Can Concor And Propranolol Be Taken With Olmesartan?

Posted on Wed, 22 Oct 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 22 Oct 2014 Answered on

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Presently I am taking propranolol 20 mg morning and evening for palpitation ( bpm 105) and anxiety and also taking olmesartan for bp my current bp is 140/90. Before I was taking concor 2.5 mg since last 9 years but stop due to increase in anxiety but my puls was normal at that time. My que is that can I take Concor 2.5 plus propranolol also along with olmesartan then I think my all issues will cover. Please advice.

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (25 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
One of them should be used

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

I haven't quite understood why you want to add concor to propranolol. Is the pulse too fast with propranolol? 20mg twice daily is a small dose. You can take much more than that, provided you don't have contraindications like renal failure or serious side-effects.

Please note that propranolol is not a drug for anxiety. It hides the symptoms though, particularly during panic attacks. Since your blood pressure is on the high normal range, if your pulse if not too slow (<60 per minute) you can increase propranolol dosage. Using two similar drugs is not recommended.

I hope you've got the answer you were looking for!
If you have further questions, please ask. I'll be glad to answer.

Kind Regards!

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (1 hour later)

Thanks for your reply. After taking propranolol 20mg twice daily my pulse rate is 90 - 105. And yes itis hiding symptoms during panic attack. I don't want to start Ssri because of withdrawal problem. Please suggest the right treatment for my case. Thanks.

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Gradually increase dose

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

if potential causes of this tachycardia have been ruled out (like thyroid disease for example) and it's all attributed to the anxiety problem then I would suggest gradually increasing propranolol dose until the pulse rate is within normal range or side-effects appear. Doses higher than 60-80mg three times daily (180-240mg total per day) will probably cause significant side-effects.
The withdrawal problem that you mentioned would appear if you stopped treatment abruptly. It's less likely to appear if you follow your doctor's advice. A similar thing may happen with beta-blockers. If you stop taking propranolol or any other beta-blocker, your body may react with tachycardia although this is a much simpler reaction than the discontinuation syndrome you mentioned.
I hope things are more clear now!
If need more clarifications, please let me know.

Kind Regards!

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T