Problem with bisoprolol and/or digoxin

[malins]

Looking at older messages I am somewhat dismayed that for about 6 months I have been prescribed 2 x 10mg bisoprolol alongside digoxin, before that I took "just" 10mg daily. I have had several visits to A & E and a month off work because of exhaustion, dizziness, generally unwell and a feeling of doom. Can anyone reassure me that when I see the cardiologist tomorrow and insist that my bisoprolol intake is reduced significantly I will be able to feel more positive?

[Hidden]

Obviously we do not know your medical history malins but 20mgs of Bisoprolol is a very high dose and Digoxin is used less now for AF, unless the patient is sedentary, so if I was you, I would make it very clear to your Cardiologist the effect these drugs are having on you. If possible, it might be a good idea to have someone with you who can vouch for how you feel most of the time. There are alternatives to Bisoprolol so I would suggest that you ask if you could try an alternative Beta-blocker or a Calcium Channel Blocker instead....good luck, let us know how you get on.

I see that you have only just joined the forum. Are you familiar with the role of an Electrophysiologist (EP), a cardiologist who specialises in arrhythmias. If you feel you are not getting the help you need, you could tactfully ask to be referred to an EP.

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I'm not surprised that you feel like that on 20mg bisoprolol daily. It's a very high dose. I took this dose by accident and it took me several days to feel anything like normal again.

Do explain just how you feel. You should not have to suffer these effects . Personally I cannot tolerate the effects of this drug on a daily basis and take mine as a pill in the pocket when AF kicks in to a max of 10mg.

Do let us know how you get on

Sandra

[cassie46]

Thats a very high dose of Biso - I was on 5mg and they increased it to 7.5mg, this gave me blurred vision, brain fog and hardly being able to do anything. So went back to 5mg which I seem to tolerate. Although that has recently been changed to Nebivolol because of breathing problems with Biso. I was also on Digoxin (my GP could not understand why I was put on this as she thought it was used for very elderly people, I am 71)but after 6 months gave me memory problems and was change to Diltiazem.

You must have a long talk with your cardiologist about your drugs - is he just a general cardiologist or does he specialise in AF. Perhaps you should see an EP.

Regarding you dose on Biso what was your first dose most people start very low and gradually increase - I am really not surprised that you have these symptoms with 20mg does. But we are not medics only have some experience of taking and he side effects of these drugs.

hope you get on well tomorrow.

Cassie

[KMRobbo]

2.5 mg put me to sleep in 40 minutes - and i felt horrible when i woke up pain and extreme tiredness (tried it for a week, it did not improve).

Not sure if I took 20mg I would have ever have woken up!

[KMRobbo]

Sorry post won t edit" 2.5mg bisoprolol" is what I should have said

[Polski]

Your GP should be able to decrease the amount of Biso you take.

[cycleman73]

10 mg bisoprolol sounds excessively high dosage to me. I would be like the walking dead

on 10 mg, and by the way you describe side effects, you're not far off it. Quality of life is

very very important and in my opinion the medics appear to over ride this requirement.

Instruct your GP to considerably lower the dosage !

[Mugster]

I'm on 10 mg Bisoprolol no problems. I think everyone is different

[malins]

Hi everyone, many thanks for the advice have insisted on returning to just 10mg bisoprolol with cardiologist's blessing and when or if I need a small increase I can tell the GP that's what I need.