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The vicious circle that is Bisoprolol

Posted , 4 users are following.

Alexandra123
Alexandra123

Can walk on Bisoprolol but not briskly.  Can walk briskly off Bisoprolol. Bisoprolol or brisk walking?  Can we take a vote? 

Alex

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • josephine32
    josephine32 Alexandra123

    Posted

    I am now off the drug but for the time I took the higher dose of 7.5 mg, which was about a four month period, I was almost incapable of walking anywhere, let alone briskly.  My lowest point was being driven to my favourite shopping area, to be collected an hour later.  I sat in the town square on a bench for the whole period and even the short walk back to the car seemed impossible. My legs felt like they had lead weights attached.  I never told my husband I hadn't even moved.  If you knew how much I like shop browsing, then that just about shows what this drug can do to you.   I am happy to say that I am almost back to my old level of activities.
    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 josephine32

      Posted

      Dear Josephine, James and Bill

      Your comments are so interesting and helpful.  Obviously it's different strokes for different folks. Bill seems to be the best Bisoprolol walker.  I'm more in Josephine and James'  team although, unlike James, I sleep too much.  I used to like shop browsing too, Josephine, but since having my heart attack in a shopping centre, am resuming this habit cautiously!

      I am experiencing a little of the looking at me as if I'm deranged syndrome in the GP's surgery but my pharmacist has been informative and sensitive to my Bisoprolol predicament. My major issue is now keeping the blood pressure stable.  I've only recently had my Ramipril doubled to 5mg of day.  Am taking 2.5 in the morning and 2.5 in the eve. I'm going to stop the Bisoprolol, monitor my blood pressure carefully, step up the walking and see if I survive to tell the tale to this wonderful forum.

      Thanks to you all and have a very good day.

      Alex

    • josephine32
      josephine32 Alexandra123

      Posted

      I take my blood pressure with a wrist cuff morning and evening.  The results swing wildly most times and I rise high (165/102) when stressed but down to as low as 110/70 in the late evening after an evening slobbing out in front of the telly.  This is despite being on Valsartan blood pressure pills.  In fact, no one has suggested Bisoprolol for blood pressure so far.  But most days I am feeling at least medium fine which is a great improvement and nothing would persuade me to take Bisoprolol again under any cicumstances.
    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 josephine32

      Posted

      This is the time of day when I start to get slightly agitated (convinced it's Biso withdrawal) and realise it's time for my Bisoprolol but instead, I am going to sip slowly on a tiny glass of red wine.  I was told that the Biso was primarily prescribed to lower pulse rate  as a precaution but my pulse rate is invariably low.  The Biso does also lower blood pressure but the Ramipril is doing that.  Medium fine doesn't sound bad at all Josephine. Think I'll watch more TV this week and see what happens.  Your final sentence is very encouraging.  Have a good evening. 
    • billhopefull
      billhopefull Alexandra123

      Posted

      Thought I had better qualify my use of the word "briskly" as when I am doing a "brisk" walk I am overtaken by most other walkers including young Mums pushing their 4 X 4 prams. 

      However I do use a pedometer and average around 8000 steps a day.

      We do have a long house though.

    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 billhopefull

      Posted

      Which reminds me that I've only done 3584 today.    Better getter moving pronto.
    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123

      Posted

      The typo is specially for Derek  No-one's perfect.
    • billhopefull
      billhopefull

      Posted

      ......and the "management" gets me running around the house looking for 1 of her 3 pairs of glasses. I have advised of bi-focals but to no avail
    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 billhopefull

      Posted

      Tell the management to hang on for cataracts.  I had two - one eye for distance, the other for reading.  Bizarre at first but one quickly adapts.  All glasses instantly redundant. 
  • james57884
    james57884 Alexandra123

    Posted

    Hi Alexandra,

    I threw away a year of active living on Bisoprolol - and it was not even treating the Paroxymal AFib for which it was prescibed!

    When I metioned the quality-of-life destroying side-effects to GPs, they looked right through me as if I were deranged.

    I didn't sleep for a whole year on that drug, even though it made me feel tired all the time. By the time I took the initiative to stop taking it, I had become little more than a shuffling, foggy-brained zombie.

    From what I read on this site, the drug needs to be withdrawn...

    best wishes,

    James

    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 james57884

      Posted

      Dear James, Josephine and anyone else who has given up Bisoprolol

      How did you come off Bisoprolol?  Did you go cold turkey or reduce gradually?  I've given up my red wine idea.  Wondering whether to take biso every other day for a week and then stop.  Is that unwise? The pills are too small to cut in half.  I'm only on 1.25 mgs.

      Also - on Biso my pulse rate is anything between 50-70.  Off it, it goes up to about 80.  Is that still low?  Will discuss with doc when next I see him but wondered whether you had a view.

      Thanks

      Alex

  • billhopefull
    billhopefull Alexandra123

    Posted

    9 out of 10 days can walk briskly for about 20 mins. Some days it takes 100 metres to get going but always feel better on days I walk. The odd day don't feel like doing too much physically but this may not be because of bisop. of course
  • james57884
    james57884 Alexandra123

    Posted

    Dear Alexandra, I'm neither a doctor, nor an expert. I was on 1.25mg (any higher, and I reckon I'd have been over and out). My life seemed finished but GP looked right through me when I told of my experience...

    I stopped without ado. No weaning, no gradual phasing out. Within a day, I was back to a full, energetic way of life, and no symptoms of withdrawal...

    Best wishes

    (My diagnosis had been Afib (paroxymal).

    • Alexandra123
      Alexandra123 james57884

      Posted

      Thanks, James. Just wanted to hear of your experience which sounds very straightforward.

      Best

      Alex

    • josephine32
      josephine32 Alexandra123

      Posted

      I ended up as an emergency with AFib and flutter and had a pacemaker fitted followed by ablation of the AV node (you can look this procedure up).  I was so despondent at losing a long three year battle (two failed previous ablations), and having been on all sorts of drugs including Bisoprolol,  that I told the specialist during a ward visit that I wanted no more drugs except the Pradaxa (anti coagulant) which will be lifelong now.  He said it was my choice and  from the day I left hospital, now back in February this year, I took no more Bisoprolol nor Flecainide or even blood pressure pills.

      As others have said, I had no ill effects from doing this, indeed I felt better almost immediately, but the proviso is that I did ask or rather, inform first and my specialist sounded no warning about stopping immediately and I am sure he would have done so, as a heart consultant, had there been danger in doing this.  I have since had to go back on blood pressure medication (Valsartan) but this has not affected me.  I take the odd heart rhythm pill (Flecainide) as and when, which is becoming rare now, so that leaves Bisoprolol as the culprit for all the dreadful fatigue and loss of quality of life.  I would agree that the sooner this is withdrawn, the better, though I suspect it is a cheap drug for it to be so widely prescribed.  It is important also not to forget that there are also a lot, maybe even a majority, of people who can tolerate this drug.  When I was on 1.25mg I didn't notice the effects I got on 7.5 mg and taking the drug at night also mitigated the total crush of energy.  But if you fall into the group of those who cannot tolerate the drug, then of course you have to pressure your GP into either an alternative to try, or by informing him you are coming off it regardless (see how that goes!)

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