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Inderal (propranolol) is a brand-name prescription medication often used off-label for the treatment of anxiety.
Wondering if Inderal is the right medication to treat your anxiety? See a mental health specialist on Klarity Health to find out if Inderal is right for you in 24 hours or less.*
Providers on Klarity Health are independent practitioners with clinical autonomy; a diagnosis, treatment, or prescription is not guaranteed.
Providers on Klarity Health are independent practitioners with clinical autonomy; a diagnosis, treatment, or prescription is not guaranteed.
You’re unique. And your needs are too. You deserve treatment from a provider committed to you. Find an anxiety specialist on Klarity Health and access:
from a licensed, board-certified healthcare professional.
or off through treatment tailored to you.**
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your appointment. Transparent pricing, no hidden fees.
**Your provider will discuss treatment options with you, which may or may not include medication and/or therapy. If both therapy and medication are recommended, you’ll see a different provider for each service.
Inderal’s active ingredient is propranolol. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Inderal as a brand-name prescription medication in 1967 to treat high blood pressure (hypertension).
Inderal is part of a drug class called nonselective beta blockers, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, which can help treat the physical symptoms of anxiety, including heart palpitations.
There are 2 kinds of Inderal — Inderal LA and Inderal XL — both have the active ingredient propranolol hydrochloride and are extended-release capsules. The FDA approved Inderal LA in 1983 to treat hypertension and a kind of chest pain called stable angina and to prevent migraine headaches. The FDA approved Inderal XL in 2003 to treat hypertension. Immediate-release brand-name Inderal tablets were discontinued in 1986, but a generic immediate-release propranolol tablet is available today. There’s also an extended-release product called InnoPran XL, which is a sustained-release bead capsule form of propranolol.
Other FDA-approved uses of Inderal include the treatment of glaucoma, tremors, and heart conditions, including irregular heartbeats. Off-label uses of Inderal include treatment of anxiety symptoms, performance anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Inderal is a beta blocker. Beta blockers block the effects of a hormone called epinephrine or adrenaline to help the heart beat more slowly and less forcefully.
This slowing of the heartbeat leads to lowered blood pressure and helps address some of the physical symptoms of anxiety, particularly performance anxiety, including heart palpitations, increased heart rate, tense muscles, sweating, and shaking. Treating these physical symptoms of anxiety can help your body feel calmer, which also helps reduce the mental symptoms of anxiety, like anxious feelings and thoughts. There’s no evidence of propranolol’s efficacy long-term for the treatment of anxiety disorders.
Inderal LA and propranolol extended-release capsules are FDA-approved to prevent migraines, manage high blood pressure, treat angina pectoris caused by coronary atherosclerosis, and for people with hypertrophic subaortic stenosis.
Inderal XL and InnoPran XL are only FDA-approved to treat high blood pressure.
Propranolol tablets are FDA-approved for the following uses:
• Preventing migraines
• Managing high blood pressure, or hypertension, alone or in combination with other antihypertensive medications
• Reducing the frequency of angina and increasing the tolerance of exercise in people with angina pectoris due to coronary atherosclerosis
• Controlling heart rate in people with atrial fibrillation
• Decreasing the risk of death in clinically stable survivors of acute heart attacks
• Managing hereditary essential tremors
• Improving the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class in people with symptomatic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis
• Controlling blood pressure and limiting the symptoms of catecholamine-secreting tumors in people with pheochromocytoma
Healthcare providers can also prescribe Inderal LA and Inderal XL for off-label uses, including the treatment of anxiety symptoms and mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Before taking Inderal or propranolol, let your healthcare provider know your entire medical history and any supplements and medications you’re currently taking. You should also talk about all potential adverse reactions, precautions, warnings, and drug interactions with your healthcare provider and pharmacists, and read the medication guide.
To get a prescription for Inderal online, you need to work with a licensed healthcare provider who can write a prescription, like a nurse practitioner (NP), psychiatric nurse practitioner (PHMNP), physician assistant/associate (PA), or a psychiatrist or medical doctor (MD). Your healthcare professional or provider can diagnose you with anxiety and create an anxiety treatment plan for you that may include medication, like Inderal.
You can find licensed, board-certified providers, including providers in the field of psychiatry, on Klarity Health for medical appointments in as little as 24 hours.*
In some states, providers are required to see you for at least one in-person visit before they can prescribe medication. For the online prescribing regulations for your state, see the Center for Connected Health Policy website.
Inderal LA and extended-release propranolol capsules come in 60-, 80-, 120-, and 160-milligram capsules. The starting dose for migraines, angina pectoris, and high blood pressure is 80 milligrams taken once a day. The typical dose is 120 to 160 milligrams for high blood pressure, 160 milligrams for angina pectoris, and 160 to 240 milligrams for migraines, all taken once a day.
Inderal XL and InnoPran XL both come in 80- and 120-milligram capsules. Providers typically prescribe 80 milligrams, taken once a day at bedtime with or without food as a starting dose. People can work up to 120 milligrams of Inderal XL as needed. It can take 2 to 3 weeks to notice the full effects of Inderal XL on blood pressure control. Inderal XL isn’t usually used for anxiety.
Inderal LA, Inderal XL, and extended-release propranolol are less commonly prescribed for anxiety, but they can be prescribed at a starting dose of 80 milligrams per day for chronic anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
If you miss a dose of Inderal, take it as soon as possible. Swallow Inderal LA or Inderal XL capsules whole. Don’t chew, crush, split, or open the capsules.
Store Inderal in a cool, dry place, and make sure it’s stored in a place where young kids can’t get to it. If you need to dispose of Inderal, don’t flush it down the toilet or throw it in the trash. The best way to dispose of it is through a local waste disposal company or a medication take-back program.
The most common side effects of Inderal LA and Inderal XL include light-headedness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, constipation, fever, aching, sore, throat, and dry eyes. Inderal XL can also cause dizziness and insomnia. Generic propranolol can cause insomnia as well.
More serious side effects of Inderal LA and Inderal XL include mental depression, hallucinations, short-term memory loss, and male impotence. Inderal LA can also cause heart failure, and Inderal XL and generic propranolol can cause allergic reactions and alopecia.
Inderal LA can have drug interactions with alcohol, antiarrhythmics, digitalis glycosides, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, alpha-blockers, reserpine, inotropic agents, isoproterenol, dobutamine, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants, anesthetic agents, warfarin, neuroleptic drugs, and thyroxine.
Inderal XL can have drug interactions with warfarin, propafenone, cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily D member 6 (CYP2D6), cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 2 (CYP1A2), and cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily C member 19 (CYP2C19) inhibitors, CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 inducers, cholestyramine, colestipol, adrenergic agonists, alpha blockers, dobutamine, antidepressants, and NSAIDs.
If you take Inderal or generic propranolol and have any side effects, work with your provider and consider reporting negative side effects to the FDA by visiting MedWatch or calling 1-800-FDA-1088.
Inderal LA and Inderal XL are both on the pricier side. Inderal LA costs $2,019 for a supply of 30 60-milligram capsules, according to drugs.com with its discount card.
A supply of 30 Inderal XL 80-milligram oral capsules costs about $2,327 with the drugs.com discount.
The least expensive option is generic propranolol. A supply of 30 40-milligram oral propranolol tablets costs about $18 with the drugs.com discount card.
Other prescription discount sites, like GoodRx, WellRx, NeedyMeds, Optum Perks, and SingleCare Rx, can help you save money on medications with or without insurance.
Xanax (alprazolam) is the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepine for anxiety. Benzodiazepines help you relax by slowing down your central nervous system (CNS). Xanax is approved to treat anxiety disorders, including GAD, and panic disorder with or without agoraphobia.
Gabapentin is part of a drug class called anticonvulsants, which have a calming impact on the brain. Gabapentin is approved to treat seizures, nerve pain, and restless leg syndrome, and the treatment of anxiety is an off-label use. Studies have shown that gabapentin is particularly effective in treating social phobias.
Zoloft (sertraline) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which works by blocking the reuptake of serotonin, so more serotonin can stay in your brain and help you feel more calm and relaxed. Zoloft is approved to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Using it for treating GAD is an off-label use. Studies have shown that Zoloft is more effective at reducing anxiety than treating depression.
Xanax’s side effects include drowsiness, light-headedness, dizziness, dry mouth, increased salivation, hypotension, and dermatitis. Gabapentin’s side effects include infection, headache, accidental injury, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dry mouth, constipation, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, weight gain, dizziness, incoordination, amnesia, rash, and conjunctivitis. Zoloft’s side effects include dry mouth, increased sweating, tremors, dizziness, fatigue, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and insomnia.
The best way to find out which anxiety medication, if any, is best for you is to talk to an anxiety provider.
Licensed medical professionals on Klarity Health will work with you to create an anxiety treatment plan tailored to you, including medication prescriptions if medically necessary, behavioral counseling or therapy, or skills training.
Reviews from real patients who see healthcare providers on Klarity Health.
Klarity Health connects you with experienced, licensed providers who specialize in anxiety treatment. Select your state to see available providers.
*Appointments are generally available within 24 hours. Free initial consultations are available only with select providers. Prescriptions, particularly for controlled substances, may require an in-person evaluation depending on the state of residence and current federal regulations.
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Controlled substances, like Daytrana, Adderall, Ritalin, and others, may not be appropriate for all patients and any mention of these medications is for educational purposes only, not for marketing or encouraging self-diagnosis. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional with any questions or concerns you have regarding your health. Providers on Klarity Health are independent practitioners with clinical autonomy. Nothing in this article is intended to diagnose or treat any condition, including guaranteeing prescription medication of any kind or dosage. Not all providers on Klarity Health prescribe all medications, particularly medications that are controlled substances.
If you’re having a mental health crisis or experiencing a psychiatric emergency, it’s crucial to seek immediate help from a mental healthcare professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist. You can also call your local emergency services, visit your nearest emergency room, or contact a crisis hotline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, by calling or texting 988 or dialing the Lifeline’s previous phone number, 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) in the U.S.
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PO Box 5098 Redwood City, CA 94063
100 Broadway Street, Redwood City CA, 94063
