Medical Questions » Emotions Questions » Question No. 310
| Question: | I have some very important exams coming up, but I get bad exam nerves, and even though I know my work reasonably well, I feel that I might freak out in the exam and fail. Can you help me overcome this problem? |
| Answer: | The best way to cope with exam nerves is to be so well prepared that the toughest questions hold no fear for you. Unfortunately, for most of us this is not possible, and relaxation techniques that can be taught by doctors or psychologists, and often involve listening to tapes that teach you how to relax, are quite successful.
Many different tablets can be used to control nerves, but most of these also sedate you slightly, which is not much use if you want to pass an exam! Propranolol is an interesting drug that is used to control everything from high blood pressure to migraines and overactive thyroid glands. It is also very useful as a ' stage-fright' pill, and in low doses it can control stress before any event that requires concentration. It must not be used in asthmatics though.
If you are having a problem, talk to your general practitioner about which of these various methods of treatment is best for you.
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