Having gone through a recent break up which was escaping from an abusuve partner for the sixth and final time! I started suffering abnormal heart beats, Terrifying feeling saw two doctors got an ecg from second one they both said my heart is beating normally and regularnot atrial fibrillation but missing beats every third beat, it’s the sort of skipped beat normal people have most days and don’t even notice and not to worry but I am worried feels so awful ! I have been put on Bisoprolol half a 5mg tablet for a week now been on full 5mg tablet for four days and no improvement to my ectopic heart beats still happening every three beats? How long do they take to work please ?
Ectopic heartbeats and bisoprol help ... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Ectopic heartbeats and bisoprol help please how long before I see an improvement
Written by
Sapphire2019
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
44 Replies
•
Hi Sapphire
I’m no expert but I thought bisoprolol was to primarily treat high blood pressure.
I’ve been getting ectopics (missed/extra beats) for 35 to 40 years but never really knew what they were. It’s very true that they do happen in almost everyone, some feel them others don’t. They can be pretty frightening but I was reassured over the years that they are benign and don’t cause any harm. I still got them but tried to just ignore them. They came on especially when I was really stressed.
Unfortunately I developed atrial fibrillation around two and a half years ago but was thoroughly checked out by my cardiologist. I think my alcohol consumption triggered the events so I’m now teetotal. To try and reduce my ectopics I started taking magnesium supplements and there are plenty of posts about this topic on this site. I find that they’ve really helped me. I find that what I eat also has an impact on my ectopics as I believe I have a vagal nerve issue. I am on a high fibre diet with plenty veg and fruit.
Was it a cardiologist you saw, if not I’d recommend going to see one. My cardiologist told me there’s no real medication to stop ectopics so it really is a case of maybe looking at your lifestyle. Hope this helps but there’s brilliant people on this site that may outline their own experiences.
We’re you also prescribed anticoagulants for the eptopics?
No not necessary she said as my beats are not AF
Meant to say that I was prescribed bisoprol when I first developed afib but it did nothing for me. Just made me feel really tired and rundown. My afib went back to sinus rhythm on its own. My cardiologist told me to stop using the drug. In my case it was to reduce my heart rate of around 110 when I left A&E
Do you have paroxysmal AF? —have an episode every now and then? I would like to come off bisoprolol too but was told I must stay on it as I have paroxysmal AF
Yes I do have paroxysmal afib and my cardiologist has prescribed pill in the pocket for me. Self help I think it the best way to try and prevent it though. I’m not medically proficient so I can’t advise on coming off bisoprolol. My pill in the pocket is flecainide though.
Thank you. Yes I agree re self help and that is working a lot. In fact I rarely have episodes so that’s why I want to come off B but I will seek professional advice. !! Thanks.
BobDVolunteer
It may not help as ecctopic beats often occur with low heart rate which bisoprolol may well reduce further. Why not use our search box top right and look up ectopis breathing exercises. There is a very good diaphragmic breathing exercise which often tereminates ectopic trigeminies such as yours.
I am told I didn’t have AF, just this ectopic beat every three beats, sometimes they are further apart if i really try and relax, guess its caused by the extreme relationship break up and ongoing onslaught of emails, text and harassment...from ex..its causing me such panic and fear, as I am frightened of him... cant be helping with the ectopic beats!! Thank you for you advice and help i will look at the breathing exercises if I can relax enough to do them!!
Anxiety will make your ectopic beats worse and also make you more aware of them. I do have AF but when I also went through a break up it was much worse due to the stress which is a major cause of ectopics and AF. The Bisoprolol may have been given to help your anxiety as beta blockers are often prescribed to help calm people down. But be careful as it can also lower your blood pressure and you might feel a bit dizzy. Stress and anxiety can really take it's toll on your health and that includes your heart but please try not to worry. It will get better once you are able to accept your situation and relax. Try going for a walk to take your mind off things and forget about your heartbeat for a while. Good luck. X
Agree with all of this. Stress really plays a big part in this. As you can’t control the situation as I couldn’t with what happen to my son. So your mind runs riot and then the panic. I have been on sotalol for years. Really helped me. My dose has just been increased but so far the two months have been so much better. Having checks going on now. Pericarditis started mine off due to being so low after a marriage break up. That’s when the AF started. So hard what you are going through ... but you CAN do this and you will. God bless. X jo
Your ectopic beats may have started because of the stress which you have been through and Bisoprolol is usually prescribed to slow the heart rate in the hope that it would relieve the ectopic burden.
Ectopics are horrible, especially every second or third beat and they breed on anxiety, which causes anxiety .... and so on. There is a very effective breathing exercise which can stop or decrease them -
Relax, close eyes and breathe in using your belly muscles to a count of 5.
Breathe out using the same muscles to a count of 5 - or 7 if you can.
Continue for at least 5 minutes - 10 is better.
I found that counting as I breathed helped me to concentrate and relax. It may take practice but the breathing via the diaphragm muscles stimulates the vagus nerve - which may do the trick.
I hope you find this helpful - mindfulness meditation is great too - anything which will counteract the anxiety which ectopics cause all of us. Best wishes.
All Finvola has said is true the breathing helps. The counting helps but you really have to get into it if you get me! Xx
YAY!!! Thank you for coming back with good news - and you do need to get your head into it, I agree. The beauty of it is, it only has to work once to give you a positive feeling which helps the next time and so on. I hope it all settles somewhat for you - best wishes. xx
Yes I really relax into it and I look forward to doing it now. Thank you for all your help xx
Still breathing still helping. Thank you. ... well I hope I’m breathing. !
Thank you I really will try the breathing excercises, i just wish I believed the doctors I am sure two doctors saying the same thing and seein my ECG that they are right and I can get this into my head that would help, why dont I feel safe and just relax about them... so annoying I am such a baby!
No you are NOT! Everyone with arrythmias- including ectopics suffer anxiety. You have just come out of a really dangerous and damaging relationship so your body will be on constant high alert & that will take months & a lot of hard work from you to settle & find a new norm.
The very best thing you can do for yourself is to reassure & accept yourself & do everything you can to create a sense of safety for yourself.
Daily breathing exercises & meditation & some CBT will help.
If you can calm yourself for long enough then your ectopics may lessen - but they may not. In which case you need to just keep returning to your Doctor as there are treatments when they become overwhelming.
But they aren’t life threatening. Repeat reading that last sentence & repeat in your mind every few hours. Don’t allow your mind to trick you - you are safe - you just don’t feel it yet.
Thank you so much for your reply, i will see what doctor says maybe these drugs are not right as heart is going so slowly that it drags out the extra blip...I have high bp sometimes especially at the doctors it was ridiculously high so maybe the drug is for that...and they are hoping i will calm down myself... I think I need something to give me a lift maybe a small antidepressant although I think you can get hooked on those... I just need something to make me feel calmer then maybe my heartbeats will settle.
Try the magnesium. It also has a calming effect so is good for anxiety as well. Magnesium taurate is recommended by Dr Gupta a cardiologist from York who posts videos on this site. They are very helpful. Many people actually find Bisoprolol makes them depressed - I certainly did at that dose. Ectopics are horrible and it is natural to worry when they are so frequent but probably worrying about them is creating a vicious circle.
Sapphire - you are definitely not such a baby. Ectopics are stressful in themselves and you have so much stress to cope with at the moment. It says a lot about your strength that you can come here and seek advice. Well done and hang in there. xx
You are not a baby. You are just being honest. You are scared. It is scary it’s normal to feel like that. You will gain confidence as you go along. Be kind to yourself.
Thank you so much your words are very comforting to me x
What cd dreamer sajd was right..my cardio said the ectopics were nothing......but I know what they feel like and I know they instantly make you aware of your heart.....and once we are aware of the heart beat we can’t stop thinking of it......so it then make you feel worried.....
Try not to worry.....easier said than done I know, but you’ve had so much stress,
Sue
Bisoprolol can take some time, normally at least 3 days before it reaches a level to be of benefit and can be around 7 days to reach near its peak effectiveness. BUT it may not help, in fact it may make things a little worst by slowing your heart too much allowing more time for ectopics to form. Generally speaking Bisoprolol will help if your ectopics are more prevalent when doing things that require greater blood flow (exercise, walking up hill/stairs etc) and will be counter effective if you ectopics are more prevalent during rest when your heart rate is low.
I would certainly try some self help measures to help your irritated heart:
Eat avocado and banana at least 3 time a week
Drink plenty of water
Have an Epsom's salts bath at least 3 times a week
No alcohol or caffeine
No smoking
Try not to stress (this can be difficult)
If you take PPIs (omeprazole etc) try to reduce them.
Make sure your iron levels are OK
Don't expect much improvement for the first week - it takes time for these measures to help.
Breath through your diaphragm (make sure you tummy expands when breathing in and contracts when breathing out. What worked for me is breath in deeply for 4 second, hold for a few seconds (as long as is comfortable) then breath out slowly for around 8 seconds, then repeat for 2 minutes - this does not work for everyone but it can help you vagal tone which may be one of the causes of your ectopics.
Finally do not change your drugs without getting Dr approval
Good advice about the breathing, this is what my Tai Chi instructor tells us. Tai Chi demos are available on YouTube and are very calming - I downloaded Taiflow.
I always had ectopics when on Bisoprolol, even on 12.5mg a day, so I doubt if bisop will help you.
My ectopics reduced drastically when I stopped taking it (under medical guidance) and taking magnesium daily has reduced them further.
I still get them, and sometimes it feels horrible, but you just have to try and change your thinking and tell yourself that they aren't going to kill you
I will be asking the doctor on Monday after reading your reply bit confused I do have raised bp so maybe that’s what she wants me to take those for and hoping my ectopic beats will settle on their own as stress related !! if and when I can unwind perhaps they will neaten! but that won’t be for a while with what I am facing ! Thank you
Bisoprolol is also used for high BP but also for helping anxiety. Everyone reacts very differently to every drug. Personally I couldn’t tolerate Bisoprolol but it helps many so go by how YOU feel, not the experience of others.
If it’s going to, it should help in a couple of weeks & you should have adjusted to any side affects by then but if you haven’t, go back to the GP to discuss alternatives.
You will also need to learn to trust yourself and that takes time.
Best wishes & know you have people here to support.
Best wishes CD
Hi Sapphire
I was also getting a lot of ectopic beat my 24 hour ecg showed over 7000 in 24 hours.
I was also started on Bisoprolol 2.5mgs and curse that day. I have been on them four months now and they actually made my Palpatations worse. I am now weaning very slowly off them as you should suddenly not stop them.
On a good note go to UTube and check Sanjay Gupter a York cardiologist on his talk about magnesium tablets. I commence on these back in December and now only get the occasionally. I take magnesium citrate twice a day and it had certainly helped. The other thing I do when I have an episode is breath in for a count of 4 hold my breath for a count of 7 and breath out for a count of 8. After 5 or 6 of these breaths my palps ease away.
Good luck and I hope this info helps
Sapphire2019• in reply to
Thank you I will check out you tube...
Sapphire you've had some very good advice from others on this forum.
Yesterday, I wrote you a long and very deep reply and then lost all the text.
I think it's your relationship stress that's causing your heart problems, I beg you to get right away from the person causing it. Do you have a relation who lives miles away that you can go and stay with? My daughter was in a very similar situation and suffered palpitations at that time too. She's now happily married to a very gentle natured man and all that stress and the health problems it caused are behind her. Though it did take a long time to shake off her abusive and controlling ex.
When you're in a bad relationship you can't always see the situation clearly for what it is. Know that I understand exactly what you are going through and am here for you!
Big hug.
Jean
Yes I know it’s him causing me the problems,I left three months ago but he is pursuing with emails, texts, letters etc doesn’t understand that I am not coming back for the7th time, the last two years, i ran away twice from his violent abusive behaviour, i have hidden behind sofas, in cupboards to get away from him, but he is still thinking he can win me back! I have a slow lawyer as I amon legal aid, I have absolutely no money and its all building up in me, he is going to expensive lawyers to try and stop me taking anything from him... NZ law is 50-50 for long term partners but he seems to think he can find a way out of this law as we are From the UK. I am of course terrified of my future with no money no home and all my possessions in his house..I am not therefore surprised somethings gone wrong with me physically... thank you so much for taking precious time out of your lives and writing to me, all of the replies are very very helpful.... I am trying the breathing but not very good at it yet...
I feel your pain ......... big, big hugs over the ether ............
Steve
Sapphire has trigeminy, not AF. Hopefully a less stressful life will help although an ablation is possible if all else fails.
Hi, all any of those meds do is slow your heart rate and blood pressure, it’s just a band aid hoping you don’t feel them as much. In my case I felt every single one and was in constant bi/trigeminy and I feel your pain, it is disturbing, scary and exhausting!! They say stress makes it worse....not sure I buy it 100%. I’m very sorry for your situation with your ex....I wish you strength to move on to a better well deserved life. I’ve been there. As for the ectopic I was told by many doctors to relax it won’t kill me and try to meditate...how you meditate with a fish flopping around in my chest was quite comical, makes me think these doctors have never had 1 ectopic in their life. I found a great EP who was the first Doctor Who looked me in the eye and said he could help me. I was to the point I was having 20,000+ a day and my quality of life was horrible, so I gave in to having an ablation..... it changed my life!( So far anyway) ...if you think it is stress you could try the medication and meditation etc. to see if it subsides but in my opinion hi burdens of the ectopics are an electrical problem with your heart and if it’s debilitating for you for a long period of time there’s no harm in talking to an EP… Just know it’s a fixable thing you don’t have to suffer.
Yes I understand trying to relax with that sensation isnt easy I find it worse in the morning when I wake up I start to panic that its still there, which it is!! I am better keeping as busy as possible, I go for long walks, and focus on anything rather than worrying constantly that i am about to die!! It’s all crazy I used to love life and be such a happy person. I just wish my ex would be fair and deal with the break up and stop writing to me, begging me to return... I am never going back but he wont accept that... He basically is refusing to sell our home and give me anything after 20 years together and the lawyer is acting so slowly so i am in limbo land not sure if I will ever have a home again or any money to get started on my own... its all very depressing... i have good freinds in the UK but none really in NZ which doesn’t help.. My daughters are pretty amazing though I am so lucky to have them in my life.
Definitely try taking magnesium (magnesium glycinate or magnesium tautrate). Also eat a high magnesium diet. It definitely helps me with ectopics. Take it for the long term. Magnesium is needed for so many processes in your body so if you are deficient a lot can go wrong.
Update !!! my heart has settled !!! No idea why but I feel more calm this week probably because all the emails have stopped for the moment but that worries me thinking what’s he planning now!! the drugs have slowed my pulse down quite a lot which also scared me ! so I went back to the doctors they have reduced the bisoprol to half measures for a while to see how I get on! My bp is high at the surgery it was sky high! but at home it was near normal I have definitely got white coat syndrome!! I will see how I feel the next week or two, I have been walking the hills around me to unwind and get fit, I feel a bit breathless but otherwise I am ok 😊
I'm glad to hear that all has quietened down for you and walking in the hills sounds lovely. Can you magic my constant AF away too please?
The best thing that could happen to your ex now is for him to meet someone else, that would take his mind off of you. Keep alert though, as I've said, my family have had experience with these nutters. My daughter's ex put a tracker on her car, that was a while after he'd left her for someone else. He could do as he liked, but not her. She couldn't understand how everywhere she went she'd see him. He'd let down her car tyres and smash the side mirrors off. Oh the hell of it all, you poor thing. Take care.
Crikey I really hope he isn’t that insane but I do live in fear of him turning up and I am scared of him he has a brilliant mind and brain and is extremely clever so god know what he is planning ! I hope you get well soon 😃my mother had af and it certainly didn’t kill her off ! She took warfarin?
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Flecainide experience
Other members experiences of being on Flecainide - I have been put on 50mg twice a day and for the...
How Long Before Improvement?
I was diagnosed with AF a few months ago and before that only really knew something was wrong back...
ECTOPIC HEARTBEATS MY STOMACH AND THE VAGUS NERV
I have experienced most of my ectopic heartbeats, if not all, when I had a full or bloated stomach....
Tacycardia - how long before I go to A and E?
Well this is a new problem for me. I have AF and in the past year episodes have become much more...
Flutter and Heart beat
Booked in for my third Ablation for flutter, EP has put me on Sotolol 40 mg,
Heart beat is around...
How do you feel when in AF?
1st cardioversion 
Ectopic Beats and Beta Blockers - advice please
I did have AF despite no one believing me
Heart Rate
