That’s it, I’m getting the heck off the propranolol ride. It’s worse than Effexor!!
40 mg (20+20) was hard, and I figured I just needed a few days to adjust to the drug, but now that I’ve had 30 mg for the last two doses (the target dose is 30+30=60), I can safely say this drug is hellish.
A couple of nights ago, I took a shower that was so bad, I was sure I’d slip and fall (though I’ve checked and my balance is still fine). When I’d gotten out, dressed and was almost done cleaning up, I stood in front of the mirror (to comb, etc). Seeing my reflection, I think, really threw off my proprioception / sense of where I am spatially. Whenever I moved my head, it was like my entire body swayed. But my body didn’t move, and I didn’t have any illusion of movement; I just felt like it.
Last night, it was HARD to fall asleep … couldn’t get the bed to stop “swaying.” Today the S.S. Living-Room Couch set sail.
George- I am so sorry that you were not able to tolerate the Inderal. I can surely relate to your shower experience. My daily shower is certainly torture and my experience afterward is equally as bad. I actually got a chair in the bathroom that I can lean on and sit on while I dry my hair. It is still miserable though.
Hi George, I too felt awful on propranolol. My symptoms got worse not better and I just never felt “right” on it. I also relate 100% as Lisa does to the shower experience. In the early days, having a shower used to wipe me out for the morning. I also have had your looking in the mirror experience. Still do on bad days. It’s unnerving as well as completely disorientating. It must be disappointing that propanalol didn’t work for you. Hope you feel better soon.
Sorry George that it didn’t work for you! I seem to be doing ok on it but I take it at night. Only one nasty headache in two weeks, still have that daily one though. That mirror thing is awful isn’t it!! I thought I was crazy when it started happening to me. I gave up on showers, too dangerous for me, baths are much better!
Well, at least I’m not alone on the “bad Inderal experience” boat. Thank goodness. Most people say how good it is and how “not difficult” (to tolerate) it is.
I wonder what the next drug is, though.
One person (whose opinion I did not ask for) told me they think I should consider marijuana! HA. Not for a million dollars, pal. Just because my head’s in the toilet doesn’t mean I’m willing to risk flushing my brain down it.
Well, shoot.
At least the Inderal has a short half-life so hopefully I’ll get down to “pre-Inderal” state soon. (And quicker than the Effexor took!)
The very first drug I tried was Inderal. I took 60 at bedtime. I survived 2 weeks and then went off. I couldn’t feel my arms or legs, couldn’t form a complete sentence, let alone a complete thought and everything was going in slow motion. I had horrible insomnia after week 1. It was a nightmare for sure!
Hey George,
I am so sorry to hear this drug did not pan out. I too find the shower one of the most torturous experiences of the day. My theory is that we take away our visual perception and are really just relying on proprioception and our vestibular system and our brains just can’t handle it. I have to practically hold onto the wall as I rock and sway so much. My showers are so unbelievably quick and I just can’t wait to get out. I used to love a long shower after a hard workout… Ahhh… those were the days…
With regards to your meds. Have you been in contact with your doc? ARe you going to try something else?
I am so sorry to hear this drug did not pan out. I too find the shower one of the most torturous experiences of the day. My theory is that we take away our visual perception and are really just relying on proprioception and our vestibular system and our brains just can’t handle it. I have to practically hold onto the wall as I rock and sway so much.
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I personally never rock, sway or otherwise actually move … it just FEELS like I’m losing balance. See, this is what confounds me (among ~1 billion other things) … I FEEL off-balance, but it’s still almost as good as ever.
The mirror thing is really weird. It’s like my brain can’t figure out that the reflection is me – or, at least, it can’t differentiate between “me” and “mirror me.” It’s like my brain is adapting its balance signals based on the motions of the guy in the mirror, but MY head imagines the unsteadiness. Weird!
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With regards to your meds. Have you been in contact with your doc? ARe you going to try something else?
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Oh, he and his nurse will definitely be hearing from me tomorrow morning. I hope we’re going to try something else. Supposedly Diamox is next on the list, but maybe I can get something else in the meantime … even if it’s just a stronger Valium or something to get me through the days.
It felt like it. Usually when I lie down, the sensation (rocking, swaying, bobbing up and down, or any of the other 20 phrases/words I’ve used to describe it) lessens, and I don’t have a hard time falling asleep. The other night, it took nearly an hour of lying there with that dreaded sensation before I finally began to nod off.
So in all, I’m not off-balance, I just feel like I am, and last night, lying down didn’t help much.
I can relate to what your saying about feeling like your rocking bobbing and swaying. I know occasionally I do actually sway when I’m standing but more often than not I just FEEL that way. Do you notice a difference when you stand with your eyes closed though? From what my family tells me I do sway more with my eyes closed and standing but it’s nothing compared to how I feel I’m swaying and rocking, they tell me I’m moving a little, I feel like I’m falling over. Like you my balance looks about normal (probably better than most people) but it feels wrong and walking can be a nightmare somedays.
I feel bad that the inderal isn’t going to work for you. Here’s hoping the next med will.
I have been on 80mg a day of Propranolol for 2 weeks with no symptoms. Although, I think this medication makes me get angry a little easier, but Im not sure if its just my normal anger issues caused by women :lol: