Bisoprolol

Does anyone who has it is withdrawing from Bisoprolol know if drawing from 0.01 to 0.1mg if the withdrawal will be a lot more severe and also how long is anyone stopping on each drop for.

I really need some good advice as my withdrawal symptoms are getting more severe and only dropping by 0.01mg I really need to get of this medication. It’s no good asking doctors or pharmacists as they say there are no withdrawal symptoms for which some people there isn’t, but I never had any of my symptoms before starting and withdrawing from Bisoprolol.

[stevejb1810]

How are you managing to get to 0.01mg dose? Leaving aside all the questions about accuracy of dose, the minimum prescribed oral dose is 1.25mg, you are already so far below that as to be nearing placebo! If you go to 0.1mg you will be increasing your current 'dose' 10 fold. Are you sure of your numbers?

[Hidden in reply to stevejb1810]

Yes my husband was an engineer and we have purchased 0.001mg scales I take 1,25mg tablet and the my husband cuts and weighs from a 2,5mg tablet. As the biso also has a half life he has made a chart to see how much is still left in my body and also charted the different scenario for 0.01 to 0.5 mg to see what effect it is doing. The actual dosage that I am down to is 1.72mgs. My husband divides the weight of each 2.5mg by 250 to create the weight of 0.01mg. We realize it is luck of the draw what I get in that piece but use all the pieces of that one tablet over a number of days.

[stevejb1810 in reply to Hidden]

If you want to titrate down then use a 1.25 mg tablet to do it from - bigger pieces will just be more accurate even with the balance you have. With respect to your comment about luck of the draw and one tablet over a number of days, you are losing control of your dose - it could be going up and down all the time.

I notice from your posts that you have been on this path for 3 months already and you are still someway above the minimum oral dose. You were never on a high dose from what I can see from your posts. Does your GP and/or cardiologist know what you are doing here?

[Hidden in reply to stevejb1810]

Yes they do I am getting such severe withdrawal that I am getting very little sleep at night as the withdrawal kicks in about 3.30am every dayHave you any better ideas how I can withdraw without the severe side effects there is nothing more than I would like to stop this horrible medication in one go. My GP has given me anti depressant and Valium both of which I have tried without success and also don’t want to have to go through further medication withdrawals. Was happy go lucky with no anxiety before I started these now I have very limited life. Withdrawal actually put me in hospital with a suspected stroke and that was by reducing 0.1mg.

[Prada47 in reply to Hidden]

You need urgent professional advice.

What is your BP and HR and what was it before you started on this reduction process ??

I know we are all different but I went from 10mg to 7.5 overnight. I just asked my Heart Nurse could I go back to 10mg and unfortunately I can't because of other meds.

You really need to see someone as soon as possible You could be put on a placebo without knowing. At least until you settle what ever is causing you to have these symptoms. Really feel for you.

Regards

[Hidden in reply to Prada47]

Hi b/p was around 120/70 and hear rate mid 70’s before I went on them now b/p runs as low as 79/54 and pulse still mid 70’s. All cardiologist said was go back to my GP re low blood pressure. I also have a loop recorder inserted and that has show ectopics and Arrhythmias and again answer was see GP to be referred back

[stevejb1810 in reply to Prada47]

'You could be put on a placebo without knowing' No! The pharmacist is legally obliged to dispense what the doctor has written on the script and if that says bisoprolol then she will be given bisoprolol. And just to be clear, they cannot then label a placebo as Bisoprolol either.

[Prada47 in reply to stevejb1810]

I didn't mean that at all, what I was intimating was if the GP thought it was Psychological maybe that is when a placebo could be prescribed.

Regards

[Hidden in reply to Prada47]

My problem is not Psychological There is nothing more that I would like to do than come of this medication. I had problems right from the start of taking this medication but was too naive not to realize it was more than the side effects. You do not go into a semi comotose state where a qualified nurse, rapid response officer and two paramedics blue light you to the hospital.

[seasider18 in reply to stevejb1810]

My GP prescribed 1.5mg and called it almost a homeopathic dose.

It did not suit me and brought my heart rate down under 40bpm and I stopped started it several times before coming off it completely.

[seasider18 in reply to stevejb1810]

Sounds totally wrong to my maths.

[Celtic]

What an extraordinary situation! How long have you been on the beta blocker for? I cane off a beta blocker cold turkey as advised by the Dr. However I got sick and when investigating it, a very trusted pharmacist said I should have tapered off the beta blocker, taking a week for each year I had been on it - 3 years, so 3 weeks to taper.

I think if I was in your shoes, having already been tapering for 3 months, I would want to just get off that low dose rather than prolong the agony. At the same time, perhaps consider joining some relaxation therapy class, ie Meditation or Tai Chi , to offset whatever withdrawal effects you are experiencing, also drinking plenty of water, avoiding alcohol, all caffeine and spices especially towards bedtime. Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to Celtic]

I was only on it for three months before being told to come off it. I have tried various strengths of reducing and at the beginning was tolerating them and reducing quite nicely but since being below 2mgs I have been diagnosed with sleep depravation because I seem to wake around 3.15 each morning and then the body tremors start and don’t finish until about an hour after I have had biso. I didn’t realize when I first started them that the side effects were so profound I assumed they would eventually settle down. I only have a cup of tea at breakfast lunch and dinner and the rest of the time it’s boiled water and I don’t drink alcohol or have spices I assume I am highly vulnerable to these side effects. I have to come off them because both feet are number and it has caused mr to have low blood pressure. 79/54 so the sooner I come off it the better. Plus the palpitations that I took them for are back with a vengeance.

[Celtic in reply to Hidden]

Perhaps do try the meditation route as it sounds as though the drug, or withdrawing from it, is affecting your nervous system causing the anxiety etc. I assume you are having the support of a Dr or consultant to help with this? Good luck with finding a solution.

[Hidden in reply to Celtic]

Thank you The doctor just says increase the biso a bit but then I am defeating the object of reducing. I saw a consultant privately so will cost me a further £200 for a consultation he was not very good first time round didn’t ask any questions before giving me the biso and then when I emailed him to say I was still having palpitations he informed me to see my GP to increase to 3.75mgs which made me even worse.

Meditation I do but at 3.30 in the morning can’t always concentrate but do have a little success with breathing exercises.

Thank you for your concern it much appreciated

[jerry12953]

Honestly, I don't want to sound critical but are you sure its the Bisoprolol? I was on 2.5 mg and had a lot of dizziness so I just stopped taking it; but I do have a tendency to dizziness anyway, so it could have been a coincidence. The dose you are taking is so tiny, as has already been said, it's virtually nothing.

However, I do sympathise with you over your symptoms. It must be a nightmare not knowing what to do.

[Hidden in reply to jerry12953]

Yes my doctor has confirmed it is definitely the biso that I am highly susceptible to. This morning has said either wean very very slowly or I could try faster but it would probably leave me very debilitated for a couple of months with more severe withdrawal.

How long were you on biso for and have you got any rebound from just stopping?

[Sunnie2day]

Hiya, Nannyknitting, so sorry to read you're still having such trouble weaning off the Bisoprolol! If it weren't for coronavirus I'd be asking my doctor to put me in hospital to do the rest of the weaning - if you were in hospital you could let them do the calculations and cutting and watching you go through this where you can be safely cared for. They should see up close and personal what you're enduring!

But coronavirus changes things.

I wish I had tips and suggestions for easing this for you but I don't and I'm so sorry about that!

[Hidden in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thank you for your lovely reply We have even looked into going into some sort of rehab but because it is a prescription drug and not recreational they don’t want to know. We did mention someone seeing what I was like at different times of the day but Dr just shrugged her shoulders. I have even contacted the drug company and they were no help just sent me a form to fill in with my side effects but they admitted some of them were adverse I even invited them out to see what I was like but had no response. I Have hospital appts till end of month so I am going to stop on a very low withdrawal dose but after that see if I can tolerate a bit higher dose to get me off this nightmare tablet.