I would to know if anyone has this. I take 3.75 mg of Bisoprolol and 200 mg slow release Flecanide. I do ok on it apart from a little fatigue. I have one or two episodes of PAfib a month mainly asymptomatic apart from reduction of exercise tolerance. Now and again when I'm in normal sinus rhythm I get terribly breathless if I lift something or make any effort. My resting HR at these times is about 49. My cardiologist says it has nothing to do with the meds. My last echocardiogram was normal. Any idea what it could be? It can be very debilitating as I feel almost as if I'm going to faint. The rest of the time I have no problems. I'm a bit convinced it's the beta- blocker but why only from time to time?
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Take care X
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Lilypocket
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It's a hard one to answer Lilly. I too get breathless but it's when I bend down - for example putting my shoes on. I wonder if it's related to you bending down to lift something ? Make a note when it happens and see if this is the case.
I could be on the wrong track but it's worth a thought and might help answer your question ?
Hello PaulThanks for answering! It seems really to be related to effort i.e carrying shopping or carrying a bucket of water or picking something up (like a grandchild My heart feels weird but I don't go into Afib but something is definitely not right. I really feel as if I am trying to climb six flights of stairs carrying a baby elephant lol ! Other than that I'm fit, not overweight (well a couple of pounds after Christmas ahem!) don't smoke or drink and eat vegetarian. It just seems odd as it is not each time I make an effort but when it hits I feel light headed and totally puffed. However your bending over to tie a shoelace I can relate to as bending to pick something up sometimes provokes a bit of Afib but not the same sensation as the totally puffed out feeling. Oh well I shall put it down to the meds. and have a chat to my cardiologist again. Many members do complain about Bisoprolol and it certainly lowers my heart rate quite a lot.
Sure Lilly. If your resting HR is 49 at rest (perfect) then you lift something heavy it will rocket - maybe this could account for it ? A quick change in HR can have this effect - I know believe me. I had it in hospital once when they changed my heart rate instantly - I wouldn't want to go though that again. A sudden change of HR can affect you. 49 bpm can really have an effect if it shoots up to say 80 bpm in a minute lifting something.Have a chat with your cardio and see what they say. It sounds like the Bis is working for you but be careful lifting anything heavy.
Thanks Paul - that could be something to do with it - a sudden demand and change in rhythm although I get the impression my heart cannot speed up. Next time I wear a Holter I'll do some lifting to try and catch it.Take care.
Lily, I'm the same. Cannot lift anything remotely heavy, bend down or lift anything above my head. It's all related to the extra effort required by the heart to pump more.
Ok thanks for your reply! You sound exactly like me. In between I can walk briskly and get up a hill (as long as it is not too high lol) and run on the spot or dance with no probs. But as soon as I carry something or bend to lift something it hits but weirdly not every time . Are you also on Bisoprolol and Flecanide?
That's really strange because I'm in persistent a fib but NY day after months suddenly slipped into sinus but with atrial ectopics and after being able to comfortably walk several miles plus some slopes once in sinus I got breathless walking up stairs and round shops.Reason low heart rate and missed beats.Hope both get some answers from helpful peeps on here.
An interesting thread, Lilly. I have been breathless again this last week, much worse than for quite a long time. I don’t generally lift anything heavy. I ask my partner to lift anything heavy like the ironing board, vacuum, etc. However, last Monday I offered to provide transport for a friend, who is somewhat disabled and aged 80, as she needed to urgently buy a new cooker as hers was not working. When I went to pick her up, she had her stroller with her which she said she would need in the shop. It is quite a heavy one with a seat and big wheels and I struggled to put it into the back seat of my car. I then had to take it out again when we got to the store and load it again for going home. Fortunately, my friend asked a neighbour to get it out of the car when we got to hers although getting it out was not as difficult as lifting it into the car. I feel as if I have strained myself in some way. Apart from the breathlessness, I have been more aware of my heartbeat. I have permanent AF and am generally asymptomatic. I have a CRT pacemaker implanted and am paced at 70.
Hi Crystal BI think it's definitely a thing but as I'm not making an effort when being examined by the cardiologist he never picks it up - just says it can't be the meds. But if the beta blocker is slowing the heart and you ask the heart for extra effort but it carrys on beating at a resting rate the body just isn't getting the oxygen required I suppose.
I am also on bisoprolol pains over my body and can’t walk atall very far consultant can’t understand why I’m so out of breath he’s ordered more blood tests and X-ray on lungs to see if anything else going on so that’s on 11 th Hp I get answers life is rubbish at the moment tried to get out bought a wheelchair went on a cruise told to come home halfway through as I was tested pos for covid so life’s a bitch at moment Hp you have more luck
Hi GeraldSo sorry things are miserable for you at the moment. What a bummer ( can I say that here? ) that you had to curtail your cruise. Let me know what the consultant says. I don't have your symptoms with Bisop. but feel I've aged a few years since being on it (less get up and go and memory less sharp). Could it be your other medications (f you are on any) interacting negatively with Bisop.?
I certainly wouldn't rule out the bisoprolol, especially if the breathlessness is a new thing that started after you began the medication. I took bisoprolol for many months on my cardiologist's strong advice, pending a cardioversion to treat persistent AF. I was fairly convinced that it was having a negative effect on my wellbeing, but this was thought unlikely. In my case (and we are all different!) there seemed to be an exaggeration of symptoms that I was already experiencing due to the AF, such as nausea, headache, fatigue and breathlessness. All of these were either intermittent or variable in intensity - I had no way of predicting whether I would have a good or bad day.
I only discovered that the bisoprolol was a key factor when I messed up my repeat prescription and ran out approaching a weekend, with no meds until the following Monday. Within 2 days I improved considerably - my wife commented that the difference was really quite dramatic. Naturally, I've never taken it since - but it was only through happenstance that I found out that it had a bad effect on me.
I would say that, if you suspect the bisoprolol, then suggest either a break from it or a change of meds, to see if that makes a difference.
Thank you for your reply Bill. I' ll continue trying to find out what the culprit is. I don't think it's a dramatic change in rhythm but more the failure of the heart to beat faster to deal with the extra workload. But I get weird beats ( perhaps PVCs or PACs plus brief salves of triple beats) but when I stop the effort I 'm not in Afib. I think I should see if my Dr will lower the dose or perhaps I should take it at night?I'm glad you found a solution to your problem. Many people on here have problems with Bisoprolol it seems.
Bisoprolol did this to me too, it was like walking in treacle, breathless and fatigued. I asked cardiologist to take me of it and went on to sotalol which was better but not recommended in Scotland, then onto flecainide with atenolol which gave me a new lease of life. I am very symptomatic when in AF and eventually had an ablation which worked great for 3 years, the AF has crept back so waiting for second ablation in March hopefully. Hope this helps
Hi Thanks for your reply. What dose were you on? I was originally on Sotalol but my Afib episodes were fairly long ( and it gave me very annoying and numerous Pvcs - a few thousand a day that I could really feel). My episodes are much shorter now but Bisoprolol is tiring. I don't know Atenolol. I shall look it up.
Sorry you are gettin breakthrough Afib. Did you have a Cryoablation or RF?
hi lilypocket ,i also blame bisoprolol for breathlessness, i lift weights no problem ,but if i try to walk with weight or carry weight i get short of breath even pushing the lawnmower, its very debilitating but when my ep 2 weeks ago tells me im on the best medicine there is, what can i do ,you have actually asked a question i was going to post regarding ,why does it only happen from time to time, good luck.
Exactly Tom! I can pick something up no problem but if I try walking with it I'm scuppered. Very strange especially as the Dr denies there is any relation to Bisoprolol and breathlessness and I don't have heart failure ( yet) I'm going to blame Bisoprolol. But I'm reassured there are others like me so unlikely to be related to another underlying problem.Take care
From what you've said it sounds like a combo of change in blood pressure and HR when you're lifting. When we lift something we usually take a breath and hold it so that we can raise pressure in the chest. Something about this activity is causing you a problem. Ask your GP or cardiologist about this again- it must be causing something to trigger the breathlessness. I think 49BPM is quite low for someone on Flecainide There are other beta blockers, and also calcium channel blockers that work well with Flecainide so might be worth exploring that.
Welcome. You can still investigate further. Quality of life and all that. Are you taking care of yourself physically? I do yoga regularly and it helps a lot. Choose a teacher who works with us slightly older population Vinni yoga is good. Don't do any of those strenuous forms - they're not real yoga anyway!
Yes I feel I am. I am vegetarian ( since 1989)have lymphatic drainage and stretching exercises once a week and walk about 3 miles a day I also sing in a band ( never too old in my opinion 😊) and singing is very relaxing and helps my breathing. I also go to theatre class X 1 a week. But I am about as flexible as a wooden spoon - always have been! So have avoided yoga which gives me cramp when I've tried it. However I will take your advice and try Vinni yoga which sounds more adapted to my age group. I shall report back!
Well you are clearly doing lots of good things for yourself and the singing of course is.great for.heart rate variability, lung function and a nice dose of endorphins! Still seems odd the breathlessness. Hope you get to the bottom of it.
Me too especially as it is not all the time. Out walking today there was a slight hill and it floored me - totally breathless. Other times however I get up a hill or a flight of stairs with no breathlessness at all. Perhaps I should reduce the dose (after speaking to the dr) or take half the dose in the morning and the other half at night. Or maybe the whole dose at night. But I'm worried it may may slow my heart even more when I'm sleeping but I know many people recommend taking it at night.
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My heart feels weird but I don't go into Afib but something is definitely not right. I really feel as if I am trying to climb six flights of stairs carrying a baby elephant lol ! Other than that I'm fit, not overweight (well a couple of pounds after Christmas ahem!) don't smoke or drink and eat vegetarian. It just seems odd as it is not each time I make an effort but when it hits I feel light headed and totally puffed. However your bending over to tie a shoelace I can relate to as bending to pick something up sometimes provokes a bit of Afib but not the same sensation as the totally puffed out feeling. Oh well I shall put it down to the meds. and have a chat to my cardiologist again. Many members do complain about Bisoprolol and it certainly lowers my heart rate quite a lot.
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