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Anyone else have "Brain glitches" on Bisoprolol?

Posted , 5 users are following.

kristi18883
kristi18883

Hello Group-

   I have been on Bisoprolol for about 8 months, 2.5 mg every morning. For the past few months, I have been having "Brain glitches". For example, last week, I was making a pizza. I remember checking the what temp it needed to cook at, looking at the thermostat on the oven and I could have sworn I set it. I put the pizza in, set a timer, came back and the pizza was burnt. The oven was all the way up.

Other, more serious examples. I work with money, and 3 times in the past 7 months, my cash has been down, LARGE amounts and I have no idea why. There are all sorts of little examples as well, and I am actually starting to think I'm going crazy. I may loose my job tomorow, as if I were my boss, I wouldn't want someone working there who looses money.

Has anyone else had issues such as this while on this drug? I have to be on it for life, due to serious a-fib and tachardia following OHS. 

Please...tell me I'm not crazy...

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • davhill
    davhill kristi18883

    Posted

    Hi krtisti

    If you are crazy, rest assured you aren't the only one,

    I started on Biso three weeks ago - 2.5mg per day just like you - I had a spell of AF (5 hours) and Biso in hospital settled it down.

    After taking the first first done at about 5pm, I fell deeply asleep in front ot the TV for two solid hours. This still happens but not after each pill.

    I then started to get appalling confusion - I couldn't type straight or spell properly and couldn't concentrate enough to read a book. My best friend (who I phoned) simply said, "you're not yourself". I even lost track of what day it was at one point.

    I asked the doctor about this and he just said, "keep taking the tablets". Sure enough, after two weeks on Biso, these effects lessened significantly. I rise late out of habit but can still feel zonked during the afternoon. The only other thing (apart from chilly toes and fingers) is that I'm sneezing a lot at the moment.

    I have an appoitment with a cardiologist on the 1st April. The Biso seems to be controlling things for now.

    I don't know if it'd help you but I developed the habit of mentally verifying things where something could be forgotten/misinterpreted. Just things like making a mental note that I have everything before going out. have locked up properly, etc. Not OCD - just a strategy that seems to work.

  • josephine32
    josephine32 kristi18883

    Posted

    Kristi I think you are suffering from a lot of anxiety and need to take a step backwards.  Firstly, we all have lapses from time to time when we do or forget inexplicable things.......can't believe I did that!  I can think of several over the past months and one yesterday when I left the tap run away all the hot water!  That is quite normal from time to time.  Not sure how old you are but the older you get, the more you do these things and it doesn't automatically mean Alzheimers!

    As for the money - there is always an explanation, ranging from theft to faulty book-keeping, so keep calm and keep records very carefully.  Did the money ever turn up - inadvertently transferred to the wrong account?  Has it been missed?  You must be worried but try all the obvious logical explanations.  If it is indeed up to you, then either the money showed up elsewhere, or you made mistakes in record keeping - again happens to all of us at work sometimes.  If you were going crazy, then I doubt you could settle to write your posting here.  I have not heard of Bisoprolol having an effect on the brain, except to make you feel like a slug, but if you have such concerns, it would be as well to discuss your fears with your GP.  

  • henbowalker
    henbowalker kristi18883

    Posted

    Hi Kristie! I had a HA in April 2015! Been on Biso 2.5mg/day since then! No noticeable SE's I'm on it for life unless I want to risk it & die right now! The Heart condition isn't going to "go away!" My issue was with Ramipril 7.5mg/day! It didn't suit me cos I had all the SE's including Tinnitus! It made me feel tired! Lethargic! Depressed! It gave me Malaise! Since I stopped taking it I feel much better but now have other, non connected, issues! What other medication are you on?
  • robbo1970
    robbo1970 kristi18883

    Posted

    Hi Kristi,

    Hope you are feeling better now.Bisoprolol seems to be blamed for everything. However that said there are bound to be side effects,as this medicine carry's out an important role in protecting your heart.Like you I'm on 2.5mg as I had a double heart bypass over 2 years ago at the grand old age 43 lol.I'm extremely fit as I run 4 miles everyday 4.30am and still do.The problem is 2.5mg is a small dose and unlikely to be causing this side affect.

    I would say anxiety is the culprit. Since my heart bypass I have suffered severe anxiety however it is controlled now,not by tablets but myself.Aniexty causes lots of different symptoms like extreme tiredness,foggy head,forgetfulness even physical symptoms the list is endless.

    Now I'm not saying tablets don't cause side affects,but Heart problems are well known for causing mental side affects in the form of anxiety because we probably feel like a ticking time bomb.Buy a book on Anxiety, and read.I often read posts in here and can clearly see that we've all ready the symptoms list on the information leaflet in the tablet box,and it can be grim reading.And some people blame the Meds straight away,however subjectadly if we take a step back and take a bigger look at ourselves.

    But take it easy,and slow your life down,

    Kind regards

    Mark

    • josephine32
      josephine32 robbo1970

      Posted

      Until I got heart problems, I would not have known what anxiety was, and it took a while to recognise it for what it was.  Feeling like a ticking bomb who probably isn't going to make 'old bones' is enough to make anyone anxious.  Feel the irregular beat coming on - feel that swirl of fear adrenalin in the stomach which is hard to control if you can have any control over it at all.  If it gets a grip it can make us display all of the symptoms of both anxiety and heart malfunction.  Easier said than done to control - I always try to remember that I am being properly treated medically and they don't seem to be worrying too much at present so that will have to do.  I shall enjoy the good phases and struggle at the bad times (mostly some bumpy nights as I call them) and things always look better a little further on.   What you suffered yesterday is already in the past and behind you.
    • robbo1970
      robbo1970 josephine32

      Posted

      Hi Josephine,

      Hope you are good,when I said I can control my anxiety, I did make it sound easy it isn't. However the doc gave me pills which I took last year for two day.I Felt worse and did not take them again.

      There's been numerous times when I'm running and I can feel a pain which I do not reqcognise then my mind intensifys the situation and before I know it my heart has a really heavy feeling to it,my heart starts palpitations and I can't breath and Im looking for a place to die.

      However nowadays I can intervene and generally reduce and even stop a panic attack,it takes practice and I still have bad days but very few,last year was dreadful.Anxiety never ever goes away it will always be there.

      I also do not drink anything with caffeine in and keep my alcohol intake as low as possible as these are stimulants and can make anxiety worse.

      The problem is with anxiety the symptoms are so close to Heart symptoms that it makes diagnosis of either difficult.

      But living with a heart condition and anxiety, is extremely difficult. But never give up.

    • josephine32
      josephine32 robbo1970

      Posted

      Yes, one has to learn coping strategies on recognising the onset of anxiety and this does take time and practice and I would suppose each of us would be different.  I find a very deep breath counteracts the first adrenalin rush and holding that breath for a while until it has taken its course.  Because my anxiety is usually a night time visitation (things always look worse at night) then I have Radio 4 tuned in on headphones and put these on straight away so that not only my heartbeat is drowned out (I have a pulsatile tinnitus) but I can be distracted by the programme (or bored to sleep again!).  Oh, and taking a Flecainide pill often helps also to settle things.  

      However you stumble on a helping solution, distraction is key while it passes so that you don't focus on and grow your anxiety.

  • josephine1953
    josephine1953 kristi18883

    Posted

    Hi Kristi, yes I've definitely experienced lapses in memory which is scary. In early January, (while waiting to have an echocardiogram at the end of January), I was prescribed Bisoprolol 1.25mg once a day. I was happy to take them and definitely wasn't anxious because I relieved to be prescribed something that would help. By mid February I'd noticed that at times when I was driving I wasn't quite sure where I was! (Odd because I am good at directions etc). And then, like making a pot of tea, forgetting, and making a pot of coffee minutes later. Going to the closet to get a cardi to wear indoor and putting a coat on! It did seem to help with the palpitations which my GP had prescribed it for but I decided to halve the dose and eventually come off it because I was more frightened by what might happen if I stayed on it. By mid March the results of my echocardio showed that I had "diastolic dysfunction" (it seems my heart has a problem filling with blood again) so my GP encouraged me to start the same dose of Bisoprolol again while I was waiting to see a consultant in a month's time, at the end of April. This time after only a few days on it, my usually normal blood pressure went way, way too low and I felt like a zombie. I woke one night and it felt like I was having a heart attack. It was very frightening. And I just struggled with a simple task of putting papers in numerical order. So my GP told me to come off them again. Now one week later the palpitations have got much stronger and my blood pressure is madly fluctuating with strong palpitations almost all the time. Last night they were so strong I was tempted to take them again but I don't know what to do, so will see my GP and ask advice. I am frightened because for years what was dismissed as acid reflux has turned out to be a heart problem, albeit a minor one (I hope). Good luck Kristi.
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