My GP recently prescribed Ramipril because I have been having spikes in blood pressure, possibly caused by stress. She seemed slightly doubtful that I would stick with it though. I have noticed what I think are good effects eg freezing legs not nearly so bad, but initially was affected by bouts of wind and tummy gurgling which I think may have been the Ramipril fighting with my diltiazem!
However, my cough has got worse, but I am reluctant to blame it all on the Ramipril because I already had a slight chronic cough and laryngitis as well as asthma. So I’m having difficulty sorting out what’s an ongoing problem and what might be the fault of the Ramipril. I’d like to hear other peoples experience - already done a search but it wasn’t that helpful.
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Buffafly
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Hi Buffy - We seem to have similar problems. AF and heart failure diagnosed Jan 2014 - meds Biso, Digoxin for AF Ramipril for HF plus Rivaroxaban. 2015 stopped Digoxin causing memory problems prescribed Diltazem 180 slow release. Always hated being on Biso and had some lung issues so 3 years ago changed from Biso to Nebivolol.At the beginning I seemed to get on okay with the drugs, Biso was a problem a few times they tried to increase dose from 5mg to 7.5mn but that spaced me out to refused to increase it. Ramipril has given me a slight cough but like you as I have lung problems I have a cough at times anyway, some people seem to have a persistent cough with Ramipril I cann't say that I have that. I have never suffered from cold feet but I do have some ankle and feet problems, rash and tightness but this has only been for the last 4 years, I have always put this down to beta blocker.
After about 2 years on these meds I started to get tummy rumbling and bloating which gradually got worse over the years. I am not sue what causes this, some say beta blockers, I sometimes wonder if after a few years of being on all these meds our stomachs start to react!!!!! I have never suffered with indigestion or any stomach problems before as they say had a cast iron stomach but nowadays I do have to be more careful with what I eat. About 6 months ago I did start to use Kefir (I used to have cereal for breakfast with soya milk) stopped the soya and used kefir. It has made a huge difference to the bloating, hardly any at all.
So eight years on my meds are Nebivolol, Diltaizem, Rivroxaban and Ramipril. I did try another of the pril medications but it made no difference to the cough so went back to Ramipril. I was told that the Ramipril was for the HF (which is under control) to help the heart pump more efficiently which I guess helps with blood pressure. I am on 5mg which I take at night. If my blood pressure goes a bit haywire I can take an extra 2.5mg, for a few days to help BP settle. It has a few cons but I am happy with it. Hope this helps.
I’ve been taking 10 mg daily for about 4 years, I don’t seem to cough that much and I am asthmatic, I sometimes get a tickley cough but nothing to worry about.
Hello Buffafly I started on Ramipril about 20 years ago for high blood pressure. I was 57 then and it had always been low before. I had a slight cough and swollen ankles at first but over the years both effects disappeared. I was and still am on 5mg a day. In September 2019 I was diagnosed with AF. Now on Apixaban and bisoprolol. Stress, alcohol and too much caffeine tend to set off AF. I don't enjoy the alcohol as I used to, so I don't drink now. If I win the lottery or have some great news I could force myself to sip some champagne.
Hi Buffafly, sorry to hear about the BP spikes, and the stress that might be causing it
So, my experiences... I’ve been on Ramipril for (stress related) high blood pressure for about 10 years, starting aged around 40. It was my first medication, before my AF diagnosis and meds, so for me it’s the easiest one to isolate re side effects. I found I had a dry cough for a while, but it wasn’t really bothersome and it completely disappeared after maybe a couple of months. I did feel I also started having more vivid dreams, which have not gone away. I started on the lowest dosage (1.25?) but over the next two years gradually titrated up to 10mg with no additional noticeable side effects. Mind you, I have a lot of random symptoms which are variously attributed to different conditions, or just puzzled over, so I do find it hard to be sure what’s ‘me’ and what’s the meds. (One reason I hate taking meds!)
And I do find that most doctors are generally reluctant to accept that medication might be responsible for a negative symptom (hence I’m still on Bisoprolol despite having asthma!)
Anyway, until this point I was taking Ramipril in the mornings. I switched to evening so that i’d have good coverage when I woke up, as my BP was spiking when I got up. I did feel my dreams got more vivid and disturbing, but I’m not sure if it was the ramipril, as I also started Bisoprolol and Rivaroxaban (later apixaban). When the Bisoprolol was increased to try to prevent AF, I was able to reduce the Ramipril back down to 2.5mg. I still take it at night. (All on the advice of my GP, not me going rogue!)
Hope everyone’s experiences prove helpful, and that you find you get on ok with it ... it’s a minefield really, isn’t it? Keep us posted, won’t you? Love J xxx
Thanks, I am lucky with my GP who treats me as a partner in decisions and assured me that if I was having bad side effects I could change to something else and asked me to book a review. Probably I should try to get to the bottom of the ‘funny cough’ I already had!
Jane have you tried to get your medics to change you to Nebivolol - after a long battle I did this and difference is very noticeable. My breathing is so much better and the fog that comes with Biso is real, I thought I tolerated Biso quite well but after 4 weeks on Nebivolol this lifted and made a huge difference.Cassie
Thanks so much, Cassie, that sounds definitely worth trying. (I haven’t tried this since my GP retired - I did ask him years ago on the advice of people on here, but he didn’t agree it would make any difference. ) I’ll give it another go! JXx
Hello and good morning, I like your good self take a small dose of Ramipril morning and evening. This has been for a number of years, I was told that any medicine ending with 'pril' will encourage a cough. In my case this has been true
You are probably aware from your research that a side effect of Ramipril is a cough. I took it happily for 6 months and then 'the cough' began so I had to change to something else, can't remember what. My husband has been taking it for years with no problems.
If you get the slightest sign of a rash, get off it fast. My consultant 10 years ago insisted I kept taking it, the result now it as partially destroyed my kidneys. I was only on it for 2 months when a renal consultant stopped it immediately and confirmed it had given me partial kidney failure.
Thanks for that, I have had a blood test today to check that my kidneys are not being affected. I am sorry about your experience - I’m lucky my GP is efficient 😀
In my case I can’t blame the GP and Pharmacist, they stopped it 3 times, but every time I had a follow up at the Hospital I was put back on it. Not like the lot that replaced our GP’s who have all retired since. I would rate our previous ones as equal to the best in the country. Now the new people I rate as equal to the worst in the country.
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