Bisoprolol buddies

OMG my new doc listened to me. He still would prefer me to take digoxin and the warfarin,but when i explained my issues with these drugs he was happy enough with my decision. He said the new anti-coagulant has no antidote but he would prescribe it if i wanted . He said that obviously the bisoprolol wasn't doing the job,so i am off it from now my cardio doc had said i had a chad score of 3,i reckon it is 2! When asked my GP said 1 point for over 65,1 point cos i'm female and 1 for hypertension! I had taken BP readings to my GP and he agreed that my BP is excellent---so the hosp reading must have been unusually high(probably cos i get so stressed out)Don't know why the cardio doc hadn't read my medical notes as my BP has been fine everytime I'd had it checked at the surgery. Just hope my travel insurer will listen and continue to cover my trips to France!.

Hello elizabeth, very interesting...wonder if I will get same sort of doctor next month. In Feb I was rudely told on ward that I had discontinued bisoprolol (wasnt even on it) and was sent home on it. Tried to tell him but he wouldnt listen so now gp thinks its needed. Just shows you what happens when patient isnt allowed to speak up. Insurance may ask for gp letter. My pulse was up apparently at times to l45 (may be once at that) told them it was due to my foot injury was very painfull when tested, this was ignored, surley pain will tend to put pulse up. More care should be taken when this medication is prescribed, notes should be read and patient asked about medication, no idea why he thought I was on it., he wasnt a junior doctor. Hope all goes well for your hols.

Hi I am 66 years old and

I feel a bit of a fraud after reading all your comments on Bisoprolol the reason for this is I am only on 1.25mg although I also take 2mg of Doxazosin. My story is that I was diagnosed with nonspecific hypertension I was put on coarse of Lisinopril which after 3 years began to be less effective for some reason, I also had several bouts of arrhythmia so I was put onto Bisoprolol which stopped the arrhythmia but not the hypertension so that is when I was given the Doxazosin this worked well for a month or so but then I started getting depressive headaches 3 or 4 times a week Paracetamol had no effect but eating food sometimes helped, Any way I stopped the Bisoprolol which stopped the headaches but then I had a short bout of the arrhythmia after 2or 3 day of not taking them so I then cut the tablet in half and in effect reduced my dose to 0.62mg so far blood pressure with in parameters and no arrhythmia headaches a lot less frequent.

My best to all.

I saw yet another GP at the practice I am (soon will be WAS registered with), and as soon as I mentioned I was thinking of suing the hospital that not only failed to warn me of the dangerous side effects of Bisoprolol but also didn't even ask if I wanted to see the info leaflet that comes with it, he said he couldn't possibly prescribe an alternative and wanted to know the name of the cardiologist who 'treated' me in hospital. I'm now about to leave this practice after over 20 years. They were never very good anyway, frankly. In fact just about two months ago I saw another GP there, and he said I had an infection, gave me a prescription and told me to take it to the chemists, go home and stop worrying, this despite the fact that I was clearly getting worse by the minute. I made it a few yards outside and could go no further so I rang 999 and was in Intensive Care within an hour.

Enough of these jokers!

Off bisoprolol today,went food shopping,came home had lunch and then started with a fuzzy head and felt very anxious. I used my pulse monitor and scary it registered 144bpm! This happened within a few hours of not taking the bisoprolol. I took the 2.5mg at 2pm. fet better in 2/3 hours! O think its going to be difficult to wean off these tablets especially after 3 years!!! my doc suggested atenenol! He said try it for 2 weeks and come back and discuss. I know that this can also cause side effects but i am willing to give it a go especially as i know i now have a doc who understands me and my health problem. He is a very compassionate man and i am so relieved to have this GP. I feel i have won the lottery!!!!

I am so sorry when i read your recent posts on lack of understanding ,superior attitudes,basically lack of communication skills. I know cos Ive been there.

Travel insurance not yet sorted,but thanks for your post. Will let you know how it goes!!!

richard, Just wondered what was diagnosed when in intensive care., sems like a slip up that needs careful sortingby you and medical folk if possible about correct reason for some medication. Fully understand your very upset but suing will not help, try calmly sorting out situation with gp who will listen and understand if possible. My hospital slip up was really caused by doctor blaming me for discontinued biproposal when it was gp that stopped it after 1st day (had chest infection) and blamed me, then didnt listen when I attemted to explain. On indsight he could have asked why I had stopped it instead he was annoyed. At times the pulse went up due to foot pain but again I wasnt listened to. These thing happen friction is caused when not intended. Again some doctors follow other doctors diagnosis instead of working out themself. My gp put me on it as emergency then assessing situation took me off it which hospital dr misunderstood and blamed me...a mistake which shouldnt have happened. Try and start again with same practice if possible as all needs to be sorted out to improve your health, otherwise let next gp sort you out try and make sure has dealings with heart problems as this could help. Most doctors will help if all calm down.Naturally you are upset as its your health and you do not want to end up in intensive care again.

elizabeth, shame about pulse, at least you have doctor who understands. That seems to be a stubling block with biproposal, perhaps thats why gp didnt continue it for me but cause mistake by hosp., doctor thinking I had discontinued it. Mobile Unit is making progress with my injured foot, possible will need operation. At last getting explanations which can be understood, so seems there is hope in future. Very helpful staff.

Hi Osborne, strictly speaking the reason I ended up in intensive care wasn't really related to my heart. I had a urinaty tract infection that had got into the blood, and antibiotic tablets wouldn't have done anything and I'd have been dead within a few hours. That, combined with the refusal of this (another) GP to prescribe an alternative to Bisoprolol is why I have now left this GP practice. It seems the only competent doctors there were the locum's that I've exclusively seen over the last 10-15 years. It's now thought that the main reason I got the infection was because at the time I was on a high dose of steroids .to lower my immune system because it had started killing my own red blood cells. I strongly suspect that that was in fact also causef by Bisoprolol. to see the info leaflet, let alone tell me I should read it, and you want me to NOT sue them??? Fat chance, I'm afraid. I'm not religious, and so far as I'm aware I only have one life, and three months of it have been wasted battling breathlessness, an ever worsening ability to walk, and who knows what further damage to my heart. Sorry, but if I possibly can I'll sue the hospital.

Apologies, this horrible mobile phone has mangled this post yet again.

richard, Fair enough. A locum doctor helped me once when \i was having problems with youg child when other doctors blamed me...we changed drs. Like you say we only have one life and we want the best possible care. I took the tablet for few weeks as was given on discharge from hospital February, it was a foolish thing to do as gp had discontinued after one dose. The hospital though I had. Anyway lets hope all goes well with your care now. I am having loads of trouble with hospital about foot injury that happened in hospital.....was told nothing wrong and ignored. Strange that 8 month later am using 3 wheel walker, was housebound for weeks and get loads pain/discomfort. Had to fight for interest as I want it sorted like you. After being very active am now an invalid.Some tell me after clinic appointment am ok, others try to give medication. Heart medication is so confusing, did get angina but under control now with 30mg Imdur and asprin so that bisoprolol is out of the question as no way will take now. Am on own so no one to back me up when drs dont listen or misunderstand.

Hi Osborne, hope you get better soon. I dread being unable to walk or look after myself. One patient in the bed opposite me on one of my numerous recent stays in hospital tried to persuade me to let them take me home in a wheelchair. I not only refused, but have to admit I flew off the handle a bit. Anyway, to get back to Bisoprolol, I'd strongly recommend you read the side effects part of the info leaflet. It's scary, I warn you.

All the best.

have any of you been put on antenonol? I haven't started taking it as yet. I'm feeling very apprehensive of stopping the bisoprolol and replacing it with the atenonol. So wary i haven't collected my prescription!!! Yesterdays episode was horrid! How the hell can i stop the bisoprolol?

I fully sympathise with all of you that have lousy GP's!!! Well they can treat you as if you were a chid! No questions asked!!! I was going to change Gp practice had I received poor info and was also going to ask to be referred to electro-cardio doc at Liverpool heart hosp.I have done loads of research and have had this hosp rec.but who knows if i would get a doc who would CONSULT with me. Anyhow ,for the moment i'm staying put with my new GP.

Well i'm sick to my back teeth of all of this and am thinking the only way to get to the bottom of what is wrong with me is to make a complaint to the hospital.

My old heart dr and g.p. hardly told me anything about what was/is wrong with my heart, I have now moved and my new g.p. says he can't tell me anything as he knows nothing about me! I finally get to go the new hospital to see my new heart consultant, not only do I get thrown in to see a locum who knows nothing about me, but they tell me they don't think I have heart failure, ???? Well if I don't have heart failure, how come I cant live without Bisoprolol and ramipril... Bisoprolol is a drug made to lower blood pressure ( yes I have looked all this up and read it thoroughly lol) but the as the side effects of Bisoprolol cause the heart to slow down, it is also used for people with heart failure. I have never ever had high blood pressure, but for some reason after have chemo for cancer, my heart cannot slow down,, it races wildly and the hospital told me if I don't slow it down I will have a heart attack... they said it is like a grown man running a marathon constantly for days and nights on end without a single break, he would have a heart attack, and that is they way I will head...so they give me bisoprolol and ramipril to slow my heart down, and it has, my heart is still often too fast, but not to the extent of having a heart attack... I get chest pain, and I have around 10,000 missed beats a day some days, yes that is a horrendous amount and no one knows whats doing this but they say its fine!!! When I get these missed beats all I can do is lay down, I can't move. But o one in the medical world knows why any of this is happening, and they now say I don't have heart failure...SO WHY AM I ON HEART FAILURE TABLETS, and even though im on 7.5 mg of bisoprolol, they are thinking of putting me on 10mg....I have tried 3 times now to slowly wean myself off of them, and I have done this very carefully and responsibly, but my heart just cannot cope...its awful I become totally disabled and unable to breath. Im so confused with these drs saying different things, I think a complaint may be the only option here xx

It's true that both Ramipril and Bisoprolol do slow the heart down. Bisoprolol also makes it beat more steadily, in my experience at least, so both of these drugs can and are used for conditions other than heart gauge. I have no doubt whatever that the vast majority of people on both of these drugs do not have heart failure. I do, so I must apologise if I've confused you. However I will repeat my warning go read the side effects on the info leaflet.

Apologies, should have been heart failure. Damn auto correct...