So, April 2nd 2004 my partner took her first Bisoprolol tablet to control her heart flutters.
After a week of taking it she was having panic attacks, feeling anxious, foggy head and looked doped up to the eyeballs. She then said she needed to be on her own and not in the relationship to sort herself out.
I’ve spoken with her and she has cut the tablet down to half a day for the last couple of weeks to come off of it.
We had the best happy relationship before the tablet and then this happened. Just waiting for her to finish the course of Bisoprolol in a few days then for her natural mood to return. May take a while. Was a powerful drug. Very difficult watching someone you love go through that and the apathy you receive. It’s like you lost them.
Any one else experienced something similar?
Written by
SM999
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Consultant was useless. Did her consultancy over zoom. She’s coming off them tablets and she can live with the AF. When a consultant gives you a tablet one size fits all bearing in mine she’s only slight compared to a 20 stone man this drug was so powerful it was too strong for her, she gets a consultancy over zoom. That’s how serious they take it.
They should do if you ask for a face to face appointment. There are other options for treatment Bisoprolol is the first stop for first option of treatment and quite a lot of us have to go back to get the dose or medication changed. I am another one who couldn't take bisoprolol even at the lowest dose as someone else said it totally wiped the floor with me as did all beta blockers there are calcium channel blockers which can be tried too and other medication.
They should’ve given her a blood test to check her electrolytes first. Then from that you can get the treatment more accurate. That’s common sense rather than risk someone’s health and life just because they want to get you out the door makes me more cynical when the common sense practical things in the National health service go a miss.
Play the mental health card. It's clearly applicable here. My wife had a similar experience when they switched her from Eliquis (apixaban) to the Teva knock off version. The GP reversed the medication back to Eliquis immediately and she was back to normal within a day.
Did you mean April 2nd 2024. ? My heart goes out tyo you both. Anxiety is a regular issue. The other side effects can blast you somewhere else. I get on with it, helps a lot. Was it a consultant or the GP. ? Contact them immediately and get it changed. They will do that.
There are other options besides taking Bisoprolol or 'putting up with it'. She needs to go back to the hospital she's under and say that couldn't tolerate the Biso. Personally I can't tolerate it either.
To be fair, a Zoom appointment is probably not the issue. I've suffered from AFib for 2 1/2 years and have had one face to face appointment with a cardiologist that lasted exactly 8 minutes and was pretty rubbish. Many appointments are over the phone these days and I'd take Zoom over the phone any day. It's much better to be able to see the person you're talking to and for them to see you, in my opinion anyway.
My consultation was by telephone, at least you could see the doc. Dont judge this issue on one drug. You can get it changed. Its all hit and miss until the right drug is found. We've all had these issues.
Thank you. I’m here. Just on anand off. She had panick attacks and suffered from anxiety as it is. Not sure what the dosage is. She was spaced out last week and walking like a sloth. Hardly recognised her. Was heartbreaking. Think she finishes around Monday on the half dose. Have to see from there. I don’t hear from her at the moment.
Several members here report withdrawal symptoms from Bisoprolol. So it might be that - while it's no longer officially in the system, it will take a bit longer for your partner to feel more like.herself. I do feel for you - it's a reminder that all drugs have the potential to mind and body alter. Personally I hated Bisoprolol but I'm not aware of it impacting on me in that way. There again I DID get very anxious 3 months into my AF journey but I put that down to the pandemic and feeling I couldn't go to hospital. Do you think your partner would join this forum (you might need to offer to step away in that case)? We're a very supportive lot and it might really help her. I think it's also worth her calling the AF association. They give quality, medically informed advice over the phone.
Thank you that’s some more good advice. Fortunately she only started it a couple of weeks ago so hopefully the withdrawal symptoms won’t be so harsh. Just have to wait and see. I can’t get to talk to her at the moment (nothing I’ve done) so it’s very painful and frustrating not being able to help her but I have to step back and wait for her to hopefully come through it.
Thank you so much though for your kind advice. Will certainly point her this way if I get the opportunity.
Yeah quick. Its a 24 hour drug. Not cumulative. That's why I said you can change it quickly. However the mood change might not be so quick...but she'll cetainly feel lighter as Top Biscuit says.
I couldn’t tolerate Bisoprolol and caused the most appalling anxiety and other arrythmias coming off it and I had been on the lowest dose for a couple of weeks. I can’t tolerate beta blockers some people can’t
I can't relate to this at all personally, ive been taking Bisoporal for quite a while without these effects, if I had then a return to the Cardio and ask for meds to be changed, With regard reducing meds, be very careful, this landed me in deep trouble. Lost 5 stone, don't need so much meds so reduced and reduced, ended up in perm.A/F and heart failure so definitely won't be trying that again. With regards your relationship, maybe there is a re-evaluation of what is going on in her life right now, with what is happening at the moment health wise and maybe for her, the relationship wasn't the same as it was for you. Lots of ways to approach this and not for me to say but, just perhaps, this is what she wants for the moment, space to re-evaluate her life so just give her the time, if its meant to be then its meant to be. After 63 years of marriage I know that it's a lot about give and take in a relationship, understanding and making allowances but most of all patience lol. Good luck, I sincerely hope it all works out for you but, if she feels it is the medication, she can ask for it to be changed for an alternative.
Hi There..Iam so sorry to learn that your wife is having a hard time taking Bisoprolol...I was given this medication only 6 weeks ago and I notice that my Anxiety and Panic attacks came on more often, I think I have read about this medication that one of the side effects is Anxiety I could be wrong but I believe I have read this some where. I was taking propranolol 60mg daily last year for around 7 months, but at first taking this medication I felt good about myself, but after awhile I was getting, lightheaded, feeling unsteady on my feet, Anxiety and panic attacks was more often,also my palpitations and fast heart rate started to come back...I must admit that I still do get Anxiety and panic about attacks still, but alot less then when I was taking Bisoprolol and Propranolol. I hope you get things sorted out. Take care of yourself.
She could ask for nebivolol which is another similar beta blocker but one that works differently.
However, it sometimes might not be necessary to take any drug as these are often given for conditions that are not in any way harmful, but just feel that way. In that sense they are for symptom relief. She might ask her doctor about this. Anxiety is a thought as it can sometimes be major issue with these conditions and it can act like a magnifying glass.
Ask to be referred to an arrythmia clinic. The nurses there are experts on afib and medication. I've just been changed to bisoperal from anetole and haven't noticed any difference in mood but drugs affect everyone differently.
Ask to be referred to an arrythmia clinic. The nurses there are experts on afib and medication. I've just been changed to bisoperal from anetole and haven't noticed any difference in mood but drugs affect everyone differently.
Quite the opposite for me. I've been on 7.5mg of Bisoprolol for about 6 years now, forAF, and no side effects whatsoever, even at the start. Years ago, before taking medication, I have experienced what anxiety and depression felt like, so know the feelings should that have occurred. Do you think that a week was a long enough period of time to let the drug settle into your partner's system? Sometimes, initial symptoms subside. I wish you both luck in your relationship and to find an alternative tablet to suit her needs.
I’d argue there is an accumulation. My partner reduced from 1.25mg (been on that for years) to half a pill so 0.65mg and had over 2 weeks of feeling under the weather, jitters, tremors and some facial numbness. And not related to heart rate as he is always low (45-55bpm).
Admittedly he is very sensitive to medications we’ve had similar over the years (onboarding and withdrawals ) with statins, PPIs, H2blockers, Rivaroxaban, Dapaglifozin, Amiodarone…
You’re a good man, keep having her back and I hope she feels more herself soon and all works out!
Hospital prescribed Bisoprolol on 2 occasions . It gave me nightmares. Consultant then took me off it. I can understand her wanting to be on her own. No one can get how you feel, you are very much on your own. She doesn’t need any drama or pressure just someone to hold her hand and be there for her. You can’t give advice but you can support her in whatever she wants to do. See if she will accept just friendship for a while.
Hi, my two pence worth...Discovering you have a real heart problem is life changing, and does stop you in your tracks and makes you look at your life. You suddenly have a lot less patience for other irritations. That's my own experience recently.
I may have found the right recipe for myself. I was prescribed 5 mg of bisoprolol. Couldn't tolerate it or full dose of any beta blocker. I now take half, 2.5 mg, and split it and take 1.25 mg morning with food and afternoon about 2 PM. Also, I take 12.5 mg HCTZ, also split. And 2.5 mg amlodipine split. Taking 3 meds in small doses and split, taken twice a day seems to work for me. I see my doctor in two weeks. He pretty much lets me do this kind of adjustment since nothing seems to agree with me any more. When I was at the GI doctor 2 weeks ago he listened to my heart and said I wasn't in Afib at that time. I still have my two cocktails every night before dinner.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
change of medication to Atenolol from Bisoprolol 
Has anyone had medication changed from bisoprolol? 
Poor sleep. Should I change Bisoprolol time?
changed my bisoprolol to diffent one hope it helps 
