# why do alpha blockers relax me but not beta blockers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-alpha-blockers-relax-me-but-not-beta-blockers/658000>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 10, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-alpha-blockers-relax-me-but-not-beta-blockers/658000 "2013-05-10T16:04:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-alpha-blockers-relax-me-but-not-beta-blockers/658000/1 "2013-05-10T16:04:31Z")

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I’ve got hypertension and some drugs my doc tried on me were alpha blockers and beta blockers.

I didn’t take them at the same time, it was one after the other. and I had to quit both due to different sleep side effects.

the beta blockers had no psychological effects, but the alpha blockers made me feel incredibly relaxed and carefree. and I was taking a tiny dose, half a mg of terazosin where the recommended dose is usually several times higher.

why did an alpha-1 cause good psychological effects but both a beta-1 blocker and non-selective beta blocker did not? I thought alpha 1 blockers only worked on smooth muscle. do they also suppress the sympathetic nervous system?