Bisoprolol? I am on a very low dosage, 1.25 ml., and have been for more than a year. Over past months I have felt incredibly tired (sleeping for too long overnight/having naps during the day) and have been totally lacking in energy with no real interest (I don’t feel depressed) to move myself. On monitoring my heart rate (originally put on Bisoprolol due to being tachycardic [up to 120 beats] and experiencing these horrible missing heart beats although my GP gave me the choice of taking or not taking a beta blocker ) and my blood pressure I note my heart rate is always just above 60 (I’m always at rest these days) and my blood pressure 115/74 on average. I am 78 going on 79 and I am wondering if I should stop taking Bisoprolol. I’m not sure if I really need it.
Bisoprolol 1.25 dosage. Coming off it? - Atrial Fibrillati...
Bisoprolol 1.25 dosage. Coming off it?
I once put my overwhelming tiredness down to AF and pills. Like you I needed a sleep in the afternoons. Then it was discovered that I had an underactive thyroid, taking pills for that has given me back my energy. Have you had a blood test to test your thyroid?
Jean
Thank-you for replying so promptly. I have had blood tests taken in the past year and would think that had been looked at. However, I have now sent for a home test from Amazon. I’ll keep you posted.
Thank-you once again.
The thyroid is not usually included in general blood tests. I don't know if you can with your GP practice, but I can see all my blood results online.
G'day Jean,
A bit off topic ..... but I'm assuming you have the NHS App ........... so how do you manage that ????? You will have read of my feelings about my surgery, I am on the NHS App and cannot access this information ........ reflecting on someone else's comments lately about reading their notes .......... I can't do that either either on the NHS App ......... or maybe you guys are on a different App.
Thanks Jean.
John
I think it depends on your surgery, my nhs app is as much use as a chocolate teapot!
Hiya Buff,
TBH Buff, I feel exactly the same way - the NHS is deliberately prohibiting me from accessing information I am entitled to. I might add I have already signed my life away allowing them to put information on my NHS App. I am totally incandescent ...... probably beyond incandescent ( according to Mrs Carneuny ) 😂
Soon I shall light someones bloody fire at my surgery ........... you know what, I think these surgery clowns think just because you are 78 you should be preparing yourself for the downhill racer ............. well I'm not ............ unless it's in my 15 ton, 43 ft long double decker bus ! That being the case ......... outta my way, or else !
😱😱😱😂😂😂
John
My Surgery has its own called system online.You have to request access to your records and they don't have to grant it.
Doesn't your doctor phone you and read you your results and comment? for example I had some tests the other day 2 days later she phoned after surgery hours at 6 pm,to tell me my blood was fine,I'm not anaemi,. liver, kidneys fine, cholesterol 4, sugar 5,electrolytes, Vit D, Thyroid etc all fine. When I see her and ask, she will give me a copy as she does with the letters she receives after my visits to the Cardiologist. It's a simple process ,
You don't live in the UK! When I moved from UK to France I was amazed at blood test procedure here. The doc gives you a prescription for whatever blood tests he deems necessary. You take it to your local lab. No need for an appointment. They draw the blood and test it. The results go direct to your GP or consultant later that day and you get them either by email late afternoon or in the post the day after. Very occasionally if an unusual test that the local lab does not do is required they send your blood to a specialist lab in Paris. This is night and day to what used to happen in the UK when it could take weeks to get test results . I have no idea how long it takes now that things have deteriorated.
Yes, exactly the same in South Africa - most of the tests are 'starved' the doctor gives you a form marked with the tests she wants - the path lab. has an office in the same little complex as the doctor - if you don't have to be starved you just walk around the corner to have the sample drawn, if starved then you can go the following morning when they open at 7.30am. I never had any blood tests when I still lived in the UK, so I don't know what the procedure was then !
If my results are ok I never hear a word from the surgery- only if they need to redo a test. I had my annual check up 3 weeks ago and heard nothing despite having specifically asked for a full thyroid test- they normally only do the basic one
😂🤣🥲
That sounds brilliant. Not quite like that here
No, I usually go into my my blood test results etc, via my doctors surgery link.
I have used the NHS App once, was recently. Will have another go and let you know how I get on. I have to use a password to get into my details on my surgery's website, may have to use it on the NHS one too. The only info I can get is results of blood tests and medication requests, think can book appointments too as well as email docs.
Jean
Jean, thanks for that ......... seems that you and I are about at the same stage. When I have a bit more time at the weekend I'll delve into this in a bit more detail.
John
My surgery is with systemonline and I can access everything. You have to have an access form from surgery with an initial password etc which you change once logged on. Sometimes there is a delay with letters etc appearing if they are busy. Have the NHS app but don’t bother with it as it’s quite scant. I wish you luck.
You need to contact your surgery and ask for access to your medical notes.. There is an extra layer of security..
Also surgeries use different ways of "allowing" patients accces to their records, so you need to ask which system your surgery uses, eg "Patient Access", "Systemonline" etc.
I found the NHS app not as useful as other systems.
Hiya baba,
Thank you for your advice. I am enjoying (so to speak) a deteriorating relationship with a totally incompetent GP and Surgery practice. That notwithstanding, I think I will follow up your advice with a face to face encounter with my surgery receptionist and ask about these things. I was led to believe that the NHS App was the "bees knees".
Wishful thinking I guess. I will also look more closely at Patient Access and Systemonline.
John
we can’t choose, it depends which one your surgery has signed up to.
When my surgery changed from one to another I thought I would be better with NHS APP, but found it has many limitations.
Good luck
Our surgery used ‘Patient Access’ but that is now so limited it’s also useless. And their website says you can use ‘online consult’ for non urgent medical problems but it turns out that is their official version of ‘Dr Google’! It’s a joke! And most of the advice on the very pretty modern looking website is either out of date or subtly aimed at putting you off bothering them. I’m all for patient education but I’m sure thoughtful ‘well-behaved’ people are put off getting appointments when they really ought to.
Hi I tried yesterday to see my records but it says my gp surgery doesn't do this.
Hi,
I'm just coming to grips with all this, bear with me ......... were you using ( or trying to use ) the NHS App ?
John
Yes John .Unfortunately it says I have to ask my surgery to access my health records so not available on the NHS yet unless your surgery has opted in to allow it I believe.I can't book appointments either.Our surgery used doctorlink before covid but now they have stopped in favour of the dreaded 8am call to the surgery.Wasnt life easier before the pandemic, if only we could have known.
That's what it says on my surgery System Online website too. I don't know why this is allowed - surely we should have access to our own records?!
In Scotland I have an app called Patient View referred by my Renal/Transplant unit, in England its now called Patients Know Best. Any time I get a blood test whether it be GP or hospital, the results are usually through the same day or next morning. It does have a box on the app "I want to join". I hope this helps.
When I have my annual heart check up, the basic thyroid test is included but it doesn't cover T3 and T4. I asked this time for the full test and neither the nurse nor the pharmacist could find it listed anywhere. The pharmacist asked a GP to order it but he said he saw no reason to. Maybe it's become too expensive and has to be GP request only. I was annoyed because I had good reason to ask for one.
My GP sends my blood for testing at our main hospital, they refuse point blank, to do any test other than TSH. I know on the Thyroid UK website they list all sorts of tests your really need to have.
Ours used to do the full test but not now. I would guess they've been told to cut costs. My GP said he'd ask the lab if they could do it on the sample they already had which was already 3 days old so I assume they didn't.
If bisoprolol is optional, then a trial off of it is very reasonable. Can't speak to your case or dosage, but in general it's important to be gradually weaned off of beta blockers under your doctor's supervision. Should you continue to need more rate control, you might try diltiazem, which is a different class of drug and may have fewer side effects.
Jim
I think the advice re thyroid test is good. Tell your GP about what's happening and ask for the test. They should do it. Home tests can be dodgy- I tried one and couldn't get enough blood, despite being on anticoagulants! You are on the lowest dose of Bisoprolol so I imagine it would be OK to come off but you'd need to discuss it with your GP. Also I've seen here on this forum that many experience withdrawal symptoms from beta blockers. Hope your get this sorted.
When I read your post, my first thought was that 1.25mg of bisoprolol is not, necessarily, a "very low dosage" since, even at that dose, at least for me, it has a potent effect on my heart rate (which, in my case, doesn't vary much a lot even at higher doses).
I gather, also, that the heart becomes used to the presence of a beta blocker in the system and can react unpredictably if it is suddenly removed, hence the usual recommendation to stop taking it only under medical supervision and to taper the dose slowly over a period of time.
Steve
Hi Steve - A 1.25mg dose of Bisoprolol puts me in the land of the walking dead! I don't usually take it when I get an episode of AFib but last week I had one and panicked a bit for some reason, so took the Bisoprolol. Several hours later I nearly fell over when I stood after sitting for a while and my hands and lips were going numb. My housemate said that perhaps I should lie down for a while but I said 'no, I need to go for a brisk walk to get the heart rate back up!' and that is indeed what I did, and felt much better for it. 🙂
Oh dear - take care. That sounds like a bit of low blood pressure. I don’t get any effect from the bisoprolol lapart from a slower heart and a kind of chest ache. A brisk walk, though, is always better than a lie down in my books!
Steve
Morning Brian i was on bisoprolol for around 12 months due to having palpatations and lvh. Originally on 1.25mg then increased to 2.5mg with having left ventricular hypertrophy to ease the workload on my heart. My heart rate would sit around 38 - 40 and I felt tired and lightheaded most days so they reduced it to 1.25mg but I still felt terrible. Back in February last year my hr dropped to 30 while at work so I was rushed to hospital for test but i was discharged after 8 hours once everything settled down. My cardiologist told me to immediately stop taking the bisoprolol so they can get a true resting heart rate while off the meds but it still drops to 30 sometimes. Make an appointment or speak to your doctor before stopping the meds he may just reduce your dose or wean you off it over a period of time. When do you take the bisoprolol morning or evening? I have read other post on here saying evening is better as it doesn't make you feel as tired but everyone's circumstances are different. Like others have mentioned it may be a good idea to get your thyroid checked out to make sure everything is how it should be, you could speak to your gp about the bisoprolol and thyroid at the same time for his opinion but please speak to someone before stopping it I know it's a small dosage but it might not agree with you just stopping it.Keep us all updated on how you get on.
Best wishes
Taz.
I tried coming off 1.25m Bisop a few months after my cryoblation. But my pulse went high while I was golfing and I felt wafty so went straight back on 1.25. I noticed my pulse still went high whilst golfing, so started taking a top up for that. A few months on and I don’t need the top up Bisop any more, so I’ll prob try coming off it again….I also feel less tired and better after exercise so will try the stepper again soon. Last time I did that I felt bad for days, bloated etc….I think it all takes longer than they say, not surprising with your heart remodelling post ablation and your liver adjusting to a regular pounding by the drugs…
Hello Brain,
If giving patients the choice of taking a medication, they need an informed choice. Did the doctor discuss possible side effects with you?
I took Bisoprolol ( for BP control) for a few months and felt like a zombie. My ectopic beats worsened. I would have to be in dire need of this medication to ever take it again.
Definitely explore other options that won’t make you feel like this! Best of luck.
Excellent HR and BP !
May want to ask the GP to wear a holter monitor or other medical device for at least a 24 hr period to monitor your HR, just for insurance.
Sometimes HR and afib can excel without notice.
Hi Brain. I used to be on 1.25 Bisoprolol and pulse was in the 40s so I stopped taking it but afib bouts increased so I went back on Bisoprolol. I have since had dose increased to 2.5 and my afib has decreased without it lowering my pulse rate and with no side effects. I'd see the Doc first. Good luck
Everyone is different and reacts uniquely to medication - and anyway we shouldn't try to advise you about medication as we are not medically qualified to do so. However, I doubt very much that the bisoprolol at that low dose is causing your tiredness. You really should consult your doctor about this, as the cause could be one of many other things.
My experience with bisoprolol (up to 5mg daily, now on 2 x 1.25mg daily), is that your body gets used to it and you tend to stop noticing the effect after a few months. As others have said, it's not a drug you can just stop, it has to be reduced gradually over an extended time period. As 1.25mg is already the minimum, you would need a pill cutter gadget to halve it for a couple of weeks before stopping.
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