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Help with Bisopropol withdrawal

Posted , 2 users are following.

susan71734
susan71734

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I started to lower my dose of 3/4 of 1.25 mg bisoprolol 5 weeks ago but after only 8 days, had to reinstate dose due to horrible withdrawal symptoms, such a shock, just wasnt expecting that! GP said i would have no problems! 4 weeks on and my HR and BP are more or less stable but I'm not. before all this, i would take my pill in the morning, off to work and feel pretty much stable all day. Now I have to take it at 6 am cos im so jittery, then I'm so tired all morning but by mid afternoon i feel better but all day i have really shaky legs now which i didnt have before. I was expecting to go back to how i was before but it just hasnt happened. Has anyone else experienced this? I've been off work for 4 weeks now and go onto 1/2 pay soon so I'm getting very worried. Has anyone successfully gone back onto old dose of BB?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Lolasmom
    Lolasmom susan71734

    Edited

    Oh Susan, I was very anxious to reply back to you. I wanted to let you know, that you are not alone.

    I had a horrendous experience with biso.

    A little back ground......

    I was put on 5 mg of biso as I started having SVT. I took it 4 months in total.

    I took 5mg for 2 months, and had so many side affects, that my cardiologist told me to half the dose to 2.5mg

    I continued with the 2.5mg for the next 2 months. I had withdrawals with the decrease but did not put 2 and 2 together.

    So, I decided to have an ablation for my tachycardia. My cardiologist told me to stop the biso 5 days prior to the ablation date. I made a point of asking him if that was okay to just stop. He assured me that it was NOT a problem.

    Well, it was a huge problem. I went into full withdrawal. My anxiety went through the roof. I could not even function. I remember trying to walk from the car to the hospital for my procedure, and my legs had no strength and were so jittery. This went on for some time, and started almost immediately when I stopped taking it.

    The problem was.....I did not at the time think this was withdrawal from the biso. I had never taken a beta blocker before and knew nothing about them.

    I just thought it was anxiety because of the procedure. So my gp put me on a benzo and trazodone...What a mess I got myself into. I took those for 18 months, and then had the gueling task of having to very slowly wean off those 2 drugs which took about 9 months. And even after that I had protracted withdrawal.

    I just did not realize that this was biso withdrawal. If I had known, I never would have started those other 2 nasty drugs.

    If I knew then what I know now.

    I had those jittery legs for a very long time Susan.

    You atleast have been weaning off. Me, I went cold turkey on the biso.

    I feel I lost about 3 years of my life from taking the biso for only 4 months

    And when I was on the biso, I had such fatigue. I could hardly get off the sofa. Also my hands and feet were freezing all the time

    Just wanted to let you know, if I can help in anyway, let me know.

    • susan71734
      susan71734 Lolasmom

      Posted

      Hi Lolasmom, thanks so much for taking the time to reply. I have read your previous posts and an so sorry for everything youve been through. I just don't know what to do now. My GP suggested i change to metropolol but i refused. i didnt have many problems with bisoprolol at first, just felt a bit sluggish but it didnt stop me leading a normal life. Then about 8 months after taking it i had food poisoning and asked my G P if i could stop taking the biso for a couple of days as i couldnt eat and it was making me feel funny he said fine. I was ok for a day or 2 but then i felt very strange so i starting taking it again but only 1/2 dose and felt great, not sluggish anymore. In December last year I spoke to arrythmia nurse who said i really should be taking full dose was reluctant but gradually upped it to 3/4. a couple of months ago i started to experience some weakness in legs so GP said im on such a low dose just come off biso, id read about withdrawal so agreed to cut down from 3/4 to 1/2. then was so shocked to experience these symptoms GP said go back up to 3/4. Now i feel im stuck. everything else seems to have settled except for these shaky legs. Have got telephone appt with EP at the end of June, I cant work because my job is very physical but I go onto 1/2,pay in a few weeks and Im single so dont have another wage to rely on. ive read that other people go back on BB when they cant cope with withdrawals so thought i would be ok. sorry for long post .

    • Lolasmom
      Lolasmom susan71734

      Posted

      I was going to ask you the reason you were on biso in the beginning, but since reading you reply, it sounds like you might have SVT too.

      I have gone 3x for attempted ablation but never ablated. Long long story.

      Yes, I do think you can come off the biso. You can try dropping less than an 1/4 at the time. I remember shavings tiny bits off the benzo and trazodone every couple of weeks.

      I have never found my EP very helpful when it comes to situations like this. He just looks at me like I have 3 heads.

      I remember telling my EP, I would rather have tachy episodes than feel the way I did on biso

    • susan71734
      susan71734 Lolasmom

      Edited

      Hi, I dont have SVT I have Left Bundle Branch Block which is a type of arrythmia. I have had ECG s echocardiogram, stress tests and angiogram and no underlying heart problem has been found. EP wants to do EP study but there's no way I can come off BB for 5 days as you did. Seeing different GP on Monday and my usual GP is trying to get me an appt with my EP , he has been very supportive but basicallyy doesnt know what to suggest but at least he hasnt said its all in my head! ive been on biso for 16 months and the thought of weaning off terrifies me

    • Lolasmom
      Lolasmom susan71734

      Posted

      Well, I wish you the very best.

      I'm here if you every want to chat

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