Coming off Bisoprolol

[Saltcoatslass04]

In April this year my dosage of bisoprolol was increased from 1.25mg. to 5 mg. and was put on a cocktail of other drugs when I had been diagnosed with PAF.

My life became slower and slower, shortness of breath ,swollen legs, weight gain, extreme fatigue. Felt like I was stuffed with cotton wool and wading through mud. People would talk. to me I was finding it more and more difficult to understand what they were saying , tearful at the stupidst of things . Getting dressed became such a major effort. Stopped watching tv. as couldnt consentrate or stay awake long enough watch a full programe.

I would go to bed at night hoping I would not wake up in the morning as facing another day feeling like this filled me with dread. I belived that all this was the AF and this was what life was now going to be like .I am 65 and felt 90.

September I started to read some posts on here about Bisoprolol and some of the side effects . I contacted my doctor and asked could it be the tablets that were making me feel the way I was feeling.

After a lots of discussions my medication was finally changed still the cocktail of drugs ,but NO BISOPROLOL !!!!

Flecainide, Apixaban ,Verapamil, Folic acid, Simvastatin, Lovothyroxine is my cocktail.

Three weeks on....! it is like seeing in 3D, after months of looking through a fog.

I can lift my arms above my head .I can get to the kitchen without having to hang on to furniture on the way there . Legs less swollen, no more fuzzy brain .I can even stay awake all day.

Cant belive that some pills could affect your life so much.

I do realise its not the same for everybody and it is trial and error with medication to get the right one to suit you.

In my case it is still early days fingers crossed this is now the turning point I still have the symtoms of AF although I dont seem to be having such big episodes, but it is early days.

Sorry I dont intend to scare anyone as this is just been my reaction to Bisoprolol and some people dont have any effects from the drug .

I just wish I had been listened to when I first complained of the extreme fatigue.

[Hidden]

Hi Saltcoatslass04, it was interesting to read of your Bisoprolol woes. I too had exactly the same thing when my dose was increased from 1.25mg to 5mg after 'suspected' PAF was definitely diagnosed as PAF. I'm happy to say that things have improved for me since switching from taking it in the evening instead of morning, and from my body simply having learned to tolerate the higher dose more. But I think this is a relatively common problem and I find it incredible that so many of us with AF are offered Bisoprolol with insufficient warning of the dreadful side effects that can occur and a complete lack of information about alternatives, just on the grounds of cost. (The same thing happens with type 2 diabetes and Metformin, when there are plenty of alternatives available). It wouldn't be so bad if it was easier to reach a GP for advice and help, but these days it often seems preferable to suffer in silence than spending hours on the phone trying to get an appointment to discuss a change of treatment. Well done for moving on and I'm so glad you feel so much better!

[Saltcoatslass04 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou Yes ! It was very difficult to try and talk to GP. Was getting passed from piller to post if I hadn't felt so unwell would have given up.

.So glad now I didn't