Fatigue : I just posted a question... - Atrial Fibrillati...

Atrial Fibrillation Support

32,402 members38,737 posts

Fatigue

kingsnorth profile image
41 Replies

I just posted a question about bisoprolol but think it went into the wrong forum so l will start again!! I’m taking 1.25 daily and feeling extremely fatigued is that normal for such a small dose, will my body get used to it?

Written by
kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
41 Replies
Finvola profile image
Finvola

For me, that was normal on 1.25mg. Breathless, fatigued and unable to do several normal tasks in succession.

Other people get along OK with it but after 4 years of being fed up totally, I saw my GP and got changed to Nebivolol - cardiologist was happy with Bisoprolol!! I got my life back.

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toFinvola

Thanks l will give it a bit longer and if the fatigue hasn’t improved by the time l have had the rest of my tests l will see if l can have it changed.

Elli86 profile image
Elli86 in reply toFinvola

A few people have mentioned nebivolol 🤔 no side effects worth mentioning when you switched to this? I’m still fatigued. No where near as bad as before but would be nice to not be tired all the time

Finvola profile image
Finvola in reply toElli86

Elli, my main problem on Bisoprolol was that I couldn't do normal tasks one after the other but had to do one, rest, then another, rest and so on. Couldn't walk uphill or stairs for more than four steps. I'm probably still dampened on Nebivolol but I don't notice it in everyday life. One good thing is that Nebivolol 2.5mg seems to have blunted my ectopics which are less bothersome, if still unpleasant.

Elli86 profile image
Elli86 in reply toFinvola

I had a very light mess about with kids and dad in garden playing football for literally 5 minutes and I was exhausted. Heart rate up to 190. I’m thinking it was the bisop. I’m always fairly tired on it as well. Thinking maybe changing might give me a boost until ablation

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toElli86

Have they agreed to ablation what’s the criteria for it

Elli86 profile image
Elli86 in reply tokingsnorth

Not sure what the criteria is in general but my EP said as I’ve tried flec and bisop and don’t agree with either then I’m prime candidate for ablation. Think also due to my age (34)

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply toElli86

I agree with Finvola. I switched to Nebivolol and found it better. I only take a tiny dose but would like to stop altogether. I am sure that as Fin says it still blunt things and I have less energy for tasks than I used to have but that could just be aging! On anything above half pf a 1.25 tablet of Bisoprolol I felt like a zombie.

Elli86 profile image
Elli86 in reply toAuriculaire

🤔🤔 might be worth me trying the change over

Fruitcake100 profile image
Fruitcake100 in reply toFinvola

I was identical to that and much better on Nebivolol.

Paulbounce profile image
Paulbounce

That's a small dose Kingsnorth - however it doesn't mean you won't feel fatigued.

To answer your second question - it can take a few weeks (or more) for your body to adjust to a new med. I recall when I was on bisoprolol I felt like a zombie at first (it was higher dose than yours). It did pass and I got back to normal.

Maybe it's worth a call to your pharmacist to double check everything out ?

Enjoy your day.

Paul

Staffsgirl profile image
Staffsgirl

I took Bisoprolol for about 18 months. Felt fatigued, easily breathless, with other side effects, too. It wasn’t until I came off it that I realised how bad those side effects were. I was a new woman when I came off it. 😉

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toStaffsgirl

why were prescribed it in the first place? did you have ectopics

Staffsgirl profile image
Staffsgirl in reply tokingsnorth

AF. GP happy for me to stop Bisoprolol. Monitored BP for a while. Haven’t needed another Beta blocker. I keep Bisoprolol as a PIP, but haven’t needed to use it so far, nearly two years after stopping.

Cumbremar5 profile image
Cumbremar5 in reply toStaffsgirl

Me too as a pip doc said only to take if heart rate exceeds 100 bpm. I'm normally low with a heartbeat if 63 so taking bisoprodol daily was madness making heartbeat too low

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toCumbremar5

My BP is high and HB on the high side my cardiologist wants it between 60-65 at the moment it’s in the 70s

Elli86 profile image
Elli86 in reply toStaffsgirl

Are you still taking meds? If so which ones?

checkmypulse profile image
checkmypulse

1.25mg Biso also made me fatigued, couldn't get on with it at all. Stomach issues also. Off it now since ablations thank goodness.

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply tocheckmypulse

That’s good to hear. Did you have a ablation because of ectopics

checkmypulse profile image
checkmypulse

No, I was a PAF sufferer, very symptomatic, Biso 1.25mg was not much help, 2.5mg made me feel terrible, more tired, H/R low 40's, light headed, so quickly opted for procedure. , needed a second as is often the case and thankfully symptom free for 4 years.

I started off on 5 mg Bisoprolol 11 years ago and earlier this year it was increased to 7.5 mg. No effect. However, in the beginning it was fatigue, fatigue, fatigue. I understand bisoprolol has two properties, one treating high BP the other HR control.Now I have a pet - AND VERY NON SCIENTIFIC THEORY - with AF there is a natural inclination for the heart to want to behave differently due to an electrical malfunction which involves an irregular beat as well as a natural desire to beat very fast. So Bisoprolol wants to control the heart beat by slowing it down - so you have these competing forces at work - one wanting to race away and the other working against it and in an unnatural way trying to FORCE it to slow down ..... no wonder the poor old body gets tired and fatigued with this battle royal going on in the chest. All that said I can't explain why the different beta blockers behave differently, something to do with their properties I guess.

Well, that's it - just sharing a bit of useless information with you all 😂😂😂

John

Billblue profile image
Billblue in reply to

Good information

CDreamer profile image
CDreamer

Yes it seems to be quite common to feel extreme fatigue on Biso - I certainly did. No it didn’t get any better and my only regret is that I didn’t stop it as soon as I got symptomatic affects from it.

KMRobbo profile image
KMRobbo

I was asleep 40 minutes after every one of the eight 1.25mg Bisoprolol tabs i took. I woke up 4 or 5 hours later feeling terrible with aching chest and arms, and had terrible exercise intolerance being unable to run more than a hundred yards as my max heart rate was so low ( the week previous I was able to run 6.4 miles at 8 min mile pace).I then tried 25 Mg Atenolol for 2 weeks with similar but a lot less severe side effects, before my GP suggested I did not tolerate beta blockers and put me on Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, which for me had no adverse side effects, but possibly was not as good at rate control. There are other beta blockers that can be tried.

Silvasava profile image
Silvasava

I was on 10mg of bisoprolol for about 8 months and felt like a dishrag, could just about manage to walk to the end of the garden, like Finvola I changed to Nebivolol I expected horrendous effects from just changing from one to the other but nada, now down to 5mg of Nebivolol and much improved

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman

I read once that the dose to effect relationship for bisoprolol is not linear, so that what seems a tiny dose, really isn't. I certainly found this when I was taking it regularly. The tiredness some people feel is a result, I suspect, of the change in heart function that the bisoprolol brings about. It seems that most people can cope with this, but some can't. I struggled with it when I had atrial flutter a couple of years ago, but recently I've had to take it again for tachycardia. This time round I haven't had the tiredness, for some reason.

Steve

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toPpiman

It certainly sounds a weird one as I’m reading all sorts of opinions. This is a new journey for me l have been diagnosed with ectopics (lots) at the moment l have no idea what the different terms mean ie PVS, AFIB etc. I’m waiting to have a CT angiogram at which time I’m hoping my cardiologist will go through it all with me. I know that l have mild regurgitation and mild leaky valve but that hasn’t progressed since 2014. My blood pressure is coming down but still high

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply tokingsnorth

I wonder whether your body wasn't nicely balanced to work well with your higher blood pressure and that the bisoprolol, in reducing it, is making it complain a little? There seems to be some contention about blood pressures and what is "normal", but the medical consensus seems to be that the risk of living with a pressure greater than 140 / 90 outweighs the risk of medication.

Steve

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toPpiman

My pressure is higher than that but coming down slowly. The thing is my BP has been high for years and on my medical notes it says “white coat syndrome” which l personally think isn’t the case.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply tokingsnorth

I have just that; in fact, I think most people do. A cardiologist took my blood pressure last week. It was 150/76, but he said it was anxiety that has pushed the top one (systolic) up.

He recommended me to take my blood pressure at home, taking 3-4 readings a couple of minutes apart, first thing after getting up and before any hot drinks or breakfast, and whilst sitting and relaxing comfortably at a table with my elbow resting on it.

I followed his instructions and, lo and behold, reading one was 140/76, reading two was 117/75, and reading three was 116/75.

I’m finding that, even at home, the first reading is higher as I feel slightly tense but then the second and subsequent reading fall nicely.

If you haven’t got a blood pressure meter at home and fancy buying one, I’ve just got an Omron wrist monitor for a friend as a Warehouse return from Amazon for under £20.00 - a bargain.

I find that the wrist versions work well as they are far easier and quicker to use and so compact. Also, you don’t get the heart beat pulsing so much while they are reading which can raise anxiety and the blood pressure. The readings from my upper arm Omron and my wrist Omron are nigh on identical so accuracy isn’t an issue. If you do get a wrist one, keep in mind your arm needs raising to heart height - there’sa little green light that guides you on the Omron.

Steve

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toPpiman

I do have an Omron one l got from Boots and like you my BP does verify l usually take 3 readings and email 2 of them to my GP as she requested. tomorrow when l have my blood tests done the nurse at the surgery will take an accurate reading.

Ppiman profile image
Ppiman in reply tokingsnorth

Well, it might be high if you suffer white coat syndrome, I suppose. It’s only the top reading (systolic) that goes up though, I think.

Steve

BillCook profile image
BillCook

I had a similar experience to many above. I'm in persistent AF, and was put on bisoprolol by my cardiologist. I was never happy with it, but stuck with it until I eventually had a cardioversion, but NSR only lasted 5 days. I persisted with the bisoprolol, as the cardiologist was certain it would be beneficial - unfortunately the coronavirus kyboshed further cardioversions so it all dragged on. Anyway, after being on it for nearly a year (a relatively small dose, can't remember exactly what), I inadvertently miscalculated how many I had & ran out. It was a Friday evening, so no bisoprolol all weekend. By Saturday evening I felt so much better, and this persisted. My wife described the change as "amazing". My problem was that the symptoms I had weren't much different to those the AF was giving me (extreme fatigue, sleepiness, plus occasional light-headedness and mild nausea). But obviously the bisoprolol had both amplified the fatigue and increased the frequency of the more intermittent problems). I had absolutely no idea how much it was impacting me until I stopped taking it, but the improvement has persisted. I still need a rest and a short nap every morning & afternoon, but I can now do light work around the house and garden, take the dogs for a gentle walk for up to an hour, and I'm mentally more alert, My wife is so relieved: because I felt ill a lot of the time, I tended to be short-tempered and snappy, but that has largely gone thank goodness.

Jajarunner profile image
Jajarunner

I never got on with bisoprolol. In the end they decided 1.25 mg wasnt really doing anything (I still went into afib) except making me feel rough so they took me off it! They did suggest that in future I try atenolol if necessary.

Cigarboxblues profile image
Cigarboxblues

Sanjay Gupta videos will help you understand some of what you’re experiencing. They are a good standard for background and some self help.My tiredness is profound but a good bit is the mental lethargy I face on Bisoprolol and Rivaoxaban for the last year.

Ectopics (the skipped heart beat then the Big Bang to follow) is creepy but ‘normal’ but the AFib (palpitations) are exhausting. In my experience one precedes the other but it’s the tiredness that sucks. I’m no doctor and can’t give advice but can share my learning curve, as we all do on here.

Start to learn about yourself first and follow up with gentle research 1st hand with professionals or guides online.

We all suffer differently but are together in our support.

kingsnorth profile image
kingsnorth in reply toCigarboxblues

ahh thanks l will have another look at Dr Gupta info on fb l did look early on in my journey as somebody else recommended l watch.

Paulbounce profile image
Paulbounce in reply toCigarboxblues

Cigar wrote

"We all suffer differently but are together in our support"

+1

Paul

Surreychica_1 profile image
Surreychica_1

Made me feel dreadful. Thankfully the cardiologist changed them to another. I just stopped taking them they made my ectopic beats worse.

Jetcat profile image
Jetcat

Yes it’s common to feel like that even on a small dose. I was taking 5 mg daily at one time and i felt drained for a long time. It also made me wheezey on some days too as if I had asthma.? I later read that it can actually aggravate asthma in some people.

Griffin9 profile image
Griffin9

I wouldn't go so far as saying I was fatigued, but I have been tired while I've been on the tablets. It could also be a side effect of lockdown and working from home. My get up and go is fading away.

One thing I have noticed is that sometimes the pupils in my eyes are very small, like pinpoints. It could be related to the medication.

Ianp66 profile image
Ianp66

Bisop did that to me before ablation which thankfully got me off it altogether. Like Finvola even a lower dose 2.5mg left me breathless and with no stamina having to stop in between tasks , and felt totally hopeless at hills or stairs as never before . Argued black was blue but gp insisted it wasn't Bisop to blame, but the afib and age etc, at 55! . But after ablation I felt loads better, had much more go but still felt held back, after 10 months my EP stopped it after my post ablation check up. Stopped immediately which in itself was a nightmare, coming off it was awful I found, I was on it for a couple of years for fast tachy / afib, the rate was controlled OK but struggled with it, feeling tired easily and a bit down .Now a year later no bisop and no afib, decent health, good stamina for my age, and I wouldnt take it again wouod want an alternative if needed , there are good alternatives like Nebivilol, which I read people getting on much better with, it's all down to me cost, bisoprolol being cheap as chips .

I'd insist on change if it's affecting you, I found even the lowest 1.25mg still gave me the symptoms you describe.

Ian

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

fatigue

Will energy and enthusiasm for life come back once ablation is done ?
K80MCN profile image

Fatigue & exhaustion

How long should a person expect to be from the bed to the couch after getting out of the hospital...

Fatigue

Hi I have been diagnosed with AF 14 mths ago and take 5mg of bisopronol daily. I seem to have had...

Fatigue

Does anyone else suffer with extreme tiredness even after sleeping well all night? I have felt...

Fatigue

If your AF is under control do you still find it hard to walk any distance or simple household...
DukesMam profile image

Moderation team

See all
Kelley-Admin profile image
Kelley-AdminAdministrator
jess-admin profile image
jess-adminAdministrator
Emily-Admin profile image
Emily-AdminAdministrator

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.