irregular heart beat - bisoporol Fumanate

I take Bisoprolol 5mg and found that I can fall asleep after I have taken it, strange sensation as I usually have just had eight hours sleep.

I've been on Bisoprolol Fumarate 5mg once a day for about 25 years having tried many things for hypertension which had various quite dramatic side effects. My B/P is stable and that's the main thing as it was 240/190 at one stage in my twenties after giving birth - we now know it was undiagnosed Lupus. I have extreme lethargy but its usually put down to Lupus. There are a number of other drugs to try now. Its helpful for your clinicians in deciding what to prescribe if you keep a diary of your signs and symptoms.

Do you know jingle, I suspect you may be right. Thanks, the sunshine is very welcome. My husband also had a chest infection, which started the week after mine. He had 2 lots of antibiotics and is still finding he tires easily. I'm on immuno suppressants for RA so if I do get an infection, it tends to be a cracker. I googled the anti tnf treatment I've been on for RA for over 2 years and guess what - women over 60 on that medication for 2 years are at greater risk of irregular heart beat. I've emailed the lovely pharmacist at my rheumatology department and she plans to research and discuss with my rheumatologist. It is as it is, as we all know. Once we have to take medication for a significant condition, the risk is we develop another condition and so it goes on.

Thanks again everyone

Iam 64 do you think the tiredness could still be down to having the chest infection? It does see to take longer to recover from these things as we get older. The after effects can last a long time.

Hope you are better soon. wishing you some .

I should have said to Iam64 that H's AF was also picked up after a severe chest infection and Pneumonia from which he took about 3months to fully recover.

My OH has paroxysmal AF and he too is on Flecainide and thankfully has not had a major episode since. He also takes a beta blocker, which does slow him down - or that could be the PD. It is difficult to know.

My DH has AF and had cardioversion which is the electric shock treatment.He had to be on Warfarin for some months before to get a regular INR but the cv didn't work for him. After seeing another consultant he was taken off meds and told to "go away and enjoy your life" which he did,just taking aspirin .Now however,as he is over 75,he is back on warfarin as everyone with AF seems to be.

Cauterisation would have been the next step had it not worked, but this is a 'proper' operation and a lot more complicated.

Iam64, in the case of the person I am talking about- the tiredness was caused by the condition, not the drugs.

If they do decide to propose the electrical shock conversion- please do not hesitate as it is very simple and painless. It does not work for everyone. When this person had it done, they said the heart could go back into arythmia within days, or nor- it's been nearly 3 years so for him, it was almost a miracle cure.

I have had problems with high blood pressure for a long time and about a year ago I had a change in medication because one of them was causing swollen ankles. For the next few months my pressure was a tad up and down as the medication settled but culminated at the end of last August when I collapsed in Bergerac on a hot Saturday afternoon causing a bit of a stir and ended up in hospital a couple of nights. I cannot praise the medics enough for the treatment etc and then I was followed up with a number of tests CT scans, wires on my head and seeing a neurologist and an MRI scan. All of these tests were sort of fine and the conclusion was reached that I had an epileptic fit caused by a spike in blood pressure - it was 190 when I was in hospital - so I had more meds changed. Amongst this change and and many check ups I too was prescribed Nevibolol and have experienced tiredness and also the breathlessness when exercising or walking up inclines. The GP said I could have the Nevibolol as my heart was OK - had been given a test in hospital.
On Monday I am seeing a cardiologist for a normal check up - here if you need any operation needing an anaesthetic and they like to have a history - OH is seeing him too to help build his history - he had full tests before a couple of years ago. I will ask about this medication when next I see the GP - writing this I have just realise I did not go and have my blood test last week - have a prescription to go before seeing the cardio! Will take the previous one I had a couple of months ago and hope that is OK!!

It's atrial fibrilation - sorry should have said. My GP mentioned the shock treatment as a possibility. Many thanks for all these helpful responses

For some years my husband had problems with being tired and fluctuating heart rhythm. (this was some 15 years after having a triple by-pass which was an absolute success). He had the shock treatment mentioned above, three times, and each time the treatment worked, but the heart then went out of rhythm again, resulting in breathlessness and tiredness. Eventually it was decided to cauterize (not sure if that is the right expression) part of the valve that was causing the problem. One or two tests lead to this decision, but it was the ideal solution to what had been an on-going problem. It meant an over-night stay in hospital, not major surgery. This is probably not what you want, but just another angle on what is available.

I'm on Nebivolol 5mg and Perindopril 4mg. I have tiredness and have to sleep during the day to cope. I don't know if it's the tablets or the condition causing it but it sure stops me making plans to do most things.

You don't say what arrhythmia you have, but my cardiologist put me on Flecainide and Diltiazem for my AF, expressly because Bisoprolol buggers up your ability to exercise. Flecainide is the rhythm control drug that keeps your heart in the correct rhythm, and the Diltiazem is a rate control drug that is only there as a safety back up to limit the heart rate if the Flecainide doesn't work.

On a couple of occasions I was given 5mg of Bisoprolol on top of the Flecainide and Diltiazem by A&E doctors, and I was close to passing out when they discharged me. The cardiologist said I should never have been given them, Diltiazem and Bisoprolol together is the equivalent of taking an overdose.

It could well be the heart arythmia which is causing tiredness- a if the valves are not working properly and the heart becomes enlarged- perhaps- as happened to one of my loved ones. Perhaps ask your cardiologist about the possibility of having electric shock treatment- if that could be suitable for your case. He had it done at the hopsital, with only local sedation- they shock the heart to stop it- and it then re-starts- often in correct rhythm. He had it done nearly 3 years ago, his heart has shrunk back and the valves are working almost 100% and he is like a new man. May not be suitable for you though- so all the best.

have been on a beta blocker for 26 years can remember feeling breathless and a feeling of my heart slowing down,tiredness is a side effect and when I was taking highest dose was unable to function fully.I take Half Inderal 80mg the strongest is 160mg,but still suffer from extreme tiredness,I take mine for anxiety related hypertension,although this drug can treat migraine and some heart conditions as well [generic name is propranolol]

I have taken this recently after having an irregular heartbeat - it worked very well, and I have been able to go off this now. I did find that I was more tired when I was on it. You are on a very small dose.

If it were me I would stick with it until you see the cardiologist and discuss it with him/her. You may have to bite the bullet on the tiredness in favour of keeping your heart rate stable. Good luck with this.