Bisoprolol and anxiety

[Peddling]

I have been taking Bisoprolol since August and in general terms adapted to it without any obvious symptoms or side effects. However I have begun to experience moments of anxiety and confused thinking at sudden moments throughout the day with no obvious trigger. These side effects are noted as possibly resulting from an overdose but I am only taking 5mg which I divide into half a tablet twice a day. My other meds are Apixaban, losartan and thyroxine for an under active thyroid. My cardio swapped me from nebivolol to Bisoprolol because the former was not controlling my HR which was persistently high. He also says it was not designed to cope with left bundle branch block which I have.

In addition to Bisoprolol I take vitamins C and D, CQ10 and magnesium Bisglycinate.

I know that Bisoprolol is a much reviled drug on the forum, but I thought I was responding to it well, it has brought my HR under better control. However the anxiety and confusion is not something I bargained for. Any thoughts or comments gratefully received.

[Annpatricia]

Hi there I took Bisoprolol for a short period about 3 years ago but had to stop as I reached some kind of tipping point at around 110 days and started to experience some awful sudden onset side effects. Including agitation, inability to sleep and, by day 4, hallucinations. As this occurred within a week of having had an ablation I returned to the hospital and was admitted. It was the weekend and I was seen by a duty consultant cardiologist who thankfully knew about and had seen this somewhat rare side effect in one patient previously. She told me that Bisoprolol crosses into the brain (not all beta blockers do) and can cause some toxic side effects in some people - these have been described in a research paper from North America. You sensations of anxiety may well be connected to taking it.

I switched to Carvidilol and have been absolutely fine with that. You should talk to your prescribing cardiologist.

[Peddling in reply to Annpatricia]

Thank you for your speedy response. What an awful experience for you on top of the ablation. My cardio did say there were other alternatives, he was more concerned re low blood pressure possibly being a problem but I haven’t felt dizzy or light headed.

[Peony4575 in reply to Annpatricia]

Thank you for sharing not enough attention is given to the very severe side effects that can be caused by bisoprolol

[Hidden]

Hi Peddling, are you monitoring your heart rate. If it’s low, subject to discussing with your Doctor, could there be scope for reducing the dose?

[Peddling in reply to Hidden]

Yes FJ just done that and it’s it’s usual flakey self - jumping between 70 & 85 on three takes. BP seems OK too, variable but within range.

[Hidden in reply to Peddling]

Probably not low enough but might be worth asking........or maybe 1.25 in the morning and 3.75 before bed but you must ask first.......

[Hilly22]

Good morning Peddling.

I identify with your situation - I was also changed from one of the older beta blockers (Atenolol) to Bisoprolol after my arrhythmia diagnosis and the discovery of a LBBB (probably inherited, as no heart events were discovered). The Bisoprolol has definitely improved my blood pressure and heart rate, but it does seem to have its disadvantages, though for me, nothing quite like your symptoms. Physically I became very tired and started having vivid action-packed dreams ... still do, but both have improved since I switched (with doctor’s approval) to taking my single dose of Bisoprolol (5mg) at night. These days most of my dreams are interesting, and I don’t want them to end.

I wonder if your symptoms of sudden anxiety and confusion could be related to other issues such as thyroid. If I was you I’d have a chat with your GP on the phone.

[Best2 in reply to Hilly22]

Hi there Hilly 22 I have just been diagnosed with lbbb ol are can u tell me if this is dangerous as I’ve never heard of it and am so worried??? Thankyou

[Hilly22 in reply to Best2]

Hello Best2

Please don’t worry. I think a lbbb is more indicative of a past event than dangerous in itself. I was horrified when mine was found, especially as it meant urgent investigation in a&e to check for signs of a past heart event. Luckily nothing was found. I asked the doctor in a&e what having a lbbb meant for me and he said it just meant I should make sure it was mentioned to anyone doing an ecg before they became alarmed. My mother was discovered to have a lbbb so I wonder if mine is inherited. She lived to 94.

I actually forget I have it. Did you have all the checks when they found yours, such as checks for troponin levels?

[Best2 in reply to Hilly22]

Hi hilly 22 Thankyou for reassurance so pleased your ok ! Yes tropin was raised slightly in a and e which they said was borderline heart attack! Maybe that was cause I’ve had ectopic beats for years which they said were harmless!! Echo on Thursday and then booked for mri in 12 weeks time !

[Hilly22 in reply to Best2]

P.S. I’ve just seen your posts on the BHF site but can’t reply as I’m not a member. But I see that you’ve had a couple of heart events in the past. That’ll be the reason for the LBBB I expect ... probably something that’s often discovered after a heart attack. I hope that puts your mind at rest x

[Best2 in reply to Hilly22]

Thankyou for you reply I’m just anxious as it sounds dangerous? But then surely if it was they would have told me ?

[Hilly22 in reply to Best2]

Your echo scan on Thursday should pick up anything untoward, and your consultation afterwards would be a good time to ask what they think might have caused the LBBB.

In the meantime I’ve copied the following information from the BHF website ...

“Left bundle branch block (LBBB) usually means that there is some underlying heart disease such as:

1. coronary heart disease (including a heart attack)

2. cardiomyopathy

3. thickening of the heart muscle (left ventricular hypertrophy) which can be caused by high blood pressure or aortic stenosis (narrowing around the aortic valve), or

4. wearing and ageing of the electrical pathway

Treatment

A bundle branch block itself doesn’t need treatment, but it could be a sign of an underlying condition, which you may need to have treatment for.”

Please do let me know how you get on on Thursday and after your MRI scan. All the best x

[Best2 in reply to Hilly22]

Thankyou for this I’m hoping it’s nothing major ! I will keep you updated on results!

[Paulbounce]

We are all different with this one Peddling.

My experience with Bisoprolol was not starting it but when my cardio said to stop there and then and changed med's - this caused some worry and anxiety. I remember the first time I took it - a friend from OZ had a flight to the UK and had arranged a meet up in Brum for a few of us. I didn't go because I was worried about any side effects. It was fine but the worry came when my cardio just said to just stop. I think it should be reduced over a few weeks (my understanding but I'm not a medic).

Hilly wrote

"I wonder if your symptoms of sudden anxiety and confusion could be related to other issues"

This is certainly worth talking to your doctor about.

Best of luck.

Paul

[Outtheresinger]

Hi PeddlingSorry to hear about your anxiety problems. If these are new and coincide with starting to take Bisoporal then you may have correctly guessed the culprit. I was given Bisoporal when I started having attacks of AF like you it was ok to start with but then I started getting anxiety attacks and also voices in my head encouraging me to do awful things. I knew they weren’t real but it was really scary. My GP and Consultant doubted they were due to the Bisoporal but things didn’t improve so I demanded a change. I have not had any voices since and the the anxiety also reduced. Of course it could be coincidence but I am not willing to repeat the experience. I am now taking Atenolol which does not cross the blood brain barrier and feel like my old self. The only way you will know for certain is to swop

drugs and monitor your symptoms. Good luck!

[DERLIN]

I did not know Bisoprolol was a reviled drug. I have been taking 10mg a day for 10 years with no side effects

[Spinners in reply to DERLIN]

We all react differently to drugs, and I took it without any noticeable problems for many years. Also, the problems crept on so gradually, I didn't attri Ute them to bisoprolol.

[KMRobbo in reply to DERLIN]

Ha ha! its only a reviled drug to those who can't tolerate it! Like me - I had 1.25mg only and was asleep for 4 to 5 hours every time I took one, and woke up feeling dreadful with several other issues. I shudder to think what 10mg would have done to me! We are all different . Best wishes

[Spinners]

Hello Peddling

I changed over from many years of bisoprolol to Verapamil, a calcium blocker, as I was lethargic and depressed. The change has been a miracle. I sleep better, have a much more positive outlook on life, am much less anxious, my brain functions better ( I was beginning to think I was developing dementia, and I have almost lost the tremor in my hands that was beginning to become troublesome. So yes, it could well be the bisoprolol that is doing it.

[Peddling in reply to Spinners]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. There does seem to be a link between Bisoprolol and anxiety/confusion for some of us and there are mentions of it in other similar topics today 5/12. I have a telephone consult with my cardio in early January and if the issue persists, will ask him to alter my medication.