Bisoprolol and Dizziness

[MeganMN]

Hello all,I know many of you are in the UK, but I am in the US and just started Bisoprolol for Atrial Tachycardia. Am taking 2.5mg once daily. I have been on it for exactly one week. My heart rate is better (although now kind of low at times ). I have been having blocked PACs and such but DO feel better. The trouble is the dizziness. I am so, so dizzy all morning and it seems to be getting worse. I was hoping to wait it out and see if it would get better over time, but each day has been worse than the last and now it is getting bad enough that I feel really nauseated when the dizziness hits. Any suggestions?/Thoughts? I am encouraged be cause something FINALLY has stopped the SVT, but this is terrible..

[Ersilia2]

I feel the same as you,I've been taking Bisoprolol for 0ne month now, Cardiologist told me to take 2.5mg for three days then up it to 5mg once daily.I couldn't stand the lightheadedness, couldn't walk up 4 steps without getting short of breath.I rang him and told him about the lightheadedness, and I asked him could I cut back to 1.25mg twice daily and he said yes, it seems to be getting better, I will see him on the 20th of this month to discuss it. Never thought side effects would last this long.Fingers crossed for you, hope it gets sorted out.

[mjames1]

Not an uncommon side effect with bisoprolol.

You can either wait to see if you tolerate it better, or switch to another beta blocker like metoprolol, which is actually the beta blocker mostly used in the US for SVT.

If you still can't tolerate beta blockers -- I couldn't -- ask to be switched to the calcium channel blocker, Diltiazem. It often serves the same function as a beta blocker and many of us tolerate it a lot better.

In any event, give any drug a couple of weeks, if possible.

Jim

[Chinkoflight in reply to mjames1]

Hi Jim, is Diltiazem used as an alternative to Bisoprolol when this is only used to control tachycardia and not blood pressure? Bisoprolol is causing me to have postural hypotension, apart from the ICD it's the only regime change I've had and the dizziness has kicked in since taking what is a low dose.

[MeganMN]

Thanks so much!! My doctor is going to prescribe 1.25 mg to try. We will see how it goes. I think that it was slowing my rate down too much and my pauses after the PACs were too long and making me dizz.y

Ecg

[Terry5757]

When I started bisoprolol for AF I was getting really dizzy.but it wears of after a couple of months ..been on it since June 2023 . But completely fine now.someone else on here may tell you different

[Chinkoflight]

Snap! Two weeks in and awful. I now feel ill whereas before my syncope and LVT diagnosis I was symptomless. Also having lots more ectopics causing the ICD to pace a lot.

[MeganMN]

I quit the Bisoprolol. The Metoprolol quit working and had no effect on the SVT. EP wants to try a low dose Sotolol next.