Horrible Reaction To Adding Propranolol

[ahalo]

Propranolol symptoms:

Fever, diarrhea, severe nausea (I don't let myself throw up), abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, head rushes, needing to sit by open window in order to get good breaths at times. Blood pressure lowered from borderline normal/high to borderline normal/low in less than 24 hours (96/62 last check). Only thing that helps is adderall and anti nausea pills.

Pharmacist told me this could be a reaction to taking Propranolol with Clonidine. But I havent taken it since last night and I did take the Clonidine, so I'm wondering when it will be out of my system and whether the Clonidine is keeping my blood pressure down. I also read that both Lithium and Abilify lower blood pressure. I need to figure out what to do because while I feel better today than yesterday, I need some sleep and I can't stand feeling like this. I started feeling bad after the first dose. And after the last dose yesterday then eating a big meal it was all over.

Any suggestions? I don't have insurance and there's a winter storm, and I feel so bad that going out makes me feel extremely anxious so I can't go to a doctor. Has this ever happened to anyone?

[AnneMarie]

Yes, Clonidine is lowering your blood pressure. It, like Propranolol, is a blood pressure med. That is its primary purpose, to lower blood pressure. Sleep is an off label use. Treating akathisia is an off label use of Propranolol.

Clonidine lasts about 12 hours. When did you take the reading you posted? If you only take Clonidine at night and had not taken it before you took your posted bp reading, then you need to get on the phone to your doctor or an ER for advice. Clonidine is not a med to suddenly stop, but you probably do not want to take much of a dose if your blood pressure is already low. (Don't freak if this is the case, just get some professional advice.) If the reading was a couple hours after you took Clonidine, you are fine. If you take Clonidine twice a day, you are fine.

From the PI Sheet:

Patients should be instructed not to discontinue therapy without consulting their physician. Sudden cessation of clonidine treatment has, in some cases, resulted in symptoms such as nervousness, agitation, headache, and tremor accompanied or followed by a rapid rise in blood pressure and elevated catecholamine concentrations in the plasma. The likelihood of such reactions to discontinuation of clonidine therapy appears to be greater after administration of higher doses or continuation of concomitant beta-blocker treatment and special caution is therefore advised in these situations.

FYI, Propranolol is a beta blocker.

If you take Clonidine twice a day or had already taken it when you took your posted bp reading, take it as prescribed and talk to your doc Monday. Otherwise, talk to your doc, an ER person, or even a pharmacist before you do anything.

[ahalo]

Hi, The side effects didn't stop till I stopped both meds. I stopped taking propranolol after 24 hours. I only took 2-3 clonidine at night so I ramped down and didn't take it last night. Today I am better. Whatever that was, was really scary. Maybe it was just a coincidence and I had the flu but adderall wouldn't have helped flu symptoms. I should go check my bp now that I've been off both for almost 48 hours. Actually I will and then post IDK why i didn't have these problems before but something went wrong and I should've gone to the hospital but I wasn't thinking right.

[AnneMarie]

Your doctor told you to take 2-3 .1mg tabs a night? Really? .3mg would pretty easily drop my bp 40-60pts.

[null0trooper]

Hi, The side effects didn't stop till I stopped both meds. I stopped taking propranolol after 24 hours. I only took 2-3 clonidine at night so I ramped down and didn't take it last night. Today I am better.

As Stacia has said, clonidine is a *very* effective antihypertensive. If you're going to stick with it, even at a more sane lower dose, get a blood pressure cuff. At full retail price, a good one is far cheaper than a hospital stay from blacking out at a bad time.

Whatever that was, was really scary. Maybe it was just a coincidence and I had the flu but adderall wouldn't have helped flu symptoms.

Amphetamine was originally developed as a replacement for ephedra (herbal source of ephedrine), so among other things it's a strong decongestant.

[Guest Ahalo]

Hi thanks to everyone for all the info. Ive been on clonidine 3 wks now minus the last 3 nights. I really think this was a bad reaction to propranolol or taking them together. My pdoc says i can start taking the clonidine again and put me on cogentin instead of propranolol for the trmors and akathesia.

I now have bp of 140/75. This now seams high at least the 140. Maybe going back on clonidine will naturally help. I know my bp was in normal range 2 wks ago when i was already taking clonidine.

Thanks again everyone

[Guest Ahalo]

I meant ive been off clonidine for 2 nights. I was up to .3 but if that was part of the problem i willl stick with .2 when i ramp back up.

[etkearne]

I "requested" Propranolol for my Lithium tremors, which are pretty bad. It helped, but within a week I was entering into some sort of weird depressive state. I immediately took myself of of it, and saw the pdoc that week. He told me that it can happen with beta blockers and he told me to stay off of it unless I had to ABSOLUTELY do something with my hands. I haven't taken it in months.