Hi all,
I've only ever had one episode of AF. However, I have ectopics very frequently (often every 4th or 3rd beat). My cardiologist has put me on Bisoprolol 2.5mg. I get dizzy often and shot of breath, neck pain. Is this common with this drug or is it the ectopics? Also is there a way to reduce them.
Thanks in advance.
Al.
Hi Al
Did you get ectopics before you started on Bisoprolol? Did you get the symptoms you mention before you started on Bisoprolol? If the answers are Yes for the first question and No for the second then there is a good chance that the symptoms are related to your Bisoprolol, which wouldn’t surprise me.
You’re already on a low dose so you should advisewhoever prescribed the Bisoprolol of the side effects that you are experiencing and ask if they can prescribe an alternative beta blocker instead.
I was never aware of the ectopics pre diagnosis.
Neither was I 🙂
Many people aren’t aware of their arrhythmias prior to some event that prompts them to seek medical assistance.
If you search Ectopic breathing exercise (use top right search box) you will find a great deep breathing exercise which helps enormously.
I also have very regular ectopics like you every 3/4th beat and they are very tiring. However I don't take bisoprolol as no high blood pressure, only flecainide for the AF. I think it's a symptom of the irregular heartbeat but since I've started to take magnesium and taurine it's definitely improved although only 3wks ago so early days!
Thankyou for your replies. Do you take the magnesium and taurine separate? I've read a lot here about the benefits of magnesium. However, I tried magnesium pills and they upset my belly 
Yes I take them separately and now that you've mentioned it I have had a stomach upset this week so maybe that could be the cause. I think I'll stop them for a couple of weeks and see if ectopics come back, if they do I'll have to decide between a dodgy stomach or ectopics! Oh what joy 😀
Try Magnesium taurate, or possibly small amounts of magnesium citrate, but definitiely not magnesium oxide. Alternatively you can buy a spray from a health food shop and spray it onto your skin. Start with one spray, and if it stings then it shows you need it badly. As you absorb more the pain will go. Or you can try Epsom Salts in your bath.
I’ve had to try several different magnesium supplements to find one that doesn’t give me a rash so may be worth trying others.Some on here use oil which is applied topically.
You can put Epsom salts into the bath to absorb mag. I understand that the more the body requires the mag the more it prickles when the oil is put on because the body is so greedy for it. Mag sulphate pills are useless. It is not a bio available form. Some mag gives you the runs. I take mag taurate etc at night with a complete vit C to help absorption. (Not plain ascorbic acid which stops the complete C going into the cell)
Do you know if Omeprazole stops absorption if magnesium?
Yes it does because you need stomach acid to absorb both mag and iron and omeprazole inhibits stomach acid production. It was prescription omeprazole which started me on the downward path because taking it gave me bad anaemia which affected my heart and this is where I am 5 years later. It also affected my gut. You have to be careful with omerazole. Some people need it because excess iron is also bad, as is excess stomach acid BUT as you get older a lot of people have more difficulty producing the stomach acid which you need to digest protein and absorb iron and mag etc and it can have a disasterous effect. GPs tend to dole it out like sweeties. Look on the web and see what is out there about it.
Thanks I have been on it for 6/7yrs now as it was the only way to stop the reflux which is awful. I'd like to come off it but frightened that the reflux will return, maybe I need yet another trip to the doc's to see what my options are.
Maybe taking it as far away as possible from taking mag and iron might help. Somewhere on the web I read that you can get heartburn from too little stomach acid. Apparently if you have too little the sphincter does not close up properly because it does not need to in order to protect the oesophagus and what little stomach acid you have leaks out and inflames it. If you have heartburn try being a bit more upright and lift the head of the bed a bit. You need to take medical advice on this one.
Thanks I try to take them at different ends of the day at the moment. Obviously I don't have any reflux at the moment as the Omeprazole is doing it's job but when I did have it the reflux and discomfort would be all day not just in bed, even a glass of water would start it off. I remember years ago when I was pregnant that my first symptom would be heartburn for all three so I guess I just have one of those stomachs! 😀
I take bisoprolol 5mg for ectopics and it makes no difference in fact it makes them worse at times as it slows my heart too much when resting. I want to change meds
I agree. I often think the Bisoprolol makes my ectopics more noticeable. I went to dr as I was always dizzy and short of breath. She gave the impression that this is the norm for beta blockers and kept me on them.
It really annoys me when you are complaining to your gp about a medication as it is causing bad side effects and they continue to keep you on it without discussing options etc. You hear of it regularly. It has happened to me and members of my family and can be distressing and frustrating.
Ectopic heart beats 
Ectopic Beats
Ectopic beats
Ectopic Beats and Afib recurrence
Body position helping ectopic beats
