Just wondering the other day what my resting heart rate was before I started taking the Bisoprolol and if you ever stop taking the drug is there any long term effects in terms of modifying your natural pacemaker.
I started on 5mg in 2012 and kept on that for 6 years at least. It was reduced to 1.25mg gradually as a 24 hour holter showed my sleeping HR down to 36 BPM.
Been up and down since then but now on 2.5mg for a couple of weeks, as it doesn't control the rate when in AF.
You can take your own pulse as the guys are always telling us at the Atrial Fibrillation Association. Take it for 30 seconds and double it! It’s a great comfort and very simple to do. Just two fingers laid gently on the vein in your wrist and count the beats you can feel.
You could discuss with your doctor just taking a higher dose as PIP when you have an afib episode. That way you won't suffer the very low heart rates when you are in NSR. That is what my cardiologist told me to do.
On flecinade 100mg tbd now but feel rubbish currently. Bisoprolol cant control rate when in af
Did the 5mg control the rate? I found I needed that amount to bring the rate down when in afib but taking that every day made me feel awful.
No it doesnt control the rate in af.
I only slows my HR down to around 55BPM when at rest sometimes slower
My HR is doing alsorts at the minute
it seems to speed up before i get up
No logic I am afraid
Feel like Sh**e at the minute to be graphic
When you say it doesn’t control your HR when in AF, it would never take it down to the 60s for example in AF, if your HR is high ( for example 150s or more) , it just reduces the AF rate until the heart goes into NSR. What rate does it take down it to in AF? How often are you in AF?
My HR can dip to 55 ocassionally at rest during the day, but if you don’t feel well on a low rate like that, you need to tell your GP or a cardiologist.
Not sure what the rate would be without the Bisoprolol as I've been on it since 2012. The HR in AF is usually 160-170 BPM,
Previously, I would get an episode yearly, then last year 3 times until Dec/Jan where it became weekly and for the last month, every 2 days then daily for the last 2 weeks.
Looking at the fitbit data, which gives a snapshot, in Feb it was 46 average for a week then has gradually gone up to 55/56 currently, but watching TV last night it was 50-53.
I mentioned this to the EP but he said they dont do anything unless it causes issues, which it hasn't before or nine that I am aware of, but as we know during the night a low HR can trigger AF and has done with me recently
This is what the last Cardiologist said, that on the loop recorder data, the HR was 160/170BPM and to increase the Bisoprolol to 5mg to try and counteract this.
In A&E a few years ago they were wanting to put the Bisoprolol to 10mg.
I have tried what I think was a Calcium channel blocker a few years ago, but cant remember the trade name, it was Half ---.---- something or other. It was worse than the Bisoprolol and gave symptoms much like I am having now.
I suspect it could be the Flecainide but will give it another week
Hi Ian,
Your resting HR in front of the TV or whatever when you’re in NSR sounds ok, unless it makes you feel not well, which sounds like what the EP was referring to? If it was 46 when watching TV that is quite low though and they generally don’t like rates below 50 unless asleep. I was told if it was in the 40s whilst asleep, that was ok.
If your HR in AF with bisoprolol stays that high, then that is quite high. It should lower it more than that I would have thought.
The fact that you feel bad when in AF and you’re getting AF far more frequently now may need to be addressed though? Can you call Arrhythmia nurses at your hospital to discuss?
Hi ian
Would be good to have an echocardiogram (if you haven't recently) to determine your heart's function with the varying heart rate.
Sounds as if you do not have issues, but an echo is always good.
i had cardiac ablation about 18 months ago. I was trouble free for a year and then in the last six months i have had two long attacks of AF each lasting 3 days. After the second attack, three months ago, my BISIPOROLOL was increased from 2.5 mg daily to 5mg daily. I haven’t suffered another attack since then, but have been left feeling extremely fatigued and almost lifeless. Is this normal? Has anybody else experienced this and is there an alternative? Is it easy to cut down on BISIPOROLOL?
I also take Flecanide as PIP.
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