Bisoprolol

[Caradomben]

Hi I take 2.5 mgs bisoprolol i morning and find sometimes that I can’t get a proper breath. It’s like I want to sigh or yawn Does anyone else have this symptom . It is it there all the time. Usually worse during night.

[bantam12]

I see you had this a year ago, have you had your thyroid tested ? air hunger is a common symptom of underactive thyroid.

[Caradomben in reply to bantam12]

Hi yes I’ve had my thyroid tested and was normal. I know I posted a while ago but it is an ongoing problem . All my tests have been normal . In wondering if it is anxiety resulted now due to current situation 🤔

[CDreamer in reply to Caradomben]

It could be anxiety but could also be the way you are breathing or it could be symptom of Bisoprolol or numerous other reasons.

Ensure you are breathing & exhaling through your nose, light, slow & deep, aim for 6 breaths per minute. If you are breathing too shallow & too fast - which often happens when you feel breathless - breathing fast & shallow will make it feel worse.

youtu.be/mBqGS-vEIs0(Not working as expected?)

There was another of Patrick McKeon’s videos posted a few days ago & he was recently featured on Dr Chatterjee’s Podcasts. My husband & I have been doing his breathing exercises for a few days now & found them very useful.

[Paulbounce]

I can only speak from my experience from bisoprolol. Personally I didn't have that problem from taking it - it can make you feel tired though.

I do find though that being breathless was a symptom of being in afib. I would describe it like this - let's say when you are breathing normally (in sinus) it's 100% oxygen level in your body. In afib it's like your at 95% level. It's not major but noticable.

I wonder if it happens when you are in afib rather than the med's ?

Paul

[Ppiman]

I get this now and then; in fact, this past few days it's been happening quite a lot. It isn't breathlessness, as you say, but a frequent need to draw in deep breaths.

I had it more frequently last year before and after my ablation for persistent atrial flutter and it did seem to be worse while taking bisoprolol. It was most obvious while I lay in bed trying to sleep. However, my brother then told me that he often feels similar and it bothers him, too. He's not on any medication nor has any arrhythmia issues so, in a way, his experience convinced me that it was was likely down to anxiety (or, perhaps, genetics as we both seemed to recall our late mother had something similar). He, like me but less so, is a worrier. My other theory is that it is somehow stomach or diaphragm related as I have reflux disease and a small hiatus hernia.

Overall, I hope, like me, you'll find it will lessen and, eventually, come to not affect you overly much. Certainly, the current Covid-19 crisis is raising anxiety significantly in many people.

Steve

[Caradomben in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you I .. did think maybe it could be a stomach/diaphragm issue since it not so frequent during day .

[Ppiman in reply to Caradomben]

I think you have the cause identified. I gather many people can have a small hiatus hernia, for example, without knowing it - and it’s of no medical consequence.

Fully linking the symptom with the cause is nigh on impossible, medically, it seems - or not worth it as nothing can be done to cure it. The secret I suppose - which defeats me all too often - is to learn to ignore it by finding some cupboard at the back of the mind to hide it in!

Steve

[Caradomben in reply to Ppiman]

😂😂

[Leechg]

Hi, yes I take the same dose in the morning and often have this problem. However I experience it more in the mornings and less later on in the day. People have suggested trying some other medication but so far I have thought better the devil you know. Good luck.

[bugswhiskers]

I've taken Bisoprolol for eight years and I often get the feeling that I can't take a proper breath, but it isn't any worse than it was before I started taking it. I've had the feeling so badly that I've panicked, and that's when I wasn't taking Bisoprolol. For me it seems to be caused by anxiety, because distraction relieves it, but it is a very unpleasant feeling and I hope it gets better for you. I think Dr. Claire Weeks refers to it in one of her books as 'the horses hoof on your chest.'

[Mrsvemb]

Now you mention it, I had forgotten that I had this. I used to get it, not frequently, or even every day.

I was on 2.5mg Bisoprolol twice a day, but I changed to Nebivolol 6 months ago. Since stopping the Bisoprolol I have not had this problem, so I would agree that it is possibly the Bisoprolol, causing this.

My main reason for changing from Bisoprolol was breathlessness and feeling tired, but it has also sorted out this problem too.

As I didn’t get it frequently, I hadn’t linked it to Bisoprolol.

Might be worth asking your doctor for a change of medication, as you seem to be quite symptomatic.

[Caradomben in reply to Mrsvemb]

Thank you .

[Nick1957 in reply to Caradomben]

When I was on 10mg of bisoprolol it really whacked me out! Very shallow breathing with breathlessness and foggy head too. Reduced to 7.5mg by doctor and it made a huge difference. Now in NSR after successful CV and reduced to 5mg breathing back to normal.

[KMRobbo]

I could not tolerate bisoprol excessive tiredness (it actually put me to sleep 40 mins after taking 1.25mg) and poor exercise tolerance i could only run 100 yards before being totally breathless. I knew it was the bisoprol because the week before I was put on Bisoprolol, which was the week before afib diagnosis, i could run 6 miles cross country in 48 minutes. Easy thing is to get you up to switch you to some thing else and try it. I went to Atenolol which was similar symptoms but no where near as bad, and then two weeks later to verapamil a calcium channel blocker after my GP decided I may be intolerant to beta blockers, i stayed on that for 20 months

[cycleman73]

Hello Caradomben, yes I was on 1.25mg Bisoprolol two and a half years ago and definitely had problems catching my breathe, very annoying it was. However I took myself off Bisop and glad to say I no longer have the issues with breathe catching. I must add that should you intend coming off bisoprolol please speak to your GP first. Good luck !

[Caradomben in reply to cycleman73]

Thank you good to know it’s not my imagination 🤔

[Hidden]

Me too. I take an anti anxiety pill and magnesium to help me relax but still my chest feels blocked as if I just can't take that breath fully over the hill.

It holds me back into a mild yawn . 2.5 Biso

I hate it.

[Caradomben in reply to Hidden]

Hi yeah I hate it too. All ways seems worse at night which makes it difficult to relax . 😥

[Hidden]

I take it in the am which most find it better to take it at night. It makes me very tired.

[Goldfish7]

Hi Caradomben - yes I had this symptom alongside others - cold extremities, fatigue, loss of sleep, etc. from taking bisoprolol. It really reduced my ability to exercise and would make me feel unable to take a big breath. I feel better now I'm off it in many ways although do have underlying heart problems since the PAF was sorted with my last ablation I am still struggling with exercise so some of the breathlessness may not have been bisoprolol related, (some of it definitely was as breathlessness reduced at one stage dramatically when my bisoprolol dose was reduced to 1.25mg.

From my enquiries on line and comments on this site it would appear that breathlessness is a fairly common side effect of bisoprolol.

[Hidden]

I also don’t feel great on bisoprolol but have not been offered anything else as such a small dose 1.25

They did suggest I take it at night 6pm but then I spend my evening feeling not great.

Today I have cut my tablet in half and will take one half morning and one half at night .. will see how that works .. nobody told me to do that but I wanted to try and see if it helps ..

[LaceyLady in reply to Hidden]

How are you going on?

[Giorgos1973]

Για σας και από μένα είχα και εγώ αυτό το πρόβλημα με την bisoprolol κοφτές ανάσες σαν να μην με φτάνει ο αέρας η δόση ήταν 2.5μλγ το πρωι τα συμπτώματα τα είχα κατά της διάρκειας της ημέρας συν κούραση και καταθλιπτικη διάθεση μετά από ένα χρόνο το άλλαξα σε nebivolol είμαι πολύ καλύτερα μετά από δύο μήνες η ανάσα μου βελτιώθηκε Όχι εκατό τις εκατό άλλα πιστεύω να καλυτερέψει ελπίζω και για εσάς ότι το καλύτερό

[Adasian]

I have gotten this exact problem and sometimes feel I have to yawn to get a deep breath. I am on Bisoprolol 2.5mg once a day. I also feel unusually tired some times and wondered what the cause was. Is it Afib or the medicine. I am a fairly active 72 yr old and currently experiencing continuous Afib. My pressure is on the low side under 120/80 and resting rate usually 55bpm. I take 5ml bp meds and have Hashimoto thyroditis which is controlled. I also occasionally get chest pains. I feel it might be due to anxiety. I am new to this blog also, so any advice /comments are welcome.

[Caradomben in reply to Adasian]

Hi welcome to the site. Yes I get unusually tired too sometimes and put it down to the Bisoprolol . I have paroxysmal AF so can’t say it is the AF that makes me tired . My

resting heart rate is around 45 bpm . But in normal sinus rhythm . If you are concerned about your symptoms it would be a good idea to discuss with your GP to reassure you .

[Adasian]

Thanks for your comments