Why has my husband been given Candesartan when he hasn’t got high blood pressure . It must be for his stage 2 heart failure I presume .

[Jackiesmith7777]

My husband has been given this drug along with digoxin to add to his other meds , bisoprol , antorvaststin , Lansoprazole, edoxoban and dapagliflozin. He ll be rattling soon . He has been relatively stable . The ecg showed heart rate of 100 so I presume the cardiologist wants to lower it further . Is anyone else on this concoction I’m just hoping it won’t upset his stomach like before (digoxin) as well as adding another one he hasn’t had before . He has persistent AF with a failed cardio version that lasted a few days as well as a stroke in July of last year for anyone reading this that hsnt read my previous posts . We’re going to start them Tom .Thank you

[BobD Volunteer]

Many years ago my EP put me on candesartan telling me it made life easier for my heart. GP changed to losartan a while later which is cheaper but about a year ago I reduced dose by 3/4s as BP was getting a little low. GP did not want me to stop completely.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to BobD]

Thank you

[Rambler398]

Yes you are right, Candesartan is given for heart failure as well as high blood pressure. Digoxin is given for atrial fibrillation complicated by heart failure, in people who are not very active. Digoxin levels are very important to minimise side effects. As you will already know dapagliflozin is often given for diabetes and sometimes for heart failure and kidney problems.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Rambler398]

Thank you I was a bit worried the cardiologist was a bit overkill . Havnt hd a chance to speak to him directly it was instructions given to cardiac nurse thst she passed on in a letter . Whatever happened to good old fashioned face to face appointments with a consultant ?

[Ppiman in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

Good question. I guess the answer is that covid-19 happened, and especially in cardiology since, i gather, the illness has affected lots of people’s hearts.

I suspect if we knew the reality of the NHS we’d be shocked by the shortage of specialists.

Steve

[Leggylady]

I have PAF, episode free since May 2023 following an ablation. My heart is in good condition. I was taking Amlodopine for BP before my AF diagnosis. My EP, who I trust and like, changed my BP med for Candesartan as the Candesartan is beneficial for the heart and will hopefully keep me episode free for longer.

It has caused a change in bowel habits for me, but I’ve managed that through diet and prefer to trust my EP.

Good luck.

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Leggylady]

Thankyou . Yes you have to put your faith in the consultants in that they know what they’re doing and why.

[Buffafly in reply to Leggylady]

Hi, would you please describe what the change in bowel habits is? I was on Candesartan while going through a very stressful period but my BP went down naturally and I began to suffer symptoms of low BP so I cut down then stopped. However I’m interested to know whether the bowel problems I had for a while were related to that or not.

[Leggylady in reply to Buffafly]

Hi Buffafly,

I hope you’re doing well.

Basically, my stools can be very soft and can be unformed sometimes. The addition of more bran to my diet appears to helped. I think if I drink more water than usual daily, that can make it worse. Obviously that’s tricky to balance, as drinking enough water is important for AF. Generally I go regularly and there is no particular urgency as there is with diarrhoea. Hope this helps.

Lyn x

[Buffafly in reply to Leggylady]

Thanks! I have IBS and diverticular disease so not allowed to eat bran and of course it makes it much harder to work out what is causing an ongoing problem. I’m fairly ok at the moment thank goodness.

[Ppiman in reply to Leggylady]

If you ever find bran causes too much griping or gassiness (it caused my IBS to flare up), I’ve found a good alternative that is very gentle but equally effective called psyllium husk. I take 5g each morning (but writing this I think I forgot this morning!).

Steve

[Leggylady in reply to Ppiman]

Thank you! I should be able to remember that as it can also be used for dogs!

[Ppiman in reply to Leggylady]

Really - there’s a thing! It doesn’t seem to do a great deal for me but I gather it’s been shown to be healthy.

Steve

[Cat04]

I'm taking digoxin, candersartan, apixaban, atorvastatin, Tildiem & omeprazole for AF, BP, HF and angina. We'll rattle together! 😊

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Cat04]

Do you think these drugs have helped you ?

[Cat04 in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

My rate, rhythm, BP, and angina are currently, in the main under control. I haven't had a scan for over a year so don't know how my LVH, Left atrial and aortic dilation have changed. I still get quite short of breath on exertion.I had an appt with my cardiologist later this month so have a list of questions to ask.

[Ppiman]

Hi Jackie. I was put on a similar drug called losartan despite having normal blood pressure. I was told that these drugs protect the ventricles, especially the left side of the heart.

Steve

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Ppiman]

That would make sense as his left ventricle is the problem . Thank you

[Ppiman in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

I think that the LV function is the elephant in the room that often isn't spoken about since if it hits problems, well, it's not good. I was surprised to read recently in a review that heart failure (of the chronic kind, rather than, say the temporary kind that tachycardia can cause) is still poorly understood. It seems doctors don't know why some people develop it and others don't. Perhaps it is written in the genetic code - they don't know. I suppose it's the thing many fear, me anyway. My friend has just been told he has it along with COPD.

Steve

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Ppiman]

Yes years ago hubbys 65 I’m 62 , I remember in our twenty’s resting my head on his chest watching tv and commenting that he had a funny heartbeat like an extra beat then a pause . So he probs had the beginnings of AF then but was young and fit and didn’t effect him then .

[Ppiman in reply to Jackiesmith7777]

What a romantic post! I had a near identical experience with my young wife when we were in our twenties, too. And still she puts up with me!! I did see a cardiologist back then as I had an episode of stitch-like chest pain, too, and he said that with luck the ectopic beats I was having wouldn't lead to anything important as I got older. Well, it took four decades for them to do so.

Steve

[Jackiesmith7777 in reply to Ppiman]

Depressing getting older 😂