Beta blockers

[Platypus6]

Hi All , I have just been changed from Atenolol to Bisoprolol, my head feels worse on these meds! Has anyone else experienced side effects from Bisoprolol? Do the effects go away. Thanks

[Hidden]

Hi,I'm on bisoprolol and find it OK for me. I think.matbe it depends when you take it or what other meds tour on? When I was in hospital.i was given it with my perindopril and it made me very dizzy so now I take them one am and one pm. Good luck.

[Platypus6 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for replying Doora, I take Bisoprolol on its own in the morning.

[Cruise1 in reply to Platypus6]

I was put on Bisoprolol after my stents along with my regular Perindopril I developed a constant runny nose and white fingers. I only took it for 4 weeks and after speaking to my consultant he removed it and said I didn’t need anything to replace it.

[Platypus6 in reply to Cruise1]

Thanks for replying Cruise1 unfortunately I haven’t had stents, I have a blocked right artery, and have to stay on beta blockers for life. 😢

[Sunnie2day]

Are you on a statin and/or other heart meds?

I've been on Bisoprolol 1.25mg+300mg aspirin since April 2019 (the only medications I'm on). I'm on it to 'calm an exceptionally strong heartbeat' and for angina (normal coronaries, they think I have microvascular angina). I take it once a day in the morning.

Everyone is different, you may find, after the first month on it, your dosage or time to take it wants adjusting. You do need to give it a go for a reasonable period before asking the prescribing medic to consider adjusting the dose and timing of taking it, at least a fortnight to see if the effects 'settle'.

It takes at least a couple of weeks for Bisoprolol to 'settle' - when I first started taking it the only reason I kept on was the way the great results outweighed the initial side effects (headache, so tired I was useless after 9pm, runny nose...). After a fortnight or so, the headaches stopped, the tiredness eased back (I still find waking in the morning slow but again, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks) and the runny nose effect lessened.

I did find I seemed to put on a few extra pounds and those have been hard to shift. But otherwise, for me, Bisoprolol has been life-changing even when in the middle of an acute flare of my recurrent pericarditis. I do still have occasional angina but only if I try to move too fast without a warm-up or prophylactic spritz of the GTN. Calming that heartbeat has been well worth the initial side effects and now after two+years, I don't really notice any side effects at all.

[Platypus6 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thanks for replying Sunnie2day I take clopidogrel and antacids, the Bisoprolol is 2.5 mg once a day, I have stopped the statin for the time being it gives me stomachache. I will carry on for a couple of weeks with the Bisoprolol and hopefully the headaches will subside.

[Platypus6 in reply to Sunnie2day]

My heart rate is a bit higher on these meds in the 70s/ 80s

[Sunnie2day in reply to Platypus6]

My heart rate once I started the Bisoprolol went from around 90 to a nice near-constant 65. My BP dropped as well but not too far (some report rather alarming drops) and it was already well within the normal range.

Which of the medications seem to be causing the higher heart rate for you?

[Platypus6 in reply to Sunnie2day]

It’s only gone up since coming off the atenolol and taking the Bisoprolol

[Sunnie2day in reply to Platypus6]

In that case you need to contact the prescribing medic as soon as possible to report the increased heart rate. He/she may not find it a concern but it should be reported.

Please update after you speak to the medic, I'm very interested to hear her/his opinion on the increased rate.

[Platypus6 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Will do thanks for your concern, unfortunately it will be an econsult then a wait for a call text or email.

[Platypus6 in reply to Sunnie2day]

Hi Sunnie2day just to update you GP called me today re meds , and has increased the dose to 5mg a day to reduce heart rate.

[Sunnie2day in reply to Platypus6]

Looking forward to hearing if the dosage adjustment helps with the heart rate! I've just 'follow'ed you so if you start a new discussion I'll get an email notification.

[Barnessy61]

Ok am on the same but not had side effects so far, but consultant has just doubled these, so will have to see what happens.

[Platypus6 in reply to Barnessy61]

Hi Barnessy61 thanks for replying how long have you been on these meds?

[Barnessy61 in reply to Platypus6]

Not long, only since April, had angiogram & 2 stents put in, now have to have ablation surgery because I'm still getting palpitations & angina pain.

[Platypus6 in reply to Barnessy61]

Oh dear I hope you are sorted soon.

[Hidden]

I've been on Bisoprolol 5mg for nearly 3 years and the only side effect I've had is slight weight gain, which I can't shift no matter what I do. My sister was put on it last year, and she felt sick and dizzy after a couple of days. The doctor asked her to persevere for 2 weeks, but she had to stop taking them and switch to another similar drug (can't remember the name) which was better. Different drugs affect some people and not others. Have a word with your pharmacist or GP. They may be able to suggest something else.

[Platypus6 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for replying 😁

[Les209]

Hi. I am presently going off Atenolol 50 mg and going on a different blood pressure. I have found out that going off Atenolol can have some side effects as well. I decided to reduce mine gradually. Maybe some of your problems are your bodies reaction to the lose of Atenolol

[Platypus6 in reply to Les209]

Hi Les209 I have been on Atenolol for two years! So you are probably right, I was told by cardiologist to stop the 50mg a day atenolol and start on the Bisoprolol 2.5 mg the next day, day 5 now, hopefully things will improve. Thanks for replying.

[Les209]

Yes. I was on Atenolol for over 15 years. My GP just told me to discontinue it and he added only 2mg Perindopril to the 2mg of that med I was already taking. I had negative experiences when I had to go other meds so I was concerned with just quitting it cold turkey, So I did some research on sights like the Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School. Everywhere I looked they warned to not go off Atenolol cold turkey because it could cause a number of serious consequences including increased blood pressure and even a heart attack. They instructed people to do a gradual decline. I was fortunate that I had over a 2 month supply left of atenolol left so I did not drop it right away but started a slow decline while checking my blood pressure twice a day. My doctor is very hard to get an appointment with so I am still (after 1 month of slow decline ) managing it myself. My doctor had said to come back after 3 months f not taking any Atenolol. I am at 10 mg of Atenolol . My blood pressure is still higher than I would like it to be. But I believe it could have been much worse if I quit cold turkey. Hope things improve for you.

[Lakesaver]

Bisoprolol will cause weight gain as it affects the metabolism. . My BP is already low but my Pulse is too high, over 120 when walking, but with Bisoprolol the rate drops. Nightmares were a significant side effect when I first started the smallest dose possible. Now I stretch the interval from 24 hrs to 30 or 32 hrs as I find the effect of the drug lasts longer than 24 hrs and taken daily the cumulative effect was causing the nightmares.

See your Cardio Consultant. I paid privately for a follow up because my GP would not refer me back and instead kept changing the type of beta blockers and I landed up in A and E with one sort from the side effects . The Consultant prescribed Bisoprolol as a "pill in the pocket" as my AF was infrequent and controlled within a few minutes when taking it.

However, later a series of AF attacks in a short period resulted in GP returning to original daily prescription. I have not returned for a referral as Covid was more of a concern and tolerate some of the other side effects like runny nose and white fingers.

[Platypus6 in reply to Lakesaver]

Thanks for replying Lakesaver it sounds dreadful, I have done an econsult with GP will wait and see what they come back with.

[LynneV]

I haven’t found any side effects. I take mine after breakfast each day.

[Platypus6 in reply to LynneV]

Hi LynneV thanks for replying good to hear you don’t suffer from side effects.😀