I am a musical performer, and was made aware of beta-blockers from a few of my professors. Supposedly it helps with stage fright. Because of the fact that I'm a music major, I have to perform multiple times a year, which really freaks me out. So, I asked my doctor about beta-blockers. She prescribed me Propranolol.
Propranolol
Encyclopedic
Encyclopedic
Typical encyclopedia coverage. Cross-reference for important decisions.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- PubChem toxicity data
Encyclopedic
Typical encyclopedia coverage. Cross-reference for important decisions.
- 3 corroborating sources
- 1 ROA with full dose ladder
- duration data present
- PubChem toxicity data
Aliases: Sumial, Ciplar, Inderal, Deralin, Dociton, hemangeol, innopran
Summary
Propranolol is a non-selective beta blocker primarily used for cardiovascular conditions but widely prescribed off-label for performance and situational anxiety. It reduces physical anxiety symptoms (tremor, palpitations, sweating) but does not address psychological causes. Contraindicated in asthma and COPD due to bronchoconstriction risk.
Dose Information
| ROA | Light | Common | Strong | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 10-30mg | 40-80mg | 80-140mg | 140mg+ |
Light
Common
Strong
Heavy
Onset, Duration & After-effects
| ROA | Onset | Peak | Offset | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral | 30-60 min | 1-4 hrs | 4-8 hrs | 3-7 hrs |
| Intravenous | 10-45 min | 1-10 min | - | 11-55 min |
Tolerance
Build-up
develops over 1–4 weeks of regular use
Reset
days to weeks depending on duration of use
Tolerance Decay
Half tolerance
3d
Baseline
~14d
Clinically meaningful tolerance is not typical; some cardiovascular responses (e.g., heart rate reduction) may attenuate modestly with chronic therapy over weeks.
Effects
Aggregated from 16 Erowid experience reports
Positive Effects 6
Anxiety Suppression
87.5%
70%
Focus Enhancement
37.5%
70%
Stimulation
31.2%
70%
Empathy
25.0%
70%
Sedation
25.0%
70%
Music Enhancement
18.8%
70%
Adverse Effects 2
Increased Heart Rate
37.5%
70%
Sweating
18.8%
70%
Community Trip Reports
Anecdotal first-person accounts from Reddit, Erowid, and Bluelight. Click a source to expand. Reports are harm-reduction context, not medical guidance.
Erowid 8 reports 1 neutral 7 cautionary visit
I am writing this report to document the effects that propranolol (in the form of the long-acting brand name Inderal LA, which contains twice the dose of a regular propranolol tablet but lasts twice as long) had on me.
About 6 months ago I started having serious panic/anxiety attacks at work in the morning. I have been at this job for years without anxiety problems, so I'm not sure what brought on the attacks. Visited the doctor, and was prescribed propranolol, a beta-blocker that is supposed to help lower blood pressure.
I was only recently diagnosed with ADHD after a very problematic childhood. When I am not procrastinating, I seek perfectionism and have realised in the last few years that I have always had anxiety (extreme performance anxiety, public speaking, etc), but thought everyone felt this way.
Propranolol is a very interesting substance. It does not sedate me, nor induce an altered state in any way. It simply puts a ceiling on the physical symptoms of anxiety. My heart rate may rise a little bit... but then it just stops there. Propranolol just blocks the physical anxiety response.
I ran into serious problems in my life at the age of 26. Nervousness at important school and work presentations left me stuttering, gasping for air and embarrased.
I've had serious social and performance anxiety since I can remember. My doctor put me on propranolol (20mg three times daily = 60mg/day) six months ago for headaches but instead it significantly improved my anxiety.
I've spent enough time abusing various substances - some in order to cut back on the anxiety that comes with orchestral auditions or concerts. Some see beta-blockers as cheating when it comes to taking auditions, but it the cut-throat music business of today, any edge I have is one-up on the next guy in line for the jo...
Pill Identifiers
30
known pill identifiers on record — view imprints, colors, shapes, and images
→
Propranolol's nerd page
Pharmacology, chemical data, effect profiles, and more
→
Helpful Links
Report an issue or suggest an edit
Spotted incorrect or dangerous information, have a correction, a new study, or a useful addition for Propranolol? Let us know. Reports are reviewed by moderators — this is not posted publicly.