Beta blocker/Bisoprolol withdrawal and breathlessness
Posted , 116 users are following.
Hi. I am 43 yrs old and have been on beta blockers (initially metoprolol and then bisoprolol) for svt the last ten years. I had an ablation which went wrong and I ended up on higher doses of beta blocker after that (8yrs ago). They added in flecainide a year ago as they wanted to drop my bisoprolol down becacause I was still having daily runs and my BP was a bit on the low side. I have managed to drop the dose down to 1.25 bd over the last few months. Then 4 weeks ago, I started to have awful episodes of ?different kind of arrhythmia where i would feel very faint and shaky and it would last for a few minutes. Because they then wondered if I was having a ventricular arrhythmia, they stopped the flecainide and halved my bisprolol. However a week ago I had a couple of prolonged svt episodes so they stopped my beta blocker altogether and started me onto something new dronaderone (like amiodarone with less side effects). I was relieved at the thought of finally being off the beta blocker once and for all but all week I have steadily been feeling worse and worse. I know that there is likely to be a withdrawl period but it's been a week now and I can honestly say that I'm more breathless today than I've ever been. Even just sitting at rest. I can't talk or eat without stopping for breath all the time and I have never felt so unwell in all my life. I am aware that I can get marked postural tachycardia and if I so much as walk slowly to another room my rate climbs from 75 to 120 in seconds. Has anyone else experienced such marked side effects after stopping bisoprolol or another beta blocker? I would really appreciate any thoughts. R
5 likes, 426 replies
peter01729 rachel1511
Posted
21 months since I have been free of all medication, specifically Bisoprolol!, so how am I doing?
Well after 12 months, my breathlessness and low blood oxygen seemed to have resolved themselves for no apparent reason, my guess is that that part of the Autonomic Nervous System that detects blood oxygen and gets your lungs to regulate it correctly regained its equilibrium, and thank God for that, the nightmares of being unable to breathe were no fun.
Unfortunately, the drunk Zombie feeling, the incredible fatigue, the brain fog, the loss of balance, all these symptoms that arrived with Bisopoprolol have remained and grown gradually worst. I have lost my job because of it, medically retired, living alone but finding socialising to be so sickeningly exhausting, that its not worth doing.
NHS still of no help, they will only refer you for one investigation at a time, the last investigation took 11 months, so the GP will see me next week, wondering what the next investigation will not reveal!
sab45 rachel1511
Posted
Hello all,
I am not sure if anyone gets on this forum anymore as it was posted 3 years ago but i was wondering if someone could help me out.
About 9 months ago I was having a strong pulse sensation right above my sternum and i was prescribed 60mg of Propranolol (looking back i wish i never would have taken it / don't think i needed to take it as that was my only symptom) I just recently weaned off of this medication over the course of 12 days (as instructed by my dr.) and have been off of it for 17 days now. Ever since stopping, my heart rate has gone up to where it stays in the high 90's - over 100 for most of the day unless i am lying down. I contacted my cardiologist and they said that typically that would not occur for that long. My primary doctor said the same thing. However, I can't think of what else could be causing it and it just so happened to start after getting off of the Propranolol. I have been tracking my heart rate with my fitbit and my resting heart rate has gradually gone up since stopping. I also want to mention that i never had a problem with racing heart before starting the Propranolol in the first place.
I have had all the heart tests done (EKG, stress test, echocardiogram, 2-week holter monitor) all of which came back normal. My cardiologist just prescribed me Diltiazem 30mg immediate release to take as needed. I really don't want to be on another medication, especially because i think the reason i am having these symptoms is from stopping the Propranolol. I am unsure what i should do. Should i wait it out and see if my heart rate goes back down to a normal rate on its own or should I take the Diltiazem. Does anyone have experience taking this medication? I am only considering taking it because I don't know what racing heart (almost constantly) can do to my heart and if it can cause any damage longterm. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you
sab45
Posted
Also, if this is happening as a result of stopping the Propranolol, how long before my heart rate will slow down and return back to normal?
frances73096 sab45
Posted
how are you feeling now? how long did you take propanolol for?
holly9035 rachel1511
Posted
can anyone please tell me this? when I was on metoprolol I was getting horrible gas and side pains. I've been off for a month and a half and all of a sudden I'm getting the symptoms again. now I heard it can stay in your nervous system for months but why would I get better and then bad again. same thing with my pulse. it's going high again. I'm losing my mind. I don't understand what's going on. can anyone help?
denys1975 holly9035
Posted
Rachel. Don't lose your mind. Here's how beta blockers work. They block adrenal receptors in your body so you won't get the nervous - that in turn slows down your heart rate. Sometimes actors take those before they go on stage. But your body then tries to compensate for the "lost receptors" by creating new ones. So when you stop beta blockers ( and don't do that suddenly ) you have a broken dam... that floods over the previous receptors plus the new ones.... plus most likely your adrenals are stressed and produce more hormones anyway.... so what happens is you overreact to the same outside stressors with stronger force. It's like your body is currently misreading the reality because your nervous system is hyper. Also 90-100 pulse may not be your usual but it's not THAT horrible. It's the upper limit. So again RELAX, don't make yourself even more anxious. It's a natural way for your body to re-calibrate after medical interference into your nervous system. If you want to consider it post surgery recovery. Again, try to do things that calm you down: go away from all the digital devices that control your BP, pulse etc. Don't over concentrate on your body's function. You did not create it. Again, find some calming supplements and see how they individually help you.
denys1975
Posted
Also, metabolic symptoms can be the result of your nervous system getting back to normal.
holly9035 denys1975
Posted
thank upi. but my resting pulse has been 150 to 180. every night it wakes me up while I'm sleeping. it doesn't happen during the day which is weird. during the day my resting pulse is like 115. and I'm also on a calcium channel blocker to help with my pulse and it's still high like this. now when I was on the beta blocker I was so sick for 5 months. nobody could figure out why I was so sick so i figured out it was the beta blocker so I ask my doctor if I can wean off of it. I've been off it for 45 days and now my flulike symptoms and gas and back pains are coming back. they all went away since I got off and now it's all coming back. I get so weak that I can't get out of bed. this is running my life. I have no quality of life like this and I was so happy I was getting better and now its like bam I'm back where I started
victor99184 holly9035
Posted
when I was getting off my beta blockers I would have that same issue with my heart rate waking me up in the middle of the night, usually around 4am.i still get it to this day but has alot to do with stress/anxiety. it's your cortisol, it's high. I took ashwagandha which is great for stress and anxiety and that pretty much eliminated it. I'll tell you what, thinking about it alot during the day will drag it over to your subconscious mind , raising cortisol and will make you have those episodes while your sleeping. the trick is to completely blur it out during the day(anything regarding your health that is), your body is amazing and in time will go back to it's normal state. just give it time. you should also try cbd tinctures, they are great for everything above!!! goodluck !!
holly9035 victor99184
Posted
hey my cortisol is normal. I just had blood work done on it but my aldosterone was very high and my renin was very low. they said that's what's causing my high blood pressure. I tried the ashwagandha and it actually made my anxiety worse. how long did it take your body to go back to normal? thanks so much
holly9035
Posted
also I can't blur it out during the day because it has me feeling like I have the flu so I'm like bed ridden with no quality of life so its hard to not think about it. I thought I was getting better and now 45 days later it's all coming back
phil1234a rachel1511
Posted
Keep going you will come out the other side in the end.
Lolasmom rachel1511
Posted
I was told to just stop biso 5 days prior to attempted ablation. I asked if this was okay to do and was told it is just fine.Well.........it was just not fine. I started huge anxiety with many many physical symptoms.
The thing is, I at the time did not realize it was withdrawals from the biso. So I was given a benzo and trazodone. Now there is a nightmare. I took it for about 18 months, and then started to wean off. Now there were so many withdrawals symptoms. I went through hell. I am now 22 months post withdrawal and still going through protracted withdrawal. It is better but I am still having waves and windows, and never know how I will feel from one minute to the next.
If I knew then what I know now..............
holly9035 Lolasmom
Posted
what all withdrawal symptoms are you having? I'm only 2 months off and I was doing ok but now I'm not. my whole body is weak and tingly. I can't sleep at night because I keep getting these bouts of severe adleneline where I feel like I'm fearing for my life. which then puts my pulse and blood pressure back up. my eyes are burning and I'm getting stabbing pains every where. also tons of gas in my stomach. I think I got PTSD from this s**t. I'm in bed 24/7. I feel like I'll never get my life back
chris26350 holly9035
Posted
i am no expert but you might be getting benzo withdrawals in between your ativan doses . ativan (11hr half life)being a low half life (time before drug gets to 50% after peak) might be adding to your beta blocker withdrawal symptoms. i only took benzos for 3 weeks and went cold turkey (1.5 mg once a day bromazepam - 11 to 20 hr half life) but i experienced very nasty withdrawal symptoms too I thought I was gonna go crazy and daily i would cry, it really felt like I was dying , weaning off benzo is all over the internet and they say its best to use a long acting one like diazepam please ask your doctor about it or we can ask anyone here who had it done in the past. best wishes and I pray for our healing in Jesus name.
holly9035 chris26350
Posted
but if I take diazepam, it's still a benzodiazepine so won't I still get withdrawals from that too?
holly9035 chris26350
Posted
also how long did your withdrawl symptoms last?
chris26350 holly9035
Posted
like bob suggested in his post he took valium for a few weeks and he had to wean off it too. short acting benzo are notorious for causing in between dose withdrawals unlike diazepam. literature in the net shows that they are used for tapering off benzos. i apologize i dont have personal or expert advice on this but i found a lot in the net using keywords like "benzo tapering using diazepam". my benzo withdrawal lasted 2 weeks (usually last for a few hours) because i only took them for 3 weeks. the longer you use them makes withdrawal longer according to articles in the net. at times that i couldnt really tough it out i took sleepaid 25mg which acted as a mild sedative - 12.5 mg works too (with food as i suffer from GERD too), magnesium softgels ( do not use powder) and ashwagandha 650mg. may the Lord Jesus Christ help us all and grant us the healing we all desperately need.
Lolasmom holly9035
Posted
My experience will be a little different as I mentioned I did have withdrawal from biso, but thought it was health anxiety at the time.
The worst was feeling all shaky and jittery. |I would wake up in the morning and know at that particular moment how my day would be. My mind would not shut down. Having a thought every second. Not bad thoughts, just craziness
I could not control my legs, They would shake and jitter and was not sure I would make my next step.
Mornings first thing were the worst. I guess adrenaline surges.
Just a feeling of intense anxiety. Not wanting to go out, and feared the smallest event. It is really hard to explain it.
Such stomach problems along with bowel.
Noises, lights, would send me over the edge, and anything that I needed to do created high anxiety
Then when I started the benzo withdrawal, it was 10 times worse
holly9035 Lolasmom
Posted
I get those adrenaline times. its the worst feeling I ever had in my life. like severe fear. it shoots my blood pressure up too. I've been on 1 mg of adivan twice a day for 4 months. today I switched to klodepin. 5 mg twice a day and I'll start weaning off that. the problem is that when I get the adrenaline surges, if I don't take the benzo I'll end up in the er with my blood pressure and they give me a benzo there. I can't risk having a stroke or heart attack because my blood pressure goes very high. I'm stuck right now. don't know where to go from here
Lolasmom holly9035
Posted
Geez Holly, I really feel for you
For me, I refused to substitute anything. Keep in mind, I had withdrawals from the origionial beta blocker, and then the klonopin and trazodone
|How high does your blood pressure go?
holly9035 Lolasmom
Posted
it goes like 150/120. already went 180/150. only when I get these adrenaline rushes which has been every day for the last 4. I've been sick for 5 months from this damn beta blocker. now I'm thinking my new blood pressure medicine is making me sick too. I can't take much more. I already have so many other health issues going on at the same time.
Lolasmom holly9035
Posted
There seems to be a lot on line about eating beetroot and celery every day to lower bp. Please look into that.
My bp is good though I am taking a medication.
|Last year |I went for a third attempt at having a cardiac ablation done for my atrial tachycardia. During the EP study my bp went to 250/110. OMG, I felt awful. They gave me something to lower it but nothing happened. So they then gave me nitro. This dropped my bp to 80/40. They then gave me something to raise it.Worst day ever
chris26350 Lolasmom
Posted
that's a really high bp reading I am relieved to know that your doctors were able to lower it immediately.
i agree with the natural means to lower bp. i had a really hard time with raw garlic (causes GERD) so you might want to avoid that and stick to fish oil oats celery and beetroot .
Holly i've been where you are right now and i know how hard it is to not worry about the numbers but worrying will add more to the stress and adrenaline and this is why everyone has been suggesting trying to get more sleep and try to manage your stress by meditating praying or talking to love ones or listening to music that either relaxes you or makes you happy. i personally know a fellow churchgoer and he did not take any blood pressure medication for years although his blood pressure hits 180/100 at times (very bad idea but his decision was based on his faith ). he survived but he ended up with very advanced kidney disease and is now required to do dialysis 4 times a month.
about clonopin and valium - clonopin has a half life of 30 to 50 hours while valium(diazepam) has about 100 hours, this is why the latter is used for tapering as the effects don't wear off until the next dose again i'm no doctor so please get your cardiologist's take on this. God bless everyone and i pray that we all get healed soon in Jesus' name.
chris26350 holly9035
Posted
holly in addition- i always keep a 75 mg clonadine tablet with me for bp spikes . My doctor instructed me to ONLY use it (sublingual or below the tongue) when my bp spikes to 160 or higher (systolic) i guess that also gives me some assurance that I can do something in an emergency. it is very important that your bp reading is accurate or you risk getting very low bp in using clonadine. thank God i only had to do it once when my bp spiked to 180/100 . clonadine lowered it to 130 in 15 minutes. Please ask your doctor about this.
holly9035 chris26350
Posted
its always my bottom number that goes very high. I'm not taking to klonopin anymore because it makes me severely depressed. I don't understand where this adrenaline is coming from. I had it when I first came off the beta blocker but then it went away. it's been back now for 5 days. it has me shaking, barely sleeping, chills, horrible nightmares. I feel like im literally scared to death. I don't know where it's coming from but I feel like it's never gonna go away. my bottom number is always like 110. since I can't take the klonopin I'll just have to start cutting the adivan in half and weaning off it slowly. I can't ignore my blood pressure because as soon as the bottom number hits about 100 I get really sick like I'm gonna pass out and throw up. so I can feel it. this is the hardest thing I ever felt. I feel like I might have to sign myself into the mental hospital