I was diagnosed with AFib in July and my daily medication is 12-5 Bisoprolol, as well as Digoxin, Rivaroxaban and Perindopril.
I’ve always had a brilliant memory but have recently become concerned that I cannot retain information for very long at all. I also seem to get spurts of random, fleeting and often confused thoughts.
Im 67 and have a full life with lots of voluntary work. I’m functioning well with this as I make lots of lists and seem to remember the important things.Its the lack of short term recall that’s worrying me. Things pop into my head and thirty seconds later they’ve gone and I’m grappling to make sense of what’s gone on. Information (names, facts etc) that I always used to have at my fingertips has also disappeared into the ether.
I also have this thing of ‘remembering’ an event then wondering if it really happened or if I’ve made it up.
It’s all a bit scary at times. Speaking to other folks of my age, I know that memory problems are age related but the feeling of confusion and being spaced out are worrying x’
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Jonhel
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That’s a lot of medication. If your ‘brain fog’ has come on since starting your present doses of medication I would be suspicious about that. Only your doctors can explain why they think your medications are necessary so I would query it with them before worrying about other possible diagnoses.
Yes, the timings of the memory loss etc do seem to connect with the medication. It increased in dosage and type because of a struggle to get my heart rate under control and following an echocardiogram. On the plus side, I feel loads better physically from the earlier days of my diagnosis. The breathlessness and fluid retention have stopped and my life in general is much better.
As mentioned, I would first look at your afib medications as the cause, especially because of the timing. A good and frank discussion with your prescribing doctor is needed.
Is the digoxin really necessary? Can you do a trial off of bisoprolol and substitute Diltiazem, which many tolerate better? What about a rhythm approach instead of a rate approach using an anti-arrythmic drug like Flecainde? What about ablation? These are the types of questions you might pose to your ep. Sometimes the metrics your ep looks at are different than the ones we as patients are concerned about. Getting your memory back to where it was seems worth the effort of revisiting your treatment approach with the ep.
is that 12.5mg of Bisoprolol? It’s certainly a high dose. I do feel a bit spaced out at times on Bisoprolol, and sleepy in the afternoons. Mine was decreased from 5mg per day to 3.75mg, and I noticed that this helped.
Are you in persistent AFib? I am, and my body seems to be getting used to it a bit more.
Hoping they can fine tune things a bit better for you. I feel that my memory isn’t as sharp as it was before all this.
I felt awful on Bisoprolol at first and, yes, it moved up to a 12.5mg dose. I seem to have got used to it in many ways, it’s just the memory issues and intermittent confused thinking which is bothering me.
I’m the same - following an ablation that lasted less than two days. I’m lucky that they’ve been able to reduce the dose - so it’s possible that the ablation helped a bit. Best of luck with it.
Would certainly encourage you to reduce your daily dosage of Bisoprolol from 12.5mg to a maximum of 10mg - this could be the the main reason for your memory lapses. When first diagnosed with Afib some 12 years ago, a cardiac consultant at that time advised me that I could ride up to 10mg in the event of an episode but not to take more than this dosage. Would strongly encourage you to meet with your GP asap to discuss this issue.
Just a thought. What you describe could be thought of as a degree of mild cognitive impairment, it does happen as we age. If the onset of poorer memory function was rapid, then to my mind it is more likely to be brain fog, a possible side effect of medications/infections etc. Regards
are you in permanent AF at the moment? Having they discussed a cardioversion to get you back in sinus, if it works I’m sure the dosage will be reduced of some of those drugs. My cardioversion got me back in sinus a few months and im on a low dose of metoprolol and feeling much better and clear minded
I’m awaiting the results of a second echocardiogram and my cardiologist has organised for me to have another 24hour monitor next week. I then have a consultation appointment with him in March.
I will talk to him about the medication and my memory then. Thank you x
Hi i am 76 diagnosed last year with AF intermittent, on the usual drugs, but only take half a bisoprolol in the mornings as i have low h.rate normally, so Cardio sai d to take 2 x 2.5 bixoprolol when in AF which I do and in 4 ours heart rhythm back to normal.
I get very forgetful i.e. with names of people mainly, i know who they are, what songs etc they sing, but fo the life of me cant remember names, I find i am writing more down now, i never used to need reminder cards from GPs appts. or such, but now i have to write all down on a calandar.
We put too much down to the meds, i agree a bit of brain fog with some of them, but in general we all must expect to have an ageing brain along with our ageing body. I would not worry if i were you unless the day comes when you go out and cannot remember how to get back home, which is what a few people i know have had, thus dimensia or altzheimers, so for now my advice is just go with it and worry when there is something to worry about, as my old Mum always said. best thoughts.
Welcome to the "NAME" club. I haven't been able to remember names my entire life. Nothing to do with my medication. I know exactly who they are, what hey look like etc but names, even though I repeat them several times when I meet someone, simply don't stick. And it's not just people's names. I have awful difficulty recalling the names of medical conditions, medication etc. It hasn't just come on with age; it goes back as far as I can remember.
Thank you for such a reassuring message, that is me that you are talking about and you have put things into perspective for me just at a time when I too have have been feeling very anxious and stressed about just everything. Sorry to have jumped into your post Jonhel. I too have been worried about problems with memory and having to make little notes and lists.
You have definitely been through a rough time so thank you for taking the trouble to reply.
I had a TIA in 2000 when my blood pressure unexpectedly soared. I was on Amlodipine and Clopidogrel until July 2023 but my medication changed after I was diagnosed with AF.
Since then, my BP has been fine. The struggle with my heart rate (and impaired left ventricle systolic function identified on echocardiogram) led to the prescription of the four different medications. I haven’t questioned them because I have felt so much better physically. The memory/brain fog thing has concerned me though so I will discuss it with my cardiologist when I see him in March x
I am sure I went through brain fog with the uncontrolled heart rate. The CCB did the trick. I was so thankful to the private cardiologist.
Your ...pril medication has the side effect of light-headedness.
It points to overmedication I think. Less is better always.
After dropping to 51 I was light headed and the medication dropped from 180mg to 120mg Diltiazem.
You are not taking a CCB.
Bisoprolol 2.5 PM as BP rises early AM and taking it at night gets you through this period.
I am sure you will balance to help you with the memory bit. It also has a scary element that it could be the first stages of alzheimer diagnosis. But I would work on the meds first. Your body reacts to fatigue through over med or wrong meds. I slept alot through the metopolol era.
Thank you. The sleep thing might be a factor as I wake up to go to the toilet around four times a night. It’s a nuisance but on the plus side I no longer have problems with fluid retention x
I too noticed a quite profound loss of memory a couple of years back. I often complete the various General Knowledge crosswords in the papers but found that things I definitely knew, I couldn't recall the word or name. Infuriating! I looked in to the many meds I was taking at the time, including (the 'max' dose of 10mg of) Bisoprolol and asked for this to be reduced. It was agreed that 5 would be sufficient, but over time, I titrated this down to nil. My Cardio Specialist was relaxed about this, and my memory improved noticeably, and with no change to my permanent but asymptomatic AF, which I ignore now. So, maybe ask the question of your EP.
Thank you for this. I think that I will question the high dose of Bisoprolol. The cardiologist immediately upped it from 10 to 12.5 when the medic carrying out my echocardiogram in September was alarmed at my heart rate. The cardiologist also instructed that digoxin should be added to my meds. Afterwards, although I’d read that 10mg Bisoprolol was the limit, my GP told me that 20mg was the maximum dose.
I’m awaiting the results of a second echocardiogram from 25 December and have to have a second 24hour monitor next week. I then have a consultation with my cardiologist in March. Will query the Bisoprolol dosage then as it looks like it could be responsible for the memory/brain fog problems x
I know that when I was on Digoxin every day I had memory problems but these got better after I ceased taking it, However we all react differently to medication as we know.
My first thought was to ask if the AF has brought any anxiety with it? Or does the memory lapse bring anxiety with it? Anxiety can cause short term memory problems, for sure.
I have had similar for years, and I am 70, now, but, I think, still youthful. I recall several years ago at a Christmas meal feeling "distant" from the world, with conversation seeming "away" from me. I ended up going to A&E where an ECG was done. It was normal except for showing a "wide qrs", later shown to be a bundle block (LBBB). I later went on to develop atrial flutter and now AF. I think that meal had set this off but "silently" with the effects being the brain fog and distancing feelings, rather than noticeably in my chest.
I think you might have similar, but a chat with your GP is called for, for evaluation. I find these things worrying still at times, but, overall, I think they are not a serious issue that will worsen and I don't think they are brain related. That said, the mid 60s onwards does bring with it signs of "old age", I guess!
I do empathise with what you’re feeling & experiencing. 3 years ago I was on 15mg of bisoprolol so possible link - have you by any chance had either cardioverversion or ablation? The CV I noticed a big change days later and more so since ablation. Perhaps have a chat with your Drs but, from personal experience the more you worry it will block ability to hear fully and retain fully new info.
Every time I was given info I was in my head concentrating saying to myself “pay attention, don’t forget this, remember” - trying to repeat what had been said in order to remember! Low and behold it was gone probably later that day. I was self bombarding & not only worrying about myself I was worried what others thought of me!
See your Dr by all mean for a checkup but,in the meantime, if the information is vital then if you have a mobile phone use a voice recorder, continue with your notes but try to stop worrying - try to tut & laugh at it, makes it more lighthearted & may help - you’re not alone with it. Even say to people, “you’ll probabaly need to remind me, memory is shocking lately”. Friend send me text reminder when we’re supposed to meet - we all joke about it.
Thank you. Everything that ysay makes a great deal of sense. Nothing has been desiderata about cardioversion up to now. I have a cardiologist consultation in Match so maybe it will be mentioned then x
Digoxin definately affected my memory. I was on it in 2014 (aged 67 then) when first diagnosed with AF and HF, also on Biso5mg and Ramipril 5mg. One of my main problems (as mentioned by a poster above) was remembering names and places. Watching tele, well known TV people I would only remember half their name. I would also often go to do something but then forget what I was about to do ( still get this but at 77 now allowed the odd lapse lol). I remember one instance when I was in the GP's surgery, there was a tap on my shoulder and I turned round and it was a lady I knew quite well but had not seen for 4 or 5 months. She greeted me and I could not remember her first name only her surname, so a bit awkward then she told me her husband had died 2 months ago, I could not remember his first name either. So it was a odd conversation not being able to say things like Cliff was a lovley guy ect all I could say was your husband was....... and could not even address her with her name. After being on Digoxin for about a year I came off it with my GP's approval and after a couple of months all returned to normal. I do know of others who have had memory problems with Digoxin. Digoxin was replaced with Diltazem.
Regarding Bisoprolol, this was increased to 7.5mg a couple of times but I could not function on that dose, too much brain fog so went back to 5mg although now on Nebivolol 5mg as Biso was causing breathing problems. I most certainly could not function on your dose but I know we are all different, I have always been told that 10mg is the max. I hope you get sorted soon but I feel sure your most of your memory problems are connected with you medication.
Could it possibly be that you have many things going on at the same time in your life? What I mean is, are there appointments lined up, jobs needing taken care of, and concerns of unrelated issues boggling your mind? I find that when I'm inundated like that, my memory takes a beating. I'm hoping that's the case with you.
I’m retired but still really busy which probably is a factor. I’m going to speak to my GP about the medication though. Sounds like the high dose of Bisoprolol could be an issue x
Hi! Im a newbie on this site, however I read your post today and it is exactly my situation. I am only on Eliquis and Nexletol (for cholesterol) however I have noted the same issues as you are having in the past 8 months. I have been struggling with taking Eliquis as I have many of the side effects. I have tried other DOACs with same result. My Cardio is suggesting a WATCHMEN device as he is saying that my symptoms most likely are attributed to the blood thinner. I stopped the Nexletol for a month to see if that was the issue, however this all started before taking the that medication. Please let me know if you find out anything more. I am going next week to discuss WATCHMEN however I am worried about possible complications, etc.
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