Told to stop bisoprolol 2.5mg

Omg! This is only my 10th day. I only took 2.5 for 4 weeks then dropped it to 1.25 so hopefully won't be too bad

Now you have anxiety and a different type of being breathless due to quitting Bisoprolol.

Withdrawal will last a few weeks of a few Months. 

Bob,

You have help so many people here I hope you can give me some  support going through a withdraw from bisoprolol,  I don’t think I am going to make it.  I have no energy for anything I can hardly stand up,  my heart feels so weak  and the worst part is a terrible pain in my stomach.   I have read everything you have wrote in these posts, I thought I was mentally prepare but I wasn’t.  This is just horrible.

This is my second attempt to withdraw,  The first one I  had a four week weaning process and   I end up in ER  two months after with high pulse.  I went back to 2.5 mg, I had may heart check, blood, everything was fine. After  some time and  reading millions of posts  I decided to try again this time slow.    I started cutting little pieces of the tablet every day,   at the beginning everything was fine.  Minor side effects.  From my previous experience I know this drug take time to leave the system.   For that I decided to stay a few weeks on ¾ of the pill  for my body to adjust.   This is when it hit me,  12 days ago  I wake up  with my pulse in the 90s  and relative high pressure.   Since then I just feel terrible.  I wake up  with high pulse at 5 am,  I do some breathing and relaxation and pulse goes to the 70s.  But then I feel terrible all day.  Hardly any energy to do anything   and what worries me most a constant pain in my stomach.    I forgot to mention I never had any problems  with my heart before taking this medicine,   I was given to me for hypertension after pre-eclampsia.

I don’t know what to do?    I feel so bad,  my husband tells me to hang up a little longer at this dose,   but I don’t know.  Based on you experience, are these withdraw symptoms? Will they ever go away?  Will I ever feel normal again? Should I try to reduce tho dose more or just give up?

A lot of people developed addiction and experienced a withdrawal after 30 days of taking Beta Blockers.

In general, the longer you take it, higher are chances that you will get addicted and develop a withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking BBs.

When I switched from Nebivolol (3 Months) to Bisoprolol, I had some strange anxiety for 30-40 days after switching drugs.

These drugs are similar, but not exactly the same.

So, you can experience a withdrawal (or some sort of a withdrawal) when:

1. quitting a drug after a month or two

2. or when you switch to a different kind of a BB

Hi, sorry for a late reply.

That is a withdrawal, yes.

I have wrote a several times, I tried to quit BBs twice.

First time I was taking 1,25-1,80Mg of Bisoprolol for 1 year.

I weaned off for around 2 Months.

Then I have quit and after 40 days I ended at ER with a pulse 160 after some activity in my house.

And pulse didn't want to go down for 1 hour.

Docs told me that I could have died if it lasted a few more hours.

Then I went back to BBs, this time Nebivolol.

But after 3-4 Months I decided to quit them one more time.

This time I decided that I won't hurry, since my options were:

1. live with BBs, which was horrible for me and I couldn't breathe or walk

2. quit fast and end at ER or die

3. wean off for Months, or even for a year, if needed

Even though, it is hard to wean off for months or years, especially if you have a family, children, a job and everything.

But, on the other hand, if you won't do it slowly, you might run in circles (quitting, going to ER, BBs again, quitting, ER, BBs again etc) for the next 20 years.

You can send me a private message for more info, or try to read some older topics on this forum.

My advice, do it slowly, but real slow.

2,5 is a large dose.

If I were you, I wouldn't go from 2,50 to 3/4.

My advice, do it like this:

Go from 2,50 to 2,30 and stay on that dose for 1 week.

If you will be fine, drop then to 2,10Mg.

Stay for a week or two.

When you will be fine, and able to live, walk and do normal stuff, drop to 1,90.

You should drop it by 0,10 or 0,20 each 1-2 weeks.

I started to do this in April of 2016 and continued slowly until a New Year 2017.

So, around 8-9 Months.

And even then, it was a hell, and on some days/weeks, I couldn't go out of bed due to HR going to 90-95-100 for no reason and staying high for hours.

I am now 1 year off drugs.

When I look back, the worst thing were: resting HR jumping to 90-100 each time when you lower a dose.

And anxiety which lasted for months. And when I weaned off to 0,0 Mg, I had some HR jumps in the first 50-60 days, but anxiety stayed for 5-6 Months even after quitting all BBs.

So, from my experience, anxiety lasts the longest.

Elevated HR and anxiety (and random panic attacks out of nowhere) were the 2 worst things in a  withdrawal for me.

My doc told me that I could take low doses of Valium during a withdrawal, because Valium works similar to BBs in some areas.

Valium will slightly lower your HR, which helps during a withdrawal.

Plus, Valium is helping against Anxiety.

So, I was taking Valium for 10 Months during a withdrawal, and when I have quit BBs, I was taking Valium for 1-2 Months after that.

I have quit Valium without any problems.

I don't know, maybe some other people will have bigger problems with quitting Valium.

If I would have to go through it again, I would take Valium again.

I personally wouldn't have made it without it.

Or, if you don't want to take Valium, you can look for some natural teas and similar which have calming effects on your heart rate and anxiety.

I personally needed some "help" during a withdrawal.

Please, drink tons of water all day long (more fluids makes your heart beat slower because you will have a higher blood volume).

Magnesium is also lowering your HR.

I was taking all these supplements and vitamins.

I have no idea how much they have helped, but I made it so I am thankful.

Plus, my advice: write a diary during a withdrawal.

Like this:

Day 10: dose 1,90Mg

Heart rate 92. I am feeling fine. Some dizziness. Mild anxiety.

Day 102: dose 0,40 Mg:

Heart rate 88. Anxiety. I can breathe easier, I can walk longer etc.

That way, during bad days, you will be able to see your progress and see where have you "been" 1-2-3 Months ago and that will give you strength for continue.

Feel free to ask if you will need more help.

Also, for others, if you need help, feel free to ask or send me a Personal message for more help.

Good luck

Hi Bob

i dont know whether you are still visiting this page but if you are I could do with some help. I started to wean 2.5mgs biso Jan 3rd 2020 and I am now down to 1.75mg. Have been on this dose for 2 weeks but dont seem to be getting any less withdrawals. I am having sleepless nights with lots of night time anxiety and also several episodes of anxiety during the day. Doc gave me sertraline which I only took for 5 days as I was becoming suicidal and diazepam. I have only taken 1 diazepam which gave me 1.5hrs sleep and slight relief from the anxiety but was woken up with further anxiety then was violently sick for the next 2 hours which I think was caused by the diazepam.

I was taking holy basil capsules which I thought were helping me to keep calm but the I didnt know if these were keeping me awake at night. Also I had read that these should only be taken for around six weeks so I stopped these. My withdrawal on 1.75mg doesnt seem to be getting any easier and I have now been on this strength for 2 weeks.. I have been withdrawing at 0.01mg about every 5 days. Do you think I would get a lot more intense withdrawal if I dropped to 1.25mgs next.

I would be very grateful for advice you can offer.

Hi Rosie

I have just joint this forum and know it is six months since you have posted this message but I just wondered how you have got on with withdrawing from Bisoprolol. I have been on 2.5mgs for three months and just starting to withdraw from it but I have read such horrific stories and just wondered if you have suffered any. I am a bit afraid as to what to expect.