Hi
I have been on Bisoprolol 2.5mg for 18 months, I have persistent AF. Doc tried dropping rate to 1.25mg which triggered nausea, breathlessness when walking and dizzyness. Now moving back to 2.5mg.
Nebivolol being mentioned as an alternative, any thoughts or advice welcomed.
Nebivolol is a very cardiac specific beta blocker and those of us on it do not seem to suffer the fatigue etc that bisoprolol causes. That said I am on very low dose.
Thanks John6 for sharing your experience. Suspect I will have to give it a go and see how I get on!
Thanks again, good advice much appreciated.
As a fellow persistent afib person may I ask
What is your heart rate with the 2.5 bisoprolol ? Any other negatives ?
With 2.5 resting rate between 60 and 65, with exercise can go up to 155. Some breathlessness going uphill, occasional dizziness, feeling tired and cold feet in bed!
At the moment I'm getting flare ups to around 150 with no exercise trigger, just walking or going up a flight of stairs! With the lower 1.25 bisoprolol resting rate went up into the 70s and far more flare ups, plus didn't feel good enough to exercise walking any distance was a struggle particularly if uphill.
Back onto 2.5mg today! Doctor has mentioned Nebivovol as an alternative to try.
Thanks for sharing !
Similar symptoms minus dizziness and a heart rate averaging in 80's, goes mid 90's with walking, never over 100. .50 mg of metropolol, looking for a different med with better results.
Have you had a cardioversion or ablation ? If so, any period of success ? I have been offered a cardioversion but not sure since afib most often returns. And present symptoms aren't severe.
Did you go straight from 2.5mg to 1.25mg? This might have been the problem. Many people need to titrate Bisoprolol down very gradually. So it might have been better to go to an in between dose by taking 3/4 of a 2.5mg pill for a while and seeing if the body got used to that. I changed from Bisoprolol to Nebivolol and found it better but I have PAF and find that the Nebivolol does nothing for my fast heart rate when I get an afib attack.
Thanks for your comments. sounds like the drastic jump from 2.5 to 1.25 wasn't wise! On Nebivolol what are your symptoms when you get an afib attack?
They are the same as they were on Bisoprolol- fast and irregular heartbeat and feeling of slight constriction in the throat. Weeing every 10 mins at the start of the attack. The difference is that I would take 5mg Bisoprolol and it would bring my heart rate down from around 140-150 bpm to 90-100 bpm. Taking extra Nebivolol does not do this as well. As my attacks last between 8-12 hours I feel wiped out the next day.
Thanks again for sharing ! Good Luck in the future.
Hello Big fella, not for me to suggest the doctor is wrong, but I would have thought a 5mg would have been more appropriate.
Cheers
Lal
Why did your doctor drop the dosage in the first place and wouldn’t it be better to up the bisoprolol rather than try a different med? I have had 3 ablutions and I have been on 5mg of bisoprolol for past 4 years with the occasional 10mg dosage. My resting heart rate is between 57/63 now and my body has adapted to this dosage, I do still get very cold feet and hands but manageable.
Hi, Doctor suggested lowering the dose as I was bothered with breathlessness and tiredness, but otherwise no symptoms. Having said that I was climbing mountains less than two months ago now I breathless after a flight of stairs! Hopefully I can settle back down and see where we go next, Doctor suggested giving Nebivolol a go as it might lesson the tiredness etc.
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