Hi I’ve been told by my GP to stop taking bisoprolol as my heart rate is going too low at rest (42/45 bpm )
The dose I am on is 1.25 mg once a day . Has anyone ever just stopped taking this dose and what were the side effects. I know it is the minimum dose so can’t really reduce it gradually. Any advice ?
Hello Caradomben, although you are advised to wean yourself off betablockers it becomes a bit more difficult if you are already taking the minimum dose. It's been a while since I took bisoprolol so I don't know if it would be possible halve the tablet or maybe see if its possible to take one every other day for a while. Might be worth speaking to your pharmacist as well as your doctor but I suspect they will probably be ok just to stop, but a good idea to check first....nice coming of though!!
Thank You I was thinking I might try one every other day for a week or so too .
I was told to stop Bisoprolol for exactly the same reason.
I must admit I just stopped taking it and had no side effects.
My heart rate is still very slow particularly at night and when resting - circa 40-50bpm.
Take Hidden ’s advice and ask to be sure.
Pete
Yes I stopped on Docs orders a week after an ablation for the same reason, I was told to monitor my HR and BP and self prescribe accordingly (within limits). After 4 weeks both HR and BP started to increase regularly over 4 days, started back on 1.25 and have been good since. Hope to come off again when I see the Cardiologist in September for a 7 month post ablation check up
I had similar after a successful cardioversion in 2016.
They reduced my Bisoprolol but still at 1.25mg had a very low heart rate.
My GP took me off but the cardiologist put me back on again but the GP told me not to take it as she did not want me passing out. I have not taken it since and am still OK.
But as is usual it all depends on the individual and what the doctor recommends.
I was on the same dose for a couple of weeks and couldn’t function as I felt so faint with low HR & BP. I just stopped them on GP’s orders with no problems.
Pat x
I was on 1.25 for just over a year. I stopped 3 months after ablation, no effects.
Hi Caradoben. I stopped Bisoprolol immediately for same reason. I had no issues at all.
Also - I stopped the Bisoprolol from the lowest dose (I had been put on it and then went up and down in dosage) and was told I could come off it. And what a relief it was !!
Hi Caradomben, when I wanted to wean off Bisop I was advised it remains in your system and to come off it gradually. So I bought a £2 pill cutter from the chemist and proceeded to take half a tab daily for a couple of weeks; and then nothing. It seemed to work ok, no side effects etc. All good as they say. Good Luck !
Thanks everyone for your replies it’s reassuring to know that others had the same problems with low heart rate and came of bisoprolol with no problems x
My heart rate was 44 on Bisoprolol 1.25 so I was told to stop it. I felt awful without it for 6 months then decided to half it. It seems to work for me at the moment, no pounding heart and ectopics and no Svt for now. Heart rate about 53 to 65 and blood pressure normal.
Hi, everyone different. I too was on 1.25. When I just stopped I felt awful. So had to go back and do a staged withdrawal. Went to every other day for a week, then, just to be sure, missed two days, then even cut them in half. Took about a month to achieve success.
I know they are tiny pills, I take them twice a day now myself. However, you could try cutting them in half for a week? If they break up, you could even throw half away each day.
Some people have problems stopping Bisoprolol "cold turkey". I weaned off the first time I was on it by cutting the dose in half and taking the reduced dose for 2/3 weeks then going to every other day before stopping completely. I think it is better to wean off slowly like this rather than stop abruptly, have problems and then have to go back on .
Do not stop taking Bisoprolol without either reducing the size of the tablet over the course of 2 weeks or by missing a dose by a day then 2 days for 2 weeks.
If you just stop taking Bisoprolol you may find difficulty in sleeping and / or feel anxious for a few weeks.
A few years ago my GP told me to stop taking Bisoprolol for the same reason as you said and can't remember any adverse affect but when I saw my Cardiologist he was quite adamant that I should have still been taking them a promptly insisted I start again! I too am on the lower dose.
I take a minimum dose 25 mg of atenolol. I mention it because it is less heart specific than bisoprolol, but still second on the list of beta blockers for that trait. My cardiologist choose not to move me to bisoprolol for two reasons. First, I'd been successfully using atenolol plus a 'water pill' for HBP for years before getting AF and second, because my HR resting was upper fifties/low sixties and he had just ruled out brachycardia concerns and didn't want to risk going lower with a new BB.
I only took it for a week and then stopped as I felt so bad as thought I was in a different world! I was also taking minimum dose.
I have stopped a while ago, but keep 1.25mg in my pocket and taking as PRN only when feel arrhythmia . Shared with my cardiologist. He agreed .
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