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Struggling with side effects, but what is causing them...

Posted , 12 users are following.

Britestar74
Britestar74

Hello everyone,  I apologise for the long post.

I am a 40 year old male who is struggling with many of the side effects that many of you have mentioned. Following a heart attack 4 years ago, I had a stent fitted and was given a cocktail of drugs (Atorvastatin 80mg, Ramipril 10mg, Bisoprolol 5mg, Clopidogrel, Asprin).  Ever since I have been experiencing extremem tiredness and dizziness every single day.  The sysmptoms start around 11am and progressively get worse to the point when I feel I am going to pass out. I suddenly feel cold (especially hands) and light headed and have to fight hard to make it through each working day.  It feels like I have been drugged and I am constantly in a dazed zombie like state.  I also have such vivid dreams that wake me up in a panic sometimes.  I get dizzy when I move my head or when I am in the supermarket around a lot of people and motion.  I switched to taking my meds in the evening but that did not help.  The GP's just dont seem to be concerned at all and have said it is stress or lack of sleep or diet.  I have had many blood tests, 24h heart and BP monitor but everything is clear.  

The strange thing is that all my symptoms seem to get better in the evening after I get home from work.  I even manage go to the gym in the evenings and feel totally fine. I should also mention that I am NOT stressed out and I enjoy my work. 

I am convinced that my issues are caused by my meds but how can I tell which one)s) is causing the problems.  I really am struggling and cannot feel this bad much longer.  I have put up with it for 4 years but it is now getting worse and affecting my work and life.

Any help would be appreciated.

1 like, 22 replies

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  • dh29599
    dh29599 Britestar74

    Posted

    Hello, Britestar74 ! ........ Without a doubt - my hat off to you for keeping yourself going for 4 years with all those side-effects {SEs}........

    I've been on Biso... for ?... forever ...? was put on it sometime after my 1987 MI @ 5mg,  but it was increased from 5mg to 10 mg about 14 years ago, to relieve escalating BP....and that's when the SEs became worse.   I soon figured out that the a.m.- misery could be much improved, by just taking the Biso in the p.m. with food {pretty full stomach}.  Have you tried just changing this one medication to late evenings, and not into an empty stomach..??? 

    Please do not just discontinue... without giving  yourself,  AND the Doc the respectful chance to run "LABS" while you are still "ON" it, and then again a few days later, when you are "OFF"  it   !!!

    Biso is NOT like a pain-medication.... It's effects are too complicated in your system - and especially with your drug-cocktail - which may have to be changed somewhat as well if you take Biso out of the drugcocktail-equation - for you to just stop it cold  WITHOUT  a cardiologist's supervision, as it has longterm effects as well... !!!

    I recently read a review that stated that Biso only causes SEs in 1 out of 10 patients, which is exactly why Drs. do not often react too vividly to the SE-complaint....  They also think the patient may adapt and put up mentally with the SEs--- or the SEs will diminish as your physiology adapts .... so they leave you on the Biso - waiting for your reaction on each consequtive OV further down the road........

    PLEASE -  do the change with the cardiologist's supervision -  which is exactly what I plan to do after researching other betablockers - and with the help of my  CARDIOLOGIST , not the Family-doctor,  as my dizzines-SE has become dangerous, causing falls and stumbling about !!

    BISOPROLOL  IS  SUPPOSED  TO  HELP KEEP US FROM ANOTHER  MI,

    AND HELP KEEP  BP  IN  CONTROL ---  STOPPING IT  NEEDS TO BE UNDER  SUPERVISION OF THE EFFECTS SHOWN BY CONSEQUTIVE LABS.......... not just the absence of those "cotton-picking" SEs. !!!!!!!!   I do wish you well  !!!!!!!!!!!!--- 03/09/15 

    • elizabeth_12
      elizabeth_12 dh29599

      Posted

      You are so bang on! Well put. 

      I hope you are feeling better too. I read about the psychological effect knowing that meds can cause side effects..think it was called NOCEBO effect...not placebo! My answer to that is....I absolutely know that my side effects are real and not brought about by a chemical in my brain caused by knowing I could have side effects. I put up with them for years before I questioned the meds!

       Hope you get sorted. Take care.

  • elizabeth_12
    elizabeth_12 Britestar74

    Posted

    I was also put on 10 mgs of rampril and 10 mgs of bisoprolol. As I've said earlier the side effects were really bad and I just put up with them until I read comments on this site. I then wanted some answers. You may have read my earlier posts so I won't repeat the problems I've had. 

     I'm not on a statin,but my friend is . He has had terrible dizzy bouts and is trying other meds. He has v high blood pressure and heart problem.

     I agree with dh, don't reduce or stop the meds without your docs consent. Any 3 of these meds can cause you the side effects you've listed here. The sensible thing to do is to get some plain and informative help from your doc. The meds are one problem for me but the nightmare is the lack of help I get from my GP. I feel that I am the one pushing the agenda!

     Hope you're feeling better.

    i agree with 

  • julie1717
    julie1717 Britestar74

    Posted

    I've recently started bisoprolol 1.25 -7weeks ago and can vouch that it causes bad dreams /nightmares as I'm often waking anxious abut what I've been dreaming. The drug leaflet States this. I've also started with muscle aches. I'm taking it for heart valve problems and high pulse rate which its sorted and reduced my shortness of breath loads so I'm insistent I'm staying on it at the moment. Just take paracetamol when i need to. Hope yr symptoms are settling 
    • derek76
      derek76 julie1717

      Posted

      I would settle for sleep with bad dreams rather than the insomnia that has been worsened by it.

      Atenolol was the one that gave me strange dreams.

  • lisa34514
    lisa34514 Britestar74

    Posted

    Im wondering can i get advice.. im 24 yrs old and my life has drastically changed last 2 months. In and out of doctors with them sending me home i was feeling dizzy weak fast heart rate. Finally got fitted with heart monitor and confirmed my heart goes too fast. I was put on 2.5mg bisoprolol and had an echo. That was fine. 2 weeks in had bad night heart rate 130 shortness of breath so was put on 5mg. 4 days on that n im constantly dizzy heart rate is sometimes 90-100s in high 70s in mormin. Doc said it mustn be working and to start 7.5mg today . Will it get rid of dizziness?
  • mary25307
    mary25307 Britestar74

    Posted

    Hi Britestar74 - i too had problems getting my GP to take my symptoms seriously.  Can I suggest you write down your symptoms and give them to your GP.  For some reason when they are put in writing, it seems to sink in whereas when you speak to your GP sometimes the emotion comes through and detracts from what you are saying. And its taking far longer than 24 hours for me to get Bisoprolol out of my system,
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