Told to stop bisoprolol 2.5mg

hi yes that is normal my pulse goes up and down anyway and 80 is quite healthy. What is it when you are resting?my BP has been up and down a bit too but nothing alarming I showed the gp sll my readings and she was quite happy with them.

yep from 2.5mg six weeks ago to 1.5mg a resting pulse of 60 is good mine had went down in to the 40s and I had no energy but I was on beta blockers for 22 years.

Yes I had lack of energy, always tired, aches. Still having trouble sleeping tho. Hoping this will all pass

My resting heart rate before beta blockers was around 70.

On 1,25 Mg of Bisoprolol, my resting pulse dropped to around 55-60.

When I have quit Bisoprolol, my resting HR was around 105, 100 to 90 almost all day long for 2-3 weeks.

Later it slowly went down to average 90, then 88, 85, 83, 80 each new week.

After a few Months, with walking, light excercise, work and a normal life, it will slowly go back to 70-75 again.

So, don't worry, 80 is not too high.

Though, it is probably a slight rebound (and a withdrawal) for you currently.

And 80 may seem like a lot since you got used to very slow and weak heart rate of 40-50-60 on Bisoprolol.

(So, it may seemduring a withdrawal that a heart rate of 80, 90 or 100 is like: my heart will explode, it beats way too fast. But it is not THAT fast, it is just because we got used to that too slow 40-50-60 resting heart rate)

I reduced my doses a few times and the same would happen every time, for example:

1. I was taking 1,25 Mg dose and I had a resting HR 55

2. if I lowered my dose to 0,90 Mg, resting HR would be higher for 1-2 weeks (let's say 80-85) and then it would go back to 60

3. when my HR would settle down at 60, I would lower a dose from 0,90 Mg to 0,60 Mg

Then again, HR would go up the same as a few weeks before, for 1-2-3 weeks to 80-90 (it will be slighty higher now because you are taking smaller and smaller doses of a drug, so both your normal HR and slightly raised HR are higher and higher on average)

It would go back to 60-65 after 1-2-3 weeks.

4. Then, if I would lower the dose to 0,40 or 0,30 Mg, the same would happen each time

So, each time when you lower a dose, you will get some eleveted HR, some anxiety, pain in abdomen, you will have some breathing problems, maybe some nausea, dizziness, headaches, too high blood pressure.

But you have 2 options when lowering the dose:

1. for example, lowering from 1,25 to 0,0 Mg=this way you will have STRONG withdrawal problems, let's say for 2-3-4 Months

2. or, you can lower the dose 3-4-5 times, more slowly (like: 1,25Mg, then 0,90Mg, then 0,60Mg, then 0,40Mg, then 0,20Mg), this way you will have 3-4-5 "mini-withdrawals", but they won't be as strong as you quit cold turkey.

But, on the other hand, this way, it will last longer, let's say 4-5-6 Months of slowlier weaning off.

So, you can wean off fast, have a tougher withdrawal and have more risks for a heart attack.

Or do it slowly, it will be milder, but it will last longer on the other hand.

So, you can pick: a lot of pain for a shorter period of time, or a milder pain for a somewhat longer period (and less risks).

Thank you bob for replying. I have only lowered my dose from 2.5 to 1.25. It's been 9 days now. Yesterday I didn't feel to bad but today I was ok this morning, had a slight dizzy spell and not been right. My resting hr is about 65 with normal blood pressure. But on exertion it's higher. How long will these feelings of feeling rough last? I don't see the doctor till a week today

2,50 to 1,25 is quite a large drop.

About how long will you feel this way, from what I have read from 100s of patients on internet, some people will be totally fine with zero problems after 10 days, while some people may have problems (in cases like yours, 2,50 to 1,25 Mg drop), for 1-2-3 Months until they will be fine.

Each person is different.

Also, one more thing, I have quit Beta blockers twice.

So, from my own experince also:

One thing which happens to majority of people is that symptoms go up and down all the time during a withdrawal.

Something like:

1. you quit the drug (or lower it, like you), and you have 3 bad days

2. then you have 3 average days

3. then you have 2 awesome days (you think that you are 100% fine)

4. then suddenly, on a day 9, you can't get out of bed from too high HR, anyxiety, pain, huge jumps of a HR on any activity (like going to a bathrooom). And you feel bad for 5 days

5. after 5 days, you suddenly have 4 good days, you can walk, do some light activities etc

6. then again, you have 3 bad days

7. then 3 good days

8. then 3 bad days again

9. then 4 good days

10. then 2 bad days

11. then 5 ok days

12. then 2 horrible days again

13. then, for example, it gets better and bad days last shorter and shorter

So, I am trying to say, it is not as with a flu or normal diseases. With normal diseases you feel bad for a few days, and when the worst period is gone, you are better and better after that.

Here it doesn't work that way. You will have 3 good days and 3 bad days for some time. And then, slowly, it will be like: 3 good days, 1 bad day, 3 good days, 1 bad day, 5 good days, 1 bad day etc

So, be careful, if you'll feel better now, it is far from over.

You'll have to go through a lot of ups and downs until you will be fine again.

Also, one more thing, for example, when you have a flu: then all symptoms will hit you in the same time, like fever, pain, nausea, pain in all muscles, cough etc. And all symptoms come and go away more or less in the same time.

Here, with BB's withdrawal, it is different because a drug will stay longer in some organs (especially in brain, inside of a blood brain barrier).

So, it will often look like this:

1. week 1: high heart rate, high blood pressure, nausea, pain in abdomen

2. week 2: the same

3. week 3: heart rate gets better, blood pressure also, but suddenly you will get a lot of dizziness and headaches which you didn't have before

4. week 4: dizziness is still here, but now anxiety gets worse and worse (for example)

5. week 5: heart rate ok, blood pressure ok, dizziness is midl, but suddenyl anxiety is killing you and it raises your heart rate again all day long

So, you may think that you are feelling better once your heart rate, breathing and blood pressure will return to a more normal state, but then you will probably get new symptoms which are connected with brain and with a drug staying inside of a brain longer than inside of a normal blood: like dizziness, headaches, anxiety etc

So, in short, be prepared for:

1. good and bad days will interchange for 1-2-3 Months, without too much logic

2. in the first weeks you will have one set of symptoms and later you will get some new withdrawal symptoms

Looks like I'm in for a

Long haul then

How do you know so much about this dreadful drug?

Thanks Bob that is a great explanation I feel grateful that my symptoms haven't been terrible but I am having symptoms especially noticing being unsettled sometimes and my body is going up and down but not dangerously from 125/78 to 165/89 and my pulse speeds up from being 53 to over 100 in seconds.   However at night my pulse over the last 4 days is slowing down to the low 40s during the night and I am very lethargic in the morning it takes ages for me to get going and that is not like me.    Do you know why it's going so slow again?

Me too Sharon it's good to have people who understand sharing the journey.

I have been on Bisoprolol for 1 year and felt horrible. Then I tried to quit, but I weaned off too fast and I didn't make it, I had to go back on drugs.

Then I was given Nebivolol, docs told me that I will have less side effects on it, but it was more or less the same (they are both Beta Blockers).

After 6 Months, I decided to try to wean off one more time.

The 2nd time I weaned off for around 6-8 Months, very, very slowly and now I am not taking any drugs anymore.

During this 2 years and two attempts of quitting it, I have read 100s of similar forums with stories from people all around the world, I have read lots of scientific articles about Beta blockers (you can find some tests and articles on Google), their effects and withdrawal, plus I visited a few different doctors while trying to quit, since as always, some said that I shouldn't have problems during a withdrawal, others said take Xanax or Valium, others said: well, you could have problems but they shouldn't last for a few Months (that's too long in their opinion etc).

Anyway, each doctor says a different thing. Each of them offers a different drug. But, 90% of them think that withdrawal isn't too hard and that you will be fine in 2-4 weeks.

So, I have personally listened to opinions of doctors, stories from 100s of people who actually tried to quit this drug, some basic scientific knowledge about this drug and I listened to my body and decided to quit the drug in a very slow way.

Anyway, I am free from a drug now, but I am so sad about a horrible time I have gone through on Beta blockers and during 2 withdrawals in the last 2 years and I am trying to help on forums whenever I have a free time, since I know what all these other people are going through.

I am happy if I can help to other people who are going through their first withdrawal and who are not familiar yet with what will they experince, how long will it last, what to eat, drink, do and similar.

Cheers

Thank you. Your knowledge has helped me. What do you mean eat, drink etc. I have lost my appetite and finding it hard to eat even tho I want to. It's a struggle. Stupid I know

Alibalea, about pulse slowing down, well, both times during my withdrawal, I felt the worse with too high heart rate and anxiety in the morning and during the day.

Around the evening, heart rate would go down slightly and anxiety would be lower also.

What I have read on internet from other people is that this probably happens because your body (in a healthy person) works with 100% once you wake up and all systems and mechanisms in your body are working at 100%.

We are programmed (our bodies) to work during the day and to sleep and rest during the evening and night, and our bodies are shutting down (more or less) and mechanisms in your body are slowing down and preparing for rest in the evening.

So, let's say that your body works at 100% in the morning and during the day. Then it drops to 80% in the evening and to 50% during the night.

Because of this, even in a healthy person who is not taking drugs, heart rate will be the highest during the day, and lowest in the evening and at night (while you sleep you don't need too much oxygen and food since you aren't doing any physical activity and this is why your heart pumps slower during the night).

The same is with brain's mechanisms and this is why anxiety is also usually slightly lower in the evening and night.

So, try to "survive" the day during a withdrawal, since it is usually easier during the night (even though, some people do get attacks even in night hours during a withdrawal).

About losing the appetite, I know what you mean.

When I tried to quit for the first time, I had no idea what was happening to me.

I was scared all day long, I thought that I was going to die from a heart racing at 90-100 all day long.

I also couldn't eat due to being scared all day long and I lost some weight.

The 2nd time when I tried to quit, I knew what is happening (it was more or less the same as the 1st time), so I wasn't that scared and I had a normal appetite.

About what to eat and drink: My doc told me: always drink a lot of fluids, since a lot of fluids will lower your heart rate (not only during a withdrawal, but always during a life). Doc said something like that blood's volume is larger when you drink a lot of fluids and then a heart doesn't need to pump to fast (if I remember correctly) as when your blood's volume is lower (when you don't drink too much).

So, in general, in life, always try to drink a lot of water or fluids.

Especially during a withdrawal, since it will slightly lower your heart rate.

Further, with drinking a lot, you will flush your body faster and a drug will be out of your blood and organs faster.

Further, some people on forums claim that drinking and eating healthy during a withdrawal will speed up your recovery and that your body will readjust faster to a life without drugs.

About other things, people mentioned: drink lots of Vitamin C and other vitamins during a withdrawal, it will help your body to recover.

Majority of people say that you should buy some Magnesium pills in a store since Magnesium slows down a heart rate in a natural way. So, it does the same what Bisoprolol was doing.

I was taking some Magnesium pills during a withdrawal also.

People also mentioned some fish oil.

About food, don't eat sugar foods now since a sugar in general can raise the adrenaline (the same as coffee) and it can raise your heart rate even more, and you don't want to do that.

So, avoid alcohol, coffee and too much sugar during a withdrawal.

When the worst period is gone, always try to walk, do some stretching littly by little and light activities around a house. It will strengthen your heart and activity will remove some stress and anxiety.

It will be tough in the beginning, but you will be stronger and stronger after a few days of a light activity.

In general, people say that a withdrawal will end faster once you start to walk and do some light activity.

Also, try to sleep and rest a lot during a withdrawal to speed up your body's recovery.

About other things, you can take Valium or some other similar drugs which will calm down your central nervous system during the worst days.

Also, Valium will slightly lower your heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety during the worst days.

Also, people who have a high blood pressure, who are switched to some other drug (not a Beta blocker) will have a milder withdrawal since their heart rate and blood pressure will be regulated by a new drug.

They can expierence a mild rebound high heart rate, rebound high blood pressure, plus anxiety (since Beta blockers mess with our brain and a central nervous system with blocking adrenaline, and when you quit them, our bodies can't handle the adrenaline anymore and this is why we have anxiety, too high blood pressure and rebound tachycardia, until our bodies re-learn how to cope with the adrenaline again).

These are the most important drinks and foods which I have found during years on lots of internet forums about a withdrawal.

Thank you. I do drink water at night. I use to take magnesium citrate tablets but stopped them when I was put on bisop and ramipril as wasn't sure if they would react. I take an iron supplement (feroglobin) and cod liver oil capsule everyday. I am now in bed and my bp is 122/76 and hr 56

Thanks Bob 

i have only just linked Bisoprolol to the muscular tears and rips, muscles cramps which currently have caused herniated discs and extreme tiredness and fuzziness. I am furious that I have had these side effects and the GP hasnt picked up on the connection. From a confident successful person to lack of concentration, anxiety and insomnia. I have them all. I can pull muscles from washing my hair or picking something up from the floor. I used to run marathons! I need help and am not getting it from clinicians.