I have been on parnate, an MAOI, for the past 24 years for depression and it has worked great for me. 2 years ago, my cardiologist put me on bisoprolol, a beta blocker, for an erratic BP. Shortly after, I started to get low grade anxiety which only intensified as time went on. The dr weaned me off, but after 8 months, I'm still dealing with the insane physical symptoms of anxiety (nervousness, jitteriness, agitation). And I've never had anxiety my whole life, not even when I was going through my depression years ago. So I know the bisoprolol is what caused all of this.In case anyone doesn't know, beta blockers like bisoprolol help decrease the stress hormones we have to deal with, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Which are 2 of the hormones that parnate increases to help depression. I just assumed that after a few weeks or a month, my system would reset itself to dealing with these hormones like it did before I took bisoprolol. But it hasn't. And I am at my wits end trying to find a doctor to help me. Is anyone going through this, or has gone through this issue?I really don't want to come off the parnate, because I've been on it for 24 years and it has been effective for my depression. But I'm starting to think it may be why I'm still dealing with the anxiety after coming off the bisoprolol.
Anyone develop anxiety after weaning ... - British Heart Fou...
Anyone develop anxiety after weaning off bisoprolol or a beta blocker, and are also on a MAO Inhibitor for depression?
if you were in the UK I would suggest you have a chat with a pharmacist. They are the ones with extensive knowledge of medicines and their inter reactions. But it may be that US pharmacists are not willing to do this.
I assume you have already approached the prescriber of the MAOI. The depression and anxiety may be linked.
There are many other medicines helping to keep blood pressure down so you might need a trial of something else.
In the meantime, are you doing whatever is under your own control to deal with hypertension? By which I mean diet and lifestyle. Does anything need a tweak?
I know that anxiety and depression is sometimes linked. But I have been on parnate for 24 years. And I never suffered from anxiety during my depression, or the years after. It all started when I began taking bisoprolol, and ramped up after i weaned off of it. So I'm 99% sure that my anxiety is due to taking and weaning off of a medication, not an anxiety disorder.I am in the process of getting another psychiatrist that is knowledgeable about MAOIS, so they can figure out if the lingering anxiety is happening because of how parnate increases the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, the same hormones that bisoprolol was suppressing in my body for 2 years. I'm just looking for some type of answer to all of this, and relief.
Weaning off of a drug is most important that it is done right. Years ago I was on Lisinopril and was not weaned off of it. The result was loss of vision for several months after hospitalization for diplopia and ptosis--with no indication from the doctors that I would ever regain my full vision. Like you, I am on a Beta blocker--- Metoprolol. I expect that the doctor will indicate I can stop it after being on it for 12 months. BUT at that time I will carefully research the WEANING for practice, and based on my prior bad experience--be very cautious in a slow, slow weaning off--regardless of what one doctor may say. Not sure, but Metoprolol normal weaning off is a couple of weeks. I will be inquiring about doing if for a slightly longer period to be extra safe that I do not experience what I went through before with unexpected bad side effects from that drug. Do I believe (and I am not a doctor) that one could have lasting (permanent?) side effects from improper weaning-off, yes. Do I think the doctors always KNOW exactly what is a good procedure for this----we are all different in our reactions to drugs, and remember that medicine is a PRACTICE, not a SCIENCE. That is my take, forever it is worth.
Thank you for your reply. Even though I weaned off according to my cardiologist, I wish I would have read the tons of horror stories on forums from people coming off of bisoprolol. Because if I had, I would have weaned off even slower than my doctor's recommendation. And that is my one big fear: that this side effect of anxiety is permanent. Especially since I never suffered from anxiety before taking this drug. And I was always a pretty calm, patient person in any type of situation. Now, that's gone. And I'm afraid I'm never going to get it back.
Good luck and best of health to you!
I was put on 2.5mg of Bisoprolol after an NSTEMI and complex stents two years ago. On reflection it really slowed me down and I needed to sleep in the afternoon (though some of this could be due to the NSTEMI and the 4 ½ hour stenting procedure that followed). About a year ago, in conjunction with my GP, I reduced to 1.25mg and felt much better.
Around 4 months ago I asked my GP if I could stop the 1.25mg and he agreed. I stopped cold turkey, thinking that I was on a very low dose and my body would not notice. How wrong I was! Anxiety is not really the right description, perhaps mania would be a better word. For around six weeks I worked morning to night catching up on the (perceived) backlog of the past two years. I even managed to clear several fallen trees and hand dig around 8 meters of drainage trench through difficult ground over three days. My heart coped fine but I was absolutely shot by evening. It improved my sleep no end.
I have now returned more of less to the way I was before the NSTEMI and am doing fine. I certainly feel a lot better off Bisoprolol but if I should have split tablets or taken one every other day for a more controlled let down.
I'm glad you're feeling better and back to yourself. Unfortunately, it's been 8 months now and I'm still dealing with this anxiety, something that I never had till I started taking bisoprolol. So I'm not sure what's going on with my system and why it hasn't reregulated itself.
I can't be much help I'm afraid but I have read a lot of horror stories of people coming off Bisoprolol. The cardiologist told my husband just to stop and he ended up having hallucinations - the hospital's advice was to just keep taking it. He is now trying to wean himself off of it, (he has only ever been on a 1.25mg dose), but I am hoping that the anxiety doesn't hit him like I have read it does others.
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope your husband doesn't suffer the dreaded anxiety too!My advice when he wants to come off is to stop that from happening is to wean off of it VERY SLOWLY! Even though the dose he is on is very small, and the cardiologist will tell you he can just come off, don't do that. Keep decreasing the dose by a half every 1-2 weeks until he has almost nothing left of the pill. That will help minimize any anxiety or other symptoms.
My cardiologist told me at the end that since I was on 2.5 mg, the lowest dose prescribed, I could just come off since that's the normal protocol. After reading the horror stories from everyone about coming off bisoprolol, I wish I wouldn't have listened to him and took longer to come off.
Best of luck to your hubby, and good health!
I recently weaned off of Verapamil for high blood pressure. I have my life back. The drug turned me into an emotional zombie. I felt nothing. I just sat all day long. I am on a drug called Revlimid for cancer. I take 3 weeks on, one week off. On my first night off I have insomnia all night long . Drugs have effects way beyond what they are prescribed for, so I believe you when you say the drug triggered a brain imbalance causing anxiety. I do not know how to fix the problem, but I believe you when you say the drug caused the problem. Talk to doctors. Drugs for anxiety can trigger depression from my experience, I am the anxiety poster child. In the dictionary, next the word anxiety is a picture of me. I tried Marijuana gummies. I took 2.5 mg. gummy. (1/4 of a gummie) Slept like a baby, but woke up with a headache. Perhaps you would have better luck with them than I did.
Hi. Bisoprolol's job is to dampen the beta receptors of the stress hormone's epinephrine and norepinephrine. And parnate increases those to help with depression. So I knew that once off of bisoprolol, that it would take a while for my body to get used to the amount of epinephrine and norepinephrine that it used to. But that doesn't seem to be happening. And I'm not a doctor, but considering that parnate increases those, I'm wondering now if for some reason, my body is now not handling the normal stress hormones, plus the extra ones that parnate produces? I have been on parnate for 24 years. And it has saved my life, and worked very well for my depression. And if I would have to come off of that and try something else frankly scares me. That's why I'm trying to find a psychiatrist who is knowledgeable or an expert to help me with this.
Thanks for your reply. I went through colon cancer, a colon resection and 6 months of brutal chemotherapy 2 years ago. So I know how bad cancer sucks! I hope you kick its butt! 💪
I have been on prednisone for 20 years for Giant Cell Arteritis. I tried to get off it several times with no success. So, rheumatologist says I will be on it rest of my life. Prednisone is also a drug that really messes with brain chemistry. I don't blame you for wanting to stay with what works for depression. In the past I have taken Zoloft (made me a zombie), and Wellbutrin ( made me high all the time), and a few others. I am not on an anti-depressant at this time. Which is strange. I should be depressed considering my cancer can not be cured; Multiple Myeloma. We are near remission, like this close. Chemo, Stem cell transplant, now two years of maintenance chemo. So, yea, I know how much cancer sucks. I just can't understand why I am not depressed, I do know that the blood pressure meds I was on really damped down all of my emotions. Except for Carvedilol, which put me in the ER with suicidal thoughts. There are consequences to all of these drugs. They kept me in ER for 6 hours. As soon as Carvedilol wore off I snapped completely out of it. My BP is now normal because cancer cells no longer attacking kidneys. The only thing I can think of is a quote from my favorite TV series, Farscape. John and D'argo are on a dangerous mission John asks D'argo, a warrior, why am I not afraid: D'argo replies "Fear accompanies the possibility of death. Calm shepherds it's certainty." that line always stuck with me. Maybe I am not afraid anymore. I just try to live everyday with some type of accomplishment. Some days that just means cooking a meal and making the bed. I stopped trying so hard, and I just seem more at peace.
It sounds to me like your brain chemicals are out of whack. Perhaps from the wrong med. You need to find a doctor who will understand and help you. Remember a full 50% of doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class. Find a good physician.
To B or not to B, that is the question!
I was on bisoprolol 1.25 mg about 3 years ago and now on 3.75mg morning and 1.25mg evenings. I don't want to blame bisoprolol without proper evidence but I haven't been the same since starting it. I have the most vivid and weird dreams which appear to be anxiety based when I analyse them. I am always exhausted but carry on regardless. I wake up fine and within an hour of taking my 3.75 mg bisoprolol, I am ready to sleep but fight it. In the afternoon if I sit down, I fall asleep for a couple of hours; completely out of it. Even if a bomb went off. In the evening I have another doze unless I'm out socialising. I have never suffered from depression or anxiety in the past but nowadays I feel anxious about small things of no significance. My eyesight has deteriorated but only at certain times of the day. I don't want to blame one particular medicine but since my heart is structurally sound and my only problem is permanent AF but within a reasonable range, I can't help thinking my symptoms are caused by one or more of my medications for blood pressure. I am seeing my cardiologist soon for an update and might take the advice of my EP and take Amiodarone followed by a cardioversion.
I really doubt that stopping the Bisoprolol is causing your anxiety after 8 months off it as its well and truly long gone from your body. Anxiety and depression are so alike and I feel that the anxiety you are feeling is probably coincidental. I would see my health professional and see what he can do to allieviate it for you and ask his advice on this issue.
Just because the med is long gone from your system means nothing. Bisoprolol's job is to dampen your beta receptors so they don't receive 100% of your stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. When the med is stopped, your body is flooded back with all of the epinephrine and norepinephrine that it was used to before. And now, your beta receptors, which have been desensitized, have to relearn how to deal with that again. Some people have no problem, a lot don't. I am also on a MAOI that works by increasing epinephrine and norepinephrine, something my body is still learning to deal with at it's normal amount. Not to mention before I took bisoprolol, I never suffered from anxiety my whole life, not even when I was going through my depression 24 years ago. So I'm sorry, but those aren't all coincidences.I am looking for a psychiatrist, one where their expertise is ising and dealing with MAOIS with their patients so I can hopefully get some direction on what I need to do.
It certainly seems worth finding out from a psychiatrist if switching from the MAO inhibitor to an SSRI or a tricyclic might help.
I know how you feel about the MAO, though. If someone suggested changing my SSRI, I’d beat them off with a stick.
Good luck with it. You deserve better.
Wishing you all the best then.
Switching from Bisoprolol to Propranolol
Feeling just so overwhelmed with anxiety and depression since my recent SVT diagnosis.
