition to taking medication, making lifestyle changes will also help to control your blood pressure. These changes include eating a diet that is low in fat and salt, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising at least 30 minutes most days, not smoking, and using alcohol in moderation. Drug interactions may change how your medications work or increase your risk for serious side effects.

This medication is a beta blocker used to treat high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, shaking (tremors), and other conditions. It is used after a heart attack to improve the chance of survival. It is also used to prevent migraine headaches and chest pain (angina). Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks, and kidney problems.

Missed Dose

Examples of alternatives for the conditions propranolol treats are listed below. Not all of the alternatives available for treating the same conditions as propranolol are included. Talk with your doctor about other drug options that may work for you. Alcohol can increase levels of propranolol in your body.

1. After you take a single dose of propranolol, half of the drug will be eliminated from your body in about 6 hours.
2. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.
3. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.
4. Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with propranolol are listed below.
5. Ask your pharmacist or doctor to teach you how to take your pulse.

These include lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, or heart blockage. Your doctor will likely use caution if prescribing these medications together. Propranolol is a non-selective beta receptor antagonist.[60] This means that it does not have preference to β1 or β2 receptors. It competes with sympathomimetic neurotransmitters for binding to receptors, which inhibits sympathetic stimulation of the heart. In fact, it is prescribed to treat high blood pressure. It decreases blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and slowing heart rate.

For migraine

This is because beta-blockers help prevent symptoms of anxiety, such as racing heart, sweating, and tremors. With off-label use, doctors prescribe a drug for a purpose other than what it’s approved for. However, research suggests that more studies are needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of taking propranolol for this use.

Infants exposed to this medication during pregnancy may have low birth weight, low blood sugar, or slow breathing/heartbeat. Children may be at greater risk for low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) while using this drug, especially if they are vomiting or not eating regularly. To help prevent low blood sugar, make sure children eat regularly. If your child cannot eat regularly, is vomiting, or has symptoms of low blood sugar (such as sweating, shaking), tell the doctor right away. Dizziness, lightheadedness, or tiredness may occur as your body adjusts to the medication. Nausea/vomiting, stomach pain, vision changes, trouble sleeping, and unusual dreams may also occur.

More clinical studies are needed to determine whether propranolol is a safe and effective drug for treating any anxiety disorder. Yes, it’s possible that propranolol may affect your memory. Central nervous system (CNS) side effects of propranolol include short-term memory loss. Whether propranolol affects long-term memory is unknown.

This also apparently eliminated the carcinogenicity found with pronethalol in animal models. Drugs.com provides accurate and independent information on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines and natural products. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Dosage for migraine

The manufacturer does not list weight gain as a side effect, but several reviews, anecdotal reports and case studies have reported weight gain. A study of the beta-blocker class found that about 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs) of weight was gained in patients overall, possibly due to lowered energy metabolism. Some products have ingredients that could raise your heart rate or blood pressure. Tell your pharmacist what products you are using, and ask how to use them safely (especially cough-and-cold products, diet aids, or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen/naproxen). This medication can slow down the removal of other medications from your body, which may affect how they work.

International Patients

Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of propranolol capsules, extended-release capsules, and tablets in the pediatric population.

If your doctor decides you should no longer use this drug, you must gradually decrease your dose according to your doctor’s instructions. This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you have a rash, itching, hoarseness, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth while you are using this medicine. If you’re switching from clonidine (Kapvay) to propranolol, your doctor should slowly reduce your dosage of clonidine and slowly increase your dosage of propranolol over several days.

Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with propranolol are listed below. Do not drive, use machinery, or do anything that needs mental alertness until you know how this medication affects you. Do not stand up or sit up quickly, especially if you are an older patient. Alcohol may interfere with the effect of this medication. This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions. The peak effect of propranolol immediate-acting solution and propranolol tablets occurs about 1 to 4 hours after it is given.

Does propranolol help with anxiety?

Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose. It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects. There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding.

Check with your doctor right away if you have decreased interest in sexual intercourse, inability to have or keep an erection, or loss in sexual ability, drive, or performance. If you have questions about this, talk to your doctor. Do not stop taking this medicine before surgery without your doctor’s approval.