Definition

A drug used under the brand name Hemangeol to treat infants 5 weeks to 5 months of age with infantile hemangioma (a benign blood vessel tumor) and under other brand names to treat high blood pressure, including before surgery in patients with pheochromocytoma, and many other conditions. It is also being studied in the treatment of other conditions and some types of cancer. Propranolol hydrochloride blocks certain receptors on nerve cells and causes blood vessels to relax and widen. This improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Propranolol hydrochloride may also help shrink certain types of vascular tumors. It is a type of beta blocker.