Bisoprolol every other day? - Atrial Fibrillati...

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Bisoprolol every other day?

EriTayKel profile image
18 Replies

I’m going to wean off 1.25 mg bisoprolol. I only have access 5 mg pills so I’m already cutting that into quarters and can’t make it any smaller. (This was all advised by my cardiologist).

I’m supposed to stop cold turkey, but am afraid of withdrawal/ rebound. Pharmacist advised I take a pill every other day to make it more gradual, but I can’t find this suggested or recommended anywhere.

Have others tapered off beta blockers by moving to every other day?

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EriTayKel profile image
EriTayKel
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18 Replies
Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses

May I ask, why you are weaning off ? Why your Cardio wants you to? I only started 6 months ago in 1.25 mg Bisop by Cardio , as MRI showed slight thickening of muscle ( maybe cause of non severe afib . It has improved on it . Not happy to be on BP meds but…..

EriTayKel profile image
EriTayKel in reply to Bloodredroses

I seem to be in a trial and error phase with meds because I react so strongly to small doses. This one like the others is tanking my blood pressure, making hard to breath, wheezing cough etc.

The last few times I’ve come off beta blockers the rebound effect has been brutal so I’m trying to think of a way to come off more slowly.

I’m trying to find the right med bc I have a heart condition called HCM that’s giving me tachycardia sometimes.

Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses in reply to EriTayKel

Thank you , so hard as every individual reacts in different ways. I ask my Haematologist ( top in huge London Hospital , about the way the blood thinner Rivaroxaban is affecting my bladder for example , she is excellent , but I am the only one to complain of it . It’s the way my bladder oversensitivity over regular urination , within my autoimmune system condition reacts . I asked on here in My APS Hub , no one else reacts to the bloodthinner Rivaroxaban in this way . I am now on lowest 10 mg dose , Heamo said. Not looking fwd to experimenting to change try other meds. It’s OK in other aspects .

Re the 1.25 mg bisoprolol, Cardio said it is the minimum dose . I do get a wheeze at night lately , I chew dried ginger or a strong peppermint seems to help, could be my imagination .

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Bloodredroses

One of the documented side effects of Rivaroxaban is increased risk of UTI so it is not surprising that it can have other effects on the bladder. 1.25 mg Bisoprolol is the minimum prescrbed dose but there is nothing to stop you halving that other than the difficulty cutting up the tablets. When I was on Bisoprolol 1.25 mg I had tablets that were very small but I managed to cut them in half. Are your 5mg tablets scored? I now take Nebivolol. They come in 5mg tablets that are scored so as to easily break into quarters. I still manage to cut the quarter in half to get a dose of .65mg though they are not perfectly even. When weaning off Bisoprolol it is quite common to take it every other day when you have got down to the smallest dose possible.

Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses in reply to Auriculaire

Why did you stop Bisoprolol ? I am on 1.25 mg .my good pill cutter cuts very small tablets in half . Not 1/4 s , too small . Crumble .

Nothing to stop one, but should discuss with Haematologist first re clot risk .

I have tried half of Rivaroxaban 10 mg to see effect on bladder . (I am low risk EP.) have to stop 5 days to get full effect . It oversensitivitises vagina and uretha. Seeing Urinary Specialist / Clinic soon, had every test . See what they say . Also Haematologist see what they say about stopping or swapping meds for other .

Auriculaire profile image
Auriculaire in reply to Bloodredroses

When I was first diagnosed with afib the hospital cardiologist put me on 5mg of Bisoprolol. I felt like a zombie on this dose. My own cardiologist said I could reduce it to 1.25 mg and then after 3 months taper off. The afib returned a few years later after major bowel surgery. Again another hospital cardiologist put me on 5mg Bisoprolol. I dropped it down to 1.25 mg as soon as I was back in NSR , then '65 mg. I do not tolerate a lot of drugs and do not see the point of feeling crap on a beta blocker when in NSR when my resting heart rate is low normal. I have mild asthma and the Bisoprolol aggravated it. My own cardiologist switched me to Nebivolol and told me to take extra when having an afib attack. I have been on Apixaban for 5 years and never found it to affect my bladder. I have a sensitive bladder due to it having been sliced off other organs it was stuck to in 2 abdominal surgeries.

Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses in reply to Auriculaire

Now you Mention it I have been wheezy lately even since weather not subzero , taking 1.25 Bosop daily, will watch that .

opal11uk profile image
opal11uk

As long as you are being advised by your cardiologist and not doing what I did......weaned myself off over several weeks then ended up in permanent A/F and heart failure so please be careful.

Vonnegut profile image
Vonnegut

After taking 1.25mg of Bisoprolol for only 3 days I was told to stop taking them by a pharmacist and doctor as it brought my heart rate down too low. Later an EP we saw privately prescribed Flecainide to be taken as a PIP and, as episodes increased, regularly twice daily which has virtually put an end to episodes. Yesterday I forgot the first one of the day with no ill effects! How is it that you aren’t able to get the 1.25mg tablets?

Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses in reply to Vonnegut

The 135 Bosop bought B P readings down as low as in 20 s . Will start up doing readings into diary and watch out for that . Thank you 🙏🏻

Vonnegut profile image
Vonnegut in reply to Bloodredroses

And the beta blockers just reduce heart rate not irregularity which is what AF is!

Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses in reply to Vonnegut

Just doing what Cardiologist prescribed after he saw ECG and B P meter readings .

Vonnegut profile image
Vonnegut in reply to Bloodredroses

So do you have a blood pressure problem as well as atrial fibrillation?

Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses in reply to Vonnegut

Used to be high on G P B P checks, so did all the tests , ECG have had PAF ( I didn’t know the name of it) for years . Cardio prescribed the Bosop. B P Now lower . Afib symtomatic if autoimmune flare . Normal , now a lot better since starting Bosop. Would be happier if could take it every second day instead of daily but happier that less random afib . 👋

Vonnegut profile image
Vonnegut in reply to Bloodredroses

I no longer have AF episodes since I’ve been on Flecainide 2x100mg daily for over a year now! But I don’t have any blood pressure issues and we are all different!

Bloodredroses profile image
Bloodredroses in reply to Vonnegut

True I have taken note of Flecainide . Will email Cardiog . For opinion . 👋

OzJames profile image
OzJames

I weaned off metoprolol by first reducing the dose slowly eventually halving an already low dose then after a couple of weeks I went every other day and after a week I then went cold turkey as I had no ill effect in that week.

I purchased some jewellery scales on Amazon or eBay for about $20 which appear to be accurate. Get the one that is more sensitive with a max weight of 20gm.. they give you a 20gm weight to check the accuracy.

JOY2THEWORLD49 profile image
JOY2THEWORLD49

Hi

In stopping Bisoprolol I would suggest you have an ECG done within 2 weeks.

On the ECG read it showed I continued to need Bisoprolol at 2.5mg.

Tried discontinuing CCB Diltiazem and the ECG showed that I must get back on it.

cheri JOY. 75. (NZ)

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