10 days off Biso which I had tapered dropping quarter tablet each week I had been feeling worse and the rebound symptoms of pounding runs of sinus tachycardia were getting worse.So yesterday I was sitting having decaf with my friend in my kitchen when suddenly started to feel really awful heart rate climbed pounding was so severe it literally was shaking my whole body and I turned scarlet presume blood pounding causing vasodilation. My friend watching this called ambulance and I took 2,5mg Biso because I knew that’s what the hospital would do and severe BB rebound can be dangerous and shortly the moisture was sucked out of my mouth and the symptoms began to subside . All tests at hospital fine and was delighted it didn’t trigger AF. So the symptoms I have been getting of being woken 3 times a night by short runs of sinus tachycardia and burning lower legs are still here except palpstions muffled and my back is on fire as well, Damned if I do and damned if I don’t . So having tapered and been off for 10 days then taken 2.5 mg I don’t know what to do tomorrow. A&E doctor suggested staying on double dose . I will be speaking to cardiologist tomorrow but what do you guys think . They don’t always take drug reactions seriously . I would still like to be off it and use it as a pip which my second cardiologist suggested . Have only taken 33 1-25mg tablets in total so realise this reaction seems ridiculous but it is my reaction. I am very drug sensitive
Bisoprolol withdrawal crashed and bur... - Atrial Fibrillati...
Bisoprolol withdrawal crashed and burned
That sounds horrible and sounds as though you coped very well and know about rebound and what to do.
It also sounds very like a Herzheimer reaction which I’ve had on several occasions when my body is cleansing but also after some antibiotics as pathogens die off and flood the system with cytokines, an inflammatory marker - it’s very common after HBOT or treatment for Lymes Disease for instance. Herzheimer reaction is not always a bad thing, horrible to experience but can be an indication that something is actually clearing.
Coming off these drugs is often difficult and just another thing that is not explained when you start!
Maybe you tapered too fast? This drug takes months to clear your system, it’s so surprising how our body believes we cannot survive without the substance so panics.
Another thought - Do you think it was something in the coffee, albeit it was decaf, that triggered your body’s reaction? Decaf coffee is not always preferable as dependant upon whether it is natural low in caffeine or whether it has been chemically removed can make a huge difference as to your reaction. I can drink coffee if it is one that has been made through a pressurised machine such as the capsules or take away, a brewed coffee gives me a reaction as does granulated decaf - does for me every time, sweats, hot flushes, increase in HR - so I avoid. There is a substance in Coffee which is actually very helpful in cleansing the system which could also be a factor?
If you are determined to stop I would talk to your cardiologist, then perhaps take a very small and ever decreasing amount of Biso every other day which for a few weeks and keep reducing down to almost nothing - a crumb even and see if that works eventually.
I know others on this forum have had this problem so maybe they have some ideas?
Many thanks for reply and got sympathy it was a truly horrible experience . Don’t think it was the beverage . Always use the same brand and two thirds of the way down the jar. Had similar experience the day before but not as bad. Have felt progressively awful through the whole month of withdrawing . Since been withdrawing get three short bursts of tachycardia during the night and burning sensations . I went through a bad protracted withdrawal from anti depressants some years ago and don’t think I can put me or my family through that again. Will have to see if I can settle on lowest dose of these pills without being too impaired . That’s my feeling this morning . Only took about 31 tablets of 1.25 mg in total. Ridiculous reaction. But that’s what am like. Super sensitive to meds
We all react very differently and what annoys me is that there is this blanket dosage recommendations for everyone, especially with a substance such as Bisoprolol.
You are so right to be annoyed . And they have a tin ear when you tell them how it makes you feel
I'm with CDreamer on this one particularly how quickly you reduced the dose. Also de- caf actually means reduced caf in most cases from my experience. Same wtih de-caf tea.
Thanks Bob. The cardiologist wrote me a little schedule taking the pill every other day. Got to day 3 and had very unpleasant tachycardia attack ( not something I suffer with ordinarily ). If I find I cant stick it then when I have recovered from this I would do something like 0.025 mg once a month. Never volunteering for an experience like the last month where I dropped quarter tablet a week of the 1.25 mg
You will be able to wean off I think. You just have to do it far more slowly. Dropping the dose each week is far too fast when you are so sensitive. You could try going back to your original dose of 1.25mg tomorrow and see how you feel. If ok after a few days reduce by a quarter tab and stay on that dose for a month. I know this sounds protracted but you have to let your body get used to the lower dose . I have read that when on beta blockers the body responds by actually making more beta receptors . When the bb is removed there are more of these cells that get flooded by adrenaline hence the reactions. After a month you could try reducing to .65mg . Again stay on this dose for at least a month. Once you get down to having been a month on a quarter tablet try alternate days on that. If at any time you think you might not be able to wean off you could ask to switch to Nebivolol. Many here (me included) have found this far more tolerable than Bisoproplol.
Thank you very much for the excellent advice . I have gone back to 1.25mg this is the second day but to add insult to injury seems to be fuelling bad anxiety. Guessing weaning off then stopping then going back on is causing a bit of turmoil and not what you want when just diagnosed with AF And want to keep things calm. Need to get to some sort of stability to, as you say start some sort of slow wean. Neither the pills nor the withdrawal agree with me !!
I have been taking 5 mg bisoprolol in the morning along with my other tablets for over a year now and initial feeling is of mid morning tiredness/fatigue. Seeing the cardiologist in October to see if he can decrease dosage however, I was thinking of halving the dose by splitting the 5mg tablet but still take half 2.5mg in the morning and half 2.5mg in the evening! I suppose I need to get permission from cardiac nurse first?? Thoughts on this anyone
That would be a big dose drop if you don’t know how you react . Personally I would get advice . There are people on here far better placed to give advice than me given I just crashed and burned . Good luck with iit
I don’t think we can advise you as this is a very specialised area and I for one am not competent to advise.
What I suggest you do is to research - there are a lot of papers on the affects of Bisoprolol and why you should take in the morning, in one dose. I know I tried to take in evening with disastrous results as it caused bradycardia during the night which then triggered AF. I also had very low BP at the time so the overall affect wasn’t good. I would suggest you research so you ask informed questions and understand the whys and wherefores before you talk to your cardiologist.
Thanks. Will speak to cardiac nurse and seek her advice before doing anything. Thx again
Dropping from 5mg to 2.5mg is a large reduction . Having said that I did it a few years ago with no ill results BUT I had only been taking Bisoproplol for about 3 weeks . I felt so awful I told my GP I did not want to live if it meant feeling like that all the time. He told me to halve the dose and bit later I reduced it to 1.25mg. Later my cardiologist said I could stop it altogether and I weaned off slowly even though he said I could just stop it. I suspect that the longer you are on beta blockers the harder it is to wean off as the body has had more time to make extra beta receptors. I changed to Nebivolol from Bisoprolol ( after I went back on it when the afib came back) about 18 months ago and have not been able to reduce the dose by very much.
I have only been on just over a month and spent almost all of that weaning ! Ridiculous the strength of the reaction
Auriculaire , are you better on Nebivolol? If so, in what way?
I would say I am less lethargic. I find Bisoprolol better for reducing my heart rate during an attack so have been taking some leftovers as PIP. But for everyday the Nebivolol is better.
Sorry to hear this, as you know I have experienced this first hand. It's not the endo of the world, just a blip. I'm sure that you will get off the bisop at some point
Many thanks Mikee. I think I am having weird Adrenalin dumps or surges . About 36 hours before the A&E trip I noticed I was shaking like I was cold . Then the next day I had a bad do similar but not as severe as yesterday’s, legs go to jelly , heart races ( bit of AF in that one) shaky weak feel like am going to collapse. Feel awful. Yesterday’s was really severe whole body shaking heart shaking my whole body . Yesterday when I took the Biso because I knew that’s what the hospital would do things started to settle quite quickly . Well have just had ( am having) a milder version . Probably happening because the pills I took are starting to wear off . But at least I think I know what is happening. You have been very supportive and I thank you for that
Same as Mike I came off bisop just in April for second time after I failed last year after an ablation. Had similar horrible side effects, adrenalin surges, fast runs and awful feelings. I persevered this time coming off slower than doc advised, I followed someone from here and advice off others. I did it this time and haven't had any odd things for months now, and it is a trial getting used to having working adrenalin again, but it's something you can do so don't be hard on yourself.
Glad to say no bisoprolol since April, and feel better than ever, I totally get how it feels, disappointed and low is how I felt, but don't let it get you down, stay on it a month or so to settle then very slowly come off and if you want il send you my longer method I used the second time it worked for me .
Ian.
Ian I would really appreciate it if you could send me your weaning schedule . Wouldn’t care if it took two years I couldn’t go through this again . Am disappointed it’s like I have been through this for nothing. And really feel so ill at times normal not for the last month !
So my cardiologist just emailed me. I had sent him some Kardia ECGs showing the fast runs . He’s told me what they are and a letter is on its way . No one is going to listen when I say didnt have these a month ago before taking the bisop and starting to wean . Am hoping they will do more investigations before shoving more drugs in my direction
Hi John thank you very much for trying to help will have a think
Whilst I completely agree with your statements, which may well be true, Bisoprolol is a notoriously difficult drug to withdraw from and it is known to heighten sensitivity to other compounds so if you are someone who is hypersensitive and have digestive intolerances anyway, you may truly struggle.
Quite likely it is a combination of withdrawal and a trigger of something else. My views on Beta Blockers are well aired, suffice to say I now have a Red Alert on my medical file because I’ve had too many arguments with too many doctors who try to prescribe me Beta Blockers.
Bisoprolol Rebound can have serious consequences so it is wise to be cautious and titrate down with extreme care. It always amazes me that a drug with such affects is so easily prescribed.
My GP recently advised me to go from 5 mg a day to 2.5. I was wary so have been taking 2.5 in the morning as usual and 1.25 at night.
My legs have been aching horrendously, do you think this may be linked? I notice you said something about body aches in your original post.
I have had ongoing problems with my legs in withdrawal . Achy and weak at times . So quite possibly . If the problem arrived with the dose change seems more than likely I would say . Got loads of muscle tension which leads to aches
You could try magnesium oil spray for the achy legs and a warm hot water bottle or pad near them at night, I find that helps.
I haven’t heard of magnesium oil spray . Do you find it effective ?
Yes. I have a neurological muscular condition and take a med which helps the symptoms but the affect is to cause muscle spasms and aching legs as a result. I find the spray very helpful and as I can’t take oral magnesium in any form, helpful for the heart also.
My cardio nurse said that the aching legs is symptomatic of Bisoprolol.
Am sure she’s right
To describe what I experienced when on Bisoprolol as aching legs is a gross, gross understatement. I had excruciating limb pains, mostly overnight, which could last for an hour. I had never known such pain, (and I’ve had three children 😉).
I was fortunate in that I came off it without difficulty. I wish Peony4575 good luck, and wish that everyone could find it as easy to come off this drug. I felt like a completely new woman, even though in my seventies.
Thank you . Hope I will get there eventually !
The first time I was on Bisoprolol at 5mg my legs hurt horribly mainly in the evening and at night. It disturbed my sleep. I was also taking Préviscan ( a vit k antagonist) and I don't think that helped. When I stopped the Préviscan and reduced the Bisoproplol the pain went away. These drugs are poison!
My legs and feet hurt so much on 2.5 Bisoprolol that I could cry. I can't walk anywhere anymore. I'm disabled by it. I have just had a prescription filled for switching to Nebivolol but I'm not sure the doctor is right about the dosage being the same between the two drugs. The pharmacist has looked it up and can't find a definitive answer so I'm nervous to start.
Goodness. I'm so sorry about your experience and feel hugely thankful I'm.not on Bisoprolol. I was only on it for 3.5 months - made me tired and depressed, also caused constipation. Legs ached even on short staircases. Thank god for Flecainide which suits me better. Best of luck!;
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