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Bisoprolol. How long does it keep the AF away for, until returning back as an attack...?

jillgloucester profile image
29 Replies

Are there many people on here that take 10mg Bisoprolol to keep the AF away and how long do you go before you get an attack of AF, please .?

I'm on it and haven't had an AF attack since they put me on the higher dose. I'm thinking when I do get an attack would that maybe be because the dose of 10mg of bisoprolo has warn off?.. It's about 8 weeks since my diagnoses?

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jillgloucester
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29 Replies
BobD profile image
BobDVolunteer

Sorry but this is like how long is a piece of string? We are all different so hard to project what may occur.

Bisoprolol doesn't stop AF happening as it is a rate control drug not a rhythm control one so really all it is doing is slowing your heart down so the AF s not so bad and maybe by keeping it slow it may help not let it get out of hand.

Hi JILL, , l too am new to this ( P Afib ) so not one to give advice , all I want to say is at the beginning it's very scarey, it takes time to accept the change and a change it is. Listen to what people say on this forum, some people have had it for many years and can only fill you with confidence and can also guide you through the adjustment. We have all been there and are all differant in terms of severity and how we deal with it. As for Bisoprolol, I take it but at a differant dose to you, someone with more experience than me will reply , so good luck on your AF journey and don't worry you will be fine ( ses she who went into melt down at the beginning ) Moreen

Mike-tyson profile image
Mike-tyson in reply to

I take Bisoprolol or Atenolol which gives me less side effects if my arithmia kicks off as it does upto 100 Bpm at odd times. But normally have a heart rate of 65-70 Bpm which is quite normal. I had Catheter Ablation 7 months ago and that has sorted my problem most of the time. But it can kick off at times with no apparent reason ?

My view is, it doesn't! It is a beta blocker and is designed to control heart rate. It was not designed to keep AF away.

Alan_G profile image
Alan_G in reply to

Agreed, but in keeping your heart rate down does that not lessen the chance of AF occurring which is often triggered by a higher heart rate?

in reply toAlan_G

For me, personally, at the moment of onset of AF I was diagnosed my left Atria was damaged. This will always predispose me to AF. Because of this feature I was prescribed Bisoprolol, to keep my HR in check. However. I also found I had a dysfunctional vagal nerve, I control this by diet and as a result have had no AF since April 2015. Notwithstanding this success there is no way I'd come off my meds.

John

jillgloucester profile image
jillgloucester

I was given a larger dose of bisoprolol when I had my only episode of AF and it has gone for the time being. I'm just really trying to find out if anyone else has had the same experience, or similar, as me, with the bisoprolol keeping it at bay................

Mazza23 profile image
Mazza23 in reply tojillgloucester

I take the same dose as you have done for nearly 4years it is for rate control so by keeping hr down May control AF not stop it. I still had bouts of AF but heart rate would not go as high

jillgloucester profile image
jillgloucester in reply toMazza23

Hello. Thank you for that..

I made a mistake and said I was on 10mg,, but I'm not, I'm on 5...... !

Are you on 5 or 10?

Cheers

Mazza23 profile image
Mazza23 in reply tojillgloucester

10mg a day for nearly 4years

Puddychops profile image
Puddychops

I don't believe the beta blocker does keep it away. It just slows your heart rate.

I have PAF and I am so sensitive to beta blockers that I only took 1.25mg when an arrhythmia occurred just to slow my heart rate but eventually had to stop because they reduced BP and heart rate to seriously low levels. I still had long periods without an arrhythmia when I stopped the Bisoprolol

in reply toPuddychops

I have been advised the same as you- even taking the 1.25 when the arrhythmia happens knocks me out for the next day. I wish they would come up with something more useful and realise that we are all different.

jillgloucester profile image
jillgloucester

If they hadn't given me a bigger dose of bisoprolol I can't imagine what would have happened, I'm guessing my heart would have worn it self out...

Japaholic profile image
Japaholic

Well, here in Japan they say it's suppression of heart function serves to stop an AF episode from triggering.

I have read the literature on Bisoprolol being a beta blocker and being used to slow down heart function, and that it's not an anti arrhythmic drug.

I get that, but in Japan that's what we are told, slower heart function = less chance of going into AF.

(Don't shoot the messenger boy, just sharing info)

2 years-post ablation, still on Bisoprolol and Xarelto

dedeottie profile image
dedeottie

I can see the logic in that. X

jillgloucester profile image
jillgloucester

Yes japoholic, I can see the logic in that too....

Bisoprolol is keeping it at bay for the time being, that's why I'm on it...

I'm still wondering if I will get any attacks before my body gets used to the larger dose that I'm on?

Or will the dose have to wear off before I get the next arrattic attack?

Really just trying to ask if anyone else has been in this position?

I was on 2.5 then it went up to 5mg not 10 as I wrote in the post!!!!!!!!M!,!!,,!,,,!

Thank you all for your replies...

Mazza23 profile image
Mazza23 in reply tojillgloucester

They once gave me 12.5 mg but did not stop AF only lowered hr from130to 70 bpm but still in AF

jillgloucester profile image
jillgloucester in reply toMazza23

Oh, wow! Xxxxx

Bagrat profile image
Bagrat

I couldn't tolerate bisoprolol which was a blessing in disguise as Flecainide is suiting me admirably. Read somewhere beta blockers not so good vagally mediated AF ( attacks often at night or associated with big meals, bloat etc) As Bob says we're all different and lots of people have mixed AF.

Puddychops profile image
Puddychops in reply toBagrat

How strange we all are.

I can't tolerate beta blockers at all. I think if I took 10mg as my husband does my heart would simply stop beathing

Flecainide had no effect what so ever and it has been tried a number of times.

My arrhythmias until this year were always at night and laying on my right hand side in bed would trigger it as did a hot bath occasionally.

Freddie43 profile image
Freddie43

Hi I am on apixaban and 1.25 bisoprolol.In my experience the bisoprolol definitely helps to keep af at bay

Puddychops profile image
Puddychops

I suppose it all depends if you have a fast heart rate. I had Bradycardia towards the end and frequently fell below 60 bpm even when on AF

Heart rated has speeded up since the procedure and I am now 80bpm. It feels really fast 😅

Puddychops profile image
Puddychops in reply toPuddychops

Just checked my pulse and it is 88bpm. I am in bed! A fast heart rate feels really wrong to me after regularly being 58bpm pre ablation

Nanabrodie profile image
Nanabrodie

I was given bisoprolol following my ablation at the end of April this year but my GP took me off it as it was causing my heart to beat too slow and I was feeling very dizzy and faint and that was only 1.25mg. I now have to use it as a PIP but try to avoid it as much as possible because when I do take it I still get the same side effects plus I can't concentrate, my legs feel like jelly etc., and this can last for hours. I went into AF yesterday and after three hours of heart beating at 154 I finally gave in and took one but it took two and a half hours to work!

Buffafly profile image
Buffafly

nhs.uk/conditions/Beta-bloc...

You will see if you read this that betablockers suppress the action of adrenaline on the heart and are sometimes used for anxiety. AF can be brought on by stress or anxiety so it seems to follow that a betablocker might reduce the 'trigger' level for af. When I had an ablation my heart was 'paced', artificially stimulated, to see if it would go into AF, to test whether the ablation was successful.

ILowe profile image
ILowe

I agree with Buffafly. I used to think that bisoprolol was only a rate controller, but was convinced by Dr Sanjay Gupta in one of his videos that bisoprolol has several other effects, such as anti-adrenaline, and anti-inflammation. It also counteracts the tendency of flecainide to cause more irregularities or cause tachycardia, so is usually prescribed whenever flecainide is prescribed. Dr Gupta encouraged people to not be afraid of trying a small amount, say 1.25mg for several weeks. This can have healing actions. it is also anti-hypertension and has the major advantage of having a shortish half-life. Its major disadvantage is that in doses greater than 2.5mg it needs weaning off. Other people cannot tolerate it.

So, in some people, bisoprolol treats the cause. My attacks usually happen when relaxing after strenuous or nervous activity. Bisoprolol is very effective for this kind of AF.

irene75359 profile image
irene75359

My very helpful and knowledgable GP thought as bisoprolol lowered my heart rate it may stop me tripping into AF.

Japaholic profile image
Japaholic

Oh the irony! I had a dream about being in AF, woke up to find myself in a 20 minute bout of arrhythmia (not AF according to my Dr).

Caught it on my Kardia machine, faxed it to my Dr.

He said "its lots of PAC's in quick succession, not AF as the wave is present here {gesturing to my faxed ecg}"

To be fair, I have been drinking a bit too much recently and have been overdoing the exercise in very hot (35c+) weather. My stomach doesn't feel right today either.

Gosh! We are all different. I had to come off taking 1.25mg of bisopropol daily as it brought my heart beat down low and made me tired all the time. Then I was told to take it only when I get the AF and even then my heartbeat is often too low to take it or stays low all the next day so I feel tired! I live in Gloucestershire so we might meet up to compare symptoms sometime though it seems we react incredibly differently to drugs!

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