Bisoprolol withdrawal

[richard_jw]

I have been feeling like a zombie for months now along with digestive problems which interfere with sleep. Meds were Bisoprolol 2.5mg clopidogrel 75mg atorvastatin 80mg, rivaroxaban 2.5mg lansoprazole.

Prescribed after a heart attack (STEMI) last August.

My cardiologist (actually 2 of them) looked at an angiogram done a month ago along with the results of a stress echo and recommended coming off the Bisoprolol gradually and changing the Lansoprazole to Famotidine.

I changed the atorvastatin and lansoprazole immediately, and initially halved the Bisoprolol. All seemed OK, then I started taking the BS one 1.25 every other day.

Well digestion now OK, but I just don't feel OK. Pulse now 85-90 resting, and rockets up if I do anything. pulse is irregular from time to time, and I have slight chest pains.

I have read that there are significant withdrawal symptoms with BS. If that's the case I can put up with them, but how do I find out whether it's withdrawal of something more sinister?

[firstlight40]

I was on 2.5mg, felt like a zombie, cut down to 1.25 afyer going towards bradycardia and felt much better physically. After i stopped bisprolol completely for a maximal stress test I didn't go back on it. Its taken about 4 weeks for my heart not to act like it's turbocharged in response to adrenalin / noradrenaline (exercise, day to day stresses). It has been taking longer to slow down after my cardiac rehab exercises but is getting back to a more normal response I think now.

[Hidden]

Hi, I've been on Bisoprolol since February of this year. I'm hoping to come off them as I've had my ablation 6 weeks ago, I've got a review with my EP at the end of August.

I'm praying that I can gradually reduce my dose it has been the worst 6 months of my life on these tablets and now my heart is healing I'm actually feeling worse! Tiredness, dizzy I feel that it's actually caused my anxiety and depression, I wake up at random times in the early morning.

I think with your doctors advice slowly ween yourself off them even if it takes months.

Everyone is different but I've heard more negatives than positives about this drug!

You will get through this and you will be fine

Take care x

[Bigheart58 in reply to Hidden]

I wonder if the reason you’ve heard more negatives than positives is because people generally only comment if they have a problem.

I have been on 10 mg of Bisoprolol for many months now without any problems. I do tend to get tired if I overdo things but I am certainly not like a zombie. I also get occasional diarrhoea.

Everyone reacts differently to each of these various drugs but I suspect that only people who experience bad side effects bother to comment.

[Hidden in reply to Bigheart58]

Yeah people react differently so true! I must have a body that is sensitive to all sorts of meds.

Your lucky you can tolerate it! X

[Bigheart58 in reply to Hidden]

You’re right. I am lucky I can tolerate all the meds I’m on. My cardiologist said as much. Not everyone can.

Take care.

[cloyfinpat123 in reply to Bigheart58]

My GP has put me off that dreadful drug because of all bad side effects after being on it 4 years when i was getting these symptoms.Now i am struggling with withdrawals symptoms there are awful but persevering to keep me off that drug.

[BernieMB]

I thought it was just me. I have been taking bisoprolol 2.5 mg for several years, can’t remember how many. It definitely slows you down and at times I think I am losing the plot but I have to take it. I had a PE last November and then an Aortic Valve Replacement in April hence I also take Clopidogrel 75mg, Atorvastatin 40 mg and Apixaban 2.5. Between joint pain from Atorvastatin and itching from Apixaban or from a combination of all the meds just have to deal with it until my body settles down on them. The consequences of not taking them are much worse. All meds have side effects but the ones I’m on are not too bad. I have gotten used to being slowed down by the Bisoprolol and I think I will always have to take it.

[Fynndog]

I have been in Bisoprilol since Sept 2020. Also candesartan lansoprazole prasugrel aspirin and I was taking rosuvastatin up until 4 weeks ago.I have had horrible digestive problems since day One. The acid reflux has improved but not the diarrhoea.

I put this down to bisoprilol having read so many bad reviews. I had been very foggy headed and thought it was 2.5mg Bisoprilol.

However recent blood test proved that I was severely allergic to statins. Muscle wastage unbelievable.

Since coming off statin foggy headed ness has gone.

It’s all trial and error and very difficult to find the culprit.

The week I came off bisoprilol ( another try to see what was causing my problems ) my heart was racing so much it scared me so I took the tablet again.

We are all so different it really is a question of trying it out.

[richard_jw in reply to Fynndog]

I came off the BS (I thought) gradually over 3 weeks. The last bit when I stopped completely caused the racing heart. Last night before I went to bed, pulse was 90-100. As you I found this scary so took a 1.25 pill.I still don't know if this is withdrawal or something else. Thinking about it this morning, I think it's withdrawal. I think I understand the mechanism, the receptors in the heart once the beta blocker no longer is there, take time to adjust to the new situation, and over react to the presence of more adrenaline etc.

Fine as long as the damaged heart can stand the extra stress.

I think the foggy head is more likely to be the BS slowing the heart and reducing BP. But slowing your pulse is what BS is for, so you need to have a cardiologist advise you.

[Hidden in reply to richard_jw]

How long did you have this high pulse? How did it go away?

[Sunnie2day]

You write that once you halved the Bisoprolol (presumably to 1.25 once daily - please correct me if I'm wrong) and made the other meds changes, your sense was 'it all seemed ok'.

Then you dropped the Bisoprolol down to 1.25mg every other day and now you '...just don't feel ok.' with increased resting heart rate that ratchets way up on exertion.

Have you talked with your medic about thoughts of going back on the once daily 1.25mg Bisoprolol?

I've been on Bisoprolol 1.25mg+300mg aspirin since April 2019, in part to help with angina (it's working ) and in part to 'calm' my 'exceptionally strong heart beat' - my resting and active heart rates are now 'average' at 60-65bpm.

Are there some side effects, yes - bit of 'Bisoprolol Brain' (aka brain fog), slow to wake in the morning and quick to fall asleep in the evening plus a few other minor inconveniences - but for me the benefits far outweigh the few side effects.

I didn't have any blood pressure issues before or after the meds, my BP is still well within the normal range for my age and gender (64, female). Also, my coronaries are 'crystal clear' according to an angio and right-heart study in late 2019 so I'm not on any statin or other medication - I'm only on the beta blocker and for me it's made all the difference. I love Bisoprolol - it's given me back my life. I do still have the occasional stab of angina but only if I exert myself without a warm-up or am in the midst of a recurrent pericarditis flare.

Every one of us is different and the combination of meds you're on is quite different from mine. The best and only person(s) to advise really is the prescribing medic.

[richard_jw in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thanks for the reply, Sunnie2day.part of the reason to come off BS was that after any form of exercise, I started to feel fatigue quite badly, and possibly symptoms of angina. The fatigue sometimes lasted over a day.

I had an MI a year ago, and before then I was unaware of any heart related issue, so I don't really know what angina should feel like. When you get to 76 you expect to have aches and pains. Neither cardiologist thinks there is any reason for angina unless it's microvascular.

2 cardiologists looked at a recent (june 2021) angiogram and pronounced the coronary arteries clear, and both said there was minor heart damage as a result of the MI, so recommended coming off the BS in July.

Before I was on 2.5mg once a day and my BP was 60-65.

Currently it's 75-80 at rest. I'm hoping that suitable exercise will lower it somewhat. While on the BS I was scared to do much in the way of exercise because of the after effects (which were always after not during).

The decision really is whether to start 1.25 mg to protect my heart somewhat since exercise drives up the rate to 144, but takes a long time to come back down to 85-90.

I guess I need to talk to the cardiologist again. What do you think?

[Sunnie2day in reply to richard_jw]

I think it is indeed time for another talk with the cardiologist. Angina 'presents' so differently from person to person that only an expert can safely advise.

Have you had a look through the BHF publications on angina:

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

My angina has been tentatively diagnosed as microvascular angina (MVA) - my cardiologist has it listed as 'presumed' as the queue for the definitive diagnostic (angiogram with acetylcholine provocation) up here in NE Scotland is years long (currently at 24 months). I'm responding so well to the standard treatment (once daily Bisoprolol 1.25mg+300mg aspirin and lifestyle adjustments as noted above) he's happy to call it presumed MVA. I'm at the back of the queue owing to my good response to the regime - every time someone more unwell is put on the list I'm bumped down and I'm fine with that down-bump.

Now, if I could just shake this recent acute flare of my recurrent pericarditis...

[richard_jw in reply to Sunnie2day]

Thanks for the replyMy cardiologist said I might get mv angina and recommended ranolazine. I got the impression it was a bit of a throwaway diagnosis because he could not think of anything else.

Tried ranolazine and found it had awful side effects so gp said stop

My feeling is to start bs again at 1.25mg

[It-Lives]

Hello, exactly the same for me with withdrawal. Waste of time talking to anybody. I will start to take a 1.25 every 36 hours for a month, then every 48 hours for a month. I will let you know if I die 😁

[richard_jw]

I did come off BS. I tapered it from 2.5mg to 1.25mg and then nothing. I tried breaking the 1.25 pill but it did not work.

I went for several months without any BB, but found that my RHR was around 85, so cardiologist recommended starting a dose of 1.25mg. Now my RHR is around 70. I'm 77 years old