Bispro (Bisoprolol Fumarate)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Bispro Used For?
Bispro contains bisoprolol fumarate and is specifically designed to treat heart failure, usually in combination with other medications.
Primary Uses
Bispro is used to treat heart failure, a condition where the heart muscle is weak and unable to pump enough blood to supply the body’s needs. Heart failure may start with no symptoms but can progress to cause shortness of breath and swelling of feet and ankles due to fluid buildup.
How It Works
Bispro belongs to a group of medicines called beta blockers. These work by affecting the body’s response to nerve impulses, especially in the heart. This decreases the heart’s need for blood and oxygen, reducing the amount of work the heart has to do. Bispro also slows your heart rate, which increases the efficiency of your heart. It can help reduce the number of heart failure episodes needing hospital admission and also the risk of sudden death.
Good to know: There is no evidence that Bispro is addictive.
How to Take Bispro
Bispro should be taken exactly as prescribed by your doctor, with careful monitoring during the initial treatment period.
Dosage Instructions
The usual starting dose is 1.25 mg once daily for a week. If well tolerated, your doctor will gradually increase your dose over the next ten weeks. The usual dose for maintenance therapy is 10 mg once daily. Take Bispro in the morning, with or without food. Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water. Do not crush or chew the tablets as they will not work as well. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure, heart rate and other vital signs carefully after you start treatment and during dose increases.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you miss your dose at the usual time and it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to. Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your tablets as you would normally.
Important: Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed. This may increase the chance of you getting an unwanted side effect.
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- Tiredness, feeling weak
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Sleep disturbances, nightmares
- Nausea, vomiting
- Diarrhea, constipation
- Feeling of coldness or numbness in hands or feet
- Allergic runny nose
- Hair loss
- Sexual problems
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Muscular weakness or cramps
- Dizziness or light-headedness (sometimes with fainting), especially on standing up
- Very slow heart beat
- Hallucinations
- Depression
- Irritation or redness of the eye
- Skin reactions such as rash, flush, itching, worsening of psoriasis
- Difficulty hearing
- Fainting
- Swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat which may cause difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Signs of worsening heart failure
- Chest tightness, wheezing, rattly breathing
- Yellowing of skin or eyes, dark colored urine, itching, generally feeling unwell
- Irregular heart beating
Important Warnings
There are several important conditions and situations where Bispro should not be used or requires special caution.
Who Should Not Take Bispro
Do not take Bispro if you are allergic to bisoprolol or any ingredients; have severe heart failure not controlled medically, worsening heart failure requiring injection medicines, cardiogenic shock, certain heart rhythm problems causing very slow or uneven heartbeat, or low blood pressure; have severe asthma or severe chronic obstructive lung disease, severe blood circulation problems in limbs, untreated phaeochromocytoma, or metabolic acidosis.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Check with your doctor if you have asthma or breathing problems, heart diseases, diabetes, allergic conditions, psoriasis, thyroid disorder, blood vessel disorders causing poor circulation, kidney or liver problems, or phaeochromocytoma. Also inform your doctor if you are going to have anaesthesia for surgery.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Bispro may affect your developing baby if taken during pregnancy. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits. Like most beta-blocker medicines, Bispro is not recommended while breastfeeding. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits when breastfeeding.
Never stop suddenly: Do not stop taking Bispro or lower the dose without checking with your doctor. If you stop suddenly, your condition may worsen or other heart complications may occur.
Drug Interactions
Several medications can interfere with Bispro and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking.
- Anti-arrhythmic medicines (disopyramide, lidocaine, phenytoin, flecainide, amiodarone)
- Calcium antagonists (diltiazem, verapamil, felodipine, amlodipine)
- Blood pressure medicines (clonidine, methyldopa, moxonidine)
- Anti-inflammatory medicines (ibuprofen, diclofenac)
- Eye drops for glaucoma treatment
- Insulin and oral diabetes drugs
- Anaesthetic agents
- Digoxin
- Ergot derivatives for migraines
- Rifampicin
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Barbiturates
- Phenothiazines
- Mefloquine
- Adrenaline (epinephrine)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (phenelzine, tranylcypromine)
Alcohol & Driving
Bispro can affect your ability to drive and may interact with alcohol, especially when starting treatment.
Alcohol
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. Effects of alcohol should be considered particularly at the start of treatment and upon change of medication.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Bispro affects you. Bispro may cause tiredness, dizziness or lightheadedness in some people, especially after the first dose. If you have any of these symptoms, do not drive, operate machinery or do anything else that could be dangerous. Be careful getting up from a sitting or lying position as dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting may occur, especially when you get up quickly.
Storage
Store Bispro 2.5 mg below 25°C and Bispro 5 mg and 10 mg below 30°C. Keep tablets in the blister pack until it’s time to take them. Store in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight. Do not store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car or on window sills. Keep where young children cannot reach it – a locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is recommended.
Overdose Information
If you think you or anyone else may have taken too much Bispro, urgent medical attention may be needed. Immediately phone the Poisons Information Centre (Australia telephone 13 11 26) for advice, contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. Symptoms of overdose may include slowed heart rate, difficulty breathing, marked drop in blood pressure, severe heart failure, or a decrease in blood sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bispro treatment starts with a gradual dose increase over ten weeks. Your doctor will monitor your progress and adjust the dose as needed for optimal heart failure management.
Yes, Bispro should be taken in the morning with or without food. Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water.
No, there is no evidence that Bispro is addictive.
Never stop taking Bispro suddenly without checking with your doctor. If you stop suddenly, your condition may worsen or other heart complications may occur. If you need to stop treatment, your doctor will usually advise you to reduce the dose gradually.
Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol. Effects of alcohol should be considered particularly at the start of treatment and upon change of medication.
If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose when scheduled. Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
If you’re being treated for diabetes, check your blood sugar level regularly and report any changes to your doctor. Bispro may change how well your diabetes is controlled and may cover up some symptoms of low blood sugar, such as fast heartbeat.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.