where can you find out about, or speak to someone about the long term effects of medication.

spoke to my doctor about a couple of problems i am having due to beta blockers.
he told me i would have to keep taking them until my consultant said otherwise. surely the decision would be my doctors as wether to keep me on them.

A pharmacist would be a good option, although using the internet sensibly will give you a lot of info, but beware of reading all the symptoms and applying them to yourself…

surely the decision would be my doctors as wether to keep me on them

Not really Ton – the GP referred you to a specialist, who’s given their advice and GP has less expertise in that area (you have AF and have had at least one ablation haven’t you ? – so for heart rate control presumably)

Are you going back to the consultant anytime soon ? They’ll know a great deal more about your personal case and need for the/whih drugs than anyone on here.

what problems ? If major, get GP to refer you back unless you’re going anyway

(Ed) as crikey says, pharmacist could advise re side effects but unlikely to go suggesting alternatives/stopping etc if they have any sense

Agree, had a very good chat with a pharmacist about my medication the other month.

i am waiting for a date at present, hopefully due to go back in for more ablation within a month or so.
spoke to the consultant last week, he told me i had to stay on the meds.
i told him i was having problems, to which he told me i would have to cope until i had seen him again.

Have you been appointed a cardiac nurse? They will give you good advice and can talk to the consultant on your behalf.

Drac, when i said i spoke to the consultant, i should have said, through the cardiac nurse.

Ah! Well in this case they weren’t too helpful. 😀

he was ok mate. he spoke to the consultant who did my ablation, and got back to me in the same day. the consultant said i had to stay on the bisoprolol even tho it was causing problems.

Pharmacist.

Is the is the shortness of breath you mentioned before causing you difficulties exercising? IIRC there is another drug that does what the beta blockers does but without the shortness of breath.

Try a self help / survivors group on the net but take a large pinch of salt with you 🙂

They usually are excellent but consultants won’t always budge, My Dad has AF and it’s took ages to get the meds right, the consultant was excellent though and dropped some and altered others even before seeing him. He is on some newer drug for his but it’s slipped my mind to what it is.

If you’re really keen, the British National Formulary tells everything that’s known. In some cases gives alternatives too.

Diltiazem maybe an option for you…