Hie everyone, sorry to bother you. Please, has anyone experienced an alternative to Bisoprolol? I have identified this a causing me some severe side effects. Thanks ever so much, I will be speaking with my Cardio, and GP but wanted to get your views. Thanks as ever, Judi
Bisoprolol: Hie everyone, sorry to... - British Heart Fou...
Bisoprolol
Hi Heyjude, thank you for your post, may I ask what the side effects you are having are, of course you don't need to answer that if it's personal
Scott
Hi ScottL, thank you for replying so quickly and also please always ask, it is so helpful to have support. It is nausea and vomiting I have been on it for a while trying to persevere but it’s pretty intolerable now. Thank you ever so much, Judi
How do you know it's the Bisoprolol that's the cause? (I take a whole cocktail of drugs, 8 in the morning and 2 at night, some with similar contraindications. It could take quite a while to assess each drug and any interactions.
Hello, Thank you for replying. I have been on a number of medications and have had two of them changed already, I have narrowed this one down by trial and error, so it would seem that is the problem. If not i am not sure of next steps, so i am hoping i have found the right one, It is difficult to know what to do next really apart from speak with my GP.
Hey Jude,
I think it will be to speak to your Dr. They're the only people who can change the drugs anyway. I found this drugs.com/compare/bisoprolol
As it happens I am on both Bisoprolol and Amlodipine. I was given Amlodipine to try to control my BP after it started to climb and the 2 drugs for BP that I was already taking were no longer being effective.
I am generally ok with Bisprolol and Amlodipine though I have a slow heart rate, 50-55.
Generally ok with the cocktail too. I do wonder if the stomach ulcer that was recently diagnosed is connected with taking the cocktail for 15 years. It seems to have responded well to eradication therapy - high doses of two antibiotics for a week.
Good luck. I hope you/they can get to the bottom of this. My stomach issues (there's more than an ulcer) have taken 6 months to diagnose.
Thank you so much for replying. I am changing some of my meds and also being referred to a Gastric Doctor. I never had this problem before all the meds I was diagnosed so I hope to get it sorted. I do hope you stay well and take care, Judi
I am on Bisoprolol and ramipril and they have just upped the amount on both and now I have a low heart rate.
Hello Judi
I am sorry you are still suffering
I know only to well what this is like nearly 3 weeks and my stomach is no better and I am starting to freak out
I think or thought I had pinpointed the tablet that might be doing this but 5th day today and things were worse so starting to wonder now
I did wonder how many meds you are taking ?
I am on quite a cocktail of them and have thought if it was the meds how on earth will we work out which one and all of them I have to be on
But to your question , if that med is not suiting you they will have an alternative one which is good news I hope for you
That appointment wants to hurry up and I am sure then they will sort this out for you x
Hi BeKind28, gosh i am so sorry you are still experiencing problems with meds, have you spoken with your doctor, if it is the 5th day, i am not sure how long we are supposed to keep trying when it causes such distress. I am definitely going to speak again with my doctor on Monday to ask for some changes from KingsArms it sounds as though Bisoprolol can be a real problem, I must admit to being a bit fed up with all the problems with meds, but then i must be grateful as we have said before that we were still here! I hope you are feeling better soon, take good care, x
Hello
Yes I have spoken with my Doctor and as always well my Doctor wants samples etc first they never seem to think it could be the meds
Someone has just given me a link to one of my meds and it reads exactly what I am suffering so next week I will be speaking with her again and I have left a message for my Consultant and hopefully she will be in contact because I have been like this nearly 3 weeks and my anxiety is to it's limits now
Good luck getting somewhere next week I do hope you get it sorted and please let me know how you get on x
Hi BeKind28, you asked earlier what meds i was on, a but if a cocktail but probably not compared to others.Pantoprozole 40mg
Clopidogrel 75mg
Aspirin
Bisoprolol 1.25 or 2.5mg
Rosuvastatin 40mg
At the moment i am doing another trial and error in terms of understanding what is or is not working, I am still taking aspirin and clopidogrel and some bisoprolol mainly because of my BP and heart rate, trying to ensure it is stable, and not climbing. I am hoping to change the Pantoprozole and Statin, to see if that helps so i am not taking them at the moment as they are causing me nausea. . Judi x
So you are on a few then
What makes you feel it is the Bisoprolol that could be the culprit ?
I take that many but I have narrowed it down to 2
I do ask though if I can come of them because of my heart
The one I did come of has not done anything in fact was worse today with my stomach so next week I am going to ask about the other one that might be to blame
It is not nice though when you get side effects
I hope we can both get this sorted out x
Hi BeKind28 do you mind my asking which two you have narrowed it to? Judi x
Yes the first one I thought it could be is called Furosemide but so far it is not looking like it is so the second one the side effects seem to match me and what is happening is called Ticagrelor
I shall ask the Doctor or Consultant and see what they say x
He BeKind28 I was on Ticagrelor and two doctors suggested it was that that could be causing the problem. I was put on Clopidogrel instead which has been better. I do hope you feel better soon. I have spoken to the doctor about taking the lower dose of bisoprolol because my BP was going to low. I think it will be a case of alternating days the lower dose followed by the 2.5 so I can hopefully reach a balance. Take care, Judi x
I have been on it for 15 months as I had 3 heart attacks so they start the 12 months from your last one I seemed to manage the year but then these last 3 months I have started with problems , not sure if it is my body saying I have now had enough
It could be something else which worried me it can be such a hard thing when on so many meds to sort out
I am due to come of them in Feb so they might say with the symptoms I am getting as it is only a few weeks away I can stop now , I am going to try and speak with my Consultant next week
Hopefully we will get a balance with these meds that suites us x
Let’s hope they say you can come off it if it is causing you so much distress. It really is difficult isn’t it! I hope you are able to get some sleep x
I am not sleeping well at all but I hope I do get some tonight I feel worn out
I hope you get a good nights sleep x
Hi BeKind28, I have had some adverse reactions to Bisoprolol including nausea, however I have taken the smallest dose today to see how that goes. My nausea is manageable at the moment. Judi x
That is good news you feel a little better today taking the smaller dose but do be careful as they put us on these meds for a reason and I just worry without asking them first I would not want to think it would cause you any problems I wished I could say my stomach is feeling better but just as bad if not worse but fingers crossed it will get sorted x
HiYour findings are sinilar I found with Bisoprol.
I was put on this drug when first diagnosed with Atril Fibulation, within a few days I became so ill my cardiologist gave me another drug.
A few eeks later in the ealry hours I was admitted to A & E. I was given a pacemaker.
The hospital cardiologist (he saw i my notes I was alergice to Bisoprol) put me on a very low dose of Bisoprol. which he was sure I could tolerate. Within two nights I was so ill in the early hours I went back into A ^ E. My body could not tolerate ven the lowest dose. By then I was so ill and weak I could not walk any distance and had to use a wheelchair.
I was then given a replacement drug by my own cardiologist 'Entresto' twice a day ogether with Amiodarone 200mg. Since when I have been in good health.
I hope my unfortunate episode helps you.
Hi KingsArms, thank you so much for your reply, it is really helpful to me, i am so sorry you had to go through such an ordeal. Thankfully it sounds as though you are in good health now, thanks goodness. I will definitely speak with my GP on Monday, and if i do not get any answers i will have it call my Cardiologist. Thank you again for taking the time to reply, i really appreciate it. Take good care,
Judi
Take good care, and stay well,
Sadly I had the same, but only after living as a zombie for a year with no energy, giving up the bulk of my work in the process because I was convinced I was on the way out. Thought I'd experiment by stopping one drug at a time and stopping bisoprolol was a revelation! Suddenly I felt energised again. I've started a new business, I now sell and install blinds which would have been impossible a few months ago
I had severe reactions to bisoprolol too, I was put on them for SVT and AFib and I had low blood pressure but I had a pacemaker. I was taken off them after struggling for months. I am now on diltiazem they are not perfect but much better I can at least walk, bend down and i have more energy and my breathlessness is not as severe x Hope you get sorted out x
Thank you for your reply. I am so glad you are better now, it sounds awful what you went through, i feel the same, so fingers crossed i will get sorted.
Many thanks, Judi,
I was diagnosed with A Fib in mid December after being sent to A & E by my GP. Since then I have not seen a Dr only spoken on the phone . I am now on 1.25 bisoprolol, feel light headed , nauseous and anxious with no energy. No idea when I will get to see a cardiologist, does the NHS exist?
Hi - my husband had similar problems with nausea and sickness which made him feel wretched. His was mainly caused by the aspirin. He was put on an aspirin alternative and omeprazole to heal the damage done. This helped a lot.
HiI couldn’t tolerate bisoprol and was changed to carvedilol which has less side effects for me.
I was on 10mg of bisoprol for many years feeling like a zombie. After discussing with my cardiologist one appointment he changed me to Nadolol, never had a problem since. Hope you get sorted soon.
Hi,I couldn’t tolerate bisoprolol and was changed to Nebivolol which has been much better for me.
Another one here changed from Bisoprolol to Nebivolol , I didn't get nausea just felt like a wet dishrag 😟
Good morning, I take Bisoprolol and have done so since HA 3 years ago and haven’t had that side effect. I also take Omeprozole to protect the gut, i gathered it may be against the Aspirin but maybe it has helped avoid this side effect. Are you also taking Omeprozol?
Hi there. I tried Bisoprolol and couldnt tolerate it. Made me feel exhausted and out of breath. Was changed to Diltiazem and am tolerating that well.
Hi Judi,
I had some difficulties with Bisoprolol and my cardiologist changed my medication to Perindopril Arginine-2.5mgs and I have had no concerns since. I was experiencing mild nausea and dizziness and both were resolved with the medication change. I also take pantaprozole 40mgs, rosuvastatin and aspirin, but was able to cease clopidogrel some months ago. Perhaps Perindopril may be an option for you?
Cheers
Rob
Hello there. I was initially diagnosed with SVT and put on a course of Bisoprolol [1.25mg] x twice daily. However I did experience shortness of breath/fatigue and generally unwell most of the time. It also didn't stop me from having episodes. It was later discovered after heart scan/app with Cardiologist that I had Atrial Fibrilation and was then put onto Sotalol where I'm happy to say so far it's controlling the AF. Still breathless and tired but maybe it's the trade off for my AF being more under control. Hope you get some more answers soon. Take care.
Hello,
Try drinking lots of water to help your body flush these meds along.
I started all these meds and was overwhelmed by what it was doing to my body. I simply swapped my hot drinks for water and drank more of it too. Worked a treat.
Best and regards
Hi,
I was on Bisoprolol for 2 years, and during this time I still suffered from bouts of feeling really tired in the afternoons. In Nov ‘21, following hospitalisation, I was switched to Sotalol, which I understand to be an older drug. In this past 2 months, the tiredness I used to get has gone. I take 120mg twice a day.
Wow,,that's a fairly heavy dose to be fair,,, I was on 80mg twice a day,but am now on bisoporol 2.5mg and Amiodarone 200mg,, the soltolol made me very fatigued, but the side effects of the bisoporol OR Amiodarone are really unpleasant!!,, I'm only on the new medication for 6 weeks so far, so I'm hoping the side effects ease 🤞,,take care
Hi it’s only recently I was prescribed Bisoprolol and I could not tolerate it, at that point it was the only new medication I was on so I know for sure that was the cause of side effects. I spoke with the Cardiologist and he prescribed Metoprolol he said the downside was I would need to take half a tablet 3 times a day instead of just one a day but that wasn’t a problem for me. Hope you manage to get something that suits.
Hi Judi. What dosage of Bisoprilil do you take?
I’ve not noticed any side affects other than maybe it slowing activity rate slightly.
I take 5mg day. I’m also on Furosemide, Doxasosin and Lorsartan daily.
Not nice at all you having those side effects. I’m sure your GP could try an alternative. Best wishes
Thank you, I take 2.5 and it’s making me very sick
I would say 2.5mg is a very low dose (max can be 20mg) to be causing any problems but best run it past your GP as there are alternatives. Good luck.
Hi there, I take bisoprolol 1.25mg along with 75 mg aspirin first thing in the morning with a cuppa or two. Haven’t had any issues. I take my blood pressure meds doxazosin and Irbesartan at night along with my statin with a cup of water just before bed.Just feels a strange idea shovelling them all in at the same time.
Hope you get it sorted out soon.
John
This thread has confirmed for me that bisoprolol should never be prescribed for anybody! So many people seem to suffer side - effects with it yet it is so often prescribed as a first line of defence. It must be very cheap! I suffered from dizziness during a one-month trial with it, so it was changed to Amlodipine. Now that has been changed to diltiazem, although I don't know yet if it is having the desired results.
I believe that patients should clearly tell their GP's / pharmacists / cardiologists that they cannot tolerate their medication and expect it to be changed. There seems to be plenty of alternatives to bisoprolol.
I’ve been on carvedilol since stenting in 2017. No side effects whatsoever and dose has been increased twice. They put everyone on bisoprolol. I did some research and saw that carvedilol was a newer generation beta blocker and was less likely to lower metabolism and therefore increase risk of weight gain. So I asked for it to be changed. A thought?
I swopped to Nebivolol, found this better!
I too suffered with side effects from bisoprolol. I have now decided to stop taking these but too me several weeks of splitting my 2.5mg dose. However I now notice that me blood pressure has risen even though I am continuing to take my 5mg ramipril dose? I have my annual review of meds in a few weeks so will mention this to the pharmacist (I am told by my doctors surgery that its a review by a pharmacist not a doctor?).
My surgery now has a pharmacist although they don't actually supply any medication. She is very good to talk to and much more available than a GP. She deals with medication for heart conditions among other things.
Thank you for replying. It’s so difficult trying to navigate all these meds, I hope you get sorted soon. I am speaking with my doctor tomorrow.
I had my review with a more enlightened doctor last week and we agreed that I should continue with diet and exercise and in 3 to 6 months see if my cholestrol had reduced - so no more statins for me.
As regards bisoprolol my doctor did recommend cutting my dose to half but after further discussion regarding side effects we agreed i would discontinue. Note that I was prescribed this drug after my heart attack to slow my heart and hence protect it (I dont have PVCs). However its a balance between side effects and the potential benefits of the drug.
I am now on ramipril and aspirin.
Please let us know how your discussions go with your doctor went. I have to say a lot of doctors have retired at my practice and I did really benefit from a discussion with a new GP!
Check out Dr Ken Berry, his video Polypharmacy. Some good ideas to have a word with your Doc about. O had the same problem with this drug last year. 👍
I couldn't tolerate bisoprolol. I changed to nebivolol and had no side effects at all. Still a beta blocker but works in a slightly different way.
Hi Heyjude
I started to take Bisoprolol back in August and it has taken till December not to feel nausea particularly first thing in a morning if I was not over child bearing age I would think I was pregnant!! but saying that I spoke to cardiologist nurse last appointment and she said that it could be with me having AF my heart rate has come down because I started to take digoxin and I do feel better not completely but not as bad as before, so as others have said speak to Doctor/Cardiologist although mine did not want me to stop taking it. Hope you are feeling better soon. I found because I took one in a morning and one at night the one at night I took after my evening meal and it did help.
Hi ! I struggled with Bisoprolol. I put on 20kg and had kidney stones. My csrdiologist changed me to IVABRADINE 2.5mg and they have been no trouble at all. Ask if you can try these! All the best.xx
There is a group called Bisoprolol Buddies who will warn you of other peoples experience on this medication. Interesting reading! Best avoided. Xx
Yes I am on bisoprolol and feel faint or lightheaded from the drug. Before I was on metoprolol and broke out in a horrible rash. But doctors try to give you the impression there are no side effects. They should just tell you like it is.
Hi, I take 2.5 mg of bisoprolol daily, thankfully without any side effects. While it seems to be widely prescribed it cannot be the only beta blocker out there, talking with your GP or Pharmacist will offer you some alternatives.Good luck.
Hello there....I was prescribed Bisoprolol and really couldn't tolerate it. Have now bee prescribed Nebivolol and I've had no problem at all....Good luck and take care 😊
Hi, my Husband just couldn't tolerate it either so Doc doubled up his Digoxin to 250, he is much better other than just sleeping all the time!!! By the way, is it ok to take vit B12 with all these heart meds? Thanks
I am post 2 years my bypass. Was on bisoprolol straight after - stopped within weeks as my side effect was anxiety - therefore no sleep which is natures healer. No problems thereafter. Just my own experience.
I experienced side effects with Bisoprolol although mine was increased dizziness not nausea and my GP switched me like some others have been to Nebivolol and that’s been a lot better.
Hi Judi i was suffering really badly with the symptoms you describe, my Cardio nurse told me that although Bisoprolol are the cheapest beta-blockers available, she said that in her experience they come with a bucket full of side effects. She swiftly prescribed Nebivol for me and i have been feeling great. From the information I have gathered since my HA it would appear that when we are discharged from the hospital we are given a standard package of CHEAP medications,if they work for some then great , but reading the posts on here it is very evident that we are all different and our bodies react in different ways.My statins were also changed to a different type that is 3 times more expensive than Atorvastatin and i have been fine on the new statins .I hope you find a solution quickly to your problem take care
Hello, thank you so much for your reply, it means a lot and i really appreciate it. My sickness and vomiting have been going in for 10 weeks now, so i have lost a lot of weight, so not great. Please would you mind letting me know which statin you are now on, only that i have had problems with some other meds, and it is helpful to understand other peoples experiences. Thanks again, i do appreciate it, Take care Judi, ps do you mind me asking if you are in the UK only that i want to make sure it is available in the UK. Judi
Hi Judi I was on the cheap Atorvastatin they really knocked me about, I am now in Rosuvastatin , WoW what a difference , again they are much more expensive and but they produce no side effects for me , yes I am in the UK 🇬🇧 and everything is on the NHS , I really really hope you get over this sickness and nausea episode very soon , take care , and best wishes, Chris
Hi. I think this thread has highlighted how often medication can affect us.
I too cannot tolerate any beta blocker or channel activator. After a year (a month at a time of different meds) I was put on Nicorandil and for me it has made a huge difference.
My side effects were more disorientation and very very severe mood swings. The dizzy tired etc feeling I could cope with.
Keep trying different meds. They will get the right combination eventually but it is a slow process.
Keep speaking to doctors and cardiologists until they listen.
I told them if the drug made me lose the will to live then It wasn’t worth taking (I’m not normally depressive). Medication should make u better not just swap one enormous set of problems with another due to side effects.
I wish u well. Xxx
My experience with bisoprolol is one of ever increasing doses. It’s interesting to note on each of the discharge papers I’ve kept in my files, that the dosage increases. I’ve just gone back & looked; 06/19 2.5mg, 09/19 5mg, then doubled to 10mg, 12/21 12.5mg.I’m not trying to prove that the NHS don’t know how to stop me popping but their immediate reaction is to up the dose of the beta blocker.
Ultimately such a drug can affect the kidney performance so care is needed. I’m on furosemide nowadays.
Good luck.
Thanks so much I did not know about the kidney point, and as i am type 1 diabetic it is very important to know. Thank you !!!! Judi
Heyjude
I have found that anything to do with my medications is better discussed first with my pharmacist. They know the medications inside out and the side effects and will probably pin point what med is reacting with your body this way.
If still needed you can then go see your doctor with more knowledge of the medications and side effects.
Good luck xx
I couldn’t tolerate Bisoprolol at all. I was changed initially to Cardivolol then to Nebivolol which has been totally fine
Metropolol mAy be a viable alternative medication .
Hi I had stents put in last September I was out on clopidogrel and aspirin and bisoprolol I felt terrible and I found I had a intolerance to aspirin and the clopidogrel my consultant changed my meds to presagrul I feel totally fine now and one less tablet to take only issue was I bruise a bit more but I will take that all day then the awful sickness and nausea hope you get sorted it made me feel so low
I’ve been on 5 mg Bisoprolol for 2 years. - no stomach probs but I’ve halved the pill and the pioglitazone recently to see what happens. Just tired. I’m concerned about their reaction with my diabetes drugs and insulin. Good luck
Hi, i cannot tolerate tablets. Bisoprolol caused severe stomach ache and nausea for me.
Hi Heyjude,sorry to hear of your symptoms and obvious frustration, hope you get it sorted quickly, I am having similar symptoms and actually put it down to the Amiodarone ( I'm now on 200mg, but started in December on 600mg!!!), but at the same time as being prescribed Amiodarone, I was taken off Soltolol and put on bisoporol,,,so for some reason I simply put it down to the Amiodarone, not thinking for a minute it could be the bisoporol??
My gp did tell me to stop taking my statin as this is known to react with the Amiodarone. 6 weeks now into my new medication and so far I still have the side effects , having said that I only stopped my statins 4 days ago,,so we'll see how it goes,,fingers crossed,🤞
On the AFA (Atrial Fibrillation) forum there is much debate about Bisoprolol, but mainly because of the awful fatigue it can cause. Over there many people swear by Nebivolol. I see a few people have mentioned it here. Good luck❤
PS. I had similar problems to you. It was a long story, but it was the Aspirin causing the problem. It had inflamed my stomach so much it had nearly given me an ulcer.
Needless to say at first I had blamed the other meds, and fiddled around with doses to no avail. But once the Aspirin was stopped I could take the other stuff with no stomach pain or nausea!
I was given an endoscopy to diagnose this then a short course of Omeprazole to repair the damage from the Aspirin.
Hi Heyjude31! I had side effects to bisoprolol as well and I am now on eplerenone since 10/25/21, with Entresto and Tresiba. You didn't mention if you were on any other medications and why you were on bisoprolol. It's took me 6 years to find the right med for my Heart situation. Have a Blessed Day!
Gosh what an ordeal for you! Thank you for replying. Stay well, Judi
All I know is that the side effects on Bisoprolol for me were heavy legs , and a multiple of other things . They kept putting up my tablets until i was on 12.5mg. I didn’t feel any better. I asked to change to Nebivolol. Whilst not 100% I feel much better. I can walk!!
Yes, I have a number of bad side effects to Bisoprolol which I have recently had to go on again after AF and A Flutter returned with fast heart rate and wont go away. Side effects include - sporadic diarrhoea (not every day) horribly unpredictable - badly disrupted sleep, weight gain and very difficult to lose weight even on 1 meal per day, aches and pains, feeling exhausted all of the time, brain fog, cold extremities with cold cracked hands and low mood. Unfortunately nothing else seems to work for me particularly re keeping my heart rate down - digoxin was tried but gave me very bad diarrhoea. Tried Diltiazem but it crashed my blood pressure and didn't work well enough with my heart rate. Hoping my upcoming cardioversion works and puts me back into sinus rythm to give my heart a rest from my racing pulse and hopefully allows for my bisoprolol dose to be dropped a lot lower (still got symptoms on 1.25mg in the past - now on7.5mg its hammering me). Hope you get sorted out and please let us know if you find a med that works well with less side effects.
Hi Heyjude,I was put on Bisoprolol, amongst other meds after my HA two years ago. It made me breathless and made my asthma worse, so after consulting cardiology, my GP took me off it. They never replaced it with another beta blocker.
I was diagnosed with Atrial fibrillation and heart failure in March 2021, taken Bisoprolol 5mg in morning since, does slow my pulse; my skin has been sensitive, but I haven't noticed other symptoms, Do you get stomach upsets with this tablet? I am not sure if these are side effects.
Hi Judi, Sorry to hear that, ... what problems are you suffering with Bisoprolol ?
I was also put on Isosorbide nitrate along with metoprolol and Clopidogrel. I had awful side effects so after an angiogram came off the metoprolol and Isosorbide but had to stay on Clopidogrel. The side effects wore off after a few weeks. I was put on propanalol and I’m fine on that. I have been on Irbesartan and Amlodipine for many years with no problems.
I had terrible pain in each temple my GP sent me to see the Optician to have a check up to make sure it wasn’t connected to my eyes but it wasn’t. I became very anxious,agitated and depressed which is not like me at all. Within about a month of stopping the metoprolol and Isosorbide I was back to normal…… I hope you are doing ok.