I'm going into my ist month after a bypass, the need for which came out of the blue(I'm 68 and and never had any heart syptoms, regular exercise gym etc) this hit me like a juggernaut. I was told that I'd have to stay in, that was nealy 6 weeks ago, with all the other issues going on I found this prospect terrfifiying. I had the op and have been told that it went well , I did have a few other issues complications in hospital. I'm home now and in recovery but one thing that came out of the blue was mood swings, being emotional and depression. I heard that one of the beta blockers can cause this unusual(very unpleasant) side effect: Bisoprolol, I looked into this and the manufacturer does report it as a possibility.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? found that this medication was a causal factor and found an alternative that works without this side effect
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Paddymac12
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Welcome to the forum, I am on bisoprolol and have been since my AVR and bypass nearly 4 years ago. Luckily for me have had no issues with it though I have read some people have, like you I was 68 and it came out of the blue my body had started to let me down for the first time ever. I was in hospital for 7 weeks before being transferred to a specialist heart hospital for my op. There for just 7 days. When I got home being driven up to the house promptly bust into tears!
You have been through a huge operation and your body and mind has to come to terms with what it as been through. Your mind will be all over the place. Have you had any contact with cardio rehab? You should be starting about 11 weeks after surgery but because of the virus things seem not to be up running yet. Can I say please try it when things get back to normal I found it invaluable as much for my stamina as my mental health. You will be with others who have been through similar experiences as you and being able to talk to someone who knows how you feel makes such a difference.
Even now I sometimes see my scar and think wow that really did happen.
There are loads of us here on the forum that have been where you are now, and will listen to anything you want to say.
Mood swings on steroids. This heart thing and the meds really can do a number on your sanity and physically. I am nearly 3 months from HA and 2 stents. The whole thing has been very hard to come to terms with . When i first came home (within two days) i wanted to walk, hike, run and i could barely go around the block. Now i am walking more and hiking but it has taken time and patience ...which i have very little of...to get here. You will have depression because of the heart and surgery that is normal but some of the meds also cause depression and for me they were/are ticagrelor, crestor and bisoprolol. All i can say is stay strong and connected with others. Get out there and walk every day. Know your limits and if you are over doing it you will be sore and very tired the next day. Your heart has been through alot treat it with respect until it can get strong again.
Hi, your not alone, my heart attack was on 11th May , about 6 weeks ago. I am 69, but considered myself fairly fit prior to my attack. Suffering from anxiety and sleeplessness , its difficult to know if it's the experience we have been through, personally had a terrible time in hospital, given a high dose statin at night , side effects insomnia and anxiety. Didn't sleep at all in 7 nights. I don't take anything at night, and take a lower dose in the morning. Also take 2.5mg of the drug your referring to a amongst others. I have been told I have PTSD due to my hospital stay. So to conclude, not sure if my problems are the drugs or the experience, but be assured I think there are plenty of us out there - Paul
My experience with two hospitals especially the first one will haunt me for the rest of my life. That and dealing with the after effects and the meds is very trying. I thought i was quite healthy and tough before this. Quite the humbling experience.
Hi, seem to be making some progress, but find sleep the problem. Getting help from Talkworks, seem to make a bit of progress and then for some reason the low mood returns. Have been told the anxiety will fizzle out, but still wonder if the drugs are the main culprit.
Hi Paddymac12.
Be assured you are not alone with suffering with depression post bypass surgery. My wife had a bypass a couple of years ago at the age of 46. She suffered with depression. Unfortunately yours has come at a trying time for us all. It would help to talk to friends and family. You have to remember your body has gone through a very invasive procedure so this is natural.
There is help out there, you could reach out to either your doctor or cardiac team/ cardiac nurse if you have one for help. My wife received 6 free counseling sessions which helped her.
Above all remember this is natural and there is help out there, all you have to do is reach out to people. You've already started that process here on this forum. Take care.
Hi Paddy, my experience is as follows. 6 graft bypass 8 weeks ago. Like you this came as a total shock, I've always been healthy and active with a reasonable level of fitness. I'm 63. I was taken into hospital with mild chest pains. After 24 hours I was told I'd suffered a mild heart attack. Further tests revealed I had chronic heart disease and needed bypass surgery asap. Despite 48 hours in intensive care due to an a minor anomaly I was home 5 days after surgery. My first 2 weeks at home were difficult, a lot worse than I expected. During a blood test at the gp surgery the nurse told me 'remember you have been through brutal surgery, of course you won't make an immediate recovery! Give it time.' I was feeling low. Slowly but surely I have been improving and for the last 2 weeks mentally I have felt much more my previous self, a lot of the fog has gone and my concentration levels are better. So it may be time you need as much as a change of medication. I would also recommend a daily walk. After a slow start I'm now up to 3 or 4 miles a day, on hilly ground, at a pace similar to that I was achieving before my heart attack (over 3 miles per hour). I've found this invaluable to my physical and mental well being. And of course there are no rehab classes available at the moment! Earlier this week my Doctor told me I should eventually be able to resume some serious hill walking. This will hopefully allow me to complete my munros (282 Scottish mountains over 3,000 ft). I have about 60 to go. Hopefully this post will give you hope that there are better days ahead.
Hi Paddy, Should have said. On leaving hospital I was told to isolate as much as possible for 12 weeks but encouraged to get out for a walk, while observing social distancing.
Glad to say I've not suffered any depression since my triple CABG two years ago. I have been taking Bisoprolol since my op and I've heard it can affect people but in different ways. In my case its dreams. Weird dreams. When I say weird, I mean really weird!
Honestly sometimes I wake up and think "Boy, what was that all about!!"
Seriously mate, you are just a handful of weeks into your recovery. I remember feeling frustrated/tearful/fragile at that stage. Recovery from this major surgery takes a while, longer than some well meaning but over optimistic people would have us believe.
Hi, I'm also on bisoporol (amongst many other pills!) following a CABGx4 in February. Your post made me laugh when you mentioned the weird dreams. I've had them too - so real as well. Not nightmarish but just unpleasant. The line between sleeping and dreaming and being awake seems very slim. My first thoughts when I wake up are often 'was that a dream or is this real?' Lots of relief when I realise it was just a dream!
Hi Paddymac
I am four months since double bypass and I can relate to your post. I had a lot of crying and low mood and it has passed. I am back at work now so that has helped but I can say the op has definitely effected my mental health. Talk to your heart Nurse, mine sent me stuff in the post and relaxation CD.
Don’t know if it’s the medication or just that you have had a traumatic experience? I am trying hard to get back to being me again and it is getting better
Don’t expect too much of yourself and rest a lot xx you will feel better I promise 😊
I am also in the beta blockers blood thinners and all the other stuff but like I said four months and back at work already and I am 60
Hi Paddymac12. I think depression is common. My husband (normally cheerful and laid back) suffered with terrible depression after his quad bypass (same age as you).
With this dreadful virus and all the restrictions that go with lockdown, he's become more depressed and this is 18months after his operation.
He is on Bisprolol 1.25mg so a very low dose that our GP said shouldn't cause this side effect. He's suggested carrying on with it.
Makes you wonder whether the drug is causing the problem doesn't it.
Paddymac12 - I had a triple bypass 11 months ago also when I was 68 and not had any major symptoms. After feeIing a tightness in my chest, I saw my GP and a cardiac surgeon who diagnosed stable angina and prescribed a GTN spray (which I've carried every day since and never used). He also immediately recommended bisoprolol. Although I collected the pills, I was reluctant to take them and waited until I'd seen a specialist angina nurse; she agreed with me that it would be better not to take the bispoprolol until after the angiogram. The angiogram showed severe blockages and I had the bypass three weeks later.
I 'd had a TIA in 2014 and since that time had been on Atorvastatin, Losartan and Clopidogrel. After the bypass, I had several additional drugs for a few weeks - diltiazem, amiodarone, furosemide, ranitidine. I was keen to get off as many drugs as possible and when I met my cardiac surgeon 2 months after the op, he agreed that I could revert to the three drugs I had been on after the TIA.
However, there was a recommendation to also take bisoprolol if my heart rate wasn't controlled. I followed all the recommendations for exercise and attended the rehab course and am now comfortably cycling 10 miles a day and doing online pilates courses three times a week (very hard work!!) I bought a blood pressure machine and to check BP regularly and it's very good. At a further meeting with a cardiac surgeon at my local hospital six mongths after the op, he confirmed that the bisoprolol wasn't necessary so I've never taken it.
So ask your doctor why you're on the bisoprolol; its function (as described on the NHS website) is to slow down your heart rate and make it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. If you get yourself fit, you may not need it. Having been a member of this website since my op, it's obvious that there is a set selection of drugs that are always recommended. Don't be afraid to challenge if you REALLY need every one of them.
The knock out gases they use during the operation are extremely powerful and their effects linger on for a fair while. You are only 4 weeks in, your body is still doing a major repair job and you will feel a lot better as time goes by. Try and get some gentle exercise going and chase up the hospital about rehab exercises, they do help a lot.
Hi, I’ve been on Bisoprolol (2.5mg) for 2yrs following bypass and now think I’m suffering some side effects mainly lethargy. I do have some mood swings and bouts of depression so your post resonated with me. You mention an alternative to Bisoprolol, could you tell me what it is please.
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