ectopic heartbeats

[Ham1846]

hi I’m just looking to see if anyone has any advice or had any help with managing these. I’ve had these for along while and since March 2023 I get them everyday and lots of them. I’m on medication for high bp and just recently I had an NSTEMI. I’ve been put on a low doseage of Bisoprolol and I’ve been on it just over a week but the ectopics seem to be getting worse not better. My gp has told me I need to stick with it as cardiologist would want to see a pattern before they changed anything. Has anyone found it takes awhile for the beta blocker to work to help the extra beats or should I resign myself that it’s not going to help. Thanks

[Rosie1066]

I have recently been put on Bisoprolol and was told it can take five to six weeks to be effective.

[Ham1846 in reply to Rosie1066]

thanks that gives me more optimism

[Nomis21]

Hi, following a cardioversion for a fib at the beginning of December i found I was getting a lot of ectopic heartbeats, a few every hour.I also have a pacemaker and on meds for heart failure.

Phoned the pacemaker clinic and they suggest I contact my doctor to increase my bisoprolol, I now take 2.5mg daily instead of 1.25mg.

So far so good, seems to have reduced the ectopics but still have a few throughout the day.

[Sb1171]

I used to get them from time to time. I noticed that they were more common first thing in the morning, often before I got up, which was just before daily Bisoprolol. I was on 3.75mg as part of the standard post STEMI drug package. I started to break the tablet and take 2.5mg in the morning and 1.25 in the evening (to smooth the delivery profile). Anecdotally, this seemed to improve things, but shortly after I switched to Nebivolol which may have a number of advantages over Bisoprolol, one of which is a smoother profile (its effects are spread more evenly rather than a big spike and tail off). My GP also agreed to 2.5mg twice daily rather than 5mg daily. I very rarely experience PVCs now.

[devonian186]

Did anything happen in March 2023? Emotional stress? New Job? New Home? New medicine? New phone or router? New Car?

You are very specific about the date as if something momentous happened that might link to your current problems

[Alphakiwi]

In my case the 3ctopics etc are getting more frequent and more nasty. So the meds dont do anything for that but they do rein the high bp in for the day. They do nothing either for short breath some shaking and cold, excerdise inability, fatigue, concentration and headaches and ED. It sounds all pretty lousy thats why im hoping to get my AV node ablated. I already have the approprite pacemaker fiited. All the best to you bit do study up on yoir problemColin NEW ZEALAND.

[Jedi14]

Your essentially sorted! Stick to the meds give them a chance to work.

[Ham1846]

I really hope so as I feel I have no quality of life at the moment

[purpleleah]

I'm relieved to be sharing about ectopics. They are driving me crazy at the moment. Like you, it is not the quality of life I was hoping for post-procedure.

I had a stent fitted late November and since then ectopics are virtually constant. I started Bisoprolol, 2.5 gm a week ago. The first 24 hours I thought it was a miracle cure, however, they are back regularly since then. The Dr reduced my Ramipril dose but my blood pressure has gone low and my heart rate is right down to 43 so, pending talk with GP, i have just stopped the Ramipril the last 2 days. I used to think the ectopics were a result of the stress of the whole business of having a heart condition and procedure as I had experienced episodes of them in the past and they would pass. Now that I'm doing much more to relax and they are not going away, I wonder if some medications are the cause.

I find it very confusing and GP and Cardiologist don't engage with cause, just what medication to do next.

[fon7]

Reading your notes on the use of bisoprolol. I have been taking it a good while and the drug needs a period to really set in and work. I take a half tablet of only 5mg and it does the job of elimination mostly of the extra beats. To much makes you to tired, drains your strength. Maintain what your physician has recommended for now and try and track it. I only take it at night also. Might do the trick for you. Let me hear from you. jim in usa, florida

[Oldsealady]

When I was on beta blockers they caused my heart to skip around and go too slow was beating at 43 made me struggle to walk far without getting a tight band feeling around my chest had too come off them, my heart beat is normaly only 62 bpm between episodes of AF so dint work for me