Bisoprolol side effects and alternatives

[Limoncello]

Hi I’m new here and am having issues with Bisoprolol. I’ve been on 2.5mg daily, , since the beginning of January, prescribed by my GP for rapid and irregular heartbeat, and have noticed various changes, some minor but others disturbing, some of which people have mentioned on this forum.

It seems a low dose to me, and my heart symptoms have only slightly improved, but I’m worried about being put on a higher dose. I have had autoimmune disorders in the past and wonder if beta blockers can upset the immune system. I’m seeing a cardiologist for the first time in two days and want to be prepared!

Has anyone with similar symptoms felt better on a different beta blocker?

Annoying breathing difficulties going up the slightest slope or long flight of steps, and poor stamina. (I’ve always walked a lot).

My food intolerances/IBS are worse. I’m reacting more to foods I can usually tolerate in small quantities

Runny nose (I tend to this anyway!)

Occasional blue and numb fingers

Pulsatile Tinnitus worse, which affects my sleep

Feeling lethargic and wanting to sleep during the day

Apologies if this is a bit long and complicated!

[Nathan53]

Hi Limoncello - Like many medications you will find people who have few or no untoward side effects and others that notice major issues. For me and despite persisting for months with them I felt exhausted and totally wiped out when taking bisoprolol which I know is the default beta blocker for most Cardiologists. One Dr told me that all beta blockers would make me feel tired and I was on the verge of just accepting that. After doing some research about beta blockers my Cardiologist agreed to my request to try nebivolol and I am much better on that. Remember we are all different and I do know of others who did not like nebivolol. Have a read of the attached article hope it helps with your approach when you see Cardiologist.

[Limoncello in reply to Nathan53]

Thanks very much. I have two friends on Bisoprolol who say they feel all right generally, but one barely walks at all, and the other doesn’t walk much. My holidays have always involved a lot of walking, so I really need to sort this. I shall investigate nebivolol. Perhaps it is a question of finding the right one. People say the same about statins, which I’m determined to avoid!

[Nathan53]

Link for gets blockers: escardio.org/Journals/E-Jou...

[cowparsley in reply to Nathan53]

Nathan,thanks for that link,on Bisoprolol and suffering nightmares,broken sleep and fatigue. Thought all beta blockers were the same but I`m going to try and get mine changed to third generation.

[Petercat1 in reply to Nathan53]

Hi. Thanks very much for that link, but I really couldn't understand any of it. Still non the wiser lol. I did cut down from 10mg a day to 7.5mg a day, but am afraid to change it too much as it is a) stopping my palpitation attacks and b) it's helping keep my BP low.

Thanks anyway.

Denise

[Suzy1954]

I now take Atenolol after feeling totally wiped out on Bisoprolol. Still struggle with steps and inclines but overall back to normal. Good luck 👍

[Limoncello in reply to Suzy1954]

Thanks, will have a look at atenolol as well as nebivolol.

[Clerkenweller]

I couldn’t cope with beta blockers and got taken off them entirely. There are other drugs that make the heart take it easy.

[Limoncello in reply to Clerkenweller]

Thanks. I’ve discovered my brother-in-law is on Digoxin, but I thought that was a really old-fashioned drug. My mother was put on it nearly 50 years ago! Perhaps Bisoprolol is really cheap.

[Mgs333]

I have recently swapped my beta blocker from propanalol to bisoprlol because I only take them to protect against possible future events. Bisoprolol is more heart specific and is designed to slow your heart down and also slightly reduce your blood pressure....to be honest I wish I didn't have to take them but have found no real adverse effects...my H/R is around 65, B/P is good and I feel ok....in fact I go to the gym 3 times a week and my energy levels are good....however my sleep patterns are still all over the place but I don't think thats down to bisoprolol.

[Fobo]

I take Bisoprolol because I suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The disease was discovered in 2016 (17mm thick ventricle wall, heartbeat at 120, normal blood pressure) and I started taking 10mg/day of Bisoprolol until last summer, I had a gradient of 30 (very good), when my new doctor sugested me a switch to Nebivolol to try to get rid of Bisoprolol side efects. The problem is that Nebivolol's 10mg/day left me with gradient of 100 (5m / s, very bad) and so the doctor decided to put me on Bisoprolol again. Bisoprolol gives me insomnia, takes away my smile and the joy of living, leaves me tired and powerless. When I was taking 10mg of Bisoprolol I felt like an old man over 100 years old and as the doctor doesn't know what to give me, I restarted Bisoprolol 5mg this week ... I am already depressed with affected hearing and feeling completely down ... do you know any alternatives? I felt wonderful with Nebivolol but I was not acting on my problem ... Can anyone help please ?

[Petercat1]

Hi, I've been on Bisoprolol for 4yrs, firstly 5mg in the morning and 5mg at night, but I have changed it to 5mg in the morning and 2.5mg at night a while ago. I have put on around 2.1/2 stone in weight, get out of breath walking up even a slight slope and feel tired all the time. I have thought of asking to change, but keep putting it to the back of my mind. I would be very interested in others opinions too.

Denise

[Limoncello in reply to Petercat1]

Hi Petercat. Are you on Bisoprolol for AFib?

I had my open heart surgery at Bart's in April, two valve repairs and an occlusion to prevent clots lodging in my heart. I'm still on Apixaban 5mg x2 daily, but after the op the surgeon reduced my dose of Nevibolol to 2.5mg daily, a much lower dose than the pre-op 5mgx2 daily.

In spite of the op I still have AFib, and after nearly five months actually feel more breathless than before the op, but was told it would take a year or so to feel normal again and am hoping that will improve. All sorts of strange sensations have been happening since the op and it is hard to untangle them, but I in spite of being very up and down, I think things are very slowly improving. I lost weight while in hospital, too much I feel, and haven't put it back on. So my situation is a bit different to yours.

However, having said that, I think Bisoprolol does contribute to increased weight, and definitely to tiredness, and if you are feeling breathless, you become more reluctant to exercise, which exacerbates the weight problem, which in turn affects your breathing on exercise. It's a vicious circle.

I definitely feel better on Nevibolol than on Bisoprolol. it is worth speaking to your GP if you can't speak to a cardiologist (and they do seem to be elusive - I've tried to contact a member of the team by phone but without success). I hope you have a sympathetic GP who will listen to you.

[Petercat1 in reply to Limoncello]

Hello.I had emergency open heart surgery for an aortic dissection and a replacement aortic valve April 2017 but I wasn't given bisoprolol for that. I had a palpitation attack a week after my op and the Consultant then gave me the 10mg bisoprolol (I have been suffering from palpitations since I was a schoolgirl, but they had been getting much worse as I got older). I haven't had any palpitation attacks since.

I did lose weight in hospital - I was in ICU for a week then a normal ward for another week, but it has gradually increased since. I am only on 100mg Losartan for my BP, 7.5mg bisoprolol, which also helps with my BP, a turmeric capsule, and a B12 tablet.

I was taking aspirin 75mg a day up until about 6months after my op, and they also put me on Lansoprazole 15mg for reflux and to protect my stomach from the aspirin. I am still taking the Lansoprazole although I would like to stop taking them.

I really find it very hard to motivate myself to do anything and do feel really drained nearly all the time, so don't know if it is the medication or maybe my age as I'm 71 now.

I still have yearly CT Scans at the hospital so see the cardiac team then, and if I phone my Consultant's secretary, she is very good.

I will ask my when I see the cardiac team about changing to Nevibolol and see what they think - I do find the GPs don't want anything to do with it if it concerns my aorta/heart, and they always refer me back to the hospital. GPs don't seem to know much about dissection to be honest.

I will see what they say about the nevibolol, I should get my CT scan appointment soon.

Hope all goes well for you.

Take care

Denise x

[Tricia7048 in reply to Petercat1]

That was me, Denise, 20kg! My cardiologist could see I was struggling and changed me to Ivabradine and the weight fell off ! Ask about it? All the best.

[Petercat1 in reply to Tricia7048]

Thank you I will ask.Denise