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Can Propranolol Be Taken For Tremors In The Body While Treating Heart Disease?

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Posted on Wed, 19 Apr 2017
Question: I am on 15 mg of Atenolol at night my dr prescribed propranolol for when I get the shakes and tremors can I use propranolol intermittently in really small doses just when I get the shakes? I take the Atenolol at night and I have tremors & shakes real bad in the morning - I only take about 5 mg and the shakes stop. I am also on Lexapro 15 mg and a .5 of Ativan and a little of Ambien to get through the side affects of Lexapro.


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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (31 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
it depends on your blood pressure and heart rate

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

whether you can safely take it or not depends on your heart's condition since an abnormal heart may be prone to arrhythmias. You should also check whether your blood pressure and heart rate are at an acceptable level or not. For example if you have 50 beats per minute then you'd better avoid more beta blockers. Atenolol and propranolol are very similar drugs and I don't see the need for using both. Perhaps you can modify the dosage (under your doctor's supervision) of one of them so that both your vital signs (blood pressure and heart rate) and your anxiety symptoms are get under control.

5mg of propranolol and 15mg of atenolol are low doses anyway, so increasing them won't probably do any harm. Just make sure you let your doctor know and always check your blood pressure and heart rate.

Kind Regards!
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3809 Questions

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Can Propranolol Be Taken For Tremors In The Body While Treating Heart Disease?

Brief Answer: it depends on your blood pressure and heart rate Detailed Answer: Hello, whether you can safely take it or not depends on your heart's condition since an abnormal heart may be prone to arrhythmias. You should also check whether your blood pressure and heart rate are at an acceptable level or not. For example if you have 50 beats per minute then you'd better avoid more beta blockers. Atenolol and propranolol are very similar drugs and I don't see the need for using both. Perhaps you can modify the dosage (under your doctor's supervision) of one of them so that both your vital signs (blood pressure and heart rate) and your anxiety symptoms are get under control. 5mg of propranolol and 15mg of atenolol are low doses anyway, so increasing them won't probably do any harm. Just make sure you let your doctor know and always check your blood pressure and heart rate. Kind Regards!