Bisoprolol withdrawal

Hi there

Yes I have now been off bisoprolol completely for 51 days but it has not been easy.I am still suffering palpitations 24/7 and was blue lighted to hospital 2 weeks ago with palpitations at the rate of 12 to 16 a minute. They did all the tests and advised me to ask my doctor to urge a palpitation clinic appointment which they did two weeks ago and I have still heard nothing.

have tried various things to try and ease the palps, magnesium, CoQ10, potassium and now Holy Basil but so far nothing has helped. i think the bisoprolol has damaged my heart. The anxiety and insomnia was awful, used to wake up shaking and terrified every morning for about four weeks. Still have jitters and nervousness throughout the day but not as bad.

I feel very sorry for anyone who is taking bisoprolol or having to come off it. Alot of people are unable to get off it due to the withdrawal and rebound symptoms but I can say I dont feel like a zombie any more and can breath much easier.

Thanks so much for your reply and I'm sorry you're going through this and for so long! It does sound on the whole like some of your symptoms are improving so stay hopeful the palpitations will as well. My mom's now been back on bisoprolol for two weeks and is still experiencing most of the inital withdrawal symptoms (shakes, anxiety, insomnia) which is just mind-blowing that those have not stabilized with reintroduction of the drug, i am hopeful they will.

Good luck and let me know how you're doing in the future.

Thank you for your kind reply.

i just take one day at a time. i have read where it takes some people months to recover and some still have symptoms even a year later.

Has you mum tried the Bach remedy drops for the anxiety. They are a bit expensive but they have help me.

Doctors and consultants do not realise what some people go through with bisoprolol. I though my initial side effects would go after a while but they only got worse. i also never suffered with anxiety or depression before bisoprolol and my doctor disregarding that fact and said it was impossible because bisoprolol helps anxiety.

I hope your mum soon feels better but if not I would ask her doctor if there is an alternative beta blocker she can take that does not give so many side effects and if she ever does come off them she would not suffer such bad withdrawal or rebound effects.

How did everything turn out?

how did you do this? Im trying my hardest but the ectopics get so bad and scary i take them again. I am at my wits end sadly

Thank you for your message.

i have now been off bisoprolol for 10 weeks and still suffering badly with palpitations. I think the bisoprolol has probably damage my hear rhythm in some way. I was even admitted to hospital 4 weeks ago because i was getting between 12 and 16 ectoptics every minute for several hours and it was making me very breathless and lightheaded. Other than the palpitations I feel so much better being off bisoprolol. Most peoples palpitations seem have have gone completely in four to six weeks. i have been referred to a palpitation clinic urgently (6 weeks ago) but unfortunately due to Covid the hospital seems to have stopped all out patient appointments.

Goo luck and I hope you soon get over any beta blocker rebound.

Thanks for the reply. When do you get your palps? If I get up and walk they start but after I sit down they go away after a few minutes so they seem to be better. When I was on metoprolol the palps I would get them after I ate or moved and they would last 6-8 hours. Im just ready for them to stop. Please keep in touch and let me know how your doing. Thanks

I get mine on and of all day and night but worse in the evening. I can have them continuous for between 4 to 5 hours at a time. I hope your rebound soon gets better, mine except for the palps was about four weeks when i began to feel really normal again.

Good luck

Palps are still very bad. Cardiology consultant has totally discharged me as he says they are not life threatening, I have never seen a cardiologist at the hospital only a cardiac nurse. The cardiologist also suggested to my GP that started back on bisoprolol. He obviously didnt read my hospital notes telling me to stop biso because of serious side effects. I have now asked my doctor is he would refer me to Sanjay Gupter at Yorks cardiology as he has done extensive research on ectopics.

i really would have thought after three and a half months they would have become less frequent and not as many.

Thank you so much for your concern and have a happy christmas .

Have a Merry Christmas. It will get better. Neil

I have seen Mr Gupta myself and had a 7 day monitor. I was informed they are benign but unless youve had them, you have no idea! I was moved from Propranolol to Bisoprolol and the headaches are unbearable. Tried to taper down but ectopics were bad i went back. Dr Gupta wants me to try Ivabradine but yet another med? I dont think so.

i have been off bisoprolol for 4 months and on some days i can get ectopics every 2nd or 3rd beat. They are far worse than prior to going on bisoprolol. i have arranged a private video appointment with Dr Gupter and am hoping that he can help me but like yourself I do not want to go on any further medication. The 8 months I was weaning off biso was a nightmare. Prior to biso I was getting about 7000 ectopics a day now they can be up to over 20000 when i am having a bad day and very very distressing. I hope Dr Gupter is going to tell me that it could still be rebound from the biso and not that he thinks I should have an abalation as so many people who have had the abalation still suffer from ectopics.

I have an implantable ILR fitted but all my local hospital stay is that I am having thousands of ectopics and do nothing about it.

Have you tried taking magnesium citrate or taurate supplement theses can sometimes help although they havent helped me.

Hey Linda, how are your palps?

Hey Nanny, how are your palps? Are you better? Neil

Hi Neil

Had to pay for further private consultation. 7 day monitor showed that I am having approximately 12000 palps a day. Consultant has kindly referred me back to the NHS where i shall be having further tests on June 1st and also to discuss with an electrophysiologist about having a cardiac ablation. (not to sure about that )

I read an article where taking large amounts of taurine and L-Arginine help to more or less stop the palps. I didnt want to take the large amount so I am now taking 1250mgs a day of taurine which does help to soften the pounding but not the large volumn of palps. The L-Arginine I stopped taking because it caused me alot of aggitation.

Thanks for the tip, I went and read the articles so I just ordered both. Im gonna give it a try. Keep in touch. Neil

Hey Nanny, how long did it take for the Taurine to take effect for you. Thanks

Hi Neil

It took about a week for the palps to soften and i was getting a few less throughout the day and at night before going to sleep the ectopics were about every 12th beat and continues to stay like that. I have read on Health unlocked that a couple of people are taking up to 6 500gms of taurine a day and it has cut their palpitation down by 90%. They are also taking 500mgs of L-Arginine 3 times a day but they make me very aggitated. Dr Gupta said it was OK to take 3 500gms of taurine a day and one 500gms of L-Arginine.

i shall ask the electrophysiologist who I see on June 1st how long it is advisable to stay on the taurine and if I could increase it without doing any harm. Will let you know what they say.

I also take 200mgs of Magnesium Citrate in the evening which helps me sleep.

Hi Nanny knitting, I am new to forum but have been following your posts for a few weeks as I will probably have to start weaning off bisoprolol fairly soon. My GP lowered my dose of 3/4 of 1.25 mg to 1/2 a tablet but i had such a reaction I reinstated the dose 8 days later. i have not stabilised really as i wake up each day shaking until i take my dose so i know im in withdrawal still. i am trying to take the same amount each day to minimise withdrawal symptoms until i see my cardiologist next week. My question is, how do you manage to get the pill weight exact? i really struggle, the weight goes up and down so much ( i'm using small jewellery scales i got from amazon) even a tiny difference in weight affects me. i know you used this method to wean off. im so sorry you are still experiencing palpitations , this is an evil drug, i didnt even know i had a problem with it til i lowered my dose, dont know who was the most shocked, me or my GP. best wishes to you