Bisoprolol is a prescription beta blocker, available over the counter under the name Zebeta. Bisoprolol was developed to help treat cardiovascular conditions like hypertension and irregular heartbeats. It works by blocking the effects of adrenergic hormones (primarily adrenaline hormone). Many high-level performers have discovered that the adrenaline blocking effects of Bisoprolol and other beta blockers (Propranolol, Metoprolol, etc) help them stay calm and focused during their work or performances. Professional musicians, stage performers, CEOs, public speakers, singers and others are reportedly using bisoprolol and beta blockers ‘off script’ to reduce anxiety and stage fright before and during a big performance. In this video we look at how Bisoprolol works for anxiety, why so many performers are using it to help with their anxiety, what the side-effects and downsides are as well as some natural alternatives. Make sure you watch to find out if Bisoprolol is effective for anxiety purposes!
Full Video Transcript
Narrator (00:01):
Do you get anxious jitters before performing in front of others? Or when thinking about an upcoming high anxiety situation, maybe you find that social situations like dates and dinner parties leave you mentally drained and worse off at the end of the night. Well, you're not alone. These rushes of anxiety can make it almost impossible for some people to focus. But what if there was a way to quiet those nerves and fast? That's where beta blockers like Bisoprolol, which has the over the counter name Zebeta, come in. Many performers like musicians, singers, public speakers, executives giving presentations and actors use beta blockers just like Bisoprolol to help them with their stage fright, social anxiety, and general performance anxiety issues. Keep watching as we explain what Bisoprolol is and find out if it can help with your anxiety issues and how that all works. You might also want to know if there are any side effects to bisoprolol and hear how it compares to alternative anxiety solutions available on the market. We'll investigate that as well, so let's get into it.
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Why we experience different types of anxiety in the first place.
Performance anxiety and social anxiety, broadly speaking consists of the anxiousness that people feel when they have to perform in front of an audience, participate in a social setting, or deal with a general high pressure scenario. These different forms of anxiety are essentially an exaggerated stress response. The fear and worry about the situation results in a stress response within your body, and this triggers the release of certain stress hormones. If the level of these stress hormones gets too high, your cardiovascular system goes into overdrive, possibly causing shaking, sweating, nausea, and other symptoms of stage fright. Many popular performers have suffered from debilitating anxiety to the point where they have contemplated quitting acting or performing altogether! Well-known examples include Adele, Shawn Mendes, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and many others. It's not surprising then that so many people seek out solutions to their anxiety issues through medications like bisoprolol and beta blockers in general.
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What is bisoprolol and how does it help with anxiety symptoms?
Bisoprolol, commonly sold under the brand name Zebeta, is a beta blocker medication that is available in oral tablet form. To be specific, bisoprolol is actually a cardioselective beta blocker because at low dosages, it only works on beta-1 receptors in the heart and is unlikely to affect beta-2 receptors, which are located in the airways. In India, bisoprolol is sold under the trade name Bisotab, and in Italy, bisoprolol is sold under the trade name congescor. Bisoprolol works by slowing down or blocking the release of hormones like adrenaline into the body. Adrenaline typically produces an elevated heart rate, so by blocking adrenaline, beta blockers like bisoprolol actively reduce stress on the heart and lower blood pressure for anxiety purposes. Prohibiting the release of adrenaline also prevents the typical symptoms of performance anxiety like racing, pulse, jumbled and uncontrolled thoughts, sweaty palms and similar undesirable effects.
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Why do performers use bisoprolol?
A study performed all the way back in 1987, showed that beta blockers are particularly popular among musicians. The survey carried out by the International Conference of Symphony Orchestra Musicians, representing the largest orchestras in America, found that 27% of participating musicians were using beta blockers to help with their performance anxiety symptoms. Experts estimate that this number is way higher today. So why are so many people who regularly face high pressure scenarios using beta blockers like bisoprolol to help with their anxiety? Well, as we said, beta blockers relax the load on your cardiovascular system by blocking the effects of the adrenaline hormone. This has major benefits for anyone about to enter a high anxiety situation. Adrenaline is a stress-related hormone. It binds itself to adrenergic receptors in the heart, also called beta receptors. As a result, the heart has to pump blood with greater force, which causes blood pressure and heart rate to go up.
(04:10):
Beta blockers prevent adrenaline from binding to the beta receptors in the heart. This allows the heart to return to its regular workload, and blood pressure can remain steady. So when preparing for a high pressure scenario, like giving a talk in front of a large audience or auditioning or playing music on stage, it is to be expected that you will feel a certain level of stress In these scenarios. You'll naturally feel an adrenaline rush as a part of that stress response. The anxiety kicks in because at this point, the stress response is going too far. The adrenaline hormone is having a potent effect on the body, which causes heart rate to skyrocket, along with other anxiety symptoms. As beta blockers like bisoprolol block the effects of adrenaline, they also prevent you from experiencing the physical symptoms of anxiety, specifically performance anxiety. Remaining physically calm has an overall calming effect, which then allows a performer to get through a high pressure scenario, and that is why so many performers use beta blockers like bisoprolol to help them before getting on stage or facing a nerve wracking situation.
(05:13):
Downsides and side effects of using bisoprolol for anxiety.
Beta blockers like bisoprolol are considered to be pretty safe in general, but here are some of the potential albeit rare side effects of bisoprolol. If you have diabetes, bisoprolol may mask some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, body aches or pain, chest pain, difficult or labored breathing, fear congestion, loss of voice, pain or tenderness around eyes and cheekbones, shortness of breath or breathing, tightness in chest, unusual tiredness or weakness. Wheezing. Severe side effects from bisoprolol are quite rare, but if you experience any of the following symptoms after using the beta blocker, contact your doctor or a medical professional immediately. Chest discomfort, lightheadedness, dizziness or fainting, slow or irregular heartbeat
Natural alternatives to bisoprolol.
Let's look at some natural alternatives to beta blockers like bisoprolol. The obvious advantages to natural alternatives are that you don't need a prescription, which can become a logistical and cost burden over time.
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The other benefit is that you're strengthening your mind and body to be less susceptible to stress and also better equipped to handle a stress response. So instead of artificially blocking the release of adrenaline with beta blockers like bisoprolol, you'll be releasing less adrenaline in the first place and therefore experiencing less anxiety naturally over time.
Bisoprolol alternative number one: green, black and oolong tea.
Green, black and ulu tea are all excellent sources of L-theanine. L-theanine is a natural ingredient that increases the availability of GABA within the body, and GABA helps you feel more relaxed by reducing excess activity and stress responses in the brain. So drinking tea before a performance or high stress event can really help calm the nerves by reducing excessive mental chatter, relaxing the mind a little, and helping you focus on your performance more constructively.
Bisoprolol alternative number two: breathing exercises.
Certain breathing techniques can be effective in stopping the onset of physical anxiety symptoms caused by a stress response in the body.
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Breathing exercises are best for providing short-term instantaneous fixes that you can put into practice before you enter a high anxiety scenario. One particular breathing exercise that's popular with performers is known as diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing, where you take deep breaths, engaging the stomach and the diaphragm. In contrast, irregular unconscious breathing. An effort is made to bring the breath down into the stomach, which should rise and fall with each breath. Diaphragmatic breathing is used in meditative practices like yoga. Studies show that deep breathing has positive effects on thinking processes and stress, mostly because it helps reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol being a hormone that gets released when we are stressed or anxious. Diaphragmatic breathing can also help reduce blood pressure and improve heart rate variability, which works to lessen the severity of symptoms one may experience with performance anxiety.
(08:28):
Bisoprolol alternative number three: PerformZen Supplement.
PerformZen is an all natural supplement that contains a mix of ingredients to support focus, calm, and cognition, all of which counteract performance anxiety and stage fright before any high anxiety situation. PerformZen Calm Performance Formula contains ingredients like GABA, L-Theanine, and magnesium, as well as the cognitive enhancing ingredients Ginkgo Biloba, Vitamin B6 and Theacrine. These ingredients have all been shown to induce a calming effect on the body, as well as keeping the brain sharp and your thinking creative. If you're interested in using PerformZen to help keep you calm, creative, and focused the next time you're in a high pressure scenario, learn all about us at www.performzen.com. If you like this video, click that subscribe button and make sure you drop a like and comment below. We'd love to hear your experiences with Bisoprolol in the comments, so please share, and you can also check out one of these other videos from the channel. We have some great videos about all the different kinds of beta blockers or several videos about dealing with anxiety struggles, phobias, and performing in general. And until next time, break a leg.
