Dangers of using beta blockers to treat anxiety
Your article (I'm taking beta blockers for my anxiety – and so are many of my friends. Is that a problem?, 20 May) highlights the increasing use of beta blockers, especially to manage situational anxiety. These medicines are the subject of a healthcare safety investigation report in 2020, specifically the toxicity of propranolol in overdose. In October 2024, the General Pharmaceutical Council published advice for pharmacy professionals also highlighting the risk of toxicity.
GPs must exercise extreme caution when prescribing these medicines for anxiety, which is not recommended in national evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of anxiety and is associated with significant adverse outcomes. Christopher Sullivan Pharmacist, Newton Abbot, Devon
After being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in 2020, I was prescribed beta blockers to lower my heart rate. I hated taking them as they made my symptoms – tiredness and brain fog – much worse. I stopped taking them and now have a pacemaker.
I'm astounded to read that they are routinely prescribed for anxiety. I understand the need for a quick fix, but long term there have to be better coping strategies than taking medication for which there is 'no conclusive evidence' for its effectiveness and might be linked to higher rates of depression.Barbara Richardson London
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