I phoned my GP today to ask if I could get a prescription for propranolol before seeing Dr Silver and she was happy to do it, but as is always the problem with living in a foreign country, it is trying to find the correct version of the medication to take.
Some of you mentioned there is a ‘slow release’ version.
When I told my GP that other patients are starting on 80mg per day she was a bit shocked and said this was a very high dose to be starting on at my age. She would rather recommend 10mg and then up it every 2 weeks.
I am wondering that she might be looking at a different version of the drug and this is why she wouldn’t recommend starting at 80mg. When I see your dosages some of you are on a much higher dose (320mg or so)
There was one version she noticed that has 160mg capsules but this cannot be halved as they have that special coating on them.
Would appreciate some advice… or if you have your medication near by to advise exactly what it says on the packet. Thank you
I take 240mg, so one 160mg and an 80mg tablet.
On the box it reads:
Beta-prograne 160mg sustained release capsules, propranalol hydrochloride.
Beta-prograne 160mg sustained release capsules, prop. hyd.
Hope that helps. By the way my GP put me on the 80mg straight away.
I have managed to get hold of 40mg tablets, I am going to start on 40mg per day and then try upping it to 80 after a week. What is the best time of day to take these tablets guys?
I take a 160mg around midday and an 80mg around 8pm. Dr Silver didn’t mention what time to take them, i took it upon myself to take them separately as I was a bit worried about taking that dosage to begin with. Dr Silver would probably say that I could take them together.
I did notice that as I was increasing the dosage I experienced some interrupted sleep but it did settle down. A GP friend of mine recommended I take them in the morning as insomnia is apparently a possible side effect.
Check with Dr Silver but for now I would say take them in the morning. (Unlike me!!)
The letter I have from Dr Silver says to take it at night but when I spoke to my GP she said it doesn’t matter. If it’s slow release you will get an even dose throughout the day so can’t see it would make much difference. I take 320mg at 9pm all in one dose.
Yes, because that’s what it says in my letter. The letter I have is clearly a template with the information on drugs as part of that template. I get the impression when you see him privately he doesn’t use this template. Kathy, how many pages long is your original letter?
The letter doesn’t say to use the slow release version so I assume it is standard practice in the UK to prescribe the slow release version for migraine. I started on Half Inderal LA 80mg capsules so in the UK it does come in 80mg. I wonder if it’s different in Switzerland?
I assume it means ‘long acting’. I have a heart rate monitor on my watch so can take my pulse which is about 10 beats per minute lower than before the propranolol. My GP took my pulse on one visit but hasn’t taken my blood pressure.
thanks again, I think ill stick with this current Inderal prescription, maybe taking 20mg morning and night and then discussing with Dr Silver when I arrive in UK. I guess I can buy the medication in the UK while I am there… oh how I miss the NHS lol
FWIW, I started on 80mg ER (Extended Release, same as slow release) once daily in the morning. In the morning because I think it affected my sleep if I had it at bedtime. I later switched to 60mg morning, 60mg at night, and these were not ER, just regular. Also, I personally have had virtually no side effects at all, in the beginning or now. The exception is perhaps the sleep, but I also started on amitriptyline at night which I think counteracts that.
