2-minute questionnaire
A few questions about your health, current medications, and what you need propranolol for. Done from your phone, on your time.
InstalabPropranolol · 10-20mg · take before the moment
Calm the body. Keep the edge.
The racing heart, shaky hands, and dry mouth before a big moment aren't nerves. They're adrenaline. Propranolol quiets the physical response without touching your focus. $49 online visit, no Instalab+ needed.
Works in 1 hourTime it to the moment
Lasts 3–4 hrsCovers the whole window
Non-drowsyStay sharp, not sedated
Propranolol · take as needed · 60-90 min before
Licensed US physician review
Not habit-forming
Take only when you need it
Sent to your pharmacy
How it works
From questionnaire to ready-when-you-need-it.
A 2-minute questionnaire, a $49 online visit, and your prescription sent to the pharmacy you choose to keep on hand for whenever the moment arrives. The visit is a physician review of your answers: no appointments, no calls, no Instalab+ needed.
$49 online visit
A licensed US physician reviews your health history and determines whether propranolol is appropriate. If they have questions, they'll message you. Most reviews complete within 1 business day.
Sent to your pharmacy
If approved, we send the prescription to your preferred pharmacy,. You pay the pharmacy directly and keep the bottle on hand for whenever you need it.
One tablet, 60 to 90 minutes before
Take a tablet when you have something coming up. Onset is 30 to 60 minutes, peak effect at 60 to 90 minutes, lasts 3 to 4 hours. No daily dosing, no buildup.
Pricing
What you'll actually pay.
Two line items: a one-time online visit and the propranolol itself, dispensed by your pharmacy. No Instalab+ needed.
Online Visit
One-time physician review of your health history, with follow-up support included
$49one-time
Propranolol
Generic, dispensed by your pharmacy
Cash price$3–17/monthTypical pharmacy cash price
With insurance$0–10/monthTypical copay, if covered
The online visit is a one-time fee, not a subscription. It covers a physician review of your health history and, if the physician determines treatment is appropriate, a prescription with refills for up to one year, sent to the pharmacy you choose. If no prescription is issued, the $49 fee is refunded. You pick up the prescription at your own pharmacy and pay them directly for the medication. Renewing after a year takes a new online visit; dose changes require Instalab+, which never charges visit fees.
Will my insurance cover propranolol?
Propranolol is a tier-1 generic on essentially every commercial and Medicare formulary, so insurance copays are typically $0 to $10 per month. Cash prices at most pharmacies are similarly low with a discount card. We send the prescription to whichever pharmacy you'd like; you handle pickup and payment with them directly.
Need a stronger block for the moment?
40mg, 60mg, and 80mg are available with Instalab+.
Most people do great on 10mg or 20mg. But for moments where the physical response is heavier, an audition, a televised interview, a high-stakes presentation, 40mg, 60mg, and 80mg are available with Instalab+.
Higher doses need more clinical tailoring, so we pair them with Instalab+ and physician follow-up. You keep the same as-needed routine and switch doses as the moment requires.
Instalab+ also covers online visits, so dose changes and renewals never cost extra.
Explore Instalab+ →Doses available
Everyone starts at 10mg. 20mg if 10mg was not enough.
Propranolol for performance anxiety comes in five doses. 10mg and 20mg are self-serve through the questionnaire. 40mg, 60mg, and 80mg need more clinical tailoring and are available with Instalab+. All work the same way: one tablet before the event, only when you need it.
10 mg as needed
Gentlest effective dose · take 60 to 90 min before the event
$49 online visit
20 mg as needed
Already tried 10mg and need a stronger effect?
$49 online visit
Higher as-needed doses benefit from more clinical tailoring, so we pair them with Instalab+ and physician follow-up. 10mg and 20mg are offered self-serve because they share the same safety profile and the same simple before-the-event routine.
About the medication
One small tablet. Your body stays out of your way.
Take one tablet 60 to 90 minutes before the moment. Propranolol blocks adrenaline at the heart and the body, so the stress response doesn't show up.
- One small tablet, before the momentNo daily dosing. Take it only when you have something coming up. With or without food.
- Blocks the physical, not the mentalPropranolol blocks the receptors that adrenaline uses to speed up your heart and trigger tremor. The racing heart, shaky hands, sweating, and dry mouth never get going. Your thinking stays clear.
- 3 to 4 hours of coverageEffects start in 30 to 60 minutes, peak at 60 to 90 minutes, and wear off over 3 to 4 hours. Long enough for a presentation, a performance, or a difficult conversation.
- Non-sedating, non-habit-formingUnlike benzodiazepines, propranolol does not impair memory, cause sedation, or create physical dependence with occasional use.
Why propranolol
The original performance medication.
Propranolol has been used off-label for performance anxiety since 1982, when a landmark double-blind trial in musicians showed it eliminated the physical impediments to performance and improved how performers were rated by critics.
- Blocks the body, not the mindPropranolol works on the body, not the brain. It blocks adrenaline where it lands in the heart, muscles, and sweat glands, so the tremor, racing heart, dry mouth, and sweating never get going. Your thinking stays clear so you can react on your feet.
- Non-sedating, non-addictiveUnlike benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ativan), propranolol does not cause sedation, memory impairment, or physical dependence. You perform clearly and stop using it whenever you want.
- Works in one dose, not over weeksSSRIs take 4 to 6 weeks to reach full effect. Propranolol works on the first dose. For event-based anxiety where you know exactly when the moment is, that is what you want.
Real results
What propranolol looks like in practice.
Three Instalab patients in their own words. Composites based on real patient experiences.
Steady hands when it counted
“My bow hand used to shake the moment I sat down. With 10mg an hour before, the tremor never started. I could actually play the music I had been practicing.”
Sounded like himself, on the first try
“I do not get nervous in the meeting room. I get nervous walking to it. Heart pounding, voice tight. One tablet 90 minutes before and that physical loop never starts. I sound like myself.”
Present for the moment
“I tested 10mg the weekend before to see how my body would feel. On the day, I took one 90 minutes before the toast. No shaking, no voice cracks. I actually got to be present.”
Propranolol is a prescription medicine. Use for performance anxiety is off-label. Do not take propranolol if you have asthma, severe heart conditions, or a very slow heart rate. Common side effects include dizziness, fatigue, and cold hands or feet.
Common Questions
Everything people ask before starting.
Ready when you are
Be present when it matters.
Answer a few questions. A physician reviews your case. If propranolol is appropriate, your prescription goes out in discreet packaging.
No commitment to treatment.