Given Bisoprolol as a precaution due... - British Heart Fou...

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Given Bisoprolol as a precaution due to chest pain

14566787 profile image
20 Replies

Hi I'm new to the group but wanted to know if anyone has had a similar experience to me. over the past 2/ 3 months I have been getting chest pain one night I felt very unwell so went to A&E where I had an ECG and blood tests and a chest x-ray. All came back clear so got referred to chest pain clinic where I am waiting for a CT aniogram and consultant has prescribed e Bisoprolol and a nitrate as a precaution as.i. Have 2 half sisters who have had stents fitted due to CAD so family history there.

i take 75mg aspirin daily and .1.25mg of Bisoprolol which is making me feel ill with extreme fatigue and lightheadedness. Can I stop this as my concerns are what if I don't really need be on them and have to withdraw after months only been taking for over a week so far.. my BP is fine

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20 Replies

Hello & Welcome :-)

Bisoprolol can give you these side effects but they could get less as your body gets used to them

I would strongly advise you do not stop them , even if you do not feel you need them the experts have put you on them for now and they will not harm you but could be more harmful to stop them until all your tests are all completed

Even though your tests have come back fine so far a CT angiogram shows them things that the other tests can't that you have had already

If you are really struggling talk with your GP but again I would say do not stop them until you have spoken to them

Good luck with your angiogram and let us know how it goes :-) x

14566787 profile image
14566787 in reply to

Thankyou for your honest advice. I think your right so will keep taking them untill I can at least speak to my doctor. It will be 2 weeks this Wednesday since I started taking them.

in reply to 14566787

Hello :-)

I take them and I really struggled for a while on them but you will read posts this is common for quite a few of us till we adjust to them

I stuck with it as I knew there was a good reason to be on them and two weeks is not long to adjust but speaking with your Doctor will help

Get this angiogram done and you never know they may then say you do not need them but better to be safe till they have done this test which I hope you will get soon and a positive outcome to :-) x

Pheasant1234 profile image
Pheasant1234 in reply to

Anyone had a persistent cough with bisoprolol? I’m on bisoprolol and lasartan could either of these cause the persistent cough?

Puffin1963 profile image
Puffin1963 in reply to Pheasant1234

Not with biosoprolol but absolutely with ramipril

marigoldb profile image
marigoldb in reply to Pheasant1234

Losartan definitely! I was the same with Losartan, absolutely fine on Bisoprolol. By the way anyone considering stopping Bisoprolol DONT!

Have discussion with your cardiologist or GP first.

Pheasant1234 profile image
Pheasant1234 in reply to marigoldb

I’m also on losartan. My GP said it’s likely to be the losartan. Interesting.

Dear 14566787

Welcome to the forum and hopefully the answers you seek to your questions.

I am sorry to say that there is no-one on hear that will be able to tell you if it is safe for you to stop the medication that you have been given.

But far from what many think Bisoprolol is not just handed out and it is given for a multitude of reasons that should have been explained to you.

All medication has some form of side effects and they can be distressing but most go off or calm down after a certain time period, weight and mobility can be a factor

I am guessing by your family history that you have been monitored already about a heart/health problem.

I am so sorry to hear about your worries and rightly so, but these are questions that only your Dr can answer.

You will soon be under the care of a Cardiologist { ball is already rolling } and then they can see just what is going on with your heart health.

Take care and try not to worry until you have all the answers you need to get on that road of recovery , we are here to help at any stage that you need us.

14566787 profile image
14566787 in reply to

Thank you

Kristin1812 profile image
Kristin1812Heart Star

Some people take a while to get used to Bisoprolol. For me it settled down in under two weeks. The lightheadedness can happen if our BP is low. Might be worth checking that out. But I’d try and adapt to the pills while they find you a slot for your angiogram.

14566787 profile image
14566787 in reply to Kristin1812

Thankyou. The current waiting time for CT scan is 6-8 weeks so looking at September. My BP last night was 113/81. I have Raynaud's which is being flared up with the Bisoprolol too so will see my doctor if it doesn't settle down

Milkfairy profile image
MilkfairyHeart Star in reply to 14566787

Hello,

I suggest you have a discussion with your GP.

Beta blockers can make Raynauds Phenomenon and vasospastic angina much worse.

I am prescribed alternative anti angina medication as I live with both Raynauds and vasospastic angina.

Yep12 profile image
Yep12

I struggled with 1.25mg of bisoprolol for a while until I started taking it around 7:30pm. Might be worth having a talk with your consultant or doctor whether this is viable for you.

Puffin1963 profile image
Puffin1963

Hi lots of numbers !! Sounds like you are in a waiting room whilst they find out what’s going on ... I was in that room for 3 months waiting for angiogram then for CABG , I was put on all sorts of meds that I hated taking - I went from just using inhalers to loads of meds at different times of day - when I questioned why this , why that they said they were basically to keep me as safe as possible whilst waiting - I decided I just had to trust them and get on with it - I couldn’t cope with nitrates though , banging headaches . Now I only have biosoprolol , statins and aspirin , really to try and prevent anything developing . I hope this helps.

Ealing2022 profile image
Ealing2022

Hi, just to add a point I don’t think has been covered. You have had some tests and been given the all clear at this point in time, but you will be having an angiogram . When I received an angiogram there was a significant difference in results between the first scan I had and the angiogram which changed my diagnosis and treatment substantially. The angiogram is the current gold standard and until you have had this and the subsequent consultation you should not make any changes to your medication. You shouldn’t do this without discussing it with your doctor in any case. You might be surprised by just how much thought goes into each patients prescription as a combination of different drugs has to be balanced to create the desired result. I had the Bisopropol side effects, still do to a lesser degree, but they do reduce as your body adjusts over time.

Fullofheart profile image
Fullofheart

Hello and welcome.And nice picture! 😉

I couldn't tolerate bisoprolol at all, even at lowest dose. Very breathless and lightheaded. Best advice is to talk to gp. There are alternatives if things don't settle.

Goosebumps profile image
Goosebumps

Try taking the bisoprolol last thing at night. This change has helped me and reduced lightheadedness and daytime fatigue dramatically.

richard_jw profile image
richard_jw

Both Bisoprolol and nitrates lower your BP. Bisoprolol lowers your heart rate and therefore is likely to lower the BP. I recently went on BS 1.25mg once a day. My resting heart rate went from 85ish to 70-75 and BP went down to 95/65 or 110/70 (somewhere between the 2). Yes I have lightheadedness, and I don't like it. I attribute it to the lowered BP and pulse rate. Bisoprolol does make you feel tired, but I can't detect the difference . 1.25 is the lowest dose you can have. Clearly you have a good GP who is prescribing to keep things stable until you get a proper diagnosis.I see you have been on these for only a week. Has it made a difference? do you still get chest pain? Worth persevering a bit longer before you go back to GP.

Silvertail profile image
Silvertail

I have 10 mgs bisoprolol daily, plus other heart meds. It doesn’t cause me any problems.

XmasEve24 profile image
XmasEve24

Hello - as others have said keep on taking them. The only person who could advise you to stop taking them should be your cardiologist. This was me 7 years ago and I felt dreadful, but as I discovered when I finally had an angiogram. I was about to have a heart attack from which I would not recover(they told my husband) within days. The following day I had a double bypass with 100% and 70% blockages to my main arteries. I too have family history. Unfortunately my darling brother did not heed the advice and died in December from the big heart attack. Not trying to scare you. Please be safe until your tests are done. Good luck 😊

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