I have been taking Bisoprolol 1.25mg for about 2 months now. I had a heart stent 2.5 months ago and a second one 1 month ago. My echocardiogram is normal.
I have suffered from low blood pressure most of my life and i want to come off the Bisoprolol now, but I am getting no support from my GP or Consutant.
Has anyone else come off Bisoprolol 1.25mg successfully and how did you do it?
Hi Sharon,
mine was just halved over a four week period and I was then changed to a drug called Slozem without any problem and none of the awful side effects I had with Bisoprolol. Im sorry to hear you are not getting teh support of your GP or consultant. Personally I would throw my teddy out of the pram and insist they change it.
I can sympathise with you Sharon. I started at half-a-1.25mg tab to see if I could tolerate it. OK. Then doubled it for a week and then ramping up until 10mg. I found it impossble to breathe at most times so I complained to my GP and he just stopped it immediately. Now on Flecainide 50mg twice a day: no problems with this tablet.
If you have a look at the other Bisoprolol discussions you will find a number of most unhappy users.
Hi Andy,
When you say yours was halved over a 4 week period, do you mean you had a 1.25mg tablet every other day, or you managed to cut your 1.25mg tablet in half each day?
I've given up with my GP and Consultant, all they seem to be bothered with is 'ticking the boxes'. But I apreciate your reply to me 
Hi Sharon
I was on 1.25 then 2.5, then 5mg and then the killer dose for me, 7.5 Bisoprolol over a period of three years with the highest dose for about three months. This was for paroxysmal atriaI fibrillation. I subsequently had an emergency when they fitted a pacemaker in hospital and then later ablated the AV node. Whilst I was on the ward the Consultant came to discuss medication. I told him that I wanted to come off both the Bisoprolol and Flecainide which I was also taking for two years, just retaining the anti clot drug Pradaxa. He agreed without demur and I just stopped there and then. I have had no ill effects whatsoever, gaining in energy and optimism almost daily. It has been almost three months now since I stopped.
I found the increased Bisoprolol impossible to live with. The level of fatigue is indescribable and takes all pleasure from life. Sometimes my blood pressure is a bit up now, but I just measure it daily and take a beta blocker (Valsartan) as I judge it to be necessary.
Just remember, it is your health and wellbeing and don't let any doctor browbeat you into taking something which makes you feel unwell. Research and seek an alternative drug if you have to.
Hi Sharon I had a By-pas after I was prescribed bisoporol 5mg i got a bad reaction discussed it with my Doctor and got short shrift so I bought myself a blood pressure monitor and by checking regularly I have been able to reduce the dose to1.25 mg I tried not having it at all but my pulse rate shot up so I am back on the 1.25 without any side effects I wish you we'll and hope my experience helps somewhat John
Agree whole-heartedly Andy. Speak up forcefully, it's the patient's right to have their opinions/complaints listened to.
Thank you everyone Even without the Bisoprolol and before and after my heart attack, my BP and resting heart rate stays the same at around 111/70 and 72bpm. Even after doing household chores, my HR is only around 100 bps. I monitor it reguarly, so I am hoping that coming off the 1.25mg wont make much difference to my BP an HR, but that I wont get any of the side effects of the drug any more. I have decided to take half a tablet for 4 days and then stop it completely. Wish me luck x
Good for you, Sharon. ~Best wishes
Hi Sharon, sorry I should clarify, I was originally on 2.5m per day and he changed it to 1.25 for two weeks then yes half a tab for the remaining two weeks apparently this is to guard against the possibility of the withdrawal causing a further heart attack. From what I am reading this is one nasty little drug. I agree with Croydon george whole heartedly and would even go so far as to say change your GP if you can. thats what I have ended up doing
Hi there, I was prescribed Bisoprolol 2.5 mg last June, I had a leaky heart valve and my heart rate was very high. I took it for 6 days together with Furosomide which was also prescribed and had the worst diverticulosis attack I have ever had! Lost a stone and I immediately came off both tablets. (didn't ask the doctor, just did it!) Took me weeks to start to feel better but as my heart rate was still high I went back on 1.25 mg but had terrible diarrhoea!!! So again I stopped it. Have had my valve repaired now and normally they would have put me back on it but I told them I couldn't take it. There's no way I'd ever take it again, the consultant didn't offer me an alternative but I am now on Ramipril for my high blood pressure and my heart rate has slowed now. If you are having bad side effects then you should definitely come off this medication, I guess if you have o side effects but want to come off them the docs wouldn't understand why!!!! All the best whatever you decide to do.
Wondered how you were getting on without the Bisoprolol and did you come off it with your doctor's consent or by yourself? Are you taking a substitute drug? Thanks.
I am following anyone who won't take Bisoprolol any more. I refused this following two failed ablations and then a pacemaker implant when I had an emergency with rapid pulse (flutter). I just wanted to take my chances without any medication other than anti coagulation and see what happens to me and my cardiologist agreed to this. From mid April to the beginning of August I had three blissful months of no symptoms, returning energy, freedom from anxiety and vivid dreams and optimism. Then I got another AFib which felt as bad as ever and lasted most of a night before reverting on its own. I was shocked by this as I had been told that although the AFib would not be cured, the symptoms would be much less, not even noticed.
At a reading of the pacemaker at the clinic, it was noted I had had 73 less than one minute incidents of arrhythmia - so you could say it did work after a fashion as I was not aware of these - but the 'big' one was different. I eventually took 100 mg Flecainide to calm it and it did settle down.
Now my cardiologist says take one of these anti-arrhythmic Flecainide pills as and when I feel I need to. No mention of Bisoprolol as my rate is okay so far. So I am now on a very much wait and see basis. I am taking careful note of anyone here who has an alternative to Bisoprolol just in case .....
Hi Sharon,
I took Bisoprolol for paroxymal AF for a year. The side-effects of the 1.25 dose reduced me to a spaced-out zombie; a condition that crept up on me so gradually, that I foolishly thought them to be 'age'
With my quality of life drastically reduced and in constant fear of the ground coming up to meet my face, I stopped taking them and went back to my GP for further advice.
His reaction was extremely puzzling and somewhat disturbing, as was that of the consultant I saw later.
Both looked right through me when I described the symptoms of side-effects, but
I never restarted the Bisoprolol.
In my case, I sought a second opinion, which resulted in a far better outcome.
If your not being supported by your GP, get pushy for better advice and alternatives...
Best wishes, James
Hi James,
Over the last few months I have reduced my medication down to half a tablet of Bisoprolol and half a tablet of aspirin. A week ago I stopped them completely and all of the side effects, including my angina, have now disappeared. I am seeing my consultant on the 12th so watch this space!!
Sharon.
Hi again Sharon. Nice to know you are clear of Bispoprolol and already feeling better and fitter!
In my case, I just stopped, and frankly, would rather have popped my clogs than carry on taking it.
I went without anything for about 6 months (I'm not advising it) till finally got the ok for an ablation. That was almost two years ago, and seems to have been successful.
Trouble is, I'm a bit of a *+%# when it comes to prescription drugs. Having been told my AF was cured, I was nevertheless prescribed Warfarin 'just in case', which I resent having to take...and probably wont.
Regards and best wishes,
James
PS DO NOT FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE ALL YOU GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE!
What was happening during the six months you were waiting for the ablation?
Hi Derek,
Having done with the beta blocker, I continued to have bouts of AF, (which, incidentally, had not stopped even WITH the Bisoprolol), during the 6-7 months, which worried me somewhat, having found out AF can cause strokes.
After the ablation, my GP discovered, via a 3-day Holter Monitor, that although the AF had seemingly been successfully treated, I had something called supraventricular tachycardia. This condition, I was later told by the consutant electrophysiologist, was not dangerous, and that if I didnt mind a mildly uncomfortable arrythmia now and then, would not require medicating...
Hello Sharon and James
Did you both come off Bisoprolol on your own? I've cut down to 1.25 per day from 2.5 but still suffering from zombie-like effects. Otherwise feeling good after a heart attack in May. Seeing my consultant tomorrow and am going to ask her if I can stop taking it. She'll probably say no but I think I might stop anyway. I'm also on aspirin, clopidogrel for a year, ramipril and statins. Prior to all of this I was in great shape. Now weary, depressed, 7 lbs heavier and look like I've been beaten up (covered in bruises which apparently is a side effect of the clopidogrel/aspirin combo). Anyone got any words of wisdom for me?
What is the bisoprolol doing other than lowering blood pressure and pulse rate? Think I'm on it as a preventative measure. Prior to heart attack, blood pressure and pulse were fine. Isn't the ramipril enough as a precaution? If I were to give up bisoprolol, would it be a good idea to cut my 1.25s in half or just stop?
Another precaution is the statins. On 40mg a day of Atorvastatin despite having very low cholesterol.
Oh well. could ramble on for ever but will stop here. Good luck to you both.
I may be wrong, but I don't think Bisoprolol would affect arrythmia, but is for slowing down the pulse rate overall. Therefore the only 'must', when suffering from many arrythmic conditions, is a drug for anti-coagulation, such as Warfarin, Pradaxa etc. There are many drugs which can control an erratic heartbeat, such as Flecainide in my own case which I took for a couple of years. Therefore, unless you have a very fast pulse, then it has always been my line of thought that Bisoprolol would not be an essential and could be questioned. I appreciate that the usual procedure is to use both Bisoprolol and an anti-arrythmic.
I have been off the Bisoprolol for four months now. I stopped immediately (started on 1.25, then 5 and increased to 7.5) at my own request to my hospital consultant (he didn't see this as risky) following a pacemaker implantation, after my pulse rate refused to come down with any drug they tried, and I have had no ill effects whatsoever. Because I still will always now have paroxysmal, if not permanent AFib as it progresses, I will have to continue the Pradaxa lifelong I am told. I keep a watch on my pulse rate with my blood pressure cuff, and if the trend was to rise again, then I would have to think about taking an additional drug, but nothing would induce me to take Bisoprolol again. Incidentally a pacemaker stops the beat from falling too slow but won't control an upward trend.
Although I still have odd bouts of AFib which debilitate me from time to time, overall I feel alive again and am doing stuff like gardening, shopping and house cleaning etc which would have been out of the question whilst taking Bisoprolol as I was too fatigued to do anything much except sit in a chair and feel miserable. I am now struggling to shed the excess weight I gained!