Hello mac , I take anti depressants, took quite a few months for me to feel the benefits as at the beginning they seem to make your anxiety worse. I persevered and I have found that they have basically enabled me to do the things I want to do , not all of the time but most of the time. I haven't found them to be a cure all they've just slowly helped ease the anxiety, I've been on them about a year now. I still get hot flushes but I can cope with them, I don't think I'd worry about taking the beta blocker I'd use them whenever I felt I needed them if I where you, why suffer?
You've done really well with all the travelling you've just done so well done x