The REAL post….Firstly, I do take 5 mgs Bisoprolol morning and evening.
I have always found it a comfort to have a hot water bottle on my feet in bed in cold weather because my feet are never ‘cosy’. However, the other night, after muttering to my husband about not being able to sleep because my feet were blocks of ice, he responded by telling me my feet were not cold. I contorted myself in order to feel my feet with my hands and it was true, my feet felt the same as the rest of my body.
Now I know that beta-blockers can cause cold extremities, but has anyone out there experiences these ‘phantom’ chilly feet ?
During the day it’s not so noticeable because I’m distracted, but even as I am sitting writing this, my feet feel cold. In reality, my legs are colder than my feet because my feet are in slippers and my legs are bare.
It’s quite an extraordinary thing, and I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts on this.
Annie.
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Thanks John. I had written this out a couple of times beforehand ( what a chunk of a morning ! ) only to have a pop up tell me there was a problem and to try again 🙄 I was ready to give up if it didn’t work this time 🤪 No biters yet…..
When I was first diagnosed with paroxysmal AF back in January 2010 and was put on Bisoprolol (5mg) I had these experiences. Fingers, feet ... would often go to bed with gloves on, electric blanket and a hot water bottle on.
Now, 13 years later I occasionally get coldness, but not at extremeties just general coldness. Heart rate usually drops, sometimes as low as 46 bpm but mostly around low 50's. Sometimes the coldness really bothers me in which case I go to bed, hot water bottle and a mug of hot sweet coffee, then sleep for a few hours .... that combo usually kicks starts the heart and I'm back to normal. Up and at 'em bouncing around like a goodun. Hardly ever happens now though.
Crickey, if I took 10 mgs of Bisop a day I'd be like the zombie from the land of the living dead. Have you considered talking to your GP as to whether you could get away with a lesser dose. May I suggest you read the information leaflet in the packet (if you haven't already done so) and check off your symptoms/side effects against known and possible side effects listed by the drug manufacturer.
Have you tried wearing bed socks Annie? Also one Christmas my daughter bought me a heated throw. I never feel cold now, but used to feel absolutely freezing before my underactive thyroid was discovered.
Yes Jean, I have worn bed socks. They annoy me a bit - make me feel a bit claustrophobic actually 🙄, but the problem is my brain telling me my feet are cold, when in fact they are warm to touch ! How on earth can that be ! I read a lot about Bisoprolol causing cold extremities but nothing refers to ‘warm’ extremities sending false messages that they are cold. It must be a ‘phantom’ condition - that’s all we afibbers need !
I know exactly what you mean when you say bed socks make you feel claustrophobic! It's very odd that you think they're cold when they're warm to touch. I wonder what that's all about. No point asking a GP, they probably wouldn't know the answer, but who knows. I'm going to go and Google it now.
As Ben Hall says have you considered talking to your medic re a reduced dosage? Just to give you a picture of where I'm coming from.
I've been on Bisoprolol 5 mg /2.5 mg & now 1.25 mg and guess what? The 1.25 mg keeps my HR in check as did the other higher dosages with a slightly higher HR ie 56/58 bpm. I went down that route because Bisoprolol kept me actually cold all of the time, now instead of hands feet & nose it is occasionally my nose and has generally improved my circulation enormously. Psychologically or otherwise the Bisoprolol might be messing you up on what seems to be quite a high dosage.
I did broach the possibility with my GP back inApril, and he said it might be a possibility, but I was at the surgery to discuss the palpitations I was having so I didn’t push it. I might now though 🤔 Good suggestion - thanks.
I seem to be cold almost always. I had a complete thyroidectomy many years ago (thankfully no cancer) , plus now am on Eliquis. My husband thinks I am nuts but mybeing cold is real. I wear socks to bed year round. In fact, my best friend just gave me a sweatshirt that says "Yes, I am cold. Me:24/7"! The only bright spot is that climate change is making us warmer (but that isn't a good solution!).
If you had a thyroidectomy presumably you're on thyroid medication? What are your levels (TSH/T4/T3) when you have a blood test? I am hypothyroid and was constantly cold for years until I discovered that I don't metabolise Levothyroxine so despite my TSH being within normal range my T3, was out the bottom. You probably know this, but T4 is converted to T3 which is what the cells actually use. Often doctors only check TSH so a full work up is needed.
Being constantly cold is a major sign of low thyroid.
Yes, of course, it's a requirement, but does she check your T3 and have you looked at your results? I only say this because I complained about symptoms for many years. It was only when I asked for my full results that I could see that my T3 was low despite my T4 being high. I told that to my endocrinologist and he agreed and told me that I was 'one of a small percentage of people that don't metabolize levothyroxine' but that had presumably been going on for years and nobody ever volunteered that information until I discovered it for myself.
When it comes to treatment of hypothyroidism the NHS guidelines are woefully inadequate I'm afraid - and I've had at least two endocrinologists agree with me! One has to be proactive and informed, in my experience. I don't mean to co-op this thread - it just seemed suspect to me that you feel cold all the time despite being treated.
Your post caught my eyes this morning because that’s exactly how my feet were last night. And I don’t take Bisoprolol or any other kind of beta blocker. Just Apixaban and amiodarone. Weather here in the UK is actually blowing a bit hot and cold at the moment. My feet were just feeling freezing cold but not cold to the touch. I think it’s more likely to be a complex interaction between the body’s thermostat and a slightly sluggish circulation due to the heart issue. For me it’s just another message from the brain that I’m not quite as healthy as I used to be before this horrid AF started! I sat up in bed and learned some Greek on Duolingo and that took my mind off it!
I feel better that someone else actually has felt the same sensation ! …. although I’m also sorry that you have the annoyance 🫤 Bravo on the language learning as a distraction 👍
The only issue with the extremities that can cause a change in sensation (rather than an actual temperature change caused by circulation issues), that I am aware of, is called by the intimidating and rather frightening name of peripheral neuropathy. I have had this for years and my GP told me it is not that unusual as we age (I was in my early sixties at the time, about eight years ago). He said that it was much more a feature of diabetes, which I don't have. In my case, I rarely feel cold, in fact, but the reverse - hot and sometimes mildly tingly, and the sensation extends up to the lower calves.
I don't know if this is what you have but, so far, it hasn't been a major problem for me but is uncomfortable and, of late, seems worse - and, interestingly, I have started taking bisoprolol 1.25mg daily in the past few months, having previously only taken it occasionally.
Well Steve, that’s very interesting. I know that if I go looking up that neuropathy condition I’m going to scare myself, so I’ll just accept it is probably a mix of age, Afib and Bisoprolol ! I took a hot water bottle to bed last night and that seemed to disguise the sensation. Thanks for your response.
You sound much like me. My doctor wasn’t worried and that is always a good sign for me. I also always think that if something goes on for ages it can’t be much to worry about! Mind your health worries are always difficult to put aside for me.
I had the same experience some years ago while I was taking Bisoprolol, even at a lower dose. Wore bedsocks all year round. I still experience it to some degree without Bisoprolol or other beta blockers, and I think it’s just a facet of neuropathy that we have to learn to accept. (I haven’t learnt to accept it yet!)
Yes, Ppipman said similar. I’m beginning to think I need to busy myself a bit more instead of questioning all the little body sensations. I just can seem to accept I’m 72, not 22 anymore 😄
Yes my feet feel freezing in bed and out but are warm to the touch. I also have the feeling of wearing socks all the time which I presume is a kind of neuropathy creeping in.
My circulation has always been slow all my life but never caused me any problems except cold hands and feet. Maybe the Bisoprolol has made this worse but I accept that it’s a necessary drug to keep my heart from racing.
Best to look on the bright side and be glad you can actually feel your feet at all as my poor hubby has neuropathy caused by radiotherapy damage and can’t feel his feet at all. Stick with a hot water bottle and keep taking the Bisoprolol.
Yes, I’ve had this quite badly since I started on Biso and Apixaban. I think it was the Biso mainly but I’m also concerned that it’s the Apixaban. I’m now in NSR and have reduced my Biso to .625 (post CV in Feb 2023) and still I get it but not to the same extent. It only improved when I stopped the Apixaban. I hate it as it’s very distracting. Mine manifest more now as a light burning feeling in and around my ankles - the feet not so much now - and I get the occasional weird flash in my nose, either arm, inner eye for a second which then goes. The words peripheral neuropathy have also been thrown at me in the dismissive way, oh you’re older now this is what happens (which really annoys me) and before reading your post I thought I was the only person who suffered with this. AF has been bearable for me but this really disturbs me.
I would also suggest that you reduce your dose. I was on 7.25 which turned me into a freezing zombie for 6 months, I didn’t realise I was depressed too as I was going through heartbreak at the same time and thought I felt down because of that. The fog ‘lifted’ literally 3 days after I stopped the Biso ( the pains in my feet were so bad, I couldn’t hack it). I changed to VERAPAMIL , which was another level of horror, so back onto the Biso at 3.75 and it was just as effective. I wish that had been suggested earlier!
You’ve been in the wars ! I think I will suggest to my GP that I reduce the Bisoprolol a little. It might work just as well, as other people here have said it was ok for them. Also, it means I have room for manoeuvre if my HR does go up again, whereas now, I’m told the next option if my HR goes up is change to Sotalol. At least Bisoprolol is my friend on the whole, and weird sensations in my feet is a small price to pay for a nice steady heart rate of 63 or thereabouts ! Thanks for responding.
Glad to help. For my tuppenece worth - reduce it really really slowly - that way the heart doesn’t get a shock. That’s what I did and it worked a dream.
My feet always feel cold in bed, apart from in the height of summer. During the menopause it was even weirder as I would wake feeling hot and horrible, but with cold feet! This all happened way before I started on Bisoprolol too, that doesn’t seem to have made it worse.
Although I think my feet do feel cold to the touch. Anyway, hot water bottles work, luckily!
Hi, cold feet and tiredness are what I have. My heart consultant thought Bisop was the cause and as I wasn't in Afib weaned me off Bisop, 5mg. But, it hasn't made any difference except, my BP has gone up. My feet sometimes feel cold and burning at the same time. I don't have swollen ankles and my GP took my pulse at my ankle and said it was good and strong so didn't think it was a circulation problem. Sitting always makes it worse, movement helps. 10mg of Bisop does sound alot, perhaps talk to Doc about gradually reducing if poss to see if it helps.
I always feel the cold, but I am not cold to the touch, although my hands and feet do get and feel cold. My husband, on the other hand is always complaining of feeling hot, but when I touch him (invariably when he has no duvet over him) he is very cold. Make of that what you will!
I should have said that it affects the temperature signals from your body to your brain. My body is in fact a bit on the cold side to my touch but my brain thinks it's hot.
Taking Bisoprolol indicates that you have heart issues, from which many other issues manifest. You may wish to read up on 'peripheral neuropathy', as your ‘not so cold feet’ issue may well be the caused by neuropathy.
Being a sufferer of peripheral neuropathy for a couple of years, clearly caused by heart issues and heart medications, I can empathise with you, and I wish you relief from this nerve damage issue if indeed that is the cause.
nothing phantom about my cold feet- they’re for real - I battle through summer months but need to wear socks in bed in winter - and I’m on only 2.5mg a day
I don’t know if mine was phantom or not. Before my pacemaker, my feet were always like ice to the point I did not want one of my feet to touch the other. It felt so cold.
I also had barely any feeling from the knee down. Then again, my HR was in the 150s for a year and I could barely walk so I figured it was my circulation. All the pains I had in my arms and legs are gone now except for the arthritis that I get pain from and that’s not all the time I think it’s a Weather thing.
They know so much about hearts don’t they, but still there are many mysteries. It sounds like the pacemaker helped you a lot, especially if your HR is now controlled. Thanks for the response.
I live in Florida where we use AC year round and I always wear diabetic socks, even to bed. Now I can't take beta blockers anymore and amlodipine makes me feel sick, anxious and gives
me GERD. I wanted to try only diuretics but the HCTZ is now giving me pain in my eyes. I see my GP tomorrow and I'll see what he says. Saw the cardiologist last week and my BP and heart rate are OK even without BBs or CCBs which are just as bad. I am reading about 2 hours online each day and I think I can get by with a new diuretic and alprazolam which I just read today lowers blood pressure as well as captopril, and ACE inhibitor. I also became allergic to them years ago. Running out of options here. Anyone have suggestions for me?
Tell me TELLINGFIBS do you by any chance if you call 'tellingfibs 'little white lies'?
I've been subjected to the 'little white lies' by a new boyfriend. We are adults and if he smokes 6 cigarettes a day it's that and not 1 denoting to 'occasional smoking'!
And it goes on.
I thought that as adults we can no longer make these a ploy to get us out of the 'real you'. Using it as a 'perfect picture'.
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