Bisoprolol

[WC45WC]

hello, I’m currently taking bisoprolol for a one of period of suspected arrhythmia, I feel slightly out of breath when slight exerted, has anyone else experienced this? Also feeling my energy levels are pretty low.

thank you

[Jalia]

Unfortunately this does appear to be one if the side effects of the drug. It does slow down the system. Apparently you should get used to it in time and not notice these effects.

Personally I hate this drug with its unwanted effects and it does little for me therapeutically anyhow . See how you go and if you are still unhappy with the side effects then speak to your doc about a possible alternative.

[WC45WC in reply to Jalia]

Thanks for coming back to me,Of course you can read

About the side effects

But it’s good to hear from people’s experiences

[Jalia in reply to WC45WC]

What dose are you taking ?

[WC45WC in reply to Jalia]

Just 2.5 once in the morning

[istimewa in reply to WC45WC]

ask the doctor about this, but splitting it up to 1.25mg twice a day (for the same daily total of 2.5mg) may reduce the fatigue, elevate your low energy levels and lessen that out of breath on exertion side effect for you.

[Johnnycyborg]

Hiya, I’ve been on Bisoprolol for 21 years now, I found the first few weeks quite difficult with the side effects you describe but my body soon got used to them and it’s been really good ever since. Hopefully it’ll work out as well for you as it has for me.

[WC45WC]

Good to hear you got usedTo them,

I’ve been taking them since

June so still early days I guess

Thanks

[Janna24]

Terrible drug for me!!!! I feel very ill on it . Change to Nebivolol . After week feel like normal person again. I use to take bisoprolol for 2 years. It was really bad for me . Change it !!!!

[WC45WC]

Thank you!

[Engineer46]

I wouldn't jump to abandoning Bisoprolol just yet. Are you taking any other medication? Was the Bisoprolol prescribed for heart rate or blood pressure control (or both)?

Do you know what your current resting heart rate is and what is was before you had the suspected arrhythmia? It could be that the dose of Bisoprolol you are taking (2.5mg) may be reducing your heart rate more than was planned and this could affect your energy levels. If that's the case, you could ask your doctor about reducing the dose.

In the recent heat wave many of us have had elevated heart rates and low energy levels but it seems that more normal weather for August has now arrived - 20C and raining!

Speak to your doctor first. We on the forum can only comment from our own experience and have no knowledge of your medical history or needs, nor do we have medical qualifications.

I hope that your energy levels can be restored soon!

Paul

[WC45WC in reply to Engineer46]

Hi there, my resting heart rate previously was between 72-80 it has been dropping since starting this drug in June and amNow at 51 - 55

[Engineer46 in reply to WC45WC]

Your previous heart rate falls in the middle of the normal range (50-100) and, as you have only had one period of suspected arrhythmia, it is hard to see why you need your heart rate to be at the very low end of the range. Of course, when your heart rate was checked at the surgery it may have been much higher than usual due to what we call "white coat syndrome" (soon to be renamed "blue mask syndrome"!). If this is the case you could explain this to your doctor and see whether you need to take a beta blocker at all or whether the dose could be reduced to alleviate what would appear to be the side effects of Bisoprolol.

Please read the fact sheet that TracyAdmin linked you to a few hours ago, it gives a good explanation of how beta-blockers work.

Paul

[WC45WC in reply to Engineer46]

Thank you, I willRead the article and speak with the doctor - thanks

[HamishBoxer]

5MG twice a day and body got used to it after a week or so.

[Meeshell1]

Hi, I am on 2.5mg Bisoprolol for Ectopics/VPBs. It lowered my heartbeat and blood pressure too. It has worked and essentially nullified the extra beats. Initially, it did increase shortness of breath and feelings of lethargy, but these lessened substantially after a few weeks. Everyone is a bit different, good luck.

[WC45WC in reply to Meeshell1]

Thank you

[ETHEL103]

Yes indeed.Couldnt tolerate it switched to verapimil.No probs at all.

[WC45WC]

2.5 once in the morning

[TracyAdmin Partner ArrhythmiaAlliance]

Good Morning, Bisoprolol is a beta blocker, that affects the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and veins) Unfortunately, one of the common side effects experienced with this medication is breathlessness and fatigue. You may wish to visit the AF Association \ Patient Resources to download 'Beta Blockers' Information Sheet heartrhythmalliance.org/afa/uk

fact sheet

[WC45WC]

Thank you for the information

[MikeThePike]

I also daily experience ectopic beats but I have not yet tried any beta blockers. What I don't understand is why there are not specific drugs to suppress ectopics. Dr John Murray published some very interesting trial results with Ranolazine. This drug seemed to work miracles in drastically reducing PVC burden without any of the side effects of beta blockers. Unfortunately Dr Murray passed away last year and I don't know if anyone has researched this further. We need specific drugs that target PVCs and PACS not drugs which just slow down our hearts and mess with our blood pressure. I honestly can't believe there are none such drugs available.

[istimewa in reply to MikeThePike]

yes, there are areas of heart medicine where it seems that there is a lack of progress. When we suffer from ectopics, they just want to use beta blockers which suppress the entire myocardium and hence the rate is reduced, plus the blood pressure too is lowered unnecessarily. This approach is akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. Very un-enlightened approach which has stuck in the practice and not advanced for decades. And ectopics are always seen in the context of AF or other serious ventricular arrythmias i.e. always dismissed as trivial. So we get the fobbing off, and being told that the problem is simply becoz we feel their presence more than other people. However, when the ectopic burden is high, they DO reduce quality of life, which alone justifies constructive action, and not just told to not worry about it!

[MikeThePike in reply to istimewa]

I totally agree with you and the point you make about ectopics in the context of AF is an excellent one. I have noticed that too. Also, you are correct when you say that the focus seems to be on ectopic burden rather than the patients quality of life. Like a lot of people I currently have a very low ectopic burden of less than 1% BUT I feel every single one of them! When you Google the subject of PVCs and PACs you will find dozens of advanced research articles on the subject so there is clearly a huge body of knowledge around the subject. However it does not seem to have been channeled into the creation of novel therapeutics. A lot of these articles tend to focus on the use of beta blockers and ablation techniques. Something I have noticed with my own ectopics is that some days I am completely fine but other days I have ectopics constantly. So ectopy seems to come and go. Other people here have reported the same thing. If this could be fully investigated it may lead to better treatment or even a cure.

[istimewa in reply to MikeThePike]

Mike - can I show you some facts that another patient's cardiologist's clinic letter stated regarding ablation procedure risks, and see if you too have come across this information?

- 1 in 1500 death, 1 in 500 risk of mitral valve damage requiring repair or replacement, 1 in 300 stokes, 1 in 200 risk of pulmonary vein stenosis, 1 in 200 risk of phrenic nerve injury and 1 in 100 risk of pericardial effusion : these are the risks associated with the ablation procedure

[MikeThePike in reply to istimewa]

Hi there, many thanks for this information though I was aware of these risks. What I would really like to know is if the risk of nerve injury or PVS are associated with AF ablation only or PVC ablation. I understand that ablation for AF and PVCs target different parts of the heart so do those risks apply to ablation for all arrhythmias or just AF?