Bisoprolol is a beta blocker medicine used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure.
If you have high blood pressure, taking bisoprolol helps prevent future heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
Bisoprolol is also used to prevent chest pain caused by angina.
It's also used to treat atrial fibrillation and other conditions that cause an irregular heartbeat.
It works by slowing down your heart rate and making it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body.
Bisoprolol is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets.
Key facts
- Bisoprolol starts to work after about 2 hours to reduce high blood pressure, but it can take 2 to 6 weeks to fully take effect.
- Your very first dose may make you feel dizzy, so take it at bedtime. After that, if you do not feel dizzy, it's best to take it in the morning.
- You'll usually take bisoprolol once a day in the morning.
- The main side effects are feeling dizzy or sick, headaches, cold hands or feet, constipation or diarrhoea. These are usually mild and do not last for long.
- It's best to stop drinking alcohol when you first start taking bisoprolol, or when your dose increases, until you see how the medicine affects you.
- Tell your doctor that you're taking bisoprolol if you're going to have an anaesthetic. You may need to stop taking it 48 hours before surgery.