I have just been changed from 1.25mg Bisoprolol to 120mg Verapamil to see if it eliminates side effects of fatigue and brain fog. I was told I could change straight over as I was on the lowest dose of Bisoprolol. Yesterday I didn't take Bisoprolol and today I started on Verapamil. Heart rate which is normally mid 50s at rest has gone up to 73 and have had much higher heart rates when moving around (up to 108 which would normally be 90ish). Heart rate also feels jumpier than normal.
Has anyone had any similar experiences to this change and is what I am experiencing normal and will settle down?
Thank you
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MathsProfessor
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I have similarly 12 days ago changed from 1.25mg Bisoprolol to Diltiazm 60 mg per day, also a calcium channel blocker. My resting heart rate did go up for a few days but gradually settled to about 58 to 60 bpm. This was still higher than on Bisop. but to be expected with a CCB. Also my walking heart rate is higher by about 10 bpm. I think the new drug needs time to build up in our system to become properly effective. Hope this helps.
Thank you. That is helpful to know your experience as encouragement it might settle over time. I have felt rather odd today and couldn't imagine feeling like this for very long.
Yes I felt odd at first as though my heart was objecting to the change and missing the Bisop. which is understandable. I panicked a bit as to the dose being sufficient to contain the ventricular rate so my Dr said to take another per day if I needed. Now I must be completely clear of the Bisop. all seems to have settled and for me the amazing thing is my blood pressure has dropped to normal, I am astounded.
Yes, they will have you believe that a small dose of bisoprolol doesn’t have much effect but it does in my experience. The lower HR even with the lowest dose of bisoprolol is the cause of the fatigue in my opinion, my rate is higher since coming off the bisoprolol (post ablation, see my bio) and I think I feel better for it. I believe it can take up to 3 days to get bisoprolol out of your system and you can expect a bit longer for your natural HR to settle down after the rebound effect. I don’t have any experience of the CCB alternative but have read others feel more themselves on it when everything settles down.
My experience lately shows that even the tiniest dose of beta blocker affects me. For years I have taken .65 mg of Nebivolol daily and a lot more during an afib episode . As the bigger dose seems to do very little to reduce my heartrate I decided that the tiny daily dose was probably not doing anything. For a few days our routine was disturbed by having a visitor - eating our main meal at lunchtime instead of in the evening -and I forgot to take it as usual before preparing dinner. It seemed to have no effect so I didn't resume . I even went a bit longer between afib episodes. But when my episode was over my heart did not settle down as usual and I was plagued with ectopics especially in the evening. So I started taking the Nebivolol again and bingo! ectopics much improved.
I was taking a ever increasing bisoprolol to 10mg which at 156bpm was not controlling my heart rate.
My Locum said see this well trusted private heart specialist. Reading my notes he introduced 1/2 dose CCB Diltiazem 180 CD AM.
I reduced the bisoprolol to 5mg PM.
On the second day my heart rate 156 decreased to 51 in 2 hours! I rang our Healthline and the Dr said reduce the bisoprolol further. I did to 2.5mg.
3 days later and feeling whoosy I rung NZ Heart Foundation and spoke to a nurse. She had worked under the private specialist. I had the 180 reduced to 120mg CD.
So improved.
That was 3 years ago. bph Day 69-90. My normal at night 47 avge bpm.
Over time I have lost 3kg plus. I have dropped Day, down to 60s rising to 80s late afternoon.
Diltiazem is used in rapid AF (heart rate) when there is no abnormality in the ventricles or valves. Otherwise Verapamil CCB is used.
Recently I have taken bisoprolol 2.5 down to 1.25. Fatigue and increasing exertion energy noticed. But BP goes low @ 108/62 too low for me.
***Make sure you put 12 hours between your bisoprolol and Verapamil.
Be patience as the settling progresses. I have been told that I could stop the Bisoprolol in future. Getting a ECG with each change, decrease or increase important.
Been there couldn't tolerate. Bisoprolol 1.25mg put me on digoxin bpm up to 170 whilst moving took me off then on to verapamil 120 2 days later no bpm rate control so back on a split dose of 1.25 bisoprolol and awaiting ablation all our bodies react differently so it's a trial for some of us but the group really usefull always pester your cardiologist still I have to tolerate the tiredness and fatigue private and nhs came to the same conclusion for me intolerance to meds and the mongeral called afib I am sure your solution will come soon
Hi I’ve been on Metoprolol 25 mg for 8 years. I also have asthma .Recently my BP went super high.So the Dr. raised the metoprolol to 50 mg. Well then it triggerd my asthma.So I was put on prednisone which didn’t help my blood pressure. Right now the Dr. is trying to wean me off the metoprolol to a calciumm channel blocker Diltiazem . Am taking 25 mg of metoprolol and 120 of Diltiazem .Today is day 3 , It has been very challenging feeling very anxious and headache and today I went into A fib to top it off. The Diltiazem is controlling my heart rate so far . There plan was to have me completely off the metoprolol by 7 days and increase the Diltiazem but am not totally convinced .Apparently if you have asthma beta blockers are not a good choice. Any thoughts greatly appreciated. Thanks
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