We report on an year-old man who ingested a massive dose of propranolol HCl in a suicide attempt. The patient was brought to the hospital in an unresponsive state within 30 minutes of ingestion.
This medicine is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets, capsules, or as a liquid to swallow. Take our survey. Propranolol can be taken by adults and children. But it is not officially approved for treating high blood pressure in children under 12 years old. It is not suitable for everyone. To make sure it is safe for you, tell your doctor before starting propranolol if you have :. Tell your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or if you're breastfeeding.
If you are taking it once a day, your doctor may advise you to take your first dose before bedtime, because it can make you feel dizzy.
After the first dose, if you do not feel dizzy, take propranolol in the morning. Keep taking propranolol even if you feel well. You will still be getting the benefits of the medicine. Doses are usually lower for the elderly or people with a kidney or liver problem. If your child is under 12 years old and they need propranolol, your doctor will usually use your child's weight to work out the right dose.
Propranolol does not usually upset your tummy so you can take it with or without food. It's best to do the same each day. Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. If you find them difficult to swallow, some brands have a score line to help you break the tablet in half. Check the information leaflet for your brand to see if you can do this. If you're taking propranolol as a liquid, it will come with a plastic syringe or spoon to help you measure out the right dose.
If you do not have one, ask your pharmacist for one. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not give you the right amount of medicine. If you forget to take a dose of propranolol, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is nearly time for your next dose. In this case, just leave out the missed dose and take your next dose as normal. Never take 2 doses at the same time.
Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one. If you often forget doses, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine. An overdose of propranolol can slow down your heart rate and make it difficult to breathe. It can also cause dizziness and trembling. The amount of propranolol that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person. Call or go to online. If you need to go to hospital, do not drive yourself — get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance.
Take the propranolol packet or leaflet inside it plus any remaining medicine with you. Like all medicines, propranolol can cause side effects in some people but many people have no side effects or only minor ones. These common side effects happen in more than 1 in people. They're usually mild and short lived. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if the side effects bother you or last more than a few days:.
It happens rarely, but some people have serious side effects when taking propranolol. In rare cases, propranolol may cause a serious allergic reaction anaphylaxis.
These are not all the side effects of propranolol. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet. Propranolol is not thought to be harmful during pregnancy, but it is not possible to be certain. If you're trying to get pregnant or you're already pregnant, talk to your doctor about the benefits and possible harms of taking propranolol.
There may be other medicines that are safer for you. It is usually safe to take propranolol if you're breastfeeding. This is because only small amounts get into breast milk, which is not enough to cause any problems to your baby. However, speak to your doctor before taking propranolol if your baby was premature or has any health problems.
There are some medicines that may interfere with the way propranolol works. There's very little information about taking herbal remedies and supplements with propranolol.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal medicines, vitamins or supplements. Like other beta blockers, propranolol works by changing the way your body responds to some nerve impulses, including in the heart.
It slows down your heart rate and makes it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. It works differently if you're using it for anxiety. When you are anxious, your brain makes chemical messengers called adrenaline and noradrenaline. These make your heart rate faster and make you sweat or shake. Propranolol helps block the effects of these chemical messengers.
This reduces the physical signs of anxiety. We do not fully understand how propranolol prevents migraines. Propranolol reduces the force of your heartbeat, which could make your heart failure worse. Propranolol may be helpful if you have a history of heart failure, are taking heart failure medications, and are being closely monitored by your doctor.
Treatment of this condition with propranolol may reduce your heart rate too much. Treatment with a pacemaker may be needed. For people with diabetes: Propranolol can cause hypoglycemia low blood sugar.
This drug should be used with caution if you have diabetes, especially if you take insulin or other diabetes drugs that can cause low blood sugar. If you suddenly stop taking propranolol and have hyperthyroidism, your symptoms can get worse, or you may get a serious condition called thyroid storm.
It can make your lung condition worse. This drug can change how your heart reacts to general anesthesia and surgery. For people with glaucoma: Propranolol may decrease the pressure in your eyes. This may make it hard to tell if your medications for glaucoma are working. When you stop taking propranolol, the pressure in your eyes may increase.
For people with allergies: If you have had severe allergic reactions that cause anaphylaxis , your allergies may get worse when you take propranolol. Your usual doses of the allergy medication epinephrine may not work as well.
Propranolol may block some of the effects of epinephrine. For pregnant women: Propranolol is a category C pregnancy drug. That means two things:. Propranolol should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. For women who are breastfeeding: Propranolol is passed through breast milk. In your child, propranolol may cause a slower heart rate and low blood sugar.
It can also cause decreased oxygen in the blood that can cause cyanosis. For seniors: Seniors might have decreased liver, kidney, and heart function, and other medical conditions.
There have been reports of heart failure and airway spasms in children who have taken this drug. All possible dosages and forms may not be included here. Your dose, form, and how often you take it will depend on:. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we can not guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages.
Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you. Propranolol oral tablet is used for long-term treatment. If your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away. What to do if you miss a dose: If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
How to tell if the drug is working: Your symptoms should improve. For instance, your blood pressure and heart rate should be lower. Or you should have less chest pain, tremors or shaking, or fewer migraine headaches. A prescription for this medication is refillable. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.
Not every pharmacy stocks this drug. Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions. This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison control.
It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. A beta-blocker overdose can be very dangerous. It can cause death. If the person's heart rate and blood pressure can be corrected, survival is likely.
0コメント