11-04-2017, 03:30 PM
(11-04-2017, 08:19 AM)Rafterman Wrote: Hey Drew, I have had a structural heart problem since childhood, as well as clinical anxiety. Beta blockers have zero anxiolytic properties. Their only action is to desensitize some of the beta cells (the adrenaline-receiver cells) that reside on your heart, lungs and elsewhere. That way, adrenaline will have less of a stimulatory effect on your heart. They only fool the mind (in some people) into feeling calmer by keeping your heart rate in check. Many performers use them before a show. A good example is Carly Simon. You may already know that she is one of the few celeb's that suffers from full-blown panic disorder. She used to take BB's before going on and still suffered meltdown's. The thing to really worry about is the fact that beta blockers and adrenaline don't mix. So if you do have a panic attack while on them, you can be in for some pretty funky arrhythmia's. Under anxiety, the body dumps epinephrine into the system, which converts to adrenaline, which clashes with the beta blocker. Your heart doesn't know what to do. It's being overwhelmed with adrenaline, while a percentage of it's receptors are blocked. It can react unpredictably. Think of it as someone trying to tame a bucking horse that doesn't want to be tamed. Much better to treat anxiety with an anxiolytic and leave the heart out of it, IMO. Regards.
Taking beta-blockers can actually be dangerous when there are very high levels of adrenaline, as the beta-blockers leave more adrenaline available to stimulate the alpha-receptors in the blood vessels, causing vasoconstriction. One option would be to take both a beta-blocker and alpha-blocker, but if someone really wants to play around with the adrenergic receptors, I think the safest bet would be to take an alpha-2 agonist like clonidine, guanfacine, or moxonidine, since they actually reduce adrenaline levels instead of just blocking the receptors.