postr/StutterNovember 27, 2024

Propranolol

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Content

Propranolol So I’ve suffered with a stutter most of my life, and for my job I have to give presentations (mostly on zoom but sometimes in person) every 2 months or so. I always get so worked up about them, I think it’s due to me having some presentations to super badly in the past, literally being unable to speak a sentence, and also all the other symptoms of performance anxiety (dry mouth, shaky voice as well as stutter, and overall shakiness) but then I have to tell myself that was before I practiced the presentations before I did them, and ofc being way younger and unaware of certain self help techniques. I still stutter during these presentations most of the time, but never as bad as I used to. I think I owe 60% of my improvement to propanolol. It’s basically a beta blocker. I’m not trying to advocate for everyone with a stutter to start taking these but I just wanted to come on here and say they have been one of the only things that help my stutter when it’s related to nervousness / my social anxiety. For me, I find it works best taking a small dose an hour and a half before the event, and then taking a bit of a bigger dose an hour or 45 minutes before, as then it kicks in at the right time. In terms of dose I’ve never taken more than around 30mg in total before one event, but I guess dose depends on weight and height. I think because it helps so much with the physical aspects of anxiety and fear of public speaking, it allows me to compose myself in a way where the nervousness is still there, but due to not physically being as nervous it kinda makes the overall threat sort of decrease. In my case, the only side effect I get is feeling a bit woozy afterwards, but it doesn’t last for long. Just wanted to know if anyone with a stutter / social anxiety is also on this medication? And wanted to spread my experience incase anyone was interested in trying it.

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceCauses & VariabilityEmotional ExperienceMeds & Substances

Subthemes

Avoidance & SubstitutionStress & Fight/FlightAnxiety & Social JudgmentHelpful Med Outcomes

Codes (1)

beta_blockers