Treating Misophonia With The Beta Blocker Propranolol

By: Jadon Webb, M.D., Ph.D.

In January 2022, we were excited to publish the first ever report of using medication to treat the symptoms of misophonia. We feel that it is well past time to take misophonia symptoms seriously, and develop strategies and guidelines for using medications to help treat misophonia when it is safe and appropriate. 

Misophonia (and also Misokinesia) triggers often cause the patient’s brain to release a surge of adrenaline, causing “fight-or-flight” symptoms. These symptoms can include feelings of anger or rage, racing heart, tense muscles, feeling flushed or sweaty, and having “tunnel vision” where it can be hard to think about anything other than stopping the trigger. 

Medications that reduce fight-or-flight symptoms can be helpful in mental health disorders such as PTSD, and we think can also be very helpful in some cases of misophonia. Misophonia is still a relatively new and often misunderstood condition, and so it can sometimes be frustrating trying to describe it, and feel as if you have to “defend” the diagnosis. Because of this, it can sometimes be helpful to instead describe the specific symptoms that you are having in response to triggers when discussing possible treatments, including medications. This can help your provider collaborate with you to find medications that specifically target the unwanted symptoms.
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Good days are coming, misophonia is being taken seriously, and there are increasing possibilities for help!

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