Bisoprolol effects or health problem?

[Bob2888]

Hi, I am a 34 years old male.

For the last 2-3 years I had palpitations and 1-2 episodes of Spvt (or short Atrial fibrillation lasting 10-30 seconds) per Month. (My cardiologist said that based on my symptoms).

I have done Ecg, Echo, holter and a stress test. All results were fine.

But, I was scared a lot by those episodes and over time, a doctor suggested me to take a low dose of some Beta blockers.

I have happily accepted that...

Before this, I was able to walk 1 hour every day (without any problems) and live a regular life (except playing sports since it could trigger the spvt sometimes).

In January 2015, I started to take the lowest those of Nebivolol. Everything was fine for the first few weeks, but then I started to experience breathing problems, while walking, sitting, watching tv, everything. Also, I have realized that I could walk less and less in those days. From 1 hour of walking before beta blockers, I dropped to 10-15 minutes of walking. Also, my episodes of Spvt suddenly started to repeat more often than without Beta blockers.

After 3 Months, I have asked my doctor for a different BB, since this one wasn't helping. She gave me 1,25 Mg of Bisoprolol. For the first 10 days, it was good, but then my breathing, walking and everything started to be even worse than on Nebivolol. I thought that it is normal side effect, and I have continued Bisoprolol for the next 7 Months.

My breathing didn't get better over time. Also, over time, I have developed a new problem: for 2-3 days I would feel fine, I could walk, and do excercise without any problem. And then, on the 4th day, without any reason, I couldn't get out of bed. I would be extremely tired, my heart would race when I would stand up (for 10-20 seconds) or after any change of position, urinating, bending down, everything. But the worst part, my lungs would feel "totally dead" on those days. As if you gave some kind of anesthesia to my lungs, and I would feel as if I can't breath at all automatically. I could breath only "manualy". I felt as if the brain is not sending signals to my lungs at all. Also, on these days, I couldn't walk at all. After 1-2 minutes, I would be "dead". My heart would feel as if it can't beat/go faster, and lungs were just dead all the time. I would have zero amount of air or energy.

The strangest thing is, on the next day, I would feel more or less 100% fine. I could walk 15-20 minutes without too much problems, do excercise and a normal activity, and the lungs would breathe almost "normal".

But then again, after 2-3 good days, I would have 1-2 days where I couldn't do virtually do any physical activity. I have read a lot of other topics here, and I had all similar side effects: being tired, troubles with breathing, no energy, flu-like feel, feeling like you have 80 years, feeling totally down all the time due to all symptoms...

I thought that I need more "activity" and tried to walk more often, but it didn't help. On days when I would fell "bad", if I would walk, breathing and other symptoms would only get worse and the "episode" of "a bad day" would then last for 2-3 days instead of 1 day.

So, basically, the only solution was to lie in bed the whole day and not do anything, because everything causes enormous stress to lungs/heart and everything just turns even worse...

In October, I decided to lower my dose of Bisoprolol, and over the last 2 Months, I have lowered the dose from 1,25 Mg to 0,60 Mg and 0,30 Mg. But breathing problems and "bad days" were still here.

Now, I haven't took Bisoprolol for the last 14 days. I have slightly more energy, I am not that tired, but symptoms of breathing problems and "bad days" when I can barely walk are still here and they are repeating each 3-4 days.

Also, before taking BB, my BP was 120-130. In the last few Months with Biso, my BP dropped to 95-100-105. And BP was around 105 all the time for the first 10 days (after stopping it), but in the last 2 days, a rebound effect kicked in, and I have a BP around 145-150 more or less.

Now, please, can anyone help? Does any of you have these "bad days" when you can barely walk to a kitchen? When I go to my doctor, he says: Your heart is fine, according to tests, I don't know what to do.

Since when I started to use BB; my health deteriorated a lot.

And now, 14 days after quitting, I still feel equally as bad (those bad days) and now even my BP jumped a lot.

It could be that my health deteriorated (not because of BB), but all my results are fine (I have done Ecg and Echo 2 Months ago), they were all "fine"...

Doctors and tests say that I should be fine, while I can barely get out of bed on some days.

Thanks, cheers

[Bob2888]

Martin, from my experience, they can.

Before Bisoprolol, I would get a Spvt attack lasting 10-15 seconds, let's say once in a Month. And longer episodes (a few minutes) every 6 Months.

When I started BBs, my longer episodes disappeared (so, BBs were helping with longer episodes), but I started to have tons of 10-15 seconds episodes, every day at least one episode.

After one year of horrible side effects (hard to breathe and because of that hard to walk or do anything as months passed by) I weaned off from BBs.
Shorter episodes stopped right away (for some reason, BBs were causing them), but then longer episodes returned, and now they were much stronger because my body and heart got used to BBs, and then your cells become more sensitive to adrenaline.
So, when you stop taking BBs after a long period of taking them, you can get a rebound effect of your "original" illness, but more often, it will hit you way harder then before Beta Blockers.

So, I am back on BBs now... I will try to find some with less side effects.

About BBs and other heart medicines, for some people they work awesome, but for some they cause new arrhytmias, new strange "rhytms" and lots of side effects.

** Tacolino, hi.
Yes, I know about the rebound effect. I have experienced both BP rebound for a few days (even though I never had a high blood pressure before BBs), then a high pulse while resting for one month and then attacks of my original illness, but much stronger then before BBs, because heart and cells were extra sensitive to adrenaline and those attacks (because BBs changed their original way of working and coping with adrenaline, activity and stress)...

[tacolino]

Hi there. There is a common problem of effects when you stop beata blockers. Often you get a rebound Tachycardia for a few days. I took Bisoprolol myself (Along with 7 other BP meds, so I cant honestly tell which ones were wrecking me!. I do know however that most docs are just happy when the BP numbers are down. Its a bit like' Job Done', and they don't care too much about the side effects. Every day for me is like your bad day. From the time I started taking the meds, its been a changed life to be honest. I suffer with high BP. 52 yr old male.

[Martin294]

I had pretty bad palpitations when I resumed 24-hourly BBs recently (such that I quickly went back to 36-hourly) - they were prolonged, which was a first for me.  But maybe this was just a one-off or a coincidence - surely they can't cause palpitations?

[Bob2888]

Thanks Martin.

Honestly, on Bisoprolol  I felt so bad that I wanted to cry every day. I was unable to walk on some days, breathe, talk for longer than 2 minutes etc.

Now I will try Metoprolol. I know that all BBs have a lot of horrible effects, but currently I will happy if the side effects (for me) on a new medicine will be at 50-70% of what I felt on Bisoprolol, I will be very, very happy.

I was ill, without any energy, and with insane breathing and walking problems on Bisoprolol. If I will be able to find a medicine one day with only "mild" side effects like headaches, dizziness, nausea and moderate tiredness and similar, I will be very happy.

About your pins and needles, I had to take Bisoprolol for a few days now until I get a new medicine, and I have very cold fingers and sometimes pins and needles right away.

Which BB are you taking?

Thanks

[Martin294]

I take Bisoprolol, Bob.  I know my wife's cousin took BBs and gave them up as a bad job, such were the side-effects.

[Martin294]

Hi, and sorry to hear about your ongoing issues with BBs.  I can't help in terms of what to do next but wanted to sympathise.  I've been on BBs since June and have experienced the same symptoms, ie tiredness, needing a big gulp of air, and a feeling of constriction in the throat.  I was warned that BBs could have unpleasant effects when I started them to treat my palpitations.  So I now take 2.5mg every 36 hours instead of every 24 - the cardiologist said I should take a bit more or a bit less depending on how I felt the palpitations were under control and how the side-effects were.  But now I find that I've pins and needles in my fingertips.  I've had cold fingertips since I started the BBs but the P and Ns  are new.  Do you get this?  I suppose I'm just wondering whether P and Ns are a common side-effect.

[Bob2888]

Hi. It seems that Bisoprolol did cause my breathing and energy problems.
I stopped taking it, and everything was fine, but after 60 days I had 2 big episodes of sinus tachycardia with HR 165 when I came to ER.
The doctor told me that I will need to take Beta Blockers again.

Any idea about some other Beta blocker, like Metoprolol or similar, or some other medicine which could cause less side effects (trouble breathing, trouble walking longer than 10 minutes, low energy, flu like symptoms...?

Thanks

[researcher09]

Sorry to hear of your AF issues.  Based upon your description, you are sensitive to beta blockers so ablation is probably an option you should consider especially at your young age.  You have a high volume center that apparently has the same standards as western EU centers so they should be able to do a reasonably good procedure for you.