title: Sudden withdrawal of propranolol in patients with angina pectoris.
abstract: On 51 of 53 occasions, sudden withdrawal of propranolol from patients with angina pectoris produced no substantial adverse effects. Two patients experienced a recurrence of unstable angina with one man sustaining a fatal myocardial infarction ten days after propranolol withdrawal. These observations suggest that patients with previous unstable angina may be dependent upon beta-adrenoceptor blockade. Sudden cessation of propranolol for short periods may be preferable to tapering the dosage if prolonged periods of sub-optimal beta-adrenoceptor blockade are to be avoided.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011433:Propranolol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D011433:Propranolol