My neighbour gets paroxysmal AF and her EP said she should take bisoprolol when it happens. It usually lowers her heart rate. She woke this morning with AF and heart rate of 120 to 130. She has taken 12.5mg of bisoprolol spaced out during the day but she is still in AF at 7pm (UK time) and heart rate is still high Can anyone help with advice about how much bisoprolol she should take? I have given her some Waller Water concentrate so that she gets a good dose of magnesium, and have advised her to take potassium. Gill https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198980#msg-198980 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:57:43 +0000 Phorum 5.2.23 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199028#msg-199028 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199028#msg-199028 Carey AFIBBERS FORUM Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:03:12 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199027#msg-199027 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199027#msg-199027
The Flecainide worked - by yesterday evening heart rate was back at 70bpm but she was still in AF. This morning she’s back in nsr with normal heart rate. She now knows what to do if it happens again.

Thank you both for your comments.

Gill]]> Gill AFIBBERS FORUM Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:42:43 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199010#msg-199010 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199010#msg-199010
The bisoprolol, like metoprolol, is a 'rate control' drug, not an anti-arrhythmic drug. What it is 'supposed to do' is to reduce the rate when there is a tachyarrhythmia, and it works modestly well, in my limited experience. Some patients do better than others. But, if the arrhythmia persists, and it won't reduce to a count under 100 BPM, the conventional advice from cardiologists and electrophysiologists is that you should seek assistance at the local emergency facility soon after 24 hours have passed.

Good luck, Gill.]]> gloaming AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 17 Feb 2025 16:44:17 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199000#msg-199000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,199000#msg-199000
She has been in touch with her GP who said that bisoprolol is not going to stop the tachycardia. He has prescribed 2 tablets of Flecainide, one to be taken now, the other later in the day. If that doesn’t work then she has to go to the ER.

Gill (pronounced 'Jill' and female!)]]> Gill AFIBBERS FORUM Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:35:49 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198991#msg-198991 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198991#msg-198991 Carey AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 16 Feb 2025 23:50:08 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198990#msg-198990 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198990#msg-198990
She has seen EPs during the last two years but isn’t due for another appointment for a while. She is concerned about the high heart rate, which was 130. Bisoprolol has slowed it down in the past but doesn’t seem to be doing that today.

(I haven’t posted for a long time but used to be a regular contributor to this group, know quite a lot about AF which is why she asked me. I had AF for over 50 years, ablation in Bordeaux 2003 for long term persistent AF which lasted 19 years. Another in Bordeaux 2023 still working.)

Gill]]> Gill AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 16 Feb 2025 23:20:25 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198988#msg-198988 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198988#msg-198988 Carey AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 16 Feb 2025 21:56:32 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198985#msg-198985 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198985#msg-198985
After being underfunded for 14 years by the previous government the National Health Service is in dire straits and if you go to the ER you are faced with a wait of perhaps 15 hours before you see a doctor. There are some very knowledgeable people on this forum and I was hoping to hear their opinions. My neighbour knows the maximum daily dose.

Gill]]> Gill AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 16 Feb 2025 20:19:12 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198984#msg-198984 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198984#msg-198984 gloaming AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 16 Feb 2025 19:48:15 +0000 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198980#msg-198980 https://www.afibbers.org/forum/read.php?9,198980,198980#msg-198980
She woke this morning with AF and heart rate of 120 to 130. She has taken 12.5mg of bisoprolol spaced out during the day but she is still in AF at 7pm (UK time) and heart rate is still high

Can anyone help with advice about how much bisoprolol she should take? I have given her some Waller Water concentrate so that she gets a good dose of magnesium, and have advised her to take potassium.

Gill]]> Gill AFIBBERS FORUM Sun, 16 Feb 2025 19:01:51 +0000