Stopping BISOPROLOL

Hi Benny

Some time ago, my cardiologist tried to start me on Ranolazine. We discovered that this interact with beta blockers & calcium channel blockers.

We also discovered that beta blockers interact with calcium channel blockers.

whilst I am not taking Ranolazine, I'd still like to come off beta blockers and eventually CCB too.

I am doing quite well with my present diet regim and I feel that I will reach a stage where I will be able to control all these problems with diet alone.

Right now, I feel that any adverse effect that I am experiencing is probably  due to the fact that I have been taking BISOPROLOL for a very long time and the body is responding just like an addict would respond.

i may be wrong on this issue and would welcome your opinion.

Sean

I speculate what you are feeling is increased / changed blood pressure. Bisoprolol​'s action is really quite specific to only a few parts of the body, those being the heart (obviously) and kidney but blood pressure is everywhere

Thanks Benny

So, the question is that now that I am at such a low level of this cardio specific beta blocker, can I afford to take a risk and go cold turkey by stopping it altogether?

Sean

Sean,

I would not go cold turkey but gradually reduce the frequencyof taking your tablet, or reduce the doserate.  May be worth talking it over with your GP, that's what they are there for (rather than bother the cardiologist).  My BPcame down initially when I started taking the Bisoprolol but has gradually crept up again, that's what I am worried about, although worrying about it probably makes it worse!  If it gets back to where it was before I was on Bisoprolol I will see my GP. :-(

I've been taking bisop for several years..10 mgs. At my request it was changed to Atenolol 100 mgs. This was reduced to 50, then 25 mgs. With GP's approval. The side effects from the b blockers have been really bad ( see previous posts). I decided to wean myself off the beta blocker ,keeping a check on BP and HR. This was my decision only! I cut the tablet and eventually none was taken. BP and HR hasn't changed. Side effects almost gone. I feel I've wasted 6 years zombie like state. 

   The weaning off was horrendous....not every day, but I had lots of intense side effects. When reading up this is fairly standard when you stop them. Also it can take months to get them out of your system. 

  There's an excellent article by dr Johnny...a cardiologist who also has AF. Look at the " legacy" article too. The latest research is so enlightening. Change lifestyle, I've lose weight + other stuff! Apparently the heart muscle can remodel so to lose weight will reduce BP, cholestrol, diabetes type 2 . I'm now trying to lose weight...3 stone on since the betablocker was taken! 

  Do your research. It's good to hear and get support here,but read up the prof stuff, ask your GP ( not that mine was prepared to listen or answer me), read all here,then make an informed decision. Reading your post ,I think we are singing from the same hymn sheet. Good luck.

Sorry Sean the article to look at is drjohnm. It was very helpful.

Many thanks Glider and Elizabeth.

​I hope to slowly reduce the dose. At present I am taking 1.25mg 5 days of the week. I shall reduce this to 4 days, than 3 days.

​But than time will come when I will have to stop it altogeher ( when the dosage is small enough). I felt that stage may have arrived!

​GP don't really want to know. Besides, their knowledge on specialist subjects is questionable.

Taking the risk depends how foolhardy you are, I personally (a middle aged man) would be thinking why am I messing about with these insignificant doses when I could technically just stop. A bit of headache with / without tinitus and maybe some increased pulse perception, it's like nothing to me really

I 100% agree with your statement about your GP. Mine is just the same...I dread having to go there. I have to have a review of my meds in 2 weeks...done by nurse practitioner. There were no apps in April for me to see any of our GPs! 

  Do you have AF? The latest research... Legacy..is so informative. It's been done by an Australian and I think Scandanavian specialist. I can't give you the exact web page here...it's not allowed. It will help..trust me.

  Good luck with the weaning off...I kept cutting a bit off over a number of weeks. Easy,but the withdrawal wasn't! Many will think me mad...but I feel like a new person! Lots of people need to take it....but it wasn't doing anything positive for me. Hope this helps.

Hi Elizabeth 

 Nurse doing a review of your medication?There is now a system where most surgeries have a pharmacist doing these reviews.That would make a lot of sense to me as pharmacist study for five years and they are regarded as a specialist in this subject.

By all means, get the review done at the surgery and note the result. Then go to your local pharmacist and ask him to do the same.

if you have some time, then sauce a clinical pharmacist. These guys have studied further 3 years on top of their degree. Now there are consultant pharmacist who are even more qualified on an individual speciality, but you only find them in Hospital.

when it comes to drugs, you need to ask pharmacist.

This is how my cardiologist picked up the interactions. I have even had correspondence from the hospital cardiac pharmacist 

BTW, I found drjohnm's site by Googling, but I can't find anything to about legacy.

regards

sean

Thanks. For the info about the pharmacist role. I didn't know!

Do you also have a/fib? If so,the site to look for is google dr praise sanders and he has an article called legacy p1. Its a Medscape interview with dr Johnm. Amazing .It's given me so much hope.....now I've got to shift some more weight...1 stone 10 lbs gone. 

  

Great thing about this forum is the replies one gets that help you to solve the problem.

many thanks for the post, henwalker.

 I have asked many knowledgeable people to help me with that s and I have as many solution that throughly confuses you.

some say that your BP will go up, or your heart rate will rocket, or you will get chest pains, palpitations or lot worse.

thanks again

sean