bisoprolol

Do not skip doses or stop taking bisoprolol without first talking to your doctor. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse or cause other serious heart problems.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon that you are using bisoprolol. You may need to briefly stop using bisoprolol before having surgery.

Bisoprolol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol, which could increase drowsiness and dizziness while you are taking bisoprolol.

Bisoprolol is only part of a complete program of treatment for hypertension that may also include diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely if you are being treated for hypertension.

Hypertension often has no symptoms, so you may not even feel that you have high blood pressure. Continue using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

Bisoprolol is in a group of drugs called beta-blockers. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulation (blood flow through arteries and veins).

Bisoprolol is used to treat hypertension (high blood pressure).

Bisoprolol may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Before taking bisoprolol, tell your doctor if you have:

• asthma, bronchitis, emphysema;
• diabetes;
• low blood pressure;
• a heart problem such as heart block, sick sinus syndrome, slow heart rate, or congestive heart failure;
• depression;
• liver or kidney disease;
• a thyroid disorder;
• myasthenia gravis;
• pheochromocytoma; or
• problems with circulation (such as Raynaud's syndrome).

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use bisoprolol, or you may need a dose adjustment or special tests during treatment.

FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

It is not known whether bisoprolol passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Take bisoprolol exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts or for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take this medication with a full glass of water.

Take bisoprolol at the same time every day.

Do not skip doses or stop taking bisoprolol without first talking to your doctor. Stopping suddenly may make your condition worse or cause other serious heart problems.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood pressure will need to be checked on a regular basis. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

If you need to have any type of surgery, tell the surgeon that you are using bisoprolol. You may need to briefly stop using bisoprolol before having surgery.

Bisoprolol is only part of a complete program of treatment for hypertension that may also include diet, exercise, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely if you are being treated for hypertension.

Hypertension often has no symptoms, so you may not even feel that you have high blood pressure. Continue using this medicine as directed, even if you feel well. You may need to use blood pressure medication for the rest of your life.

Store bisoprolol at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If your next dose is less than 4 hours away, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include uneven heartbeats, shortness of breath, bluish-colored fingernails, dizziness, weakness, fainting, or seizure (convulsions).

Bisoprolol can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol, which could increase drowsiness and dizziness while you are taking bisoprolol.

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• slow or uneven heartbeats;
• feeling light-headed, fainting;
• feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion;
• swelling of your ankles or feet;
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• depression; or
• cold feeling in your hands and feet.

Less serious side effects may include:

• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm;
• sleep problems (insomnia);
• tired feeling; or
• anxiety, nervousness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

Before taking bisoprolol, tell your doctor if you are using:

• allergy treatments (or if you are undergoing allergy skin-testing);
• clonidine (Catapres);
• digitalis (digoxin, Lanoxin);
• guanabenz (Wytensin);
• cold medicines, stimulant medicines, or diet pills;
• an MAO inhibitor such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), or selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam);
• a diabetes medication such as insulin, glyburide (Diabeta, Micronase, Glynase), glipizide (Glucotrol), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), or metformin (Glucophage);
• a heart medication such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), reserpine (Serpasil), verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), diltiazem (Cartia, Cardizem);
• medicine for asthma or other breathing disorders, such as albuterol (Ventolin, Proventil), bitolterol (Tornalate), metaproterenol (Alupent), pirbuterol (Maxair), terbutaline (Brethaire, Brethine, Bricanyl), and theophylline (Theo-Dur, Theolair); or
• a beta-blocker such as atenolol (Tenormin), bisoprolol (Zebeta), labetalol (Normodyne, Trandate), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), sotalol (Betapace), or timolol (Blocadren), and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with bisoprolol. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Your pharmacist can provide more information about bisoprolol.