AF or side effects

[Stockportbeany]

Does anyone else suffer from arrythmia while on beta blocker Bisoprolol2.5 or 5 mg

[BobD Volunteer]

Bisoprolol is a beta blocker to slow down your heart rate when you are in AF or whatever. It doesn't stop the arrhythmia, merely tries to mask the symptoms by slowing things down. This is known as rate control. Rhythm control drugs try to return the heart to normal sinus rhythm.

Bob

[barnes12 in reply to BobD]

Bob what does flecanide do karen

[BobD Volunteer in reply to barnes12]

Flecainide is one of several rhythm control dugs but doesn't work for everybody. Propafanone is another and of course amiodarone is the Domestos of such drugs but has far too many side affects for long term use.

Bob

[barnes12 in reply to BobD]

Thanks bob

[Japaholic]

In short, yes I do. It keeps it slower than it would be. Rythm control tries to keep things in NSR

[jennydog]

Yes. Even at 10mg I still had AF. I don't really understand why I was on it as I do not have a rate problem. I have been on 4 different beta blockers and they all cut my heart rate by about 15% bit didn't solve the AF. Bisoprolol makes me tired, breathless and affects my mobility. Flecainide has been the best medication for me.

[Hidden]

Bisoprolol just slowed me down (too much) and had to stop. My heart rhythm was still all over the place. Been put on rhythm control drugs which are working great (after trying 4 different ones). I don't think your GP (assuming you're in the UK) can prescribe rhythm control drugs, so if you need them go see an EP.

[kindred in reply to Hidden]

I was prescribed Amiodarone by the EP but it had to be a private prescription for which the charge was £70 per month. I took it to my GP who transferred it to an NHS form. Hard to believe that you can be charged for taking the 'Domestos'!?

I've been on it for a week today andmy pulse seems more regular than before. Down to 2x200mg today from the 3x200mg in the first week. I'm feeling better: more energy and no obvious side effects so far. Hopefully only 5 more weeks of taking it as I was very apprehensive after reading comments on here and elsewhere! But I have to trust my EP who said that

a strong dru g is needed to try to regulate before trying cardioversion if it still needed help.

[Brendaafib in reply to kindred]

Having been on amiodarone (from US) for 3 years I have developed hyperthyroidism from the amiodarone. I also have eye deposits. Currently having to take 40mg of Prednisone to bring down inflammation,lack of blood flow and swelling if thyroid. New cardiologist said should have never been on that drug that long and quarterly testing on thyroid should have happened. Now all my body has amiodarone in it and will have to be on prednisone and deal with it's side effects for minimum of 4 months while the amiodarone slowly leaves. Currently taking solatol, pradaxa and doing acupuncture for a fib. My a fib is definitely provoked by a connection with the vagus nerve.

[Tobw]

I can only confirm what others have said. For a short while I was disappointed that I was still getting episodes after being put on Bisoprolol, but my GP explained that, as a beta blocker, all it does is slow your heart rate down, not "cure", or even cut down on, AFib episodes.

[Hidden]

Yes, you will still get AF, it's intended to reduce your heart rate - I thought it helped to prevent some episodes, so the fact it doesn't is news to me... Eek.

[Buffafly]

The more I hear about Bisoprolol the more thankful I am that the cardiologist said he couldn't prescribe it for me....

[Finvola]

I took 2.5mg of Bisoprolol for 4 months at the insistence of a cardiologist who told me it was the drug of choice for AF and in that time my AF and other arrhythmias became more severe and longer-lasting. Resting heart rate during AF was about 20% lower than without Bisoprolol but it made no difference whatsoever to SVT which still hammered away at 160-200 bpm.

My GP referred me privately to an EP (4 day wait instead of 10 months - paid £200) and I was prescribed Flecainide anti-arrhythmic with a half dose of Bisoprolol. My hope is to be rid of Bisoprolol completely soon . . . .

[Terjo]

All sounds very familiar to me I'm trying today to work around my latest prescription, reading everything I can find. Personally I think dose sizes are the real key and knowing your own body's reactions. I was on bisoprolol for about five years but nobody thought the small dose, 1.5mgs , could possibly cause the reactions I was having but it was and giving it up eventually made an enormous difference , I've still got some as an emergency back up . All done with drs approval. We're learning together ! It's awful if you have to wait forever to see a cardiologist and the dr is available for you to see whenever you need to see him. We are all individuals and have different ways of getting to the way that helps us. This forum is so wonderful and has helped me enormously in that we are all experiencing the same AF and can have a good moan and be understood. Thank you for reading this, keep well. Terry

[Stockportbeany]

I too read everything I can find as only I know how my body reacts.There are loads of sites and very interesting bits of information.I have concluded it is not the actual drug which gives me problems but the endless " non active" ones.I have many lists of these excipients which I know I must avoid and I marvel at some of the horrible items put in tablets and read that a lot originate in India and China and are bought in as they are cheap.What price our health over drug companies profits ?

[hondajazz]

I have recently just changed my Beta Blocker , which I have been on for years , to Bisoprolol 5mg . I was on Atenolol but this was to slow my heart down noting to do with the AF. Atenolol has been suggested as the actual cause of my asthma but after two open heart surgeries over the years it was found i couldn't manage without a Beta Blocker. As I am getting older and after a very bad virus which attacked my breathing last winter I find i am getting more breathless so at first Doctor tried changing my inhalers which I wasn't happy about and then after a review of all my medication they decided it would be better to change the Beta Blocker. I am so tired on this one though and just hoping I start to feel a bit better on it . as for the AF I have taken since day one Digoxin and I have only had my dosage changed once in the 5 years or more that i have had AF and that was to lower it. I haven't had another episode of AF , I have never had an ablation ? and i have never been seen by an EP.? To complicate my issue I am on Warfarin for the AF and i am a Diabetic on Inuslin. I fight constantly to keep both of these under control.because of things like getting an infection and having to take antibiotics etc.I saw some one on this Forum had sent a link to drmyhill.co.uk and i have just started having a read of her book and I am finding a lot of what this doctor says could make sense to a lot of the problems I have had over the years. her field is actually Chronic fatigue Syndrome . She suggests that a lot of people s illnesses and problems could be attributed to Mitochondrial Failure. It really is worth a read and i will come back and let the Forum know what I can discover. We could maybe one day be able to throw all our tablets away and change out diet and start to feel better. I have long thought that I am on too much medication and that a lot of my different symptoms are caused by side effects.