Propranolol works differently from anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax, Ativan, or Valium. Those act directly on the brain and can leave people feeling sedated, foggy, or zoned out. Propranolol doesn\u2019t address the underlying roots of anxiety, but instead blocks its physical symptoms.<\/p>\n
Like any drug, propranolol carries the risk of side effects, some potentially serious, and it can also \u201cmask\u201d<\/a> important underlying causes of anxiety, but despite concerns, it\u2019s working its way into society. <\/p>\n Since 2020, prescriptions have risen 28 percent,<\/a> based on the most recent IQVIA data, with September figures cited by The Wall Street Journal. (IQVIA, which collects and analyzes prescription sales, medical claims, and other records, did not respond to Globe requests to confirm the statistic.)<\/p>\n Jillian MacLeod, a psychiatric nurse practitioner with Northeast Health Services, in the South End office, is also seeing the rise.<\/p>\n MacLeod has a caseload of 400 patients, and when asked what percentage take it to handle everyday life, she said 20 or 30 percent. \u201cWhich is a lot,\u201d she said, sounding almost taken aback.<\/p>\n One patient, a recent widow with intense social anxiety, uses it to make it through trips to the grocery store. Another, a young woman, took it before initiating a \u201cwhere is this relationship going?\u201d conversation with her boyfriend.<\/p>\n The holidays, MacLeod noted, are a big trigger. Some patients popped beta blockers as they drove to Thanksgiving dinner, the better to remain calm during unwanted questions about pregnancy, unemployment, weight gain, the lack of a significant other, and so on.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to live in this world we live in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Culturally, the drug is portrayed lightly \u2014 as if it\u2019s nothing more than a breath mint. And indeed one firm, the tele-health start-up Kick, sells propranolol mints in cute little packages. <\/p>\n \u201cNo insurance, appointment, or video needed,\u201d its website reads. \u201cIntake only takes about 10 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Propranolol went viral during the Academy Awards in March, when actress and comedian Rachel Sennott was asked about her pre-show affirmations, and said she looked in the mirror and told herself: \u201cTake that beta blocker, girl. Swallow it down and lock in.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Needless to say, there\u2019s beta blockers merch (baseball caps, a cute pill case) and a Kardashian angle (Khloe took her mom\u2019s beta blockers). On Instagram, the ads are light, jokey. <\/p>\n \u201cMeditation can take years to master,\u201d reads one social media post from Kick. \u201cBut I\u2019ve got 10 minutes before my voice cracks in front of 12 executives.\u201d <\/p>\n The drug is the toast of some anxiety subgroups on Reddit. <\/p>\n \u201cPropranolol will turn you into the mf<\/a> you\u2019d like to be,\u201d a Redditor named DopamineSeeker20 wrote earlier this year. <\/p>\n But the darker side is on display, too. \u201cAbout a year ago I was prescribed Propranolol 10mg \u2018as needed\u2019 for anxiety or attending public functions or crowded venues,\u201d another Redditor wrote. <\/p>\n \u201cNow, I feel like I have to take it every morning before work, otherwise I fall apart, get super-debilitating vertigo, palpitations, the oh-so-fun feeling of impending doom \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The drug is not technically addictive, said Nassir Ghaemi, a psychiatrist at Tufts Medical Center and a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, but even so, it can cause harm.<\/p>\n \u201cIt slows down the heart rate, so if your heart rate is slow to begin with, it can lead to dizziness or fainting or even a heart arrhythmia,\u201d Ghaemi said. <\/p>\n It can also make the symptoms of asthma or diabetes less obvious, he said, \u201cand that can lead to people not seeking help.\u201d<\/p>\n But some, like Connelly, the woman with Crohn\u2019s, say they rely on it to make challenging situations bearable. In her case, that includes times when she\u2019s heading to the hospital, and when she\u2019s talking to medical groups in her role as a patient advocate.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt lets me not sweat through my pink blazer,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Beth Teitell can be reached at beth.teitell@globe.com<\/a>. Follow her @bethteitell<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Bowen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2IFYPDV3T6KY2ELAGJQWDKQS2Q.jpg\")
Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott onstage during the 97th Oscars nominations announcement at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Jan. 23, 2025, in Beverly Hills.Handout\/The Academy via Getty Images<\/p>\n