Alternative to Bisoprolol

[LEDBAT5]

Hi all, I’ve recently been switched to bisoprolol from celiprolol due to no longer available, but am having troubles tolerating the change, has anyone done similar and found another BB better? I’ve also tried metoprolol with similar issues.

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I was originally prescribed Bisoprolol but it left me suffering with permanently freezing cold hands and feet and a dripping nose. I changed to Carvedilol which helped a lot. Carvedilol is a newer BB than Bisoprolol and is meant to have less of the side effects common in Bisoprolol.

[Evie606]

Hi,

I was switched from Bisoprolol to Atenolol and I’m tolerating it well. However I don’t think they like to prescribe Atenolol as it’s an older BB but I’m finding it more effective in controlling my HR and tachycardia.

Hope you find something that suits you.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I have no issues with Bisoprolol but someone I know had been on Atenolol for decades but after trying Bisoprolol is back on Atenolol. Its a question of working with your GP/cardiologist to find what works for you.

[Alison_L]

Hi LEDBATS. Like Spiritofthefloyd I switched from Biso to Carvedilol because of side effects. It didn't really make any difference, but it certainly didn't make things worse. Maybe worth a go?

[Judym]

What side effects are you experiencing?It took me while to get used to them mainly cold extremities (some years ago now) but put up with it and now I have no problems.

[LEDBAT5 in reply to Judym]

Joint pain mostly in big toe, tingling in feet and legs, pain in chest, on edge, morning cough & reduced sex drive. I split meds to am/pm which has helped a little.

[Tweedsider]

Hi welcome. I started on 5mg Bisoprolol and was increased to 7.5mg pretty quickly. When I went to rehab I noticed a propensity towards excessive sweating and a degree of breathlessness. I put it down to adjusting to the meds. Four years later and I have just had my dosage dropped to 6.25mg and things are improving.

I did encounter a degree of reluctance among the medics to try changes, but, well, a squeaky wheel eventuallt gets some attention.

Good luck!

[Icenae]

I took bisoprolol for years. ( gained weight, breathless) asked to be changed to nebivolol. Which is new and expensive and they are very tight with. I sleep better now, get up less in night for loo and am gradually losing a little Weight. Neither really control my tachycardia. So I am staying on 2.5. Just to relax my veins a bit. My hr went really low for a couple of months after new pacemaker but kicked off again after a stressful argument sadly.

[bowls12]

All prescribed medicines have side effects, some of them are minor, some more major and only affect a relative low number of users.

As with all prescribed medicines, if you have side effects that you cannot tolerate, please discuss with the medical practitioner that prescribed them. He/she may or may not prescribe an alternative.