Briefly, I was prescribed this by my consultant to help with the pumping function/blood flow through my left ventricle.
It has definitely helped as shown by a follow echocardiogram, and my consultant pleased.
However, I was warned by my GP that it might give me a cough.. and it most certainly has!
I am wondering if taking it has exacerbated the recent cough and mucus congestion that WILL not shift, that accompanied a virus (?) that i caught 6 weeks ago ...2 negative tests for Covid..but I am not convinced it wasn't that, I felt so ill. Also I have achy joints now and a bit puffy on slopes!
I am seeing GP later today (well , i think its a paramedic actually) and wondered if anyone else on here had had similar problems with Ramipril and changed to some thing else??
I am in permanent AF ( for at least 5 years) TIA
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Wightbaby
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No. I am now 2 ½ years free having had PAF for 30 years. I had a number of ablations which in the end sorted me. I was told about 10 years ago that there was nothing more that could be done for me and that I was likely to be in permanent AF for the rest of my life but a change of EP brought renewed hope and my QOL is much better.
I am sorry you are in permanent AF I know when I have had prolonged periods of AF I was very low.
I mean my QOL was really not bad until I got this damn virus!
I did have a very nasty skin cancer 4 years ago, but still all clear and long may it last!
I like to go walking, swimming etc. in a very moderate way!
Hiya Wightbaby,
You state ................... "However, I was warned by my GP that it might give me a cough.. and it most certainly has! I am wondering if taking it has exacerbated the recent cough and mucus congestion that WILL not shift, that accompanied a virus (?) that i caught 6 weeks ago ...2 negative tests for Covid..but I am not convinced it wasn't that, I felt so ill. Also I have achy joints now and a bit puffy on slopes!" I have been on Ramipril (10mg ) for some 14 years, maybe longer ... target was high blood pressure. Done a great job.
In mid May 2024 I managed to acquire a chest infection/virus and the cough that followed was unreal. Although this was fixed up with Amoxcillin the cough has still continued along with mucus congestion. In fact went back and saw my GP today and she gave me a thorough check over and confirmed no chest/breathing issues at all. So all I am left with is side effects of Ramipril ! I too have had CoVid tests and they are clear.
I live in a rural area in Cornwall, home surrounded by hedgerows and dirt roads and a building site. I suspect much of my experience is pollen and dust related. I use nasal spray .... Pirinase ( purple pack ) which claims to be suitable for Pollen (Hayfever ), Pet hair, house dust mites and mould spores. Discussed this brand with my GP this afternoon and she endorsed it as being appropriate for my needs. Just sayin'. Pirinase do manufacture other colour packs for other purposes.
I also have aching joints but in a way thankfully these are confined to both shoulder Ac joints, the worst being the left side. No problems with my party bag of medications I take. At no time has any healthcare professional, including my Cardiac Consultant suggest that I abandon Ramipril. I have to admit that this constant damn coughing wears me really down and out.
I might give that spray a try. Is pirinase only available on prescription??
I saw a paramedic at my local surgery on Friday and she was very thorough.....I showed her a pic of what comes up when I CAN shift it (apologies...but how can I say it any other way, without sounding gross!!). She has prescribed anti biotics and said if they don't shift it, I may need a chest x ray.
The ramipril has really helped the pumping function of my left ventricle. I don't have a problem with BP per say. So I am reluctant to come off it. It was an irritating cough, but whatever else has gone seems to have made it so much worse.
I live by the sea (IOW) but work in a dusty atmosphere....charity warehouse 2 mornings a week. so the spray may help.
Yes, I got a cough when using Rampiril, and was alerted to it when a friend of mind told me she stopped rampiril because of her cough. I stopped and the cough left eventually.
I was put onto another medication, and later onto Candesartan which actually gave me a worse cough than Rampiril!. The cough was so bad I was a day and a night coughing! I stopped the medication and told the ‘triage' in charge of my health clinic I refused to continue with this, and it still took 4 days to talk to a doctor (who seemed very vague!)
And along with that cough I got an abcess under a wisdom tooth which was VERY painful! I have 2 days ago finished medication for the tooth, and off candesartan, but still have the remains of a cough! (The very last item on possible side effects for candesartan was 1 in 10,000 a cough! As my husband says always read the side effects on the leaflet! I saw the dentist the very afternoon I phoned up.
Cough mixture helped ease the coughing, but bottles of this is expensive!!
I think I am on about my 4th or 5th medication for high blood pressure! most have some side effectsl. I hope you get sorted out cough-wise.
I have been on Ramipril as part of my meds bag for several years, initially at least to treat diabetes related hypertension. For several years I have had a cough and mucus congestion. Put two and two together, however GPs were never really interested in sorting this out. Then, as part of my AF treatment, various procedures and scans revealed nothing abnormal in respiratory areas, but consultant now wants to do a bronchoscopy to make sure they haven't missed anything. OK let's see, but at the end of it all, wouldn't surprise me if it was all down to a drug.
I have had a constant phlegmy cough, husky almost inaudible voice, and acid reflux since starting on Ramipiril, but like you, my overall heart situation is a bit better. My cardiologist does not want to change me to something else.
The Ramipril cough is extremely well known. I wsa changed to Candesartan. As for yoru persistent cough that you already had; my sincere sympathy. I've had it now since APril 28th, constant. GP thinks it started as a virus but became permanent. I've had steroid sprays, two kinds of antihistamines; one of them constantly for 7 weeks; nasal sprays, antihistamine eye drops (Your tears drain down your nose so the drops should c ut down the post nasal drip. I had inhalers- menthol and teh old Karvol which is no longer available. Absolutely nothing ash worked. I wake several times a night having to clear what's run down my throat. Coughing all day. It's loose and rattly and comes up easily but my ribs hurt from coughing and I must be sleeping with my mouth open because my throat feels dry and sore and my tongue is often stuck to ethe roof of my mouth.I don't have hayfever so I know it's not that. I've heard it called the 100 day cough. Mine's just started to ease very slightly this past 3 days and I've been able to sleep but it still takes 2 or 3 hours of coughing to clear my throat on a morning. I'm so sorry you have it but at the same time, glad to hear I'm not the only one. The ramipril cough is a dry cough so I don't think it will affect the loose cough you already have. Even so, ask your GP to change it.
I was the same at the start; coughing so much I couldn't get my breath. It's easing now but only very very slowly and nothing that was prescribed was any help at all and no it wasn't Covid. The Ramipril cough is supposedly a dry cough.
Hi Wightbaby. I'm interested in your thread because I got a letter yesterday from my EP who has asked my GP to start me on Ramipril.
What dose did you start on and did you get your kidney function checked out before starting it?
I am in permanent AF but never over 100 + normal BP so I am completely asymptomatic and in very good health. I am quite hesitant about taking an ace in case it drops my BP down - which happened recently when I was in hospital for a hip op - it took 36 hours to get back up to 120/80
I have an have an MRI end of July as EP quite puzzled about why I'm iim AF.
Why are you being prescribed it? I was prescribed Ramipril to help the blood flow in my left ventricle ...now 64% and rated as normal. It was 45-54% before starting on Ramipril. Never had a problem high BP. Heart rate about 81-84 bpm.
I was worried about my BP dropping but GP said at the time she felt it would be OK as my BP not low anyway, I take 1.25 per day. My kidney function was not checked and i do have CKD...stage undetermined!!
I also take Edoxaban, Levithyroxine, Bisprolol and a very low dose statin.
If you are happy to share, let me know how your MRI goes.
I was told that these drugs are anti-hypertensives usually given to lower blood pressure but which - in our case - also act to help the heart and act as cardio-protective in the long term.
An alternative is the one I take called losartan. It doesn’t have cough as a side effect, so might suit you better?
Hi Wightbaby. I think similar to you. I was diagnosed with AF at a pre-op assessment in Feb. Since then I have had an echo which showed ejection rate of 43% leaky valves and cardiomyopathy. I have no symptoms at all. I'm very fit and active but at my own pace - I'm no athlete!
The EP says an ace inhibitor will help my heart to work. It's good to know your ER improved so well.
I'm hoping the GP will be on the ball and start me off on a small dose and titrate up if I tolerate it. Also do my blood work before any changes as per Nice.guidlines. My father in law reacted to Ramipril and died - long story - but no kidney function test done and straight onto a big dose, and he went into renal failure.
Just read back and saw your post about your viral cough.
My husband was very ill last October. Treated by paramedic with antibiotics. Eventually saw a GP. Urgent scans later and a referral to chest consultant - diagnosed with organising pneumonia which does not respond to antibiotics, only steroids. 3 months of steroids later he was much better. But it's come back so he's back on them . He has to have monthly check ups.
we also thought it was covid linked. My point is don't ignore a persistent cough.
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