Atenolol, sold under the name Tenormin, is a pharmaceutical beta-blocker. Beta blockers (beta-adrenergic blocking agents) are prescribed to help with heart conditions, angina, arrhythmia, etc. Many professional musicians & stage performers use beta-blockers like Atenolol off-script to help with their stage fright and performance anxiety, as beta blockers essentially help the user steady their heart rate and block the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream. In this video I look at what Atenolol is exactly, examine it’s effectiveness against anxiety symptoms, and see if Atenolol is effective for anxiety!
Full Video Transcript
Narrator (00:00):
Anxiety in all of its different forms can ruin your life.
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At the very least, social anxiety or performance anxiety or generalized anxiety can make living a fulfilled, happy life much more difficult than it needs to be, and it's not like anxiety is a new thing. There are accomplished performers who still experience stage fright and anxiety every time they get up on stage or in front of a camera. There's people suffering in private from bouts of anxiety, brought on by meetings, interviews, social gatherings, dates, or just casual social obligations like a small group having dinner.
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To combat these anxiety issues, many have turned to a class of prescription drugs called beta blockers. There are several different types and brands of beta blockers, but we're going to focus in on atenolol and find out if it works to help treat anxiety symptoms and how effective it is at doing so, what the side effects and interactions are, and see how it compares to some alternatives that are out there.
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What are beta blockers?
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Atenolol is a beta blocker and beta blockers are prescription medications created to treat heart conditions. Full name beta adrenergic blocking agents. Beta blockers slow down the heart and reduce blood pressure when used properly. They work by suppressing the effects of epinephrine. Another name for adrenaline, the stress hormone that's at the root of our fight or flight response. The conditions that doctors might prescribe beta blockers to treat, include, and gen arrhythmia, heart failure, migraines, and hypertension. By blocking the release of adrenaline, beta blockers help regulate heart rate and blood pressure, thus relieving these conditions. What is atenolol? Atenolol is one of several commonly prescribed pharmaceutical beta blockers sold under the brand named Tenormin. Atenolol is similar to other beta blockers such as metoprolol and propranolol, which we have covered in previous videos in that it's used primarily for heart conditions such as angina, hypertension, and recovery from heart attacks.
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Is atenolol effective for anxiety symptoms?
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A lot of people are using beta blockers like atenolol to help with anxiety issues. Usage for this purpose are technically off script, meaning the drug is being used for a purpose other than that which it was designed for. When experiencing anxiety, particularly social anxiety and performance anxiety (aka stage fright) there's usually an elevated stress response. This triggers a release of the adrenaline hormone into the bloodstream, causing a very quick increase in heart rate and blood pressure. As beta blockers like atenolol effectively suppress adrenaline, it follows that they also suppress the physiological symptoms that adrenaline cause, which happened to be the exact same symptoms that are experienced with social and performance anxiety.
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So we can't say that Atenolol is some sort of magic pill, it is definitely effective at reducing, sometimes completely, anxiety symptoms by blocking the release of adrenaline into the system.
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A study carried out in 2020 showed encouraging results for atenolol as a treatment for anxiety in patients at a military mental health clinic in Japan.
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81% of patients with diagnosed anxiety disorders reported that atenolol had a positive effect on their condition. 90% of patients also reported that there were no adverse effects from taking atenolol or that the adverse effects were tolerable. Interestingly, every patient who had previously taken propranolol, another commonly used beta blocker for anxiety, said they preferred atenolol.
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Another study performed in 2019 looked at 22 patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and several other related conditions. The patients who were treated with 25 milligrams of atenolol experienced a calming effect within 60 minutes, which lasted up to eight hours. The research that currently exists on atenolol as a treatment for anxiety disorders is encouraging, but seems a little too anecdotal for now. It's safe to say that atenolol is effective for reducing anxiety problems, but further clinical research is needed to say that authoritatively.
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Most people only seem to experience minor side effects with atenolol or none at all. Some of the milder side effects reported about atenolol include:
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Dizziness, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, and depressed feelings.
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More serious side effects that have been reported include:
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Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pains, slow or uneven heartbeat and allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis.
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If you feel any of these more serious side effects coming on or they last a few days or more, get in contact with your doctor and seek medical advice immediately. That being said, beta blockers like atenolol are generally considered to be safe. Side effects are not impossible as with any prescription medication, so consulting with a medical professional before using beta blockers is always recommended.
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Atenolol interactions
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It's a little known tidbit, but some fruit juices, particularly grapefruit, orange and apple juice, may reduce the effectiveness of atenolol when taken at the same time, by decreasing the absorption of atenolol into the body.
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Atenolol may also have interactions with other prescription drugs. Drugs that affect blood pressure and heart rhythm may produce unwanted or unsafe reactions with atenolol. These drugs may cancel each other out (in the case of drugs that increase blood pressure) or result in a dangerously low heartbeat or blood pressure.
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Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen may reduce the effects of atenolol and monoamine oxidase inhibitors or MAOIs (often prescribed to treat depression) may increase the rate at which atenolol reduces blood pressure. Overall, if you're taking any other drugs, prescription or otherwise, check with your doctor before taking atenolol.
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Natural alternatives to atenolol for anxiety
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While beta blockers are for the most part considered safe, some people may not see this as an ideal long-term treatment for anxiety disorders. When taking pharmaceutical drugs long-term, there's a risk of dependency or addiction. This could result in harmful side effects when you stop taking them. There may also be a social stigma for some people and being seen popping pills all the time, particularly if you take beta blockers to address anxiety in a professional setting.
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This is not to mention the fact that some people should not take beta blockers due to interactions with other medicines or preexisting medical conditions.
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If you're one of these people seeking out a natural alternative to atenolol to help with your anxiety, then I can't recommend PerformZen Calm Performance supplement enough. You can think of PerformZen as a natural beta blocker alternative, that also gives you an added cognitive boost - not only assisting with any anxiety issues, but also keeping your thinking sharp and creative in the process.
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Many of our customers use the PerformZen supplement to wean themselves off of prescription beta blockers, and we have plenty of reviews showing how our customers use PerformZen to counteract the negative side effects of performance anxiety and stage fright.
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I really think you'll like PerformZen and you can find out all about it by visiting www.performzen.com or simply follow the link in the description below. If you like this video, drop a like or comment below. If you can't think of anything to write, would you mind typing 'atenolol for anxiety' in a comment to help us with a YouTube algorithm? We appreciate it. Finally, you can check out one of these excellent videos from the channel. We're trying to publish videos more regularly and there's some great resources if you're struggling with anxiety and stage fright issues. And until next time; break a leg!
