Side effects

[Heartfelt46]

hi, A quick question - have just had drugs changed (again) to 5mg Bisoprolol p.d. which has helped with the acute tiredness I had before whilst on Sotalol. But the breathlessness is through the stratosphere. Also itchy head scalp and skin. Are these common side effects? I agree with the person who said reading about the side effects is worse than the real thing, but..........on this occasion?S

[Hidden]

The breathlessness is a well known and very common side effect, as is tiredness. I suffered both when I was on it, even at 1.25mg daily

[2468abcmuk in reply to Hidden]

Took me few weeks and side effects

Disappeared started 5 mg then up to 7.5

[Babyr1996]

Hi yes side affects of bisoprolol are aweful on me I had to come off it!! It made me tired all the time I had no energy breathless itchy scalp like nothing I’ve ever experienced before especially at night in bed I was itching all over I couldn’t sleep either and my blood pressure went through the floorboards that I fainted whilst out!! So GP took me off it and felt far better since. Hope you feel better soon

[Heartfelt46 in reply to Babyr1996]

Thank you for that, I thought I had nits!

Out of interest, what drugs do you take instead of bisoprolol. I have tried lower dose with flecanide and then Sotalol for the past nine months, neither of which had much effect on the AF. I am now in it permanently so just trying to bring down the bpm. S

[Thomas45]

Bisoprolol was the cause of 2 side effects with me, although neither appeared for 7 weeks. The first was urticaria, painful intermittent rashes on my body, and exacerbation of asthma which landed me in hospital for 2 days. I was taken off Bisoprolol.

It was first prescribed by a hospital doctor when my heart rate increased during an operation to take my appendix out. It was stopped by my GP after the urticaria side effect started. 8 months on I still have urticaria but it is less painful and less frequent. I wasn't taking anything instead of Bisoprolol before it was prescribed and so am not taking anything now. I have permanent AF, only treatment is anticoagulant.

[Dickydon]

I’m on Bisoprolol 2.5mg per day only prob I seem to have is tiredness. One minute I’m okay feeling the next I just want to sleep. I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 43yrs to deal with as well which doesn’t help.

[KMRobbo]

I could not tolerate 1.25mg of bisoprol, was asleep 40 mins after taking one and woke up with arm an chest pain and no exercise tolerance at all and felt s**t.

I then tried Atenolol , this was better, I kept awake for 5 hours on this, but still no exercise toletance. ( and did not feel too goid).

My GP then gave up with betablockers and put me on to calcium channel blockers. Verapamil 120mg initially did the job and had very little side effects.

I was fine for a couple of years but then the AF progressed and I had to go to diltiazem 200mg another calcium channel blocker, as rate control , with flecainide as rhythm control. I was not happy with the ditiazem but was sure I had too high a dose. I briefly tried 120mgand it was better if not perfect. However I missed a flecainide one night and woke up in AF in the morning so the hospital put me back on 200mg. ( And back to misery) j7st to keep my rate down if I missed another!

I put up with this for 5 months as I had an ablation planned and I have now been off all drugs since may 15 .

I would try to go to lower bisop dose, or a move to another beta blocker that dies not affect lungs or go to a calcium channel blocker if that does not work