One of the most effective medications for essential tremors is propranolol(Inderal, Inderal LA), which is also an alcohol but with no addition effect. There are sustained-release preparations that prolong the effects of the medication for several hours. Side effects of propranolol are bronchospasm (this cannot be used in persons with asthma), sleepiness, and impotence, among others. There are other medications in this family such asmetoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL) and nadolol (Corgard) that might have fewer side effects but are not as effective.