What is Bisoprolol?
The eponymous active ingredient Bisoprolol is one of the most prescribed hypertension drugs on the market today. This drug belongs to the group of beta-receptor blockers or beta-blockers. Beta-blockers prevent adrenaline from docking to the beta receptors of the heart, relieving stress. Therefore, they are useful in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, palpitations, heart failure, and heart disease.
What exactly is Bisoprolol used for?
Bisoprolol is prescribed for:
- Hypertension
- Angina
- Tachycardia
- Chronic heart failure
Consequences of high blood pressure
When there is a disturbance in the natural system of the body, it can lead to high blood pressure, which the patient does not feel due to the lack of symptoms. Therefore, the patient does not notice when hypertension gradually gets worse. Constant unnoticed hypertension affects small vessels in the eye and kidneys. Consequently, long-term unrecognized hypertension may result in loss of vision and severe kidney dysfunction.
The effect of the beta- blockers
By docking on the so-called beta-receptors in the heart, the hormone adrenaline and the neurotransmitter norepinephrine cause an increase in cardiac muscle activity. As a result, heart strength and heart rate increase, causing a reduction in the stimulation threshold of the heart. This means that the pumping power of the heart increases and so does the blood pressure.
The beta-blocker Bisoprolol has the ability to block these receptors so that epinephrine and norepinephrine can no longer dock, causing a decrease in adrenaline. This lowers the blood pressure, as well as the oxygen and energy consumption of the heart, which finally results in the reduction of blood pressure, the relief of the heart muscle, and the reduction of the overall heart work.
Unlike ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers slow the heart rate, while ACE inhibitors do not alter the heart rate. If a patient with hypertension is under the age of 60 and has cardiac arrhythmias or heart problems, then beta-blockers are preferable to ACE inhibitors.
Who can take Bisoprolol?
Bisoprolol can be prescribed to healthy adults, who tolerate the active ingredient and do not have any serious health issues. Women who breastfeed can take the drug, as it has not been shown to pass into breast milk. However, pregnant women should have a strict risk analysis made by the doctor before initiating this therapy, as Bisoprolol may affect the development of the fetus. Careful monitoring of uterine and placental blood flow should be made throughout the pregnancy.
Dosage of the drug
The dose of Bisoprolol should initially be low and, if necessary, increased. The treatment should not be abruptly discontinued or lessened. To explain, sudden withdrawal can trigger dangerous blood pressure spikes, which in this case is called a rebound effect.
Bisoprolol Leaflet
Side effects
As with all medications, you can experience certain side effects when taking Bisoprolol.
Frequent side effects include:
- Circulatory disorders
- Headache
- Blood pressure drop
- Severely slowed heartbeat
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Dizziness
- Emerging or worsening psoriasis
- Cramping of the airway muscles
- Sleep disorders
Rare side effects include:
- Hallucinations
- Mood swings
- Erectile dysfunction.
In the case of vascular diseases, Bisoprolol can cause numbness, as well as cold feeling in the arms and legs. Also, in the case of diabetes mellitus, the drug may obscure the occurring hypoglycemia.
If any of the above or other side effects occur, tell your doctor immediately. Read the Patient Information Leaflet for detailed information on side effects, contraindications, and drug interactions.
Interactions and contraindications
Caution is advised when combining Bisoprolol with:
- With other central antihypertensive drugs such as Clonidine
- Calcium antagonists such as Nifedipine
- Drugs for cardiac arrhythmias such as Lidocaine and Amiodarone
- Alcohol can increase the effect of Bisoprolol
In terms of contraindications, you should not take the drug if you have:
- Known hypersensitivity to Bisoprolol
- Decompensated heart failure (not cured)
- Cardiogenic shock
- Disorders of the conduction of the heart
- Pathologically slowed heartbeat
- Severe irritation -concentration to the heart muscle
- Patients with low blood pressure or with a systole value below 100 mmHg
- Severe bronchial asthma
- Severe chronic lung disease
- Circulatory disorders in the late stages of peripheral arterial occlusive disease
- Raynaud's syndrome
- Disorders of the acid-base balance or over acidification of the body
- Untreated disease of the adrenal medulla
- Simultaneous administration of MAO inhibitors against depression
Buy Bisoprolol online
You can choose the treatment on Apomeds and fill out an online questionnaire about your medical history and health condition. Our EU-licensed doctors will review your answers and issue you a follow-up prescription if you are eligible for this medication. We will send you the product, along with the follow-up prescription, directly to your home, within 48 hours.
Next to Bisoprolol, we also offer the following drugs for high blood pressure:
Please keep in mind that at Apomeds, we can only issue a follow-up prescription for hypertension medications!
Disclaimer: Please note that the drug you see in the picture indicates one of the possible manufacturers of the drug. We might send you a drug from a different manufacturer. All products comply with the highest EU standards.
