Have you been struggling with an increased heartbeat?
Your physician might have prescribed you a small tablet commonly known as Inderal.
I used the medicine for almost 6 months and as I suffered from heartbeat issue due to being anemic. Later, upon my physician’s recommendation, I stopped using it. All I know is this was my weapon against the heartbeat troubles.
Let’s know more about this commonly prescribed medication and know about its common causes and side effects.
What is Inderal?
Inderal or propranolol hydrochloride is a medicine belonging to the class of beta-blockers. It is useful for the treatment of conditions associated with heart and blood vessels. Inderal is a synthetic beta-blocker that is chemically known as s 2-Propanol, 1-[(1-methylethyl)amino]-3-(1-naphthalenyloxy)-, hydrochloride,(±)-.
How Beta Blockers Work?
Let me make it simple!
Increased cardiac output or heartbeat is usually a result of the activity of adrenaline (aka epinephrine) hormones. Adrenaline is released in response to a stressful, dangerous or exciting situation. After release, hormones act on the beta receptor sites in your heart (β2) and lungs (β2 receptor). Activation of these sites triggers the fight and flight response of the body ultimately increasing your heartbeat.
Inderal is the beta-blocker. These beta-blockers occupy the beta receptor sites before adrenaline hormones. By blocking these sites, beta-blockers prevent the onset of flight and fight response in the human body. This blocking action helps to
Other than this, Inderal uses also reduce your chances of getting a heart attack. It can also help to prevent migraines, and anxiety and is effective against tremors.
Inderal Tablet Uses
This is generally an oral medicine that is used in variable doses depending upon the condition to be treated. Here are some of the common uses of Inderal.
- It can help to prevent migraines.
- Inderal remains effective against angina or chest pain
- To control your heart rhythms your physician can recommend Inderal
- It can also help to lower blood pressure by treating hypertension
- The use of Inderal can help to reduce the chances of heart stroke.
Other than these, some of the common Inderal tablet uses include its effectiveness against the following diseases:
- Arrhythmias (Atrial fibrillation, Tachyarrhythmia, Ventricular Arrhythmia)
- Aortic Stenosis
- Hyperthyroidism/ Graves’ Disease
- Ischemic Heart Disease
- Sinus Node Dysfunction
- Hypertensive Renal Disease
- Hypertensive Retinopathy
- Hypertensive Encephalopathy
- Hypertensive Heart Disease/ Heart Failure
- Hemangioma
- Heart Signaling Disorders (Long QT Syndrome, Preexcitation Syndrome)
- Myocardial Infarction
- Variant Angina/ Prinzmetal’s Angina
- Short QT Syndrome
Inderal Side Effect
After knowing about the potential uses of Inderal tablets, the medicine can also have some side effects. However, not everyone experiences these and these are only rarely seen. We generally categorize these as common and serious side effects.
Inderal Side Effects
Some common Inderal side effects include:
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Stomach cramps
- Dry mouth
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Sleep troubles/ insomnia
- Low libido
- Fatigue
Serious Inderal Side Effects
Here are some of the serious Inderal side effects to know about:
- Heartbeat changes
- Shortness of breath
- Breathing problems
- Weight gain
- Vision difficulty
- Coordination problems
- Lightheadedness
- Wheezing
- Headache
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Weakness
- Cold hands and feet
- Depression
- Irritability
- Itching
- Dizziness
- Fussiness
- Jaundice
- Changes in stool colour
- Urine colour changes
- Skin colour changes
- Skin rash
- Loss of consciousness
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling/ burning in eyes
In case of any of these side effects, one should immediately seek out medical help.
How to Use Inderal?
Inderal is an oral medication that is usually taken by mouth. Well, the use of Inderal can depend upon many factors. Some of these factors include;
- Age of the patient
- Body weight
- Medication purpose
- Medication time
- Environmental factors.
What is the Recommended Dosage of Inderal?
This oral medication is available in variable doses. You can find Inderal in 10mg, 40mg, 80mg and 160mg tablets. The prescription varies from condition to condition.
| Condition Name | Recommended Dosage |
| Hypertension | 80mg, twice a day Gradually increased up to 320mg per day |
| Anxiety | 40mg, 2-3 times a day |
| Angina, Tremor and Migraine | 40mg, 2-3 times a day |
| Post myocardial infarction | 40mg, 4 times a day for 2-3 days After that 80mg twice a day |
| Portal hypertension | 40mg, twice a day Later increased to 80mg or 160mg (maximum) twice a day |
| Arrhythmias, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, anxiety tachycardia, and thyrotoxicosis | 10-40mg, 3-4 times a day |
| Phaeochromocytoma(given alongside Alpha blockers) | Preoperative – 60mg daily for 3 daysNonoperative – 30mg daily |
| Migraine (children) | <12 years – 20mg, 2-3 times a day >12 years – As adults |
| Dysrhythmias, thyrotoxicosis, phaeochromocytoma (Children) | Oral – 0.24-0.5mg/kg, 3-4 times a day |
| Fallot’s tetralogy | Oral – 1mg/kg, 3-4 times a day |
Are there any Risks Associated with Inderal Intake?
Intake of Inderal can be a risk in the following situations:
- If you are allergic to the medicine or other things, then you should be at the risk of developing side effects due to Inderal
- In case of geriatric-specific problems, Inderal use should be limited
- Women who are trying to conceive or are already pregnant should be careful with Inderal intake
- Breastfeeding women should be careful while taking Inderal
- People who are suffering from asthma or already suffering from cardiac issues should not take Inderal.
Inderal Tablet Price in Pakistan
As of today, the price of a 10mg Inderal tablet in Pakistan is 1.84/tablet.
Let’s Wrap Up!
Inderal tablet is a commonly used medication that is effective against a variety of heart and blood circulation related problems. Other inderal tablet uses include its efficacy against anxiety, migraine and other conditions. However, one should never self-medicate himself. It is recommended to seek out medical advice from your physician before starting any medicine or in case of any side effects.
You can consult the best general physician in Lahore via Healthwire to make wise decisions regarding your health.