Physically, anxiety can feel like your insides are doing gymnastics, racing heart, sweaty palms, that OMG-my-mouth-is-dry thing. Propranolol blocks adrenaline’s effects, so those physical symptoms chill out. It kicks in within ~30–60 minutes and lasts a few hours, or up to a week if you’re on it regularly. But here’s the catch: it only tames the body’s reaction. The mental jitters—the thoughts like “what if I mess up?”—are still alive and well.
Think high-pressure, short-term moments:
Speaking at weddings (yes, even the bride-in-waiting might ask her nurse about it)
First dates
Job interviews
Big presentations
Stage performances (musicians, actors—you name it)
“It’s usually prescribed for high blood pressure and other heart problems, but it can also help with the physical symptoms of anxiety, like sweating and shaking,” NHS UK says.