AF medication

[Gillybean123]

Hi everyone, is any one else on Verapamil? I’m have been prescribed this to take instead of Bisoprolol. Been really struggling with my breathing. Xx

[waveylines]

Yes Im on Verapamil. I was put on ot after beta blockers the last being bisprolol were making me ill. Been fine on verapamil.

[Gillybean123 in reply to waveylines]

Hi there, yes I have been on bisoprolol for a long long time, Im hoping that the verapamil will be better.I start them today. I can’t breath when I am walking, I can’t lose weight even with being on a diet 100%. There’s loads of other little things. So we shall see. X

[Tomred in reply to Gillybean123]

Thought I'd never be able to go to bed without food in me but I needed to lose a stone tried stopping eating after 6 30 within 3 weeks got stone off no other modifications now I never think of eating before bed

[Gillybean123 in reply to Tomred]

Yes I’m a bit naughty I always think have a little something before bed. I did last night. I thought I am nearly 71 and I am still worrying about my weight. But I am determined. My AF is always better when I am slimmer. I just want a stone to come off so if I can walk better and breath better it will. I used to walk miles with my old dog. Have a good day. X

[Tomred in reply to Gillybean123]

Hi gillybean i walk i weight train and am very active but never lost any weight only through this simple diet modification no more bloat also skipping suppertime and not even a big supper I think when we are sleeping so is our digestive system so what we put in at night just lies there

[Gillybean123 in reply to Tomred]

I saw a chap on the tv the other day who said don’t eat after a certain time for about 12 hours at night and work on having breakfast about 11 in the morning. So what do you do then have you main meal at what time. X

[Tomred in reply to Gillybean123]

I eat at 8 am 1 o'clock lunch evening meal 6 o'clock and I snack between these best of both worlds

[Gillybean123 in reply to Tomred]

I see, now I always eat late about 9 the mother night it was 11. So will eat tonight at 6. Thanks for that. X

[Tomred in reply to Gillybean123]

One other thing I make my evening meal fairly substantial to see me through look forward to an update in about 3 weeks good luck gillybean

[Gillybean123 in reply to Tomred]

I will let you know it’s my birthday on the 11th May so I will aim for that and treat myself. Will write it in my book. Thankyou.

[Tomred in reply to Gillybean123]

Cheers my birthday 7th may too stubborn lot ha ha

[Gillybean123 in reply to Tomred]

Taureans are the best!!!!!

[waveylines in reply to Gillybean123]

Beta blockers work by slowing the body down, many do this by reducing thyroid hormone conversion. This causes us to feel tired all the time and yes if it slows our body enough heavy legs and breathlessness. Im on thyroid hormones for hypothyroidism and beta blockers especially bisprolol completely messed them up......fetl incredibly ill. Verapamil for me has been brilliant as it works completely differently. Hope you feel better on it too.

[Gillybean123 in reply to waveylines]

Hi there, well three days into verapamil and touch wood I do feel better. X

[seasider18]

Verapamil and Losartan were the only two BP pills that did not give me bad side effects. Although initially Verapamil gave me constipation.

[Gillybean123 in reply to seasider18]

Hi Seasider, well I can do without the constipation. We shall see. Are you at the !,,

[ETFCfan]

Hello, after being on Bisoprolol for five years gradually going up to 10mg daily I have been changed to verapamil about a month ago. I was told this was to see if it was the Bisoprolol causing my breathlessness and tiredness before being put on the waiting list for Pace and Ablate. I have had no side effects from the Verapamil at all but the worst thing was two really bad Migraines which Inuse dtonsuffer From Before Bisoprolol. Also there has been absolutely no change in my ability to exercise or breathing. I think I get a bit more dizzy too. Like you I was hoping to lose weight coming off Bisoprolol and eating a lot less but not a single pound!

[Gillybean123 in reply to ETFCfan]

Gosh I hope I don’t get the migraines.the weight thing is annoying. I have three dogs,I walked them every day and I always have to stop and breath. The masks don’t help. We shall see I was on 7.5 mg. I start the verapamil today. I read yesterday that it takes a lot longer to break down in your system. X

[ETFCfan in reply to Gillybean123]

Don’t worry about the migraines, I’ve always suffered with them and used to joke that it was a bit of a drastic way to get rid of them by having heart problems. Good luck , Lynne x

[Gillybean123 in reply to ETFCfan]

Good luck to you. I’m off for a cuppa. Xx

[Desanthony]

I couldn't take anything like this. Tried bisoprolol when first diagnosed. Nothing changed in the first couple of weeks so thought it would take time for them to make a difference but by the third week I was worse than I had been without them, same with verapamil and a couple of others that were tried including digoxin at the higher dose. The crunch came about 9/12 months after my diagnosis when I couldn't even walk downstairs one morning without stopping for breath. My wife called the cardio and he told me to stop taking (whatever it was I was on at the time) straight away. As we had moved house I saw a new cardio who put me on digoxin but that was going the same way and just before my first cardioversion I realised there was a lower dose of digoxin when talking to a pharmacist friend and went onto the lower dose which I was only on for about 4 or 5 weeks before my first successful cardioversion. At the lower dose for that short time they didn't seem to affect me but even though I have now had 3 cardioversions and gone back into AF twice I have not been put back on beta or calcium channel blockers. I'm waiting for an ablation but Covid has caused problems with that twice - first time was during the first easing of shielding at the end of August and I had gone to help my sister move house after the death of her husband so wouldn't have been able to manage it and the second about 2 months later in October when just a few days before I was due to have the ablation the hospital closed because of covid in the hospital - indeed in the cardio unit! EP said he would get back to me this year but no contact yet!

[Gillybean123 in reply to Desanthony]

Morning, it’s awful. So lowering. I was diagnosed with AF in 2012. Have had numerous cardio versions,1 ablation, was due to have another ablation but changed my mind. Then I decided to sort my life out. After losing my lovely hubby I had a rather upsetting 12 months. I had my ablation in 2013, lost my hubby in 2015.So I reckon I was put on bisoprolol in beteeen those years. I was on amiodorone prior to ablation which I found amazing.but they took me off it saying you can’t stay on it long term and my age.I am now 70, so have been on bisoprolol a long time. The first week I went on it I couldn’t breath. Anyway November 2017 got fed up of being rushed to hospital four times that month. Stopped drinking alcohol onthe27thNovember 2017stopped eating red meat, which I loved and a g & t and a red wine with a nice steak. Prior to bisoprolol I lost three stone. But during the first lockdown i have put some weight on which I can’t shift. It just won’t budge. So here’s to hoping Verapamil will do something. You have a good day. X

[Desanthony in reply to Gillybean123]

Hope it works for you. Thankfully never been overweight - by much more than 5 to 7 lbs and always found it easy to lose weight which annoys my wife no end. She says if I just stop taking my half spoon of sugar in my coffee I will lose weight whereas she has to practically starve herself. She can be careful and still gain weight in just a few days whereas I can over eat for a month and only put on a few lbs. We are all different The thing is to keep doing the good things with the odd treat to keep life bearable.

[Gillybean123 in reply to Desanthony]

Yes we’re are all different. My hubby never went on a diet in his life he was never overweight Bless Him. We can’t all be the same. You have a good day.Suns out but it is cold. X

[Desanthony in reply to Gillybean123]

My wife says her Dad was the same could eat anything and everything and not go over 10 st. Her Mum and her only had to look at something fattening and put on a lb! Its just clouded over here as my wife is about to put washing out! Its supposed to be a good day today so the sunshine will make us all feel a little better. Have a lovely day.

[Gillybean123 in reply to Desanthony]

You are early birdies. We are supposed to have a heat wave. I live by the river literally it all looks and sound very pretty, but chilly. Will walk the dogs later do some gardening, that’s the plan, so you both enjoy your day as well. X

[Desanthony in reply to Gillybean123]

Enjoy your gardening we need to get out in the garden too.

[Brenda-j]

I have taken verapamil with flecainide for years and have had no problem

[KMRobbo]

I was on 120mg mod release for 20 months , one on the few meds I tried which DID NOT cause a problem! (Hence why i stayed on it) . We are all different. It don't think it controlled my high rate afib very well though at that dose as it would go to 165bpm resting when I had an afib attack . ( I had some 40 mg std release from my GP to use as extra dose when I went into AFib). Conversely when I was put on diltiazem, another calcium channel blocker, I was a bit breathless just walking upstairs, like my breathing was 20 seconds behind my oxygen requirement. Additionslly my max HR when running was 137, just too painful in effort to exceed. So I can understand where you are at with the breathlessness (I hated it) .

Mind you I was quite grateful for that limit when I developed reentrant atrial flutter as it capped that rate at 140bpm which kept me in one piece as I had to wait 4 weeks for an ablation to stop it. 4 weeks at 165 would not have been good!

All meds are a balance.

[Gillybean123]

Yes I a am on flecanide as well, which I think is amazing. They have put me on 145mg. Had first one this morning. Bright orange for a change. My heart rate is 58 ish. At its worst it was 250 which was unwalkable.x