Propranolol (Inderal)

What the word means

Propranolol is the drug. Inderal is the brand.

It’s a beta blocker, which is a heart medication. Its use for anxiety is off-label, and it’s a narrow, specific use worth understanding clearly, because it’s frequently misunderstood.

Propranolol blocks the effects of adrenaline on the body. It doesn’t touch worry. What it does is dampen the physical machinery of fight-or-flight: the pounding heart, the trembling hands, the shaking voice. That makes it genuinely useful before a performance, a speech, or an audition, which is why musicians and public speakers know about it.

Where to read the full guide

Shrinktionary defines the word.

Read the full propranolol guide at PsychiatryRx, which covers how it’s used for anxiety, side effects, and its cautions.

Related terms you’ll see next

• Beta blocker
• Off-label
• Fight-or-flight
• Anxiolytic

When to seek professional care

Don’t expect it to quiet the worry itself, because that isn’t what it does, and expecting it to is how people conclude it failed. Tell your prescriber if you have asthma, low blood pressure, or a slow heart rate, since beta blockers can be a problem in each. Don’t stop a beta blocker abruptly if you’ve been taking it regularly for a heart condition. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, get help right away by calling 911, or call or text 988 in the US to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>Propranolol (Inderal):</strong> Propranolol is a beta blocker, a heart medication used off-label for the physical symptoms of situational anxiety, like a pounding heart and shaking hands before a performance.</p>
  <p>&mdash; <a href="https://shrinktionary.com/terms/propranolol/">Shrinktionary</a>, a plain-English mental health dictionary, medically reviewed by a board certified psychiatrist.</p>
</blockquote>