# Beta-blockers vs benzodiazepines



## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

Beta blockers were not originally mean't for anxiety. It was originally mean't for people with tacherrardia. Or a rast heart rate. Beta-blockers block adrenaline. It calms you down and makes your fight or flight response go away. They don't highly alter your state of mind like benzodiazepines do. The duration of the beta blocker atenolol(the best of them all) lasts for 24 hours. You won't get a tolerance to them. They have been around forever. I wonder why psychiatrists don't prescribe them that often? It seems like the first choice is benzos. Which will eventually give you a tolerance. Whoever out there that has taken beta-blockers. Please share your experience with them?


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Their is no such thing as a foreign substance to the body which does not cause tolerance at some point in time. The body will always revert to whatever it was before the drug came along due to homeostasis. 

As for tolerability of side effects, I couldn't tolerate beta-blockers personally as they made me very dizzy and gave me near constant headaches. If I could tolerate them, I prolly would use them on a situation by situation basis where I only had physical anxiety and not much psychological anxiety. My heart normally runs quick, with a resting pulse of around 110-130 beats a minute with peaks as high as 160 if I'm anxious. 

Then there is safety regarding betablockers vs benzos when used on a PRN basis, the benzos are safer and would never cause death even in an OD (intentional or accidental), where as beta blockers you suffer cardiac arrest and death from.

In my own situation, I prefer Clonazepam 2mg under the tongue; tastes like candy, don't need water. Everyone has their own unique situation in which may or may not be a better choice to use betablockers over benzos.


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

I prefer klonopin and beta-blockers. Two different anti-anxiety meds combined works wonders for me. It makes me calm enough t.o learn coping skills. Whe you have anxiety it's so hard To cope during the midst of it. I found out the best way to cope during the midst of an episode is to focus on your breathing, in and out. It takes your mind off your anxiety.


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## Ambitious (Apr 17, 2011)

Beta-blockers, they didnt do **** for me personally...

...but im all for things that help someone


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## Akane (Jan 2, 2008)

They gave me beta blockers but I ended up with asthma attacks so I have 3 different benzos.


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## bigcat1967 (Apr 20, 2010)

beta-blockers helped me get through a rough time in life - but I sadly ended up on Klonopin in which I'm trying to get away from...


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

I just got away from Ativan by switching to Klonopin 6 days ago. Klonopin might not be as strong as Ativan, but I've noticed they work differently. With Ativan it fogs your thinking and you don't get. Drop in energy. With klonopin, I'm relaxed clear headed, a little drowsily. But klonopin duration is 8 hours vs. Ativan 4 hours. Trust me beta-blockers do work when your on the maximum dose like I am. Usually people get prescribed to 25mg atenolol. I take 100mg a day. The maximum dose. But I take it because I have a heart disorder, not for anxiety. But it helps that too. See there's a positive out of having a heart problem. I get anxiety relief because of a heart condition.


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## MattPTA (Apr 28, 2011)

I just was prescribed 20mg as needed for presentations at school. A little nervous (@ Dr House) Wondering if I should call Pdoc and get a benzo instead, I don't want to risk lowing my HR too much.


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## Monroee (Aug 26, 2009)

My psychiatrist prescribed me a beta-blocker. Probably because he knows I have an addictive personality. BUT, I forgot to mention that my mom plays medication window nurse & gives me my pills & requires a reason for any use of benzos.

Anyway. I've decided not to use them. For some reason, I find them scary. I don't want something that physically slows my heart down. I have low blood pressure. Who knows what could happen. Whereas I prefer Xanax because it helps with psychological anxiety more so.


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## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin (Nov 28, 2009)

Sublingual clonazepam if it weren't so addictive.

Propranolol isn't as effective for me, but it is useful sometimes, even if it is just a reasuring placebo.


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

Monroee said:


> My psychiatrist prescribed me a beta-blocker. Probably because he knows I have an addictive personality. BUT, I forgot to mention that my mom plays medication window nurse & gives me my pills & requires a reason for any use of benzos.
> 
> Anyway. I've decided not to use them. For some reason, I find them scary. I don't want something that physically slows my heart down. I have low blood pressure. Who knows what could happen. Whereas I prefer Xanax because it helps with psychological anxiety more so.


You know studies show that use of consistent use of beta-bickers actually improves heart function. It will make your heart stronger in the long run. That's what my cardiologist told me.


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

JimmyDeansRetartedCousin said:


> Sublingual clonazepam if it weren't so addictive.
> 
> Propranolol isn't as effective for me, but it is useful sometimes, even if it is just a reasuring placebo.


switch to atenolol of your current beta-bocer isn't effective. My cardiologist told me atenolol is the best beta-blocker on the market.


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## Gjoevik (Feb 13, 2010)

I'm not entirely convinced that the people who claim betablockers doesn't work, have actually tried it in an appropriate situation. It should work for physical symptoms of anxiety and it should work for every one given its mechanism of action. Simple as that


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## 49erJT (Oct 18, 2010)

..


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

Hey if politicians and musicians have used them in the past for stage fright they gotta work right. For me when beta-blockers are in my system, I feel an anxiety feeling coming on, but with the fight or fight response gone, I always pick flight. Hey if it werent for me finding out I have a heart condition I never would f been put on them in the first place. So in a way I'm thankful for the extra tissue inside my heart that causes my heart to race a million miles an hour. The cool thing is, if you are ADHD. It doesn't interact with each other. It actually makes the ADHD medication more effective.


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## mellie (Feb 3, 2008)

I've never taken meds for anxiety before but my psych is recommending beta-blockers. I'm not convinced it will help because I mostly want them for an upcoming wedding and other parties, and I don't really have many physical symptoms, just psychological. Should I ask for a benzo instead? And if you take a benzo can you really not drink any alcohol?


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

Beta blockers are great for anxiety 
I prefer them over benzos, they just make me tired, sluggish and more depressed.


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

mellie said:


> I've never taken meds for anxiety before but my psych is recommending beta-blockers. I'm not convinced it will help because I mostly want them for an upcoming wedding and other parties, and I don't really have many physical symptoms, just psychological. Should I ask for a benzo instead? And if you take a benzo can you really not drink any alcohol?


Beta-bickers are safer. You should go to breta-blockers in my opinion before switching to a benzo. You'll get a tolerance to benzos much faster. Some benzos last 3-4 hours some 6-8 hours. Beta-blockers such as atenolol lasts 24 hours. Politicians use it fr stage fright. Specifically social anxiety. They work believe me. You won't feel nervous around people. And you should never mix benzos with alcohol. Not a good combination. Two CNS depressantscmixed is asking for trouble.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

I was just reading about atenolol and came across this
"Some evidence suggests that even in normal doses the most frequently used β-blockers carry an unacceptable risk of provoking type 2 diabetes.[2]"

Anyone know why that is ?


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Ambitious said:


> Beta-blockers, they didnt do **** for me personally...
> 
> ...but im all for things that help someone


YUP pretty much the general concencus 
they are crap, they work on physical symptoms and then again only sometimes
i remember they made me sick, tired and fatigued, they are what docs who do not want a bad rep for being benzo prescribers give you, they made my depression worse because i was so physically ill on them

STAY AWAY


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

blakeyz said:


> I was just reading about atenolol and came across this
> "Some evidence suggests that even in normal doses the most frequently used β-blockers carry an unacceptable risk of provoking type 2 diabetes.[2]"
> 
> Anyone know why that is ?


No I don't but I can find out. There are ALWAYS with every medication risk for stuff like that. There are risks abou pharmaceutical tha the FDA doesn't even tell the public about. Likelihood that you will get diabetes is very slim. Dam* man, for most drugs they haven't done studies over an 8 week trial. I say, don't worry abou the side effects. I took a medication for 10 years that had the possibility for liver damage. I got it tested every 6 months. My liver and all my organ have been healthy. I'm healthy and I've been taking medication at least 4 diff. ones at a time. It's been 21 years since I've been on medication. I'm healthy.


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

Arisa1536 said:


> YUP pretty much the general concencus
> they are crap, they work on physical symptoms and then again only sometimes
> i remember they made me sick, tired and fatigued, they are what docs who do not want a bad rep for being benzo prescribers give you, they made my depression worse because i was so physically ill on them
> 
> STAY AWAY


For you they are crap. Your brain chemistry is different than everyone else's. Every Ned brain chemistry is different. Everyone will have a different reaction medication.


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## mkat (Apr 24, 2011)

I take a beta blocker and also ativan depending on the situation. I asked my psychiatrist for the beta blocker. I originally was going to take it every day but it made me too tired. They've been good for me for certain stressful situations but ativan is better for more social stuff. It's nice to have an option. I think the risks are fairly low, but in case you have low blood pressure, you could always check it regularly or just eat more salty foods lol


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## imogen (Jun 7, 2011)

i found the benzos not that good... because i have had a drug problem i was only given a low dose which relaxed me but only in situations that werent overly stressful. also i built a tolerance to them really quickly. im on propranolol now and although i faint more and i get headaches its much much better. i can do things i hadnt done before.


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## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

Gjoevik said:


> I'm not entirely convinced that the people who claim betablockers doesn't work, have actually tried it in an appropriate situation. It should work for physical symptoms of anxiety and it should work for every one given its mechanism of action. Simple as that


Indeed, once again bro-science at it's best here


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## Gjoevik (Feb 13, 2010)

bro-science?


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## moke64916 (May 31, 2011)

LaRibbon said:


> Huh? I was under the impression beta blockers + stimulants was not a good idea.


Not true. Amphetamines don't work on the same receptors. Aphetamines don't work on adrenaline. Beta blockers are adrenaline blockers. Actually the two work together better because your heart rate won't go up while on the amphetamines because of the beta-blocker


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## Bacon (Jul 4, 2010)

Under the tongue Xanax is amazing. Kicks in in less than 1 minute. Its damn addicting cuz of how good it feels though. Its a special form called Niravam i belive.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

Bacon said:


> Under the tongue Xanax is amazing. Kicks in in less than 1 minute. Its damn addicting cuz of how good it feels though. Its a special form called Niravam i belive.


I don't know how you do under the tongue because xanax taste absolutely disgusting to me
Quick swallow and bight down on a lemon sounds better


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Dr House said:


> Their is no such thing as a foreign substance to the body which does not cause tolerance at some point in time. The body will always revert to whatever it was before the drug came along due to homeostasis.


There are lots of people who take beta blockers daily for high blood pressure, with atenolol being very common. After how much time would one reasonably expect tolerance to atenolol to occur such that their blood pressure would be right back to the same excessively high levels as before medication? Are we talking about months or decades here?



Dr House said:


> ...I couldn't tolerate beta-blockers personally as they made me very dizzy and gave me near constant headaches.


Interesting. I'd never heard of headaches from beta blockers. Was the dizziness because they lowered your blood pressure too much? I'm guessing your blood pressure is normal to start with, such that it would end up too low if a beta blocker were used to reduce your 120 heart rate to a normal resting level of 70.



Dr House said:


> Then there is safety regarding betablockers vs benzos when used on a PRN basis, the benzos are safer and would never cause death even in an OD (intentional or accidental), where as beta blockers you suffer cardiac arrest and death from.


Ironically, docs often handle benzos like a live grenade, while I've never heard of a doc that feared beta blockers.

I can't say that I've ever heard of any deaths by beta blocker, and wouldn't personally view that as a risk worth worrying about. I'm guessing beta blocker deaths never make the news given their total obsession with drug abuse. A death involving any controlled substance draws the media like s*** draws flies, but death by a blood pressure pill, well, that's just plain boring.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Gjoevik said:


> I'm not entirely convinced that the people who claim betablockers doesn't work, have actually tried it in an appropriate situation. It should work for physical symptoms of anxiety and *it should work for every one* given its mechanism of action. Simple as that


I've used both atenolol & metoprolol for high blood pressure at various times over the past decade.

I can assure you that they neither does anything for my anxiety at all. Having gone for periods of up to at least a year of daily use, I'm certain I must have come across quite a few appropriate situations in which to see how they do with anxiety.

I could never feel them working at all. Checking BP & pulse did clearly show they are highly effective at reducing both.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

mellie said:


> And if you take a benzo can you really not drink any alcohol?


Yes, it's "safe" to mix benzos & alcohol.

Now I must define "safe." If you behave in a sane & responsible manner it's not risky.

Those who wish to wash down a huge bottle of benzos with a huge bottle of liquor may find they run into problems, especially if they then decide to go for a drive. Of course, those who think a liter of vodka is a single serving size are likely to run into trouble even if they don't have any benzos.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

blakeyz said:


> I was just reading about atenolol and came across this
> "Some evidence suggests that even in normal doses the most frequently used β-blockers carry an unacceptable risk of provoking type 2 diabetes.[2]"
> 
> Anyone know why that is ?


I wouldn't be at all surprised if one could find a link between being diabetic & being on a beta blocker.

Who's most likely to get diabetes: those who are obese.
Who's most likely to have high blood pressure: those who are obese.


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## Bacon (Jul 4, 2010)

blakeyz said:


> I don't know how you do under the tongue because xanax taste absolutely disgusting to me
> Quick swallow and bight down on a lemon sounds better


Its a special form called Niravam, Normal Xanax tastes NASTY. The Minty under the tongue form is called Niravam. It tastes good  And your supposed to let it dissolve under the tongue.


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