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I;ve been put on Bisoprolol 1.25 for AF

Posted , 17 users are following.

jean37082
jean37082

Is bisoprolol so bad 

1 like, 57 replies

57 Replies

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  • james57884
    james57884 jean37082

    Posted

    Hello Jean,

    I stopped signining in to this forum some time back.. saw your message, felt that old despair from when I took the drug myself.

    The effects on me were appalling, but doctors looked right through me when I described the terrible complications...

    After a year, I stopped taking them. Got out of bed after the 365th night with no sleep and decided 'no more!'

    I badgered for a second opinion of my AF, insisted I be considered for an ablation. That was a couple of years back. Within three months, I got what I asked for, and to date, I have had no AF...

    Don't just suffer - change medication 'til it suits YOU, or try what I did.

    Best wishes,

    Jim M.

  • alzheimer
    alzheimer jean37082

    Posted

    Sorry I am so late in replying to your post Jean but the short answer is yes BISOPROLOL is a real sod.

    I was put on it about three years ago and put on the "optimal dose" as they called it of 10 mg ....OMG!    As I told my cardiologist a few weeks ago when I was there for review... I object to being treated with a sledgehammer when the problem turned out to be nothing more than a peanut...LOL   

    I was told initially that I had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and they changed all my medication including threatening me with warfarin and statins.   Luckily I refused the former but unfortunately accepted eventually the statins.... The tale of that you can find on the other forum here.

    Anyway to cut a long story short ....I finally -  having suffered the agonies of the damned - I was so exhausted all the time and my blood pressure was SO low - I weaned myself off it.... right down to 1.25 mg but I was still feeling terrible.

    When I saw my cardiologist recently he agreed I had been put on the stuff wrongly...eeek!   I'm now back onto my very old-fashioned Half Inderal LA.. and I am a happy bunny and in that respect feeling very much better.

    The moral of my story is  - listen to your own body and do not be forced into taking a tablet that does not suit you ....and believe me  BISOPROLOL is not for everybody.

    What is more in this day and age there is a wide choice of drugs for people with similar problems so - ask for an alternative - and do not be put off by being told that it is the "cardio specific of choice."

  • niamh20331
    niamh20331 jean37082

    Posted

    Hi Jean

    I have been put on Amlodopine, silvastatin, asprin and bisprolol (2.5 mg), for high BP and angina. I have been following healthy lifestyle advice for years. It is suspected that my high BP is caused by hyperaldestrone ( adrenal imbalance). I don't take the statin as my cholesterol is not high.

    After suffering with months of feeling exhausted, having leg cramps and fighting off sleep while teaching special year 9 who do a good impression of being hyperactive and high on crack and having to dig deep to find the energy to make my daughter's dinner, I went to my GP who refused to consider exhaustion could be a side effect of meds and offered me an anti depressant as well!!!

    The side effects have just got worse, recently I have fainted twice, the second time I bruised myself quite badly and scared my girl but can't even get an appointment with my doctor. Am taking myself off bisoprolol, as i don't want to injure or kill myself!

    • derek76
      derek76 niamh20331

      Posted

      Why are they treating the BP rather than proving the unerlying cause and treating it? Many of your symptoms or side efects are the same as for

      hyperaldestrone

    • niamh20331
      niamh20331 derek76

      Posted

      I had a ct scan with contrast and blood tests repeated. It was all rushed and then I heard nothing. Asked my GP who told me it could be many months before I hear anything. I have an appointment in early June, but would like a more rapid resolution if possible. I think delays are due to crises in NHS caused by cuts to services.

      .

    • derek76
      derek76 niamh20331

      Posted

      Usually you can see a cardiologist fairly quickly and then the tests take a long time but you seem to have a reverse situation. Did you actually see a cardiologist before having the CT scan?  If so I would phone his secretary and voice your concerns.

      I have previous cardiac history and had my aortic valve replaced in 2012 but was off their books. My GP referred me back to them in early January as he was concerned about my slow heart rate and by now I would have expected an appointment. However a few weeks ago my BP went through the roof and my heart rate became erratic and I went to A&E.  

      They admitted me for two days until things settled down a bit and want me to have a seven day portable ECG monitor and said to expect to see the cardiologist in three months. Why so long? They only have five ECG monitors for a start.

      Prior to my operation they wanted me to have a stress echocardiogram. Despite chasing them and getting a cancellation It was a seventeen week wait. Why ? They had the equipment that had been donated by The Friends of the Hospital but only one doctor was doing the tests and she only had time allotted for the about two hour procedure to do four a week. After I complained they put it up to eight a week.       

    • niamh20331
      niamh20331 derek76

      Posted

      Thank you I will do that if I do not hear soon. I hope you get a good resolution to your health problems soon.
  • Bigderek
    Bigderek jean37082

    Posted

    I have now been on 5mg for over 4 years for paroxysmal AF (brought on by being sick, usually because of migraine). I am 6'1" and just over 16st. I started to have eptopic beats and thats when they put me on that dose. There definatelly does not seem like an exact science to it (my dose was doubled till I no longer felt the eptopic beats). I used to be on Flecainide, but it stopped preventing me going into AF. I used to get Migraine and go into AF on average every 6 months but I have now been AF free for over 2 years (2 x 150mg of Flecainide is used to cardiovert me in A&E). I have had various pills over the past 23 years to treat / control it (I am now 48). I do think that for me and my combination of migraine / AF, Bisoprolol at the 5mg dose is correct. My main side effect seems to be that every now and again I feel like I hit a brick wall of tiredness and have to lie down, but that may only be once or  twice a month.
    • derek76
      derek76 Bigderek

      Posted

      Was it ever explained why being sick brought on AF?

      I'm not clear as to which came first the ectopic beats or AF.

    • Bigderek
      Bigderek derek76

      Posted

      They did 24 hour recording, stress exercise tests, echo, etc...physical all ok, just an electrical problem (although we have always wondered about vaso-vagal). The ectopic beats came only 5 years ago, whereas the sickness infused af was noticed when I was 25.
    • derek76
      derek76 Bigderek

      Posted

      Stimulation of my vagus nerve during a colonoscopy and later after a DRE (digital rectal examination) each caused my BP to drop and put me into AF.
  • fearless
    fearless jean37082

    Posted

    Jean Ive been on it for 6 months and to be honest I feel better and have had no side effects. It has reduced my blood pressure and my AFIB is under control. By the way I am on 7.5 mg. No side effects like many others describe so have to say it is obviously a case by case basis of benfit

    You have to think what the alternative is!!!!

    • lankylass
      lankylass fearless

      Posted

      Hi fearless, Great name!! I am on 10mg of bisoprolol, I have just reverted back to AF after a cardioversion 7 months ago. I was on 5mg when in sinus rhythm and it really didn't affect me. The larger dose does make me feel a bit tired when trying to do any walking but I think it is more the AF rather than the beta blocker. Thanks for the input. Cheers, Lankylass
  • geoff16553
    geoff16553 jean37082

    Posted

    I'm on 1.25mg and have been for several months. I used to be on Atenolol, but one of the quacks thought I'd be better off on this Bisoprolol stuff. I now have fainting spells, where I feel like a deflating balloon. These are immediately followed by several hours of complete memory loss.  My wife videod me, and I wish she hadn't, it shows me as a gibbering wreck.  I eventually return to normal.  These episodes crop up approx twice a week, I actually feel quite good just before the attack, but that's the cunning part, you feel that you are back on track and over the worst, then bam, you're back down again. I also get tightness at the back of my throat during exercise, sweat buckets at night and have lurid dreams.  I can also be just a bit OTT in social situations.  I've had a heart monitor strapped to me for a week and been to the GP, but stll have to await the cardiologist's sayso.  How's that for starters?
    • derek76
      derek76 geoff16553

      Posted

      I am only on 1.25 mg and sweat buckets during exercise. I have just returned my seven day ECG monitor and highlighted that and the tight chest feeling and lack of power from my heart and being very light headed.

      When I was previously taking 2.5 mg my heart rate dropped into the 30's. I wish that I slept well enough to have lurid dreams.

       

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