Propranolol

Propranolol is a non-selective beta blocker, and its use for performance anxiety targets a specific problem: the physical symptoms. When you face a high-stakes moment, adrenaline drives a racing heart, shaking hands, a trembling voice and sweating. Propranolol blocks adrenaline's effect on those peripheral beta receptors, so the physical cascade is blunted while your mind stays clear and unsedated. That is the key contrast with benzodiazepines, which sedate, can impair performance and carry dependence risk. It is taken situationally, about an hour before a presentation, audition or interview, not as a daily medication. Because it acts on the heart and airways, a licensed provider screens for asthma and certain cardiac conditions before prescribing; dispensed by a US-licensed pharmacy. It is not sedating or habit-forming.