Propranolol and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Mrs...
• October 5, 2018

For Anxiety "After having a few bad presentations where I got major shakes and voice tremors, I decided to give this a go. I seemed to have developed major stage fright somewhere along my career. Due to deliver a presentation to 150 people and use a hand-held mic. This pill is a game-changer. I took 10mg two hours before and then 20mg an hour before my slot. I practiced heavily (I always prepare) and used my kids' karaoke machine to get used to my voice through a mic! I felt calm on the actual morning after the first pill took effect, and I absolutely nailed the presentation. No shakes, not even many nerves, and my mind was focused. I did suffer a bad headache later in the day, and that night's sleep was poor, but it was worth it. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this again ad-hoc when such situations arise. I’m not normally one who leaves reviews, but if this helps just one person with the same problem as me, it’s been worth it."

• Col...
• February 16, 2021

For Migraine Prevention "The secret to this medication working with low to no side effects is taking a very low dose (5-10mg) consistently. I take 5mg once and occasionally twice a day for over 10 years now. Migraine reduced by 90% to live a normal life without all the side effects. I got taking high doses 10 years ago when I started with 80mg and was always tired, dizzy, weight gain, fluid accumulation in my feet, nightmares, insomnia, dry eyes, dry mouth, dehydration, hair loss/thinning, etc., wasn't worth it until I read a reviewer mentioned low dose."

• bli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 19, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I have been on APO-Propranolol for almost 2 months. I haven't had a migraine for 37 days! That is incredible. I have barely even had a headache. Just had a very mild headache on the weekend - took some aspirin and it was gone in minutes! It's such a relief. However, I have gained about 10 kilos. I'm exhausted all the time. Can't sleep properly anymore (I used to be a deep sleeper). My heart feels fluttery and I actually feel anxious and a little depressed. I have always been an upbeat, highly motivated happy person. I'm torn because the medicine is working to keep the migraines away, which is fantastic, but I feel fat and in a low, sad mood. Not sure what to do - whether to stay on them or not?"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 4, 2020

For Panic Disorder "I'm 29 years old, I have suffered from panic disorder, among other things like agoraphobia, for about 10 years to the point I wake up in panic attacks, phone ambulances regularly. And generally think I am going to die. My whole days are generally me in my home panicking. Yesterday, I started propranolol. I could feel my body wanting to panic at first, the fear of taking a new medication. But I had no panic attacks yesterday. I struggled to sleep last night and woke up a bit spaced, like today. Also, it messes up your stomach a bit."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 12, 2013

Propranolol for Migraine Prevention "I started taking Inderal to help with migraines. I still get headaches almost daily, but they aren't migraine-quality and can be managed with Ibuprofen. Negatives: sleep disturbances, feet are ALWAYS freezing, and I'm experiencing frequent orthostatic hypotension. I had normal-to-low blood pressure when starting this med, so I don't think it's the right med for my body, since it lowers BP. I like not having migraines, but can't exercise or live life if I'm always dizzy and weak."

• cmc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "Put me on this for chronic daily headaches (some migraine, some not). It has been two weeks, and the headaches which I normally get in the morning are fleeting now and go away on their own, which they never did before. Start low and go slow advised, so I am taking 20mg a day that I divide up. I am very sensitive to medicines, the side effects for me are middle of the night insomnia, which I'm hoping to fix by taking less at night. Stomach upset, which it helps to take with food, and I increased my Prilosec dose. A little lethargic, dry eyes. Pros that I wasn't counting on is it has helped my TMJD. I feel much calmer during the day (have some Social Anxiety), and my overactive bladder is calmer too."

• KPa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2020

For Panic Disorder "Propranolol saved my life! I was suffering greatly from panic attacks and constant anxiety (on a daily basis) until I started taking this medication. The only side effect I had from it was I struggled with some insomnia the first few months, but then that side effect seemed to disappear."

• Smi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 2, 2018

For Anxiety "Started taking Propranolol 10mg twice a day for GAD with little effect. Due to personal reasons, my anxiety increased, and my dosage over a period of a couple of months was increased to 20mg three times a day. Miracle! No anxiety, effortless breathing, rational thinking. The only downside is interrupted sleep, could be a coincidence as I am also taking Venlafaxine. No side effects that I have noticed, maybe dry mouth. Would recommend!"

• Rob...
• July 3, 2021

For Anxiety "I have used propranolol for a month for anxiety, 10 mg 4x daily, but all it did was lower my heart rate, furthermore, my anxiety worsened much more with added panic attacks and tearfulness around 3 hours later after taking it. Also, blood pressure was uncontrolled. Nausea, tiredness, tension headache, and insomnia. It took almost a week to clear this out from the system. So, no, it doesn't help me with anxiety or blood pressure."

• Msm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 11, 2019

For Anxiety "I have been taking this drug for 6 days now, 10 mg twice a day. Today is the last day I will be taking it. It was prescribed by my psychiatrist for my anxiety and panic attacks, to help ease the physical symptoms. When we discussed it, it sounded great, but unfortunately I don’t feel that it’s helping me. Since I’ve been taking it, I feel worse than I have in almost 2 years. Dizziness, weakness, no appetite, trouble sleeping, no sex drive, and my anxiety feels higher than before I started taking it. I’m not sure it’s helped the physical symptoms at all, since I’ve had multiple panic attacks since I’ve been taking it. I also felt extremely depressed for a few days shortly after I started taking Propranolol. I talked with my psychiatrist and was advised it would be safe to stop taking it, thank God, because I feel awful. I’m sure it does wonders for some people, but not for me."

• Jae...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I've been taking Propranolol for a few weeks, and I have to say that it did get rid of the headaches that came along with my high blood pressure. Also, my BP did go down. I was pre-hypertension at 130/110. After a week, I started to notice that I am constantly nauseous and tired. I have been wiped of all energy and beginning to have insomnia worse than usual. When I do fall asleep, I have these odd dreams that cause me to wake up after only a few hours of sleep. Once I wake from the nightmares, I am sweating profusely, and it is uncomfortable. I also noticed that my heart rate slowed a bit to 65 bpm resting, not sure if that's bad or not. Overall, I am not happy with Propranolol 60 mg and will not be taking it anymore!"

• Zoe...
• June 8, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I am taking propranolol for hemiplegic migraine and anxiety, I am on 80 mg/day, and I feel more calm than ever. The migraine attacks happen less often, are less aggressive, and I can generally socialize normally. On the other hand, I feel depressed, tired, I lack energy to get up in the morning, although I was a very active person. I suffer from insomnia and don't feel like going out of the house anymore. I totally recommend it for extreme cases of migraine such as mine, but if I'd have regular migraine with aura, I'd rather have the attacks than the side effects of this."

• Din...
• August 18, 2016

For Anxiety "I have suffered with anxiety and depression for a number of years now. Finally overcoming, for the most part, depression, I was left with horrible anxiety. It built up month after month - I tried everything, nothing worked. Until one day, my doctor prescribed me beta blockers. My life has turned around! I take them as needed. Never more than 2 x 40 mg per day. Usually just one - rare 2 and some days none at all. It did give me insomnia at first, but that has leveled out. I'm so much calmer - my work output is up and I'm feeling better than I have in years! Propranolol has been a total life changer for me in the positive. Big thumbs up!"

• Str...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 13, 2013

For Performance Anxiety "I was horrendous at talking publicly and had run away from giving presentations so much so that I had changed jobs and never given a presentation in my life. I took a new job I knew I would love, but it involved presentations, so I went to my doc. He prescribed propranolol quick release, and what can I say? Amazing... Now, timing and amounts are trial and error. I am a big guy - 6'2", 220 lbs, so for me, I stagger mine and take 80 mg 1 hour 45 minutes before, 80 mg 1 hour 30 minutes before, and 80 mg 1 hour 15 minutes before, and for that hour, I am amazing. So, 240 mg in total. I would not recommend starting out on this dose. For women, try 20 mg and men 40 mg and move up if required. Side effects for me - hard to sleep if I have taken after 2 pm, extra sweating, and no cardio within 4 hours."

• Nin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2016

For Anxiety "I was given Propranolol for heart palpitations. It was ongoing for a few days due to anxiety and stress. I was given 10 mg to be taken twice a day and three times a day for 3 days. I did not react well to this medication. Day two, I started to feel drunk and in another world. My eyesight was not right. I was unable to eat, I couldn't sleep. It caused severe panic, shaking, and sweating. I stopped taking it after day 4. Stopping this medication suddenly can be unsafe for people with heart issues, but I had to stop taking it due to the side effects. It caused me horrible withdrawal even after 4 days of taking it, I was even more sick after I had stopped. It's now day 6 after stopping, and I'm almost back to normal. I do not recommend this product."

• Tes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 30, 2020

For High Blood Pressure "I was only on 40 mg of propranolol for 2 days for high blood pressure. First night slept well. Second night couldn’t breathe all night. Insomnia was worse. Don’t know if it’s because. I’m nearly 70 years old, and I shouldn’t be on a beta blocker, and it’s making my pulsatile tinnitus louder."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 13, 2022

For High Blood Pressure "I have been prescribed 60 mg of Propranolol once a day for a slightly elevated BP and headaches. My life has been miserable since taking it. A couple of days into it, I had horrible insomnia, felt irritated, had no energy, and just felt miserable. The doctor took me off of it. However, I've had some scary problems trying to get off it, like a high at-rest heart rate and heart palpitations. I would strongly urge people to do your research prior to taking a beta blocker. I've been miserable for the last 6 weeks over this stuff. Praying my life gets back to normal. The problems I was having before taking this med are nothing compared to the misery I've been dealing with since taking it."

• Caz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2018

For Migraine Prevention "I hope this helps someone reading. I was prescribed propranolol a month ago for my migraines. 80 mg slow release. Since being on them, I've felt so cold all the time and having terrible trouble sleeping. I seem to be in a foul mood and feeling depressed. After 2 weeks, I even got a migraine. I then missed 2 doses over 2 days. I took them mornings. By the 2nd evening, I felt shocking. My heart was beating so fast and then missing beats. My blood pressure went up high. I felt dizzy and out of breath. I'm seeing the dr tomorrow to see how to come off them safely. I've been researching and it seems very dangerous to just stop them. It seems you have to wean off of them. Please research before taking them."

• Ban...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2019

For Anxiety "I take this occasionally for social anxiety, especially when I have to give a presentation. I take 20-40 mg. I have a major fear of public speaking, and this medication has helped me so much with that. Your first reaction to stress is a physical response, your heart races, and then your brain kicks in and tells you you're anxious. Propranolol eliminates that physical response and helps me feel way more at ease in social situations. I don’t recommend taking it daily if you don’t need it because I feel that it dulls me down quite a bit. I find it better used occasionally for specific situations. One side effect is trouble falling asleep."

• GM5...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 19, 2019

For High Blood Pressure "I was really excited about starting this medication. The benefits described by my doctor, such as helping both my blood pressure and anxiety, were very appealing. Well, I took just one dose (20 mg) and had trouble breathing doing something as simple as walking out to get the mail. It should be noted I am a healthy, 30-year-old male and never experienced anything like this before. I also had severe insomnia the night I took it, despite taking a Xanax to try and get myself to sleep (which always works very well when I can’t sleep)."

• Sky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I've been on 40 mg propranolol twice a day for 2 days. It's eased off my anxiety so I can walk around and my legs aren't like jelly and also slowed my racing heart. Obviously, this medicine does nothing for the mental effects of anxiety. It's definitely brought a calm over me. I feel a bit woozy after taking the meds. It made me very tired but also given me insomnia. I can deal with all this just to get a sense of calm and be able to function normally. If your doctor offers you this for anxiety, please try it before you go down the benzo route. (By the way, this is really important: DON'T take it if you are asthmatic, it can cause airways to constrict.)"

• mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2022

For Anxiety "I experienced a really bad panic attack, which I believed I was dying, and after this, I kept experiencing the same sort of panic attacks. My doctor prescribed me 40 mg of propranolol to help deal with the awful side effects that came from this: shaking, high heart rate, and sweating. At first, it helped greatly with reducing my heart rate, and I was so thankful. About two weeks later, I was the worst I had ever been. This medication will lower your blood pressure, this I was never told. I have had a “normal” low blood pressure my entire life. I started experiencing an abnormal heart rate, which made my anxiety worse. My breathing felt altered, and I found it so hard to sleep. I also have the worst diarrhea ever. I am afraid of this tablet, I have to now get weaned off it because they started me at 40 mg, and if I stop suddenly, it might mess my heart up even more. I dread bedtime now and the side effect of these tablets, it had made me more anxious than ever."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2021

For High Blood Pressure "Prescribed for high blood pressure. I’m African American (which does matter) and was prescribed 40 mg twice a day. It caused me to have anxiety attacks-bad ones! I ended up in the ER twice for pressure numbers being way higher than I’ve ever experienced. I dealt with constipation, no appetite, insomnia, and no sexual desire. This was after 5 days of use! Exercising would cause a panic/anxiety attack. Even taking a shower caused me to have one. I’ve lost 5 pounds in 5 days while on this. I’m done with this medicine as of last night. This morning, I feel a lot better! I made my doctor put me on hydrochlorothiazide for my blood pressure, and I took clonazepam for my anxiety attack that I had yesterday once the propranolol was coming out of my system. I started hydrochlorothiazide yesterday for my blood pressure. This morning, I’m at 129/79 with a pulse of 72."

• Tri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2021

For High Blood Pressure "41-year-old male, taking Propranolol for high blood pressure. I took 80 mg once per day for 8 days. It made me feel weird and didn’t help with my blood pressure, so I stopped. It has now been almost a month since I stopped. About a week after I stopped, I started having the following symptoms: - Dizziness when changing the orientation of my head. It lasts for about 5-10 seconds. - Nausea in the morning. - Insomnia. Every single night about 5 hours after I go to sleep."

• Anonymous
• September 10, 2017

For Migraine Prevention "This medicine is amazing and has worked far, far better than anything else has in several years, however, I have to be on the lowest dose possible due to the side effects: depression, insomnia, and vivid dreams."