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Bisoprolol

Posted , 6 users are following.

lisa11951
lisa11951

Hi im new to this site but found it so helpful that i thought i could get some advice. I was diagnosed with heart failure in February 2016 due to being on ammityptiline for my arthrits. I was initially prescribed 1.25mg twice a day which i tolerated ok but they increased it to 3.75mg after about a week the side effects kicked in.

I have never felt tiredness like it i waz dizzy, lightheaded, breathless and felt i was going to pass out every time i stood up. My gp surgery is great and i am under a pharmacist who is monitoring my medication until i see my cardiologist on 1st June and after suffering for 2 weeks she told me to go back to 2.5 a day and immediately i felt better the dizziness went and the breathlessness was much better. When i saw her again she decided to increase to 3.75mg again but reduce my perindiprol from 8mg to 6mg which she thought would help with the dizziness. This was ok for a few days but then all the side effects returned and i was even more breathless than i had been before. I have no life at the moment im 52 and have had arthritis since i was 26 and have always coped pretty well with it so am used to not feeling 100% but this is a whole new ball game. I went to see my locum gp who has said that it doesnt look like i can tolerate this drug he wasnt very helpful and has told me to go back to 1.25mg twice a day and see my pharmacist next week after she returns from her hols. Can anyone give me any advice on what to do because if i cant tolerate it what effect will this have on my heart. My cardiologist wanted me on 10mg a day so i must need it but i cant see that happening. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Chrisy
    Chrisy lisa11951

    Posted

    Hi Lisa. Could you ring your cardiologists secretary and have a chat with them. She may make an appointment to see your consultant. You should follow your gut. I couldn't tolerate bisopropol so I ended up on Invabradine instead. Much better for me. Still a bit dizzy but much better. There are other drugs. Take care
    • lisa11951
      lisa11951 Chrisy

      Posted

      Hi chrissy, im seeing my cardiologist on 1st June and will talk to him about alternatives then. So glad i joined this site its given me so much info that the docs never tell you. When i see him now i can ask about other alternatives that i wouldnt have known about rather than just taking everything doctor says as gospel.

      Thanks for your help its much appreciated.

  • davhill
    davhill lisa11951

    Posted

    Hi Lisa,

    I'm sorry to hear you're having difficulties.

    I can't help with forecasting how you might tolerate an increased dosage of Bisoprolol. However, my experience may reassure you a little.

    I had a bout if atrial fibrillation and ended up in a&e, where five 1.25mg bisoprolol tablets calmed things down. So, I was put on 2.5mg/day. I had a big battle with confusion at first and then dizziness. My doctor put the dosage up to 3.75mg/day. I found I simply couldn't handle this and was put back on to 2.5mg/ day.

    On this, I had tolerable dizziness and the confusion settled down It made me awfully tired and even sleeping 9 hours a night didn't make me feel rested.

    After another consult, the doctor accepted my suggestion and put me on half beta prograne slow release, whose active ingredient is propanolol. I've been using it for a fortnight and the tiredness if far less.

    I'm not saying it'd work for you but it's helping me. At least there's some consolation in our responses to bisoprolol being similar.

    • lisa11951
      lisa11951 davhill

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for your advice i wish i had joined this site earlier. Its good to know that its not just me and there are others who have had the same experience. At least there are other alternatives i can use, i am seeing my pharmacist next week and hopefully we can discuss possible alternatives.

      Thanks for all your support will let you know how i get on.

  • suzanne90965
    suzanne90965 lisa11951

    Posted

    Hello Lisa

    I had extreme fatigue, anxiety, change of moods when I was started on 2.5 Bisoprolol and it was increased to 7 mgms but I started getting nightmares so it was reduced to 5.00. I had no appetite and lost 2lbs a month for 8 months.

    Eventually I insisted that I wanted my quality of life back as opposed to quantity and my gp changed me to a similar but newer cardiac specific drug Nebivolol and within two days I felt like the old me.  My heart failure has rectified itself as the left ventricle is coping now my heartrate is 70 and not 140 as previously.

    I had Atrial Tachycardia. I have been discharged at present from the heart clinic.

    Worth a mention to your GP - I felt so different immediately and no longer get the terrible fatigue

    Best wishes

    Suzanne Parker

    • lisa11951
      lisa11951 suzanne90965

      Posted

      Hi suzanne, thanks for your reply, im so glad your heart failiure seems to have rectified itself. I have the same problems as you had so it gives me hope that things can change and get better. I will discuss this drug with my cardiologist when

      I see him in June and will let you know

      Thanks

      Lisa

  • billhopefull
    billhopefull lisa11951

    Posted

    Each person seems to have theor "own threshold" as regards tolerance to bisoporol

    After 4 years on 3.75mg the Consultant asked me to increase mine and after |I tried to take 1.25mg extra I had similar reactions/side effects as you. I even tried 0.625 but also suffered.

    As yet I have not been offered anyother al;ternative med. but will pursue it.

    The reason for the increase in the first place was to reduce bp and heart rate when at altitude. 

    Unfortunately I have decided to cancel my holiday

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