Hi. Has anybody got any advice please regarding losing weight caused by my taking 10mg a day for the past 14 months.... it’s so depressing! I’m currently on 700 calories a day and doing as many steps as is possible. I’ve joined ‘noom’ for psychological support as there’s none coming from the doctors who are dismissive regarding the fact that the medications to blame. This is depressing to say the least. Thankyou X🙏❤️X
Bisoprolol weight gain. : Hi. Has... - British Heart Fou...
Bisoprolol weight gain.
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Glastonburylady
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You are not imagining things. I started Bisoprolol last Autumn and put on 20lbs between then and now. I was constantly hungry and ate far too many calories and I dont think the pandemic helped me as I was shielding, and the biscuit tin was never too far away. In fact my small dog put on 4lbs - the Vet is not impressed.
So we've re - re - re-started our "new healthy eating lifestyle".The reason I've had so many re-starts is because despite cutting calories (which always worked in the past) the weight was/is just not shifting, maybe this is the chemical bit related to the drug? I dont know.
I'm unable to exercise due to one of my heart conditions, HCM, along with some other serious medical conditions.
I'm losing hope, never mind weight !
I refuse point blank to have to drop down to 700 cals a day, seriously, life, at least for me wouldn't be worth living.
Maybe I'm just feeling like that because I'm older, 59.
Either way it's a damn daily struggle.
I would be interested to know how you get on with Noom, I know its CBT based, perhaps you could keep us posted?
Best wishes and all the best 🌻🌻🌻
Hi and Thankyou so much for replying. It’s so very depressing isn’t it! I’m in a similar position with the shielding due to other health conditions and we can now add depression and all social avoidance to those! I’m around your age too, 58, so metabolism is low anyway. I’m finding Noom helpful but weight loss is difficult because of the meds. Although CBT is something that I have a relatively good knowledge of anyway it’s helpful to be prompted, encouraged and more importantly document everything, that way it becomes a mindful practice rather than a fleeting action. I’m seeing a specialist on 17/05 and will be discussing this because that kind of weight gain carries it’s own set of major health implications to those of us that are borderline diabetic and suffer other implications immune related and mobility inflicted.
Yes, they help our heart but cause several other issues which are life limiting and disabling in themselves. Aaaaargh!
Aaaaw your doggy..... our vets have a weekly ‘chubby club’ I may stick a pair of ears on, a fur coat and head along myself......
l agree, energy levels are low, metabolism constantly snoozing and all in all we try to find positives but at times it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack in the dark.
Sending you lots of positive wishes from here in Glastonbury and of free ring my support too..... we WILL find a way! X❤️🙏X
Bless you ! So you shielded as well, Yes it's really hard going. Just for reference, when I was in my early 40's, I was already an insulin dependent diabetic, with painful fybromyalgia and very depressed, and I knew I had put on vast amounts of weight (I'm an emotional eater) and didnt weigh myself for a good few years . . Head in the sand . . . When I eventually did, I had the shock of my life as the scales flashed up 18.02 stones 😱 WTH OMG
I'm only 5'3. Long story short, I lost 8 stone in a year, calorie counting, so I know it's possible, or at least it was once. I also exercised and danced a lot.
I kept it off (that was harder than losing it) for a good 15 years, then I slid a little and kept between 11-12 stone, which I was quite happy with, then the really bad times started.
First came the loss of feeling in my feet (nerve damage due to the diabetes), same for the eyes, a stroke, then the silent HA . I needed a quadruple bypass but surgeon refused due to my medical history, said I wouldn't make it off the table alive, so he gave me 3 stents instead and bucketloads of meds. including the delightful Bisoprolol, which I might add has also taken a toll on my once very thick hair.
So I manage best I can, there's not a lot of options.
I will have to seek out a "chubby club" lol in my area (Gloucestershire) I dont mind hangin' with them bitches 🐩 🐩 🐩 😁
I just don't know where my previous will power has gone, or if ever it will return 🤔🤔🤔
But I'm with you every step of the way, take care 🌻🌻
There is no doubt beta blockers make you put on weight particularly belly fat and coupled with decreased metabolism due to age and boredom etc and being confined in close proximity to the fridge doesn’t help us at all. I understand the calorie intake to maintain my weight at my age is 1500 /day. That would be a diet in my youth . I am managing to painfully lose a pound a week at the moment want to lose a stone . My golden retriever is very svelte not a candidate for chubby club but I love the title !
It's nice to know we are not alone. Thank you Peony 🌹🌹🌹
Hi. I am on 7.5mg of bisoprolol now but was on 10mg for about 3.5years and have put on around 2 stones in weight. Plus my hair is thinning which for me I never had thick hair to start with! Especially when I wash my hair - it's so upsetting. Surely I can't keep losing hair, I'll be bald!!Best wishes
Denise
Hi Denise.Sorry to hear that, it really is very upsetting and stressful I know. Was your initial dosage, straight in at 10mgs? that sounds high as a starting dose.
That said it looks like you are reducing and now take 7.5mgs. Is there, with your medical team's consent, any possibility of reducing any further, in the aim of stopping or at least, slowing down the hair loss, without compromising the health of your heart . .
I started on 2.5mgs but it wasnt enough to keep my beating heart rate under control, so I was given 5mgs, which for the most part, keeps me stable.
My resting BPM is 64/65. Obviously its higher on exertion but way lower than it used to be. Before Bisoprolol, I could bearly breathe just rising from a chair.
For me, once on the 5mgs, I just started noticing that my hairbrush was always full and my hair just didnt feel "right".
Thank God 🙏 I've never had any thinning patches, as yet ! But I feel guilty for being so vain about it, but it really matters to me, not just aesthetically, but psychologically, so I totally share your anxiety.
It's a hard choice - Hair or Heart ? It's a close call.
The jury's still out . . . . 😉
Take care and try to stay well 🌻🌻🌻
Hi.Thanks for your reply.
For the first week after my dissection I wasn't on bisoprolol but in the second week I had a palpitation attack and that's when they put me on bisoprolol 10mg.
Due to the side effects I asked the Consultant if I could reduce the dose, and went down to 7.5mg.
I would try to reduce it further, but that and my BP tablet (Losartan 100mg) have to keep my BP down under 120 and I'm worried if I reduce it more my BP might go up. I still might do it but keep my BP closely monitored.
I really wish I could stop all my meds, but know what would happen if I did. Lol.
Regards
Denise
What is noom ? I am looking for any help at all . My husband has so many conditions that impact like a dominoe snd is on medication for lots if things including bisoprolol. He is always judged by the doctors for being overweight . He is not believed by any of the health professions about insulin resistance or affects of medication. We eat a very healthy diet, fruit, veg , and only have a junk meal about once a week .a small bar of chocolate once in 3-4 weeks ( if that ) Even with exercise , which is now very limited and a calory controlled diet , he cannot lose weight . (He keeps a food and mood diary , but still not believed by professionals )He has just turned 58 , worked in a very non sedentary job until 4 years ago, when he had to give up work , was very active in the garden until last august, sine then has had limited exercise due to heart and other conditions
700 calories doesn’t seem sustainable ,
My husband did loose a little weight , many years ago, for a while on weight watchers , but it was not suitable for his diabetes and IBS . ( also has other physical health issues )
Wishing you all the best with your health
I have never tried this aid for weight loss, but as I understand it, Noom is an online App. that you can download to your mobile phone or other device.
The basis of the program is based on CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and provides a psychological approach to losing weight by encouraging the user to think differently about the way they think about food and the choices they make. Mindfulness is encouraged.
The app. allows you to track your weight loss and monitor what you eat and you can connect with other users for support.
Obviously there is a charge for this, I don't know how much it costs.
It's basically just another tool and approach to losing weight, and like all approaches, it may be helpful to some people, others not so.
Good luck if you decide to give it a whirl . . . 🌹🌹
Hi. The trouble is with only 700 calories a day is that that is fine for a while, but if you start eating more again the weight just comes back.Good luck
Denise
Think about the 1:1 Diet with Cambridge weight plan. I lost 3 stones with them and they have a maintenance programme to ensure you don’t put it back on and a Consultant to support you individually . I’m now a consultant with them and happy to pass on details of someone near you ? Reasonably priced too
I did used to use the Cambridge diet back in the 70s, in those days it was basically shakes. I did lose a lot while on it, but when I returned to eating solid food again it gradually crept back on. I was in my 20s then, I'm nearly 71 now and believe me, it is very very hard to lose weight now, even though not eating that much.Thanks anyway, I will think about it.
Denise
Thank you for your kind wishes. Something that I was just reflecting on, in relation to your husbands situation, I would add that whilst the outcome of this approach varies person to person, I think it's fair to say, that to undertake and achieve your goals (weight loss) in this type of therapy, one's head needs to be "in the right place" - hence "cognitive" therapy. Maybe speak with his GP, who can inform you/your husband, as to whether he/she thinks your husband would be suited to, and benefit from this particular form of therapy.
Just a thought. Best wishes to you both. 🌷🌷🌷
Hi. Maybe your husband would like to try the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight plan? It has proven medical results for diabetics and is great for providing one to one support with your own Consultant to motivate. It can be done either face to face or remotely. I lost 3 stones with this and have kept it off for 5 years. I’m now a Consultant with them and happy to provide more info / details of a Consultant near you?
MichaelJHHeart Star
Hello and welcome to the forum!
First I will remind you of the Newton's Laws. The first law, an object will not change its motion unless a force acts on it. In the second law, the force on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration. In the third law, when two objects interact, they apply forces to each other of equal magnitude and opposite direction.
Why have I done this? Because I am now coming to the first law of nutrition: to maintain a steady weight the calories in must equal the calories out. This doesn't have to be applied over a day but must apply over longer periods like a week or a month. Too many calories in means weight gain and too many out means weight loss. This equation can be hard to follow.
Bisoprolol does not cause weight gain but may cause tiredness leading to less energy being expended. Add to this slower metabolism as we age means we have to reduce calorie intake. When I was younger I needed about 3000 calories a day to just maintain my weight. As I passed 50 I started gaining weight and had to gradually reduce down to about 2200. Following my amputation and being confined to a wheelchair because of stump issues I have to keep to 1500 a day. This is combined with physio exercises, wheelchair pushup, trying to destroy exercise bands, etc.
I would suggest a Mediterranean diet (as recommended by the BHF) with plenty of lean protein and vegetables. Be careful with fruits as you can easily a load of sugar (as fructose). For instance if you liquidise 5 fruits for breakfast that can be 300 calories or more.
There is also an excellent HU Weight Loss site that could be useful for information and support.
You know that for a fact do you Michael that bisoprolol does not cause weight gain ever or are you going on a clinical trial of one ? It is a well documented side effect of the older beta blockers such as Atenolol not as much documented research into the newer beta blockers . Not to mention that individuals, and men and women certainly react to / May metabolise drugs differently . I put on half a stone taking atenolol which I have now lost ( no longer taking atenolol) . It would be nice to see a bit more respect for other people’s experiences even if they differ from your own. The reduction of activity is part of the story but beta blockers also affect how your body deals with sugar predisposing people towards developing diabetes . As with all drugs different people react differently
Hi, I totally agree with that Peony4575. I don't eat very much and our main meal at teatime is a salad as my son is into his healthy food/gym work. Bisoprolol also slows down your metabolism as well as your heart rate, so it would obviously lead to weight gain.People who say it doesn't have no idea. It also makes your hair thin.
Hope you're well
Best wishes
Denise
This diet makes sense to me , good luck
in reply to MichaelJH
Fantastic reply. Some of this reminds me of the folks you see at the gym, many of whom are on NHS referred memberships, often seen sitting on the rowing machine texting, and uttering things like "I can't understand it, I come here four times a week and I am still gaining weight", only to disappear in the direction of Dominos on the way home.It is certainly not rocket science.
Glastonburylady in reply to
Hi. Perhaps it’s different for ladies with the way our hormonal system operates.
It’s not the case that it’s as simple as being under some kind of illusion and behaving like a fool on a treadmill and then eating dominoes.
Regarding eating I’ve reduced my intake to around 700 calories. I haven’t eaten meat for years. I do eat fish.
For about ten/eleven years I’ve had a consistent weight that fluctuated between 9stone10 and 10stone3. I eat salads, never sweets, no chocolate, cake or crisps, I don’t like carbs and have a limit of one apple a day. I drink green teas and don’t have dairy. A typical days eating for me is as it’s been for all of those years:
Breakfast: apple and grapes
Lunch; protein shake with unsweetened coconut milk
Afternoon; one banana
Dinner; plate of salad (no dressing) and one piece of haddock or salmon.
For drinks I have water, camomile or green tea and one decaf coffee.
This has been consistent.
My exercise levels have always been average and maintained this intake against my height of 5’7 and my weight.
I went onto 10mg Bisoprolol February 2020 and my weight is now 12stone 8 and all I’ve changed in my habits is no banana or apple in between lunch and dinner and I’m moving about more now.
It’s like my metabolism is refusing to burn fat regardless! And as a lady, as many of you will agree, carrying this around the boobs and middle is depressing and takes it’s toll on our self esteems and confidence.
The nhs or doctors will NOT accept that this is happening. Reading your comment would say you deny the issues that are caused to some by the huge reduction in metabolic rate.
Even when I go against my bodies tiredness and fight that by exercising it won’t shift.
Well I’ve been following Noom for psychological/emotional support for five days so far and the scales are telling me I’m four pounds down.... that’s probably because I’ve gone back on furusemide.
Yesterday I walked seven miles.
I do not eat pizza nor pasta ever or bread.
So how would you explain this?
The only way I can reduce my weight is to eat 700 calories or less a day, walk at least seven miles and eat a plate of salad leaves, one fillet of poached haddock and a protein drink made with unsweetened coconut milk a day....... if I had lived this way prior to Bisoprolol I’d be terribly under weight and not getting the correct nourishment.
I’m not getting the correct nourishment now. I’m drained. I’m over exercising. My joints are agonised. I’m under eating because eating that extra banana and apple STOP any weight loss and my weight is unhealthy.... please don’t tell us that it’s ‘not rocket science’ and make patronising comments simply because it isn’t happening to you!
Very well said 👏
in reply to Glastonburylady
You have fallen into the same trap that loads of people do who undertake unsustainable "fad" diets. 700 calories a day is not sufficient to maintain a healthy body, and so your body will react by shutting itself down and behaving abnormally. Whatever you say your daily diet is not a healthy balanced one and you will never thrive on it, simple as that, whoever has advised or recommended it does not know what they are doing. As has been said the Bisoprolol on it's own does not cause weight gain, the resulting lack of exercise causes it, which is understandable as personally I think Beta Blockers are awful drugs, have you questioned your GP as to exactly why you are on them? I understand for some people they are a necessity, but for some who are prescribed them they are not always required. I was given them as part of a "blanket prescription" along with a few other drugs I should never have been given. My wife has a friend who also eats like a sparrow and struggles with all sorts of problems basically because her body cannot cope with her lack of a balanced diet, it is a spiral of decline. I would urge you to question if you can come off the BB's and to switch to a proper balanced diet and to try and embark on an exercise regime, you will never sort anything out on the daily food intake you have listed.
I know you`re right Michael but let us blame the drugs rather than our lack of willpower!!!
Willpower does not come into this. There’s a distinct effect upon some people’s metabolic rates that are caused by Bisoprolol and some other beta blockers. Now that maybe because of a damaged metabolic system or other interactions but it’s real and it’s a fact.
If ten people with relatively similar heart conditions were all taking 10mg of this drug and doing the same exercise and eating the same their bodies would ALL behave differently. Some would burn more fat than others.
Why?
Because of dna, other medications, health conditions and personal metabolic rate.
Not willpower.
We blame our metabolisms because of how the respond to this drug.... we don’t patronise and mock as some do.
Not patronising or mocking.I`ve been on bisoprolol for 10 years.I don`t like it because it slows me down and my weight gain was due to careless eating during shielding.I know I must try harder to lose the weight but if you`re struggling whilst doing everything possible you have my sympathy.With me it`s lack of will power cos it feels like life is never going to get back to "normal" and I think "what`s the point."
Sorry, I understand. It really is a sensitive subject isn’t it. It’s taking me a military like style of self discipline to master this, I agree that for many it is the lack of energy-exercise-continuation of eating as before and that cycle takes some breaking. It is a difficult drug for some and yet it suits others. I’m going to also research ways to boost energy levels without increasing heart pressures.... it’s a balance that takes strengths many of us have never had to find before but I’m sure we can if we try hard enough. I think many of us have sluggish metabolic rates to begin with and the medication subdues it further which takes its toll. Others maybe blessed with lots of energy and stronger metabolic rates and they can compensate better for the reduction.
I wish you wellness and strength with your health.... and life in general, it’s all a fine balance I agree X
Thank you Glastonbury,life is tough for a lot of us at present for varying reasons.I have never had a high metabolic rate and have always controlled my weight with a strict regime,unfortunately that`s gone out the window so I will try harder.Good luck in your efforts and keep us informed.X
Thankyou so much and likewise. X🙏❤️X
700 calories??You just need to eat more.. 700 calories a day is just not enough
in reply to IDPJ
I find it very hard to believe that anybody is "walking 7 miles a day" on 700 calories, sorry.
Glastonburylady in reply to
Well I am. Yesterday I walked 7 miles and tonight I will do a further four besides the two I covered earlier. I use a pedometer an no, before you knock that it’s not faulty.
And I’m not ‘on a diet’ I’m eating according to my metabolism. If I eat any more than this I put on weight. Believe as you wish..... I won’t argue with you. I have no reason to lie, not even to myself.
I wish you well.
Hi Was in the same position with Bisoprolol fortunately was taken off them after 6 months but not before the damage was done to Weight...Still on Ramipril and certainly I think Weight gain and slowing the Metabolism is such a problem. You’re right so depressing...(I am 65 in 2 days). I swim 40 lengths 2 times a week, Pilates x 4 & Walk x 3. Follow MFP & WW with diet so so careful. Lucky if I can shift the odd Kilo a week.......Fed Up...
Hi. I too am taking bisoprolol. Iv put on 11 pounds since September last year. Iv calorie counted for 6 weeks and actually put on weight. Iv been in touch with my gp and cardiologist and both have informed me that il struggle to lose weight while taking bisoprolol. I have another appointment due next week. I'm hoping to come off them eventually. I know how you feel. Talk to your gp.
I had great success in past with the Cambridge diet - quick results - obviously it’s temp and calorie control needed after . I had lost 6 stone prior to my heart failure and in the year following till now have put 5 on - I am inactive too due to congenital myasthenia however my calorie intake has been ridiculous- so I’m back counting. I am unable to do Cambridge now properly as I was drinking at least 3 litres of water a day - now I’m only allowed 2 l in total
Hi! I’m in agreement that medication must be the reason we can’t get rid of the weight. I lost my excess weight with Slimming World and kept it off for a number of years by eating healthily. I was on a low dose of Bisoprolol plus Lercanidipine and Losartan for HBP but this did not seem to affect anything. Then I had a TIA and Bisoprolol was increased and another cocktail of medication added. Since 2019 I have steadily increased weight whilst eating my normal diet, cannot shift any weight even by reducing carbs drastically. I gave up trying and now I am the heaviest I’ve ever been . I do Zumba and a dance session most days online and now try to walk 10000 steps per day. Nothing helps. It’s a vicious circle worrying that the weight will make the heart condition worse but now not having the power to lose it! I hope you get some answers from somewhere. Sorry I can’t be of help. Good luck x
I am also on Bisoprolol and had a stent fitted in December 2019 I was always fairly slim between 9-9.5 stone but with lockdown and the other meds I’m on which make me breathless very quickly my exercise regime is anything but ideal.....I have piled on the weight (I’m now just under11 stone) mainly around my midriff and bust....I refuse to believe it’s my age (66) as I am quite fit and love walking and dancing although I’ve not been doing much of either recently I have cut down on food I eat but my diet is pretty good as with high cholesterol you can’t eat much of anything tasty and not good for you 😂 so lots of salad fruit and veg which I love anyway so where is the midriff coming from? The only thing is the lack of exercise due to lockdown etc so I’ll just have to work at it ....😎🥰
Hi i had a stent follwing a MI last year. Am on bisoprololol. Did not realise this could be the reason for my weight gain of 5kg! Am back working full time my diet is the same so could not figure it out apart from still recovering and getting easily tierd and not exercising as much. Ah well onwards and upwards.
Hi thereI was on this medication 2 years ago and it made me feel horendous,i was so swollen with fluid retention,always felt so tired and drained,was an effort to even move some days,i refused to take anymore,Cant your dr not change you to something else,maybenworth asking ur dr,hope you get it sorted
Take care x
700 cal a day is way to little this will affect your Health. As told by a nutritionalist a woman should not be on less than 1600 a day. I eat 1900 a day and between 7000 and 10000 steps and have lost weight and inches. Don't always go by scales go by inches. Hope this helps.
I cannot comment regarding Bisoprolol and weight gain links - my husband was on it for 6 months last year and experienced no weight gain - started at 7 st 9 and was the same 6 mths later but 700 calories is not enough to feed your body the energy it needs. I would ask your GP to refer you to a dietitian- they are great , they will look at your weight, medicines, age etc and what you eat and then give you an easy to follow nutritional food guide to either gain or lose depending on your circumstances. Doesn’t cost anything. I saw one and she said some days I ate too little
There is an App Vintage Weight Watchers points calculator dont use US one. Just put in the calorie count and saturated fat of food you are going to eat but don’t exceed 18 sat fat points daily. You should see changes. Lowering your cal intake will make you put on weight. Remember you cdd as n eat what you want but don’t exceed 18 saturated fat units per day. You will be surprised at the amount of saturated fat is in everything. Good Luck I went from 17.5 to under 14st, don’t be weighing yourself all the time follow this religiously it will come off
I`ve got a lockdown poundage problem.I`m not overweight but my clothes don`t fit and they can`t have all shrunk! I`m eating less,drinking less but no weight loss.Yes I`m also on bisoprolol.😠
in reply to cowparsley
Your a human miracle!
cowparsley in reply to
Why???
in reply to cowparsley
Well as Michael pointed out in the first law of nutrition, if calories in are greater than calories out (burnt during daily living/exercise) then the result is weight gain, so in your case you seem to be able to defy this basic principle? Bisoprolol does not produce your extra inches my magic, they are produced by an excess calorie intake, in the ordinary mortal. I am afraid there seem to be quit a lot of folks who have contributed to this OP who are in denial!
cowparsley in reply to
Yes,I`m well aware of that and my problem is I haven`t cut back enough to my pre covid regime.No miracles there!
Hi - I know everyone's metabolism is different but my husband has been on bisoprolol for a number of years and he did put on weight to start with because his energy levels were really down- after he had stents following a heart attack he upped his exercise regime andI got us onto a Mediterranean-Middle Eastern diet which we enjoy along with the odd glass of wine. He has dropped 2 stone in the last 18 months and while there is still some belly fat it is all good now- so my view is bisoprolol probably doesn't help but you might get good results without going to crazy 700 kcals per day - which honestly cant be good for you!
I was on bisoprolol for 18 months, dosage varying from 5 to 10mg. During that time I lost 4 stone. Its not the bisoprolol that makes you put on weight, its the reduction in activity levels due to the lethargy it causes. Eating less is the way to lose weight. Someone upthread has put that lowering your calorie intake will make you put on weight, this is not correct. As a guide, you need 10 cals per pound of body weight to maintain your weight. For example, if you weigh 100 lbs, you would need 1000 cals per day to maintain. That's for zero activity, any activity increases your body's need for energy. So in my example, to lose weight, you would need to take in less than 1000 calories per day. It's very difficult to be precise when calculating your calorific intake and very easy to guesstimate incorrectly. I know that losing weight while on bisoprolol can be done, but it's not easy.
Hi Glastonbury lady Before taking Bisporol only on 1.25mg. Before I could change tack on my diet and the weight would fall off like you I am eating less than before but I am stuck on the 15st mark nothing fits any more. I spoke to my doctor and all I got back was Bisporol is very good but like you I want to improve my health. I don’t drink alcohol don’t smoke all the things that the experts say you should give up. Saying that though the tablets are definitely working after a couple of months so I am thinking I can get through this the other thing is that being more relaxed can also affect your weight not having nervous energy could actually affect whether we lose weight or not. like you I would like some kind of solution but where do we get it from. I am 70 still positive and doing my best which is all any of us can do. I wish you good health
I don't think Bisoprolol helps weight loss, but it certainly doesn't prevent it.
After a bypass operation a few years ago I started taking Bisprolol and at the same time realised that unless I changed my lifestyle, including losing a couple of stone, I'd almost certainly be facing another heart "incident".
A combination of exercise, a Mediterranean diet with a low carb bias, zero snacking between meals, and an "intermittent fasting" approach (I only eat between 1.00pm and 9.00pm each day) has seen me drop two stone and keep it off. Even more important, my long term drift towards insulin resistance and becoming pre-diabetic (as measured by the HbA1c blood test) was reversed and I'm now back in the safe zone.
The problem with blaming Bisoprolol for weight gain is that once you've made that connection in your mind, it then becomes all too easy to just accept weight gain as inevitable. It's really not.
I'm not saying the weight loss method that worked for me will also work for you, but somewhere out there is a weight loss regime that will see you shed those excess pound, even while you take Bisoprolol. So never stop trying and good luck!
I am also experiencing weight gain while on Bisoprolol. Nothing seems to shift the weight whatever I try. As a teenage girl I weighed 7st 4lbs and try as I may, I could not put on even an ounce. Fast forward to my 70`s, I can not shift any weight. Such is life I guess.
I have been taking Bisoprolol for 4 weeks now and have actually lost 2kg! I have way less appetite than before, and weaning myself off caffeine helped with water retention, too. But 700 calories is way too few, your body might be under constant stress and storing more fat due to being in “flight mode”. Everything in moderation seems to be the way forward, exercise in moderation, eat in moderation, but no drastic diet! Never works.
My GP is the only medic I've come across that admits that the beta blocker will cause weight gain (assuming no other lifestyle changes), simply because it slows down the metabolism. All the cardiologists/rehab/HF nurses insist it's nothing to do with any medication. I lost 1.5st when I had my HA (it presented as a severe gastric problem), but over the last 3 years since then I have steadily put that back on plus another 1.5st, despite being much more careful about what I eat. I switched from Bisoprolol to Carvedilol over a year ago for other reasons, but it made no difference to the weight gain.
I have put on almost 1.5 stone since being on Bisoprolol and they had to reduce my water retention tablets as my kidneys didn’t cope - have tried SlimmingWorld & Noom - reducing calories & increased exercise nothing has worked so far & weight is still creeping up. I am aged 57 & used to be a SlimmingWorld consultant so know what to do.
These really are like the devils pills X😢X
I must be the only one on here who has lost weight! I have been on Bisoprolol since October last year when I had an SCA followed by 3 stents. I immediately changed my eating habits - no crap in the diet. I haven't had a Malteser in seven months! I miss them, but I don't miss them enough to go and buy any and compromise my health. I have changed from processed oil to cold pressed (olive and rape oils) which are so much better for you, changed to non processed home cooked foods, removed most meat except chicken and swapped to fish with loads and loads of fruit and vegetables and low sugar items - I'm pre diabetic. I swore I would not have another heart attack and so far I'm doing well, as I have lost 22kilo's. The reason I say this is that I don't think it's impossible to lose weight but it's very difficult - my stomach fat simply wont shift. I can't see 700 calories a day sustaining you, frankly. Unless you can add foods that don't add too many calories but you can add bulk, it seems you are going to struggle. One thing I have taken up is the Reed Wellbeing course for pre-diabetics. You can sign up yourself but my doctor signed me up for it. We have been zooming as a group for some months and learning about diet. It has put me in touch with others struggling with weight and diet which has really helped. Good luck to you and check out the wellbeing course, its free.
Haha, you're not the only one that's lost weight. I suspect you're in the majority, but for a few of us, we just can't lose the weight, so we all stick together 
Nope I lost heaps of weight since starting Bispoprolol and I didn't need or want to ! I was thin anyway and went down to seriously underweight, I have put a bit back on but it's a struggle to maintain it.
Hi
I know how you feel I have been on 5mg for 20 months and put on over a stone and with having being diagnosed with a heart condition and your body changing I am not myself anymore l hate it .
I dislike who is have become . I am 49 and active . Recently I have been trying harder and managed to lose 1 stone but it has taken me nearly 3 months which also is frustrating. I eat around 1200 a day
Doctors don’t want to know .. they make you feel empty
I totally agree with you. I have put on about 2 stone since April 2017 after being put on 10mg of bisoprolol after my AD op. I have since reduced mine to 7.5mg but made no difference. I am also in total despair re the change in my body shape, but the doctors will never agree it's the bisoprolol doing it! It's not in the known side affects so they disregarded it.I am 70 now so have just come to terms with my fatter shape, as not sure how much of my weight game is my age, although I don't eat much and am no less active than before.
If you find an answer to losing weight I would be really grateful to hear it.
Despairingly
Denise
I am on bisopropol 5 mg for the last eleven months. In the last three I have gained 12 pounds even though I now exercise and eat less
Weight gain is not listed as a side effect of Bisproprolol. mayoclinic.org/drugs-supple...
However it does say: Bisoprolol may cause heart failure in some patients. Check with your doctor right away if you are having chest pain or discomfort; dilated neck veins; extreme fatigue; irregular breathing; an irregular heartbeat; shortness of breath; swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs; weight gain; or wheezing .
I think you might ask your doctor if another drug might be more appropriate for you.
I too have put weight on with Bisoprolol and I am on a low dose. I am constantly cold and inclined to eat more because of this medication. I have stretched the dose interval from 24 hrs to 30 hrs interval and some of the side effects were lessened. I am not advocating this as a treatment but I found the effects of one daily dose lasted more than 24 hrs. I am on thyroid replacement therapy and I believe Bisoprolol interferes with my thyroid hence feeling cold and putting on weight, thinning hair, and skin problems.
I totally agree! Im on ramipril and bisoprolol too amongst others and cannot shift any weight. I am 49 and been on theses since 2018 after my HA and all my weight is round my mid drift and chest and always feel bloated. I’ve told the doctor time and time again and he says it’s nothing to do with the meds but after reading these comments from “real” people who are also on these drugs I am going to insist the doctor looks into it for me. Lethargic is also how I feel. Sick of it.
How rude....you know nothing of my circumstances and it’s certainly not an excuse if you can’t be kind to people don’t answer questions on here......lots of people on here are vulnerable and your comment was very unkind!
in reply to Borntobewild
Well, as you have not filled in your profile we only have your opening post to go by, which does not reveal any special vulnerability, quite the contrary in fact. Many people on here have had blocked arteries followed by stents, including me, and have helped themselves by following the advice given to them regarding diet and exercise. I was merely asking you why the lock-down had stopped you exercising, when there is no obvious reason? I am sorry if you think I am rude, but you have alluded to the fact that your circumstances and maybe other's who have responded to the OP prevent you from losing weight but offered no reason why?
Losing weight is tough, I've put on about 7Kg in the last two and a bit years. I'm on 5mg of Bisoprolol among others. I find fatigue tough as well but I have found keeping as fit as I can really helps. After my heart attack, I went through the Cardo Rehab programme and at the end, I joined what was called a Phase IV fitness programme. You have to be referred by your GP or Cardo Rehab team to get on the programme and everyone there was the same as me. It consisted of an hour of aerobic fitness and I found it really helps with the side effects of my medication, I really notice the fatigue if I don't do any fitness work for a couple of weeks. I've also taken up running (a propper running may disagree with me 
) couch to 5k. I've tried 4 times now to complete the 0-5k, not because of my heart but in my lower legs. Physios and the like think it's calf strain but I'm not convinced. I never suffered from lower leg pain before my heart attack. But anyway, I know getting fit could be a challenge but I do encourage everyone to try. Just walk every day, pick a route, say a mile and just try to walk it a little quicker each time, then when you are comfortable with that increase the distance. I found it really does help me with the side effects of my meds and I'm sure it also helps with my mental health. Keep well, stay safe and good luck.
Hi
I've been on bisoprolol and other heart drugs for 18 months since my HA. Prior to my HA I was 15 and a half stone. I walk a minimum of 5km a day sometimes up to 14km. I try to have at least 2 to 3 vegetarian days per week . I now weigh 12st 3 lb. Not sure it's the drugs that cause weight gain. I try to eat lots of fruit and veg, and oily fish at least twice a week. Regularly eat porridge or overnight oats. No processed meat. If I eat meat I try to have chicken breast and limit my red meat intake to maybe once a fortnight. I also have 25 grams of dark chocolate as a treat each day . Works for me
Oh well if Doctor Google says so it absolutely must be true eh? And bye the way the Mayo clinic is American, I don't think the Americans are in much of a position to advise us on diet?
One thing that comes to mind with such restricted calorie intake is possible lack of magnesium and potassium.
The OP is talking about weight gain, with a central theme that BB's cause it. The reality is that excess calories cause it. Admittedly they do not help, because they have a general "slowing down" effect, which is not conducive to exercise, but they do not preclude it. Personally I find there use quite puzzling and from personal experience I think they are probably over prescribed, they are certainly not required in many cases especially those who are capable of and should be exercising more vigorously. In my experience and those of many I have talked to both with heart disease and also in the medical profession there seems to be a trend to prescribe blanket bundles of medication rather than treating people subjectively, which will mostly include BB's. There are probably many people who are taking them who do not need to be and are being hindered rather than helped, in my opinion, but they are not an excuse for weight gain.
Glastonburylady in reply to
Your input on this post is really becoming quite difficult. Please, you are NOT a medical professional and you seem hell bent on making people feel worse than they already do. Yes, beta blockers ARE the cause just as alcohol is the cause for getting drunk! If a tablet slows down the metabolic rate that burns calories then it’s the pill causing the body to gain weight because it’s being inhibited from burning it off.
My metabolic rate is now so low that I am, as I said, living on 700 calories of healthy balanced food a day and that’s just about holding me at a consistent weight... I’m
Walking upto 7 miles a day. We NEED food as fuel.... with beta blocker pills hampering the metabolic system and such a low calorie intake mustering up energy becomes metabolically challenging so YES it is the pills having a direct effect upon a persons metabolic system and NOT the fuel.
If you wanted to be picky it’s a combination of the pills AND the calories but the PILLS are the catalyst.
Without them this would NOT be happening.
It does seem like you want to troll people and knock them back.
Did you know that everybody is right for themselves and it’s important to respect others views rather than insult them and argue? Arguing is a negative trait and never helpful. Your view is yours and not necessarily correct in every case.
in reply to Glastonburylady
I am sorry if things are becoming difficult because someone has a contrary opinion to yours, but as has been pointed out to you by not only me, the cause of weight gain is eating more calories than are being consumed. Your calorie intake is ridiculously low and as I have said will not sustain you properly, I find it very difficult to believe that you are walking the distances you say you are, consuming the calories you say you are, and yet are still putting on or not losing weight, it is physically impossible! You need to eat a proper diet which will then allow your body to function properly and for you to increase your metabolic rate by the correct form of exercise. I am NOT trolling people, I am trying to point out why you are in this situation. I suggest you ask your GP to refer you to a nutritional expert as your current diet will only make your medical situation worse, you cannot thrive on 700 calories a day!
Glastonburylady in reply to
Once again your rudeness beggars belief. Yes I’m consuming around 700 calories a day to maintain my weight.
Yes I’m also walking several miles a day.
Alcohol makes people drunk because it alters the brain chemicals just as beta blockers can cause weight gain by altering the basal metabolic rate.
Why don’t you keep your ‘opinions’ to yourself as they are not helpful nor positive. I do not need to see a nutritionist. I am doing what I need to do to accommodate my metabolic rate.
Because of beta blockers if I consume ANY more calories I’ll gain weight AGAIN.
Now please stop thrusting your insulting opinions at people and look after your own business. You have already upset several people on here and it’s clear you get off on your self opinionated views and righteousness.
It’s narrow minded and tunnel visioned, black and white in fact.
Life is not like that and neither are humans.
Goodbye and I wish you wellness.
Good on you girl, it needed saying, Interesting that most of the supporting comments are being posted by females,(us women who apparently need "an excuse for overeating" what a load of phaff). I think I may be smelling a slight whiff of misogyny in them there hills . . or perhaps its just hayfever season.Meanwhile, back in the real world. . . Our struggle continues. We stand together. 🌻🌻🌻
From the OP: " I’ve joined ‘noom’ for psychological support as there’s none coming from the doctors who are dismissive regarding the fact that the medications to blame."
I rest my case.
I'm 58 yrs young and on Propranalol (another beta blocker I was prescribed a couple of years ago for migraine prevention) and have gained weight since taking it that I just cannot shift. In a nutshell, I don't eat dairy or meat and our diet is very healthy. I don't eat big portions as I fill up very quickly and I don't snack. I not only dog walk most days (in the country so over fields, up and down hills etc) but also do aerobic exercise for 40-60 mins most days so 'walk' 3-4 miles on average a day. So, I eat well, I exercise, my ingoing calories are much lower than the outgoing ones (I tried an online calories diary that had me at nearly half the calories I should be eating!) and yet my weight stays the same - in fact it's gone up since I started meds for my suspected angina, so I don't buy into the calories in need to equal calories out and that's all you need to do to lose weight. The frustration is beyond understanding.
It doesn't matter what other people think or say, when it happens to you it can have a serious effect on how you feel, there have been a few times when I've said sod it, pass the cake, luckily it happens rarely and only lasts a day or two but it can make you feel very down so I fully sympathise!
The other thing that annoys me is that every 'diet' is aimed at stopping you over eating, I have the opposite problem (I know all about the 'your body thinks it's in starvation mode' theory but I can't physically force myself to eat more!)
I don't know if my weight gain is due to the meds but it's a strange coincidence and knowing I need to keep my weight down for health reasons makes it so frustrating that I can't and yet there seems to be no help for people like us, especially when the go to response is - you eat too much and don't exercise enough and that's why you can't lose weight!
Well said and I agree entirely. The medication does something to the part of our metabolic rate that should be burning fat for fuel.... it’s as if the activity and exercise we do merely depletes us and the energy needed is taken from our muscle instead rather than fat store. I think it affects those of us that had a sluggish metabolic rate anyway possibly due to endocrinology issues. The people that disagree do not seem to realise that their theories of eat less nutrition and do more exercise is NOT feasible nor is it the answer.
I’m eating less, fully nutritious food, doing more and I’ve had to now eat so little that my body isn’t getting nearly enough for the huge amounts of exercise I’m doing and yet my metabolism is STILL sleepy and inactive to a larger degree. My joints and muscles on the other hand are in pain, hurting and deteriorating.
There is something with the interaction of these drugs with our bodies that do NOT interact well and the beta blockers are indeed causing this as it happens so quickly after going onto them progressively gathering momentum with weight gain and a distinct lack of energy.
The 700 calories a day that I’m consuming (approx) is as balanced as it could be with spinach, salad, non dairy coconut milk, seeds, fish, occasional fruit and grapes. I’m not a treat person and the portions are minimal. That small amount is having to sustain my frame and increased exercise levels simply to stop putting on more weight and to maintain this weight in the hope that the off half pound will disappear as well... that’s my only treat.
This would tell me that the beta blockers are subduing my metabolism in an unhealthy way which is unbalanced and unsustainable long term.
I wonder if it’s the lesser of two evils.... horrid health and woefully failing heart by not taking them or obesity, significantly low energy and a not so slow death or decline by excess fat and a distinct lack of calories required by our organs to be fully healthy.
This is a miserable senario and I think women are struggling more due to our hormonal imbalances that may occur in later life. This really does highlight those negative symptoms and exasperate them.
I do wish my ou well with your health and I wonder if there maybe a way to ‘trick’ our metabolic rates into becoming efficient whilst allowing them to be kind to the organs they are protecting? 🤔 let’s keep trying and supporting one another.
Sending you heaps of strength and encouragement X
We are all different and just because things affect some of us in a certain way doesn't mean it will affect all of us that way, one size does not fit all.
I have noticed in recent months my joints are more painful (I've been guessing it could be arthritis) and I've certainly noticed tired muscles which sometimes makes me feel like I'm wearing weights and some days I just feel drained of energy, though I put that down to having what I call a migraine in hiding - if I wasn't on meds then I'd probably have a full blown one not just some of the symptoms. I've also started experiencing very achy muscles in the evenings, it was quite painful the night before last.
Since my diagnosis last November of suspected angina I've not been able to speak to anyone about meds, treatment, side effects etc so have no idea if what I'm experiencing is 'normal' for the meds I'm on or if it's just me getting old and falling apart! The good thing is my x-ray and echo have come back as 'good' so I'm guessing it means my actual heart itself is ok so maybe once I have my angiogram and get to see someone I can have a chat about coming off the beta blockers, I'm planning on coming off the statins too.
I have joined an online exercise programme for beginners that is really good and one of the forms of exercise he does that he says is the best for weight loss is interval training, you do 30 secs of 5 different exercises - 5 times - with I think a 5 second interval where you do nothing and it's supposed to get your metabolism going. Intermittent fasting is also supposed to help 'trick' your metabolism to get going but I seemed to actually be doing this without realising as I eat around 7pm and then not again until 9am at the earliest. I do think the exercises have helped with overall fitness just not weight loss but I know it's not for everyone.
Thank you, I wish you well too and just knowing there are others who feel the same frustrations is a help! x
I lost a lot of weight with the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight plan. It has your own support Consultant and is much more personal than Noom. Let me know if you’d like further info. I’m now a Consultant with them and can point you in the right direction if someone locally
Well im in the majority. I have changed many medications and did keep saying it must be the bisoporol I have gained 3st since being on them. I eat very balanced diet. Excercise when I can. As a slimming world member this frustrated me as my weight has been the same since 1st Jan. The only bit have lost is with the reduced carbs version. I am so pleased to read this I thought I was going bonkers. Let's hope ita looked into and a bit more research is done.
I have recently bought a smoothie/juice maker from amazon for less than £20, there are some really good healthy recipes for its use, you can use frozen fruit as well as fresh. I have a smoothie for breakfast or lunch & also sometimes a juice & I use a smaller plate than usual for my dinner. I have started to lose weight slowly which is the best way. You can also buy the recipe books on amazon very cheaply, I have the fat burning & weight loss recipe books. I hope this helps, but you may also need to speak with someone at your GP surgery for tips.
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