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Bisoprolol buddies

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Hello fellow Bisoprolol buddies - I cannot actually believe that I didn't think of doing a search on Bisoprolol earlier as it is so comforting to have discovered this web page. I have been taking Bisoprolol Fumarate 5mg daily for the past 3 years following a frightening episode in town which resulted in my spending a week in the Cardiac ward of our local hospital. I had SVT while in hospital and the 'specialists' couldn't actually put a cause to my soaring blood pressure and rapid heartbeat. So, I've been told to stay on these tablets for life... I'm 48 now, was 45 then.

The comforting thing about reading the majority of these posts is that so many people are feeling ridiculous levels of tiredness; I don't recognise myself from 3 years ago. This isn't whingeing, just stating a fact. I have piled on the pounds - particularly blubby around my midriff - yet I eat less than ever. I am sometimes so overcome by exhaustion that I have to stop even the most trivial of chores. I have lost my 'get up and go', yet used to be so active with my three kids. I used to be so house proud, yet now can'tbe bothered other than to 'keep on top' of the housework. I used to love socialising, again, can't be bothered most of the time and when I do, I am glad when it is over. I love the peace and quiet of my own company so much more now and feel exhausted by company. Yet I AM ONLY 48 YEARS OLD!!!

I realise I am lucky to be alive, to be uncursed by serious ills, but still, it is healthy to have a little moan now and then, and gratifying to feel online empathy with other 'sufferers'. I find that my partner and children don't really understand - can't blame them, I don't truly either.

Take care one and all.

28 likes, 428 replies

428 Replies

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  • AMAndyMc
    AMAndyMc

    Posted

    Hi, I've also turned 48 too; I have just started taking 1 x 2.5mg Bisoprolol last week after an attack of angina (1st in 2 years).

    I find this drug has slowed me down up to a point were earlier this week went for a walk, could only walk about 250 yds after which I became breathless and ended up that I could hardly put one infront of the other! Other symptoms which I'm experiencing are extreme tiredness especially early to mid morning, also my blood sugars are all over the place i.e. abnormally high in the mornings/ low in the evenings.

    I am currently off work waiting for further tests at my local hospital. I just hope that should I continue to take Bisoprolol for the rest of my days that my body begins to re-adjust to this drug and these sypmtoms ware off so that I can try to live a near normal life.

    • pat69234
      pat69234 AMAndyMc

      Posted

      beta blockers did that to me and i suggest if your doc has never listend to your lungs . You ask him. After a beta blocker mine had water in and a trip to the ER and some duiretics have fixed it. I came off the beta blockers onto something else that the doc said is not so efficient. A generic med that has been used before beta blokers were invented 

       

    • josephine32
      josephine32 AMAndyMc

      Posted

      Hi Andy

      Just in case you missed the recommendation about Bisoprolol, maybe you already are doing this, but take the drug at night so the worst is over by morning - I remember that mid morning fatigue and breathlessness (felt like weights were attached to my legs).  Maybe you already do this, but just in case......

  • rossy
    rossy

    Posted

    I totally agree.

    I am on 5mg at the moment, started on 2.5 but it wasn't helping with my very fast heartbeat, still not convinced 5mg is enough!

    I feel very very tired with these, have put on weight too. I have days where I just don't want to do anything at all, I am 38 so hope it isn't just the start of middle age???? :roll:

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hi, in answer to all your concerns, im 24 and have been on bisprolol for about 4 months and Im shattered all the time now! so no, its not middle/old age!I have to go for a lie down every day after work or il fall asleep whilst watching tv in the evenings.I also get RLS, and numbness in my hands, weakness in my muscles and really bad allergys now as side effects. my dads on it too and he's 54.xx
  • chrissy16
    chrissy16

    Posted

    Hi,

    I think the reason why people put on weight is that we cant do things that we used to because of the massive tiredness and lethargy that we experience on these drugs. Your body feels like really heavy, and it is a job to lift your legs. I used to love walking too but now it is a no, no!! I try to do things, but it is very hard. I also have an ache in my chest, not a pain, just an ache and I have missed beats too. I dont know what the answer is really......

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Hi, all sounds very familiar,fatigue,not wanting to exercise, chest pain.You think Bisoporols bad you should give Atenalol a go boy its kicks the crap out of you big time !

    I feel knackered all the time get up at 5am to do horses and in bed at 9pm . I guess we're all perhaps lucky to have been diagnosed so many folks walking around who just drop dead ! there's cheery thought. Keep going thats all i can say and good luck Can't wait to end up having my open heart surgery that my cardiologist keeps talking about ,NOT !!!! :roll:

  • Mick_S.
    Mick_S.

    Posted

    Hi everybody, I am new to this site but I would say to everyone of you, DO NOT GIVE UP. I have been on Bisoprolol for the last 3 yrs , am in remision 6yrs from MYELOMA cancer, have HBP. and fast heartbeat & arythmea. I keep getting back to playing tennis, American square dancing and various other activities. Had to give these things up once again as my heart has started racing once again so am now exploring deep breathing technique based upon 15minsof concentrated breathing of less than 8/10 breaths per min. Up to date promisinng results check out" resperate" avaliable on the NHS> in some cases. Will keep you posted. Oh, I am 84 yrs old in September and I hope to get back to my activities + my two Choirs by then.
  • sharon1063
    sharon1063

    Posted

    Hi there,I am feeling glad that somebody feels exactly like i do ;tired and fed up with it all.I suffered a heart

    attack in June 2011 ,the doctors have subsequently found that i have a hole in my heart and have prescribed

    Bisoprolol 10mg for me.I am finding it difficult to walk and my balance seems to be affected but my Doctor

    thinks its not a problem and everybody says to me 'well at least your alive'!!! I am only 45 and i want to get on with my life. Everybody seems loathed to change my tablets,if a Doctor is reading this,any suggestions

    would be greatly received.Thank you.

  • bilko1956
    bilko1956

    Posted

    Hi. I'm 57 and have been taking Bisoprolol since my angina / heart attack on Xmas eve 2011 (woohoo!) and have suffered from crippling fatigue and weight gain (3 st) ever since. But because I have various other med problems, all of the 'speciallists' and my GP keep blaming my symptoms on something other than their speciality (e.g. overeating,giving up smoking and lack of exercise!)

    My question to you all is: Is there an alternative to Bisoprolol that does not cause more problems than it solves?

    Thanks for reading. Bilko1956, Devon

    • rosemary66682
      rosemary66682 Slipware

      Posted

      Hi

      Is the nebivolol a better beta blocker?

      Since I've been on 1.25mg bisoprolol I have a hard forceful heartbeat and I now get breathless just doing short walks. I used to walk miles a day and didn't experience breathless. I used to ride my bike 20miles a day on the weekends.

      Even pottering at home makes my heart beat hard. Normal BMP but hard.

    • GliderGuider
      GliderGuider rosemary66682

      Posted

      Hi Rosemary, that is not my experience with Bisoprolol! However as we are finding out, side effects are different for everyone.  Try taking half the dose after breakfast and the other half after an evening meal, that worked to reduce my side effects to a very much more bearable level within quite a short time - as I remember it was 1 to 2 weeks. Now almost a year on, apart from very slight annoyances, I would say I was back to normal. Although I do get that slight heart 'fluttery' feeling from time to time, but it doesn't stop me doing anything.

      Good luck.

  • kittenD
    kittenD

    Posted

    Hi I am so glad that have found this discussion . I am 46 and was diagnosed with heart failure 2 years ago. Since then everything has changed and sometimes it feels that the side effects are worse than the condition. I do realise that without the pills I would be probably dead but with all the side effects it can really pull me down. I was relieved to see that the weight gain, weariness, lack of get up and go was not all in my head!! I also have nightmares and am losing my hair, which as a woman I am finding particularly hard to deal with. As you can see I am not very enthusiastic about bisoprolol however there doesn't seem to be an alternative so far my docs don't see it as a problem as my heart is now ok.

    Thanks for reading

  • SidGeeza
    SidGeeza

    Posted

    Hi I am 41 and had a heart attack 3 weeks ago. Since then I was on Bisoprolol 2.5mg and after the 1st week every day was getting worse. It felt like my heart was put inside a cage which was too small. I had constant breathing fluctuations and then at times serious difficulty breathing. There was massive pulsating headaches, some chest tightening, also light headedness, incoherence, depression, tingling arms shoulders, and definitely made me really tired. I was unable to walk for 5 minutes without problems. I changed the times at which I was having the drug to determine that these were side effects from the drug and everything happened the exact same number of hours. Peak is 2 to 4 hours and the half life is 10 to 12 hours. If I took it at 9am I was absolutely fine again by 8-9pm. If I took it at 1PM I was perfectly fine before taking it all morning and after taking it I was totally messed up until 1AM.

    I cant imagine you guys who are on 10mg, however from everything that I have read this is the best beta blocker and most tolerable to most people with really good results. If you can stay on it that's good, but I really couldn't. I tried halving the tablet one day i.e 1.25mg and it was better but still too much for me. I told my doc and he has just put me on a calcium channel blocker (Diltiazem) to see how that goes. He said the difference is that its not proven to stop 2nd occurance of heart attacks but is does lower blood pressure.

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