Well I have been and spoken to 2 pharmacists and they have both said that I should not be getting any withdrawal symptoms from the tiny bit that I am shaving off Bisoprolol.
Have had 3 nights with literally no sleep and today has been awful full of palpitations and breathlessness. Don’t know where to go from here I seem to have exhausted all avenues.
They also said I could have just stopped the 2,5mg no bother at all. Dread to think what I would have been like then.
I'm hoping someone who has had a similar difficulty with weaning off Bisoprolol will comment - I seem to recall reading others posting comments about their efforts to stop the drug but I can't find those comments now, of course.
I was so hoping the chemists would know something, I'm so sorry you're going through this!
Hi Sunnie2day
I have now been in touch with the manufacturer and logged my withdrawal symptoms but all they have said is go back to your GP. One interesting fact the pharmacist said was that it you were cutting a tablet in half even if it has been scored you could be getting all the medication in one half and nothing in the other so you may have half a tablet which you think contains 1.25mg and there is no medication in that half only the bulking agents.
Hope you have had a nice day and enjoying a lovely cuppa.
That sounds very strange. I’ll be very interested in comments about this from others......perhaps a pharmacist?
Hi I am a pharmacist and if what you say was true the drug would not be licensed.
The medication must be uniform in the tablet mass before it is pressed into tablets or it would not pass quality checks.
The half and half comments are unsubstantiated folk myths
Thanks Bob. That settles it!
From what I have seen of tablet manufacture this seems wrong. stevejb1810 was in pharmaceuticals for decades and should be able to comment.
Thank you for this I formation have posted a message to stevejb1810 and look forward to his reply
The idea that one half of a tablet contains all the dose and the other none is wrong. The drug is evenly distributed through the powder mix before it is compressed into tablets - manufacturers spend a small fortune making sure that is the case! Even at the very low doses you are talking about, the drug substance will be evenly distributed throughout the tablet.
In the case of bisoprolol, if you want to take half the 2.5mg you are taking, ask the GP for a prescription for the 1.25mg tablet.
Thank you very much for you quick response. I have 1.25 mg tablets which I am now starting to use but as they are not scored will the distribution still be quite reassuring. Just one more question if you don’t mind. I seem to be suffering severe side infects from reducing these tablets. How slowly do you think I should keep reducing at. The worse problem I am having is anxiety attacks and insomnia.
Hi. I'm sorry, I am not medically qualified so I cannot answer your questions related to coming off it and any side effects you may/may not suffer.
I came off bisoprolol 1.25 in the summer and had a terrible time. It was worse being on bisoprolol, so I was determined to stick to it, although many times was tempted to take a bisoprolol to lessen the symptoms, which made me feel like an addict. The return of anxiety and feeling adrenaline rushes was quite noticeable and disturbing. I used deep breathing techniques and tried to distract myself with walks and listening to podcasts (at night especially). I'd say it took me about 4 weeks to readjust. Occasionally now I have to take a 1.25mg bisoprolol if I'm having a bad Afib day, but thankfully don't notice any withdrawal symptoms. I hated being on daily bisoprolol (even at 1.25mg) so I'm grateful to be able to come off it, it stopped me from leading a normal life. Good luck.
Hi Stellata
Thanks for your reply. How long did it take you to come of the biso and by what did you reduce each time also how often did you reduce? I am finding the anxiety and insomnia the worse. The strange thing is that by early evening I sometimes feel quite normal. At the rate I am reducing I am not going to be able to be off these nightmare tablets till mid August so no light at the end of my tunnel yet.
My cardiologist said to come straight off them (they seem to not acknowledge the side effects). So I stopped entirely, from 1.25mg per day to nothing. In retrospect I wished I had halved the dose for a week or two. My heart was a bit 'clunkier' than usual, but settled down. As I say, about a month later I felt back to my old self & much better for being off bisoprolol!!
How long did the withdrawals last as when I came off them at 1.25mg I was so unwell litrally thought I was dying so now I’ve been taking half for a week and gonna try and come off them again but I’m so scared I can’t go through that again
I am not going to lie it is really tough coming of biso take one day at a time and you will get good days in the bad and gradually the good days will outweigh the bad. If you are quite young the withdrawal may be quicker because you body will work quicker than someone my age. Drink plenty of water, try to do some exercise each day and if you are suffering anxiety/nervousness try Bach Rescue drops. If you want to know anything else don’t hesitate to ask. If you know someone else is having the same withdrawal problems it does help as you are not alone
Yeah I’m 25 I haven’t taken the half I usually take today but I’m really convinced the last time I came of them has done some damage because I’m getting such bad pains in my legs and have been ever since and keep getting this weird tingling in my tongue especially when I lay down or try to sleep it scares me so much but I gotta get of these damn things I can’t take it anymore
I know exactly how you feel but keep going as the people who have successfully come through the other side will tell you how you will feel so much better and get your life back.
Do you have anyone to support you through this awful time?
Yeah I’ve got my partner but I’ve got three young children I’m working and attend college it’s so hard to juggle all that and go through withdrawals it’s the lack of sleep that’s the worst isn’t it 😢
Yes I was diagnosed with sleep depravation when I first started the withdrawal but now if I have had a few rough nights I take a piriton or Nytol both are antihistamine and help you get a few hours extra sleep, you do feel a bit tired when you wake in the morning but that feeling wears off in about half an hour. Only thing is if you are taking any other medication make sure they don’t interact with it.
My doctor gave me 2mg diazepam to help me sleep only took one as had the most horrendous side effects and also as you would probably know are addictive and just as bad to get off as biso.
Nannyknitting is right, there will good and bad days. Try breathing exercises to calm your heart rate and keep busy to distract yourself. By one month, I didn't crave them anymore.
I am so happy to read your old post. I am coming of Bisoprolol. I felt exactly the same as you. I will never go back to them. Glad you got through it.
I have noticed that many tablets have a score line obviously for breaking in glad. Obviously it would not apply to capsules.
Hi,
I'm on the 2.5 mg tablet ,
and I was told that's the smallest dose tablet they produce ,
hence the score mark if you need a smaller amount.
Not sure if that's gospel,but it's what I was told.
Cheers.
Hi Hermann, you can get a 1.25 mg Bisoprolol tablet, I think that is the lowest doseage there is though.
Definitely a 1.25 available- I used to take before my op
I wouldn't be going back to that pharmacist! common sense & logic surely tells you this isn't the case?
I don't intend being horrible but this is how bad rumours start.
And the chemist concerned should be ashamed of themselves.
That's completely WRONG and dangerous advice
Hi, probably not what you want to hear but I was on Biso (1.25mg) forabout 3 months. They stopped me getting svt but made me very tired. I stopped 4 weeks before my ablation (it was postponed for 3 weeks) and I had no symptoms at all except for a few svt episodes a few days before the ablation, which convinced me that I still needed the ablation.
Hi, I was on Bisoprolol and I feel your sleep deprivation as it is horrid. I was on 1.25mg. But i am now on none as I weaned myself off. A few attempts granted. First time I cut it in half for a few days,then stopped- well Big Mistake...heart started racing etc.. so I put half back in sharpish.
Round two- I figured this has to be reduced further. So I tried again and went to a quarter 0.40mg ish.. not easy with the size of the tablets. It worked felt a bit funny for a couple of days but I have been free since September last year and sleep pattern is back to normal.
Cut down weekly, is my advice and do it slowly. The Gp's seem to think as long as we are breathing they are doing their job and stuff the side effects most of the time.
When I came of my 1.25 Bisoprolol I used a small kitchen scissors to cut bits off. I am back on them again after a Svt attack a couple of days later.
Hi Nannyknitting. Bisoprolol blocks adrenaline and reduces anxiety caused in some cases (public performance etc). I wonder if the impact of that change which in turn is creating more anxiety is what you’re experiencing. So - coming off Bisoprolol is the cause but it’s anxiety that’s making you feel unwell rather than chemical withdrawal? If that’s the case then therapies that help you understand your anxiety and deal with it might help. A referral from your GP to a counsellor or someone who is an expert in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy might be a way forward. Just a thought.
Hi thanks for you reply I have already been down the road of requesting cognitive therapy but when assessed was informed they couldn’t help me as it was withdrawal and not social anxiety. Doc has given me antidepressants which took for 3 days and sent my heart rate to 130 all the time with palpitations and even more anxiety. I can only remember having 1 anxiety attack in my life and that was when a plane we were on had a fault dived down towards the sea and we returned back for a safe landing but was escorted in with fire engines and ambulances ( very scarey).I also have an implantable heart loop fitted and was advised to stop the anti depressants immediately. Doc also gave me diazepam which I am very very reluctant to take.
In not surprised you had an anxiety episode with a plane diving towards the sea! I think I’d go back to the GP and make the point that 2 pharmacists have told you that it can’t be withdrawal so you’d like to try CBT or similar to see if that can reduce the symptoms potentially caused by anxiety?
Hi can not comment on withdrawal symptoms as I don't have any, I can go up and down with Bisoprolol without any problem.
Just one thing that comes to mind is the smallest dose 1.25mg ??
If it is does that means the manufacturer has worked out under that amount it is not worth taking i.e. little or no effect.
Because if that's the case it seems a little pointless cutting a 1.25 into 0 .625 or the manufacturer would produce a 0.625 mg Tablet.
Is my logic flawed ???
Regards
The problem with pharmacists is that they are looking at things through the particular lens of a pharmacist (which is fair enough). They have likely never taken the drug in question. The patient experience seem to be discounted. As you've seen from this thread some people stop bisoprolol with no problems and others find it very challenging. I had problems for about a month. No doubt there was some anxiety mixed up in there as well. When you heart is doing funny things it's bound to make you anxious. It's not so easy to separate things into neat boxes of withdrawal symptoms and anxiety. What helped me a lot is breathing techniques - there are lots of books on the market.
As has been said here before withdrawing bisoprolol in itself will not be producing withdrawal symptoms . It will be due to the affect of bisoprolol on stress and anxiety levels that is the issue. BetaBlockers are used by performers to ease their performance anxiety and if you stop them there is going to be a period of having to learn to cope with resulting feelings previously depressed.
CBT or other coping strategies would be useful.
I am one of the lucky ones I have been as high as 8.75mg dose with no side effects, now on 5 mg and feel no needs to stop them at present. I am also a pharmacist by profession
I am on a cocktail of drugs for Dilated Cardio Myopathy and Atrial fibrillation, I have been on as much as 12.5mg daily of Bisoprolil but after feeling very tired it was dropped to 10mg, lately I have been feeling more and more tired and have a fog in my head, after the doctor had taken lots of blood tests and eliminated lots of things I asked if it was worth reducing the bisoprolil, my heart consultant agreed it could be cut to 5mg daily.
I now have had a weird feeling in my head (on and off), feeling like I was about to have a nosebleed and some quite painful, but short headaches. I wondered if that may have been my body adjusting, but after 6 days I am sleeping better, more alert in the evening, breathing a little easier, all this may be imagined of course and time will tell.
I look forward to feeling what its like to get excited again, feel a bit of adrenaline and possibly get a bit of road rage (that is said tongue in cheek, I am old enough to control that).
What amazes me are the people that self medicate and come off these drugs without professional advice, dont get me wrong, while waiting for approval from consultant I felt like coming off but was too scared too.
Hearts are very complicated and my heart consultant has always looked after me with my heart slowly improving (very slowly) over the years and stabilising my AF, my condition is a slowly progressing one and to stabalise & improve is good enough for me. Unfortunately he retires tomorrow.
I just noticed your post is 11 months old, for some reason it came up on google, right on the first page?
How are you now? are you still on the reduced amount and has your body adjusted ok?
Thank you for asking. It took me 8 months to wean of bisoprolol and it was a nightmare. I have now been off it for 4 months and feel so much better and brighter in myself although it has left me with severe palpitations. My own hospital has discharged me as they wanted me to go back on bisoprolol but I said not a chance so I am now paying for a private video consultation with York Cardiologist Sanjay Gupter hoping that he can given me some advice as some days the ectopic palpitations come every second or third beat all day long.I still occasionally wake in the night and feel very anxious for a few minutes for no reason at all but again I know this is part of bisoprolol rebound and is nothing compared to the anxiety I was having when first stopping biso.
These symptoms should be reported on the Government site. ‘Yellow card’
The lowest dosage in the US is 5 mg. Only available in 5 and 10 mg dosages. It's not a common drug here for some reason. My doctor though I could stop it cold turkey. Not a good idea.
I lost a close friend and i had a panic attack after that, my chest was beating so fast for days without stopping, dis series of test ECG,EKG, holter monitoring and all came out fine, so the cardiologist advice I take Bisoprolol and clopidogrel 75mg. I had Bisoprolol (1.25 mg) for 2 months, I don't feel comfortable taking the drugs, HR was down to 40 , low BP and weakness,I decided wean off by cutting the drugs in to half, but I had serious palpitations and shaking. I have stopped taking it completely but my HR goes high to 120 some times.
Did you manage to get off the Bisoprolol? How? How long did it take?
Hi guys. i taking selective beta blocker bisoprolol 2.5 mg. i was prescribed by my GP for anxiety when my mother died. After 2 months i wanted to wheen of by taking half of tablet but i think it was to fast. My GP said then i need to take half the pill for two weeks. but i think its to fast. Im on this Bisoprolol for 5 months now. A week ago i wanted to try the same using half of the pill. The heart rate wasnt faster 70HR but the blood pressure at night( becouse i always check it on morning and night) was raised . normally i had like 125 to 85, but at that day on half that pill blood pressure was 140 to 99- thats low level hypertension but it was raised. i think if i wanted to wheen of i should buy a laboratory scale and wheen like this. 2.4 mg twoo weeks, then 2.3 mg another 2 weeks , then 2.2 mg weeks and so on. So what do you think?
hey are you still on or stopped now? I’m in process of tapering for anxiety too
I know your post is from 3 yrs ago. However it has helped me. I have stopped Bisoprolol. I was not weaned of it. I am getting the exact symptoms as you. I had a ambulance here this morning. How long did it take for you to go back to normal?
hey Tracey, I’m in the process of tapering now, this is my 3rd week, first I took a quarter away, then half, and today I took just 1 quarter, feel very shakey this morning and been having odd chest pains at times and my heart rate is around 100-115 resting, how you doing? Are you still off bisoprolol?
hello how are you now? The symptoms already stop? I’m 2 and a half months off and it’s a nightmare, palps, tingling muscles and pain, red eyes etc..
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