Influence of �-Adrenergic Blocking Agents in Experimental Porphyria

Treatment of Acute Intermittent Porphyria With Large Doses of Propranolol

“…Whether the decrease in urinary porphyrin excretion in our patient was due to the treatment with propranolol cannot be stated with certainty, but it is in accordance with the observations made in a patient with variegate porphyria' and in experimental porphyria in rats. 8 Tolerance to ß-adrenergic blocking agents varies considerably, but gener¬ ally intravenous propranolol is rarely administered in doses larger than 5 to 10 mg. Usually this drug is well tolerated when administered intrave¬ nously, although large doses may be associated with hypotension and bradycardia, especially in patients who already have a compromised cardiac function. To the best of our knowl¬ edge, such doses of propranolol have not been previously administered in¬ travenously without leading to bradycardia or hypotension.…”