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This is a long story so I'll try to be brief about it

Posted , 5 users are following.

georgia46049
georgia46049

i got diagnosed with anxiety because of palpatations I had for three months ever day all day, doctor started me on 1.25 mg bisoprolol. Got rushed into a&e with chest pains, referred to an arrhythmia specialist because I have a stupidly irregular heart beat and they upped my dosage to 2.5mg. I get pains every now and then, which cause me to have panic attacks due to bad anxiety but during the day after I've took my tablet I'm normally fine, I'm just not sure what to do at night. I can't take anymore bisoprolol and paracetamol doesn't really work for it. My palpatations get 10x worse when I lie Down ready to go to sleep and I was wondering if anyone has any techniques or anything they use to get to sleep without panicking or worrying if you suffer the same as me.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • Maxine50
    Maxine50 georgia46049

    Posted

    Hi Georgia,

    Sorry to hear about your palpations.

    I assume that you take your Bisoprol in the morning and if so, change the routine to taking them in the evening around supper time or a little later. I have suggested this on several Blogs relating to AF in the past 2 + years. The result from most people was that the horrible side effects of Bisoprol changed for the better. Try this it may just make your life better.

    Good luck.

    Ken - Antiques et Cetera

    • georgia46049
      georgia46049 Maxine50

      Posted

      I've tried taking them later on in the day but the last time I did this an ambulance rushed me to hospital with severe chest pains. I can't even go through the morning without feeling tight chested. I'm only 18 and I feel like the side effects taking over my life. 
  • josephine32
    josephine32 georgia46049

    Posted

    You are in a spiral of anxiety at present and as I well know, lying down at night and feeling and hearing your heart doing strange things just exacerbates the situation and maybe even brings on other symptoms.  So as well as following your doctor's present plan for you, you can only do the other part yourself.  Easy to say and I still have to stifle a whisper of panic when I detect an arrythmia.  Have you had a diagnosis yet?  Many heart arrythmias are not life threatening but frightening all the same.

    As for the Bisoprolol side effects.  Trying the dose at night is sound advice from many of us here but if you cannot do this, then there are alternative drugs on the market and you should discuss this with your doctor.

    As for the anxiety - some ideas which have worked for me.  Take a deep breath when you feel a disturbance in your heart and hold the breath for a short while.  Sometimes bearing down can have the same effect and divert the arrythmia.  First and foremost, don't concentrate on it - I solved that by having a speaker radio ready by the bedside and listen to a talking (Radio 4 and 4Extra) program (not music) which causes you to relax as you focus on this.  Of course if you have severe chest pains then you cannot ignore that and should seek help, but maybe anxiety is playing more of a part than you realise.

    Above all, you have a voice and you must discuss all these things with your GP who can change your drugs regime in consultation with the hospital and try different ways around your problem.  Many of us here have had heart problems for many years and have found our best way round living with them and many of us are certainly not 18 years old - in fact a good deal older than that and we are still here....  

  • billhopefull
    billhopefull georgia46049

    Posted

    Can only reinforce advice already given.

    I do split my bisop. dose and take it every 4 hours as it has a half life of 2 hours.

    And so /i take 3 *1.25 per day -the last at 22:00 hrs.

    The techniques such as listening to talk programmes or book readings might help.Also if you can adopt some form of meditation it can/does help.

    All of which should help you gain some additional confidence

    Best of luck

     

    • billhopefull
      billhopefull

      Posted

      Hi Georgia,

      Omitted to mention that I also take digoxin, like lankylass, which is to help prevent high pulse rates, It has a half life of 6 hours and I take it at 07:00 AM 

      Two other things to mention I avoid alcohol, except in small amounts 1/2 pint shandy 1/2 glass of wine, as more sets off

      my AF to a worrying (to me) degree. Also avoid convenience food and red meat and large meals as all of these require the heart to work hard to assist in their digestion. 

      Life can be fun!!

    • georgia46049
      georgia46049 billhopefull

      Posted

      Thanks for the advice, I'm phoning the arrhythmia clinic I was supposed to be referred to because my go said she'd rather change the medication after their second opinion as the side affects I get are quite intense. I haven't had a drink since I got put on beta blockers, I also quit smoking because I found I got migraines after having a cigarette. I think splitting the bisoprolol would be the best thing for me.
  • lankylass
    lankylass georgia46049

    Posted

    Hi Georgia, I agree with the advice the others have given you, I also think you should go back to see your GP, they do have medication for anxiety that is not habit forming and maybe that would help you. Also, why can't you have any more bisprolol? I was having really 'bumpy' palpitations before sleeping and my cardiologist upped my bis to 5mg morning and 5mg evening, he also gave my a low dose of digoxin which helped no end. If there are any 'mindfulness' courses near you try to join, it really does help. Hope that you feel better soon. 
    • georgia46049
      georgia46049 lankylass

      Posted

      Thanks for the advice. I didn't start beta blockers because I had anxiety, they're to slow my heart because I have an ectopic heartbeat, which I'm hyper aware of now because of the pain it's caused me, which has caused me to have severe anxiety. The doctors thought it was the other way round but because the arrhythmia is intermittent they didn't pick it up on an ecg until they put me on a monitor after three months of me complaining about it. I've only been on bisoprolol a month now, it was at 1.25 to start with and its already at 2.5 now. I don't really want to become more dependant on it. 
    • billhopefull
      billhopefull georgia46049

      Posted

      Although you don't want to become dependant on Bisop do you feel it assisting the reduction in your heart beat?

      I have experimented with my dosage and tried to reduce from 3*1.25 to 2 * 1.25 per day for a period of 3 weeks or so but I felt heart beat more erratic with greater AF symptoms so reverted to 3 * 1.25mg and within 3 days was feeling better and now AF feelings are minmal.

      Will repeat what I said in an earlier post that the consultant prescribed Digoxin 1.25 to control my racing heart (140-160) and the bisop to assist  in the control and lower BP which it has in conjunction with the change in diet (I believe as does 1 GP I see) Now 66/72 at rest. During my reduction of bisop it jumped to 120/130.

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