Simon, hi.
Please take a look at some older topics on this forum, you have 100s of posts from people about tappering off.
In short, you were taking it for 9 years and your body adjusted to a life with Bisoprolol. Your heart as a muscle is weaker now since it has been beating slow and weak for 9 years (due to drugs), to prevent tachycardias, arrhythmias, palpitations etc.
Try to picture your heart as a muscle in a leg, after you have been in bed for 9 years after a car accident and now you have to walk and run suddenly.
More or less, this is how your heart looks today after 9 years on drugs.
Some people don't have any problems while quitting a drug. Some suffer for a few weeks, some suffer for 6-12 Months. Some people, sadly, die (there were a few stories here also). A mom of one lady from this forum was taken off Beta blockers cold turkey and she died 2 days after that.
In short, most common withdrawal symptoms when you quit the drug are:
Resting heart rate around 90-100-110 all day long. Blood pressure going up a lot, inability to walk or get out of bed for some days or weeks. Anxiety for weeks or for Months. Pain in abdomen, in muscles, in ankles, dizziness, headaches, nausea, different types of breathing problems. I had problems with loud noises and sunlight for a few weeks (part of anxiety and being nervous all the time after quitting drugs since BBs affect/block adrenaline).
Since you have been taking a drug for 9 years, it is very likely that you will suffer a stronger withdrawal, so it would be better to tapper it slowly. It will take longer, but long term you will be fine.
Try to do something like this: lower the dose from 1,25Mg to 3/4 of that dose (around 0,90Mg) and stay on that dose 1 Month until you will feel normal.
You will see that you will be less tired, you will have less breathing problems and you will have more energy.
But, on the other hand, you will also experience a mild withdrawal when going from 1,25Mg to 0,90Mg.
I used to feel ill all the time when I was going through it. I felt as if I had some sort of flu all the time (but I didn't have a flu) and a strange pain in whole abdomen for weeks.
Imagine that I had breathing problems around 10 out 10 (in strength) while I was on 1,25Mg dose and I felt tired for 10/10.
Then, when I would lower a dose to 0,90Mg, my breathing problems dropped from 10/10 in strength to 7/10 and I was less tired, let's say from 10/10 to 7/10 also.
But, on the other hand, withdrawal symptoms kicked in, and I had pain in the abdomen, some strange pain in my lungs, nausea, some palpitations, being anxious etc.
So, with a slow tappering, you will see that your original side effects from Bisoprolol will slowly disappear and you will know that it is getting better.
But, some new problems will kick in.
So, be prepared for your original side effects getting weaker, but new problems kicking in.
But, the good news is that these new symptoms are only temporary, and they will be here roughly for 2-6 Months.
And after that, you will get rid both of Bisoprolol's side effects and withdrawal's side effects.
So, again, when you will lower the dose, you will feel better in one way, and worse in the other way.
Then you should stay on that dose for 1 Month until you will feel slightly better.
When you will feel better, you can go down to half of a dose (0,60Mg), and the same will happen. Original problems will be even weaker and weaker since you are taking smaller amounts of drug, but THE SAME withdrawal symptoms will kick again. So, you had the first withdrawal when going from 1,25Mg to 0,90Mg. After suffering, you will start to feel better. But when you will lower the dose from 0,90 to 0,60Mg, the same withdrawal problems will kick in again.
But again, remember, this is temporary and think about a long term, brighter future.
When a 2nd withdrawal (at 0,60Mg) will slowly go away, lower the dose from 0,60Mg to 0,30Mg (1 quarter of 1,25Mg).
Also, the lowest doses are the strongest, and it is the hardest to get rid of them.
So, once you come to a 0,30Mg dose, don't quit it completely, but do this:
At first, take a full 0,30Mg dose for some time.
Then, when you will feel ok, take a drug once in 2 days for 2-3 weeks.
When you will feel fine on that dose, try to take a drug once in 3 days, and stay on that dose for 2-3 weeks.
Then you can stop it completely.
But even then, you will still have some rough time after that.
I have personally been through this 2 times. I didn't make it in the first time because I weaned off to fast and I ended at ER with HR jumping to 160 (and staying there) for no reason (40 days after quitting a drug).
In the 2nd attempt, 1 year later, I was weaning off very slowly, as explained above, for 6-8 Months and I am off drugs currently (7 Months off currently).
I can walk more and more again. I am not tired all the day long. I can breathe normaly again. My head and memory is less foggy etc.
So, please, go slowly, and read some other topics on this forum, you will find more stories and advices.
Oh, and for the end, drink a lot of water every day. A LOOOOOT, while you will be quitting drugs. If you will drink a lot, that will slow down your heart rate in a natural way.
Also, buy some Magnesium supplements, they are slowing down HR and they will help you during the rocky days.
My GP gave me tiny amounts of Valium while I was weaning off Beta blockers, because your central nervous system will be very sensitive (lots of anxiety, being nervous and scared all the time, your heart rate jumping up all the time whatever you do etc). I am not taking Valium anymore, since my Beta blocker's withdrawal is luckily gone.