Alternative to Bisopropol.

Hi,

Could anyone suggest an alternative to Bisopropol as I am awakened during the night with AF and also ever increasing breathlessness...As apparently this drug is not recommend for night time AF.C

[BobD Volunteer]

Hi Carol, many people take it at night actually so that they don't suffer quite so much with the cold. As a beta blocker it does tend to cause breathlessness but then they all do. Sotalol has both rhythm and rate control abilities so you could ask your doctor about that. Hope you have recovered now from HRC.

Bob

[Hidden]

Thank you Bob.I know it was mentioned during last weekend but I didn't remember the name of the drug...

Just about recovered and back down to earth again !!!

Carol...

[Beancounter Volunteer]

Hi Carol

Certainly go back and ask them, as Bob says if you need rhythm control then Sotalol, or if solely rate control they might try you on a calcium channel blocker like Diltiazem, rather than the beta blockers. I switched to this from Bisoprolol and it was a massive difference.

Take care

Ian

[Hidden in reply to Beancounter]

I don't know what it is l need lan..

Can you recall one of the consultants saying if you wake up with a AF attack then Bisoprolol is not the drug to be taking as it slows the heart to much...Or that's my understanding of what he said...but l may have misunderstood....

Carol...

[jeanjeannie50]

Hi Carol - Snap I'm exactly the same. I'm taking Amiodarone and Metoprolol and am still having breakthroughs of AF.

When I go to bed at night and sometimes when I'm sat in the afternoon, my heart starts it's jumping around in my chest. At one time I used to be able to turn over in bed and it would calm down, but now I can't escape it. I'm also not able to walk very far right now or I get a soreness in my chest. This has been particularly bad since going into hospital with my heart racing just over two weeks ago. I go to my local hospital for a check-up this Wednesday and am wondering what my ECG will show. I also have a cardioversion booked for the 20th November. Wish I could advise you - perhaps after my appointment Wednesday I may have something to report back to you.

Jean

[Hidden]

Jean that is so kind of you thank you so much...I have followed your posts sorry to hear you have not been well...If I recall correctly we both have difficulties coping with the medication...Is the medication worsening the condition or is it the PAF progressing into permanent Af ?After an episode it takes about three or four days to recover just feel completely whacked and depleted of energy...That kind of feel after a bad bout of flu.. Good luck on Wednesday and fingers crossed you will have some good news....Carol...

[kazzyr in reply to Hidden]

I also wake at night with AF and sometimes it makes me all disorientated like my brain has not woke up, i also get back pain when having a bad attack, i'm on bisoprolol and Dronedaron but will be changing to Flecanide on the 5th november. breathlessness has increased for me also.

[Enjoy]

I had to change from Beta blockers as they are "no go" for Asthma sufferers. I am now on Diltiazem and am far less breathless. Still not running around the block but at 79 I don't anticipate I will be running much in the future.

[Hidden in reply to Enjoy]

Enjoy...Tell yourself as I do....Old age is 15 years older than me....That makes me 85.x

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Remember you don't stop playing because you get old, you get old because you stop playing.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Same as.....you don't stop laughing when you get old.....you get old cause you stop laughing.....lol. x

[Beancounter Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional

Ian

[Hidden in reply to Beancounter]

Isn't that when second childhood comes into play...

[Beancounter Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

You mean I get another one?, I haven't finished the first yet

[flyfisher]

hi caromia , I had exactly the same problem in the night whilst taking bisoprolol for a fib .I was waking with my heart going as in a panic attack. I found that sleeping on my left side was the main cause , i changed to the other side of the bed and put pillows down the middle to stop me rolling over and it eased the problem considerably. I took my meds in the morning before breakfast , which may be relevant.

[MarkS]

I didn't get on with beta blockers (bisoprolol, sotalol). I had vagal AF and they just reduced my heart rate too low. I got on much better with diltiazem.

The objective of these drugs is to reduce HR when in AF to less than 100-120, thereby reducing the risk of heart failure as a long term problem. If you only occasionaly have AF or the HR is less than that, then they could cause more problems then they prevent. It's a balance of having a reasonable HR (not too low) when not in AF against too high a HR when in AF. I'm not sure how many GPs understand this, the tendency is to hand out beta blockers like smarties.

[Hidden]

Very interesting, thank you... I too have night-time AF and am on Bisoprolol but the AF is increasingly breaking through. I'm sure MarkS is right about docs handing out beta blockers like smarties, I'm not sure they understand the condition very well at all...

[Hidden]

Thank you all for replying to me...Having researched and read somewhere that Bisoprolol can bring on Asthma maybe the breathless is due to the drug after all and not the AF but I feel as though I am chasing my tail here...Pontificating now as to were to go from here.I have serious doubts as to whether my condition is being managed correctly and concerned that I may find myself in a situation further along the road where medication has caused another problem...Then on a treadmill of further medication to put that right and so on....

Carol.

[Marion62]

Hi Carol,

I have permanent AF with no symptoms.

I was put in bisoprolol 2.5 mg and after only one tablet became very breathless when walking up the slightest incline with severe pains across the top of my back. Even when the dose was reduced to 1.25 mg I had to drag myself up hills when on holiday.

Changed to diltiazem 5 months later - much better and able to walk up the same hills with no problem.

Digoxin has just been added to my meds - so will be interesting to see how I cope with those hills later in the year.

Hope you can get it sorted soon.

Take care

Marion

[Hidden in reply to Marion62]

Hello Marion,

It is over 12 months since diagnosed the breathlessness only became a problem recently but getting increasingly worse...

I heard the consultant say at the PDC that Bisoprolol was not the recommended drug for nightime AF. This information alone has prompted me to do some more research into this drug...An alternative Sotalol may be questionable also....However you are managing well on Diltiazem which is very encouraging to hear...

I try to be pro-active in managing this condition and therefore would like to present some constructive evidence to my GP on my next visit and it not be a case of he said and she said...

The other alternative is ...A move to Holland,no hills there...

Take care

Carol.

[devonmillie]

I had pacemaker fitted July 2012, then moved from bisoprolol to sotalol x 80mg + digoxin-am. then 80mg sotalol pm. For 12 months this suited me well, then a return to breathlessness inspired my GP to add in an extra 40mg sotalol x 2 daily and this has helped me. My local nhs hospital only does 12 monthly pacemaker checks and I believe a 6 monthly check would be more appropriate. Breathlessness still makes me walk at a sedate pace !

[Hidden]

I'm in the same boat especially lately, breathless, hard to do anything. Have to be very careful not to suddenly move etc. I was on Bisoprolol but I stopped taking it about 3 days ago (EP said I can stop if I wanted to). But I still feel pretty lousy at the moment.

Question is, does it take time to get out of your system?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi,l googled that very same question today as l have been thinking to come off it to see is breathlessness improves but couldn't get a satisfactory answer...Hopefully someone on here could answer that for you...Good luck....

Carol...

[feejbee]

Breathlessness is becoming more of a problem. I had an ablation in June this year and I think that's been successful (although took 4 months to balance out).I am taking Bisoprolol 2.5mgs in the morning and then again in the evening. I have daily episodes of being breathless and as I have an oximeter and it's interesting to read my oxygen levels at that time. The readings go down to 91% the worst day I had was when it went down to 82% and I really felt I couldn't breathe. I don't have asthma or any lung condition so I can only assume it's the Bisoprolol ( I hope I can stop taking it soon. Has anyone had similar?

Fi

[elbow1]

i was put on Bisoprolol after a heart bypass operation in may 2012.the hospital put me on chest and lung xrays before the operation because i had breathing problems .they could not find out with all the tests what was causing the problem.So i had the operation which went well but now i find myself on so much medication that i dont know if im coming or going .my list is as follows Bisoprolol 10mg Amiodipine 5mg ramipril 10mg simvastatin 40mg Digoxin 62.5mg Bendroflumethiazide 2.5mg Aspirin 75mg .now after the last test on my diaphragm which are working ok the hospital say all the test show that im 100% and keep taking the pills What chance have i got of getting my breathing back to normal .

[Hidden]

Hi Elbow,

As l dont feel confident enough on the subject of medications to advise you l suggest you re enter your question on a new post where it will be seen an answered by someone more knowledgeable on the subject than myself... Good luck.Carol