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I had 3 stents fitted 4 weeks a go, I have to take clopidogrel for a year, and aspirin and statins for life.
I also take Ramipril, isosorbide mononitrate, and Ranexa, has anyone with stents taken or taking these meds, and was you able to come off some after a while, I know we react differently to meds,but nice to hear your stories.
If you are angina free I would anticipate the isosorbide mononitrate to be stopped. Mine was stopped after my bypass.
Thanks for your reply, I don't go back to Papworth until Nov. for a follow up, so I assume I will stay on them till then. I am pain free so I cant see the point in taking the Isosorbide and Ranexa, which both do the same thing, maybe I could ask my GP, but knowing him [he's a locum ] he will say wait till you go back to Papworth, just seems a shame to have to take so many meds. Perhaps having a bypass is different to having stents where meds are concerned ? you have nice new arteries, and mine have a foreign body in them, just a thought but nice to hear other's experiences
I think the difference is I was in over a week so was monitored a lot more. It was balanced out by my statin being quadrupled and Bisoprolol being added to the mix. You could put in a call to your consultant's secretary.
Maybe I should have mentioned that I do have a mitral heart valve leak which is inoperable due to it's sever calcification, Initially I was suppose to have had a triple by pass and a mitral valve repair, however the surgeon at Papworth said " I wouldn't survive the op," [which shocked me and my husband,] so didn't open me up and did the stents instead, he will watch and wait re the mitral valve and said he will "try to do something" if it gets worse, so I feel I'm sitting on a time bomb, and at almost 74, I feel I don't have much time.
However re my meds, in time, maybe I can get off some of them, especially as I'm not getting angina pain, that will be some progress.
Sorry to hear how things turned out. A friend's wife had one valve replaced and two repaired successfully at 70. I had a quadruple as my narrowed arteries were calcified to the point where stents were not an option.
Out of interest were you ever treated for osteoporosis?
No I wasn't treated for osteoporosis, But I have been on long term Steroids for 17 years [Prednisolone ] for giant cell arteritis and Polymyalgia Rheumatic,[ both now in remission ] but the long term use of steroids as caused adrenal failure so I am on Prednisolone for life, I'm also at stage 3 kidney disease, the list goes on.
After Stents.
My Isosorbide has been reduced from 60mg to 40mg hoping for it to come down to 20mg and then stop. I also take 5mg Bisoprolol day time and 2.5 mg Bisoprolol at night along with 8mg Candesartan at Night. Furosemide 20mg and Eplerenone 25mg at lunch time. First thing in the morning it's Clopidogrel 75mg with Aspirin 75mg and Omeprazole 20mg. I may fall into a slightly different category because of Heart Failure diagnosis along with the blocked artery,RCA has total blockage which can't be fixed !!
Hi bowler. I’m 74, too. We both have some good years ahead!
I may not be so encouraging..... as it’s taken a long while to get my meds both liveable and effective. You may be getting no angina because the meds are working. My meds have tended to get increased and added rather than decreased, so be ready for that! But in the end I can do lots more than I could initially and v am happy to take them.
I hope you find a good balance.
Thank you Effiecat
I should accept what it is with me, I get anxious with my health issues, I have several apart from my heart problems. I just hope my mitral valve holds out for a few more years, but like I said in my previous post, it's like sitting on a time bomb waiting for something to happen.
But don't sit around waiting for a time bomb to go off. One day at a time, and it is only 4 weeks sincestents put in you will hear from cardio rehab in the next few weeks which will help you enourmously.
My husband had bypass surgery 20 years ago and several stents 15 years later. He’s on every medication you are on for 20 years.
clopidogrel (then known as Plavix) actually “slickers” your blood cells and prevents them from sticking to your arteries and forming plaque build up (lessend the odds for need of another stent or surgery.
The aspirin thins the blood so it can travel more freely and also helps in preventing the blood from clotting thus delivering blood to all your organs with oxygen and helps in preventing strikes.
The isosibide helps relieve angina by relaxing and widening your blood vessels so your heart gets more oxygen. It’s somewhat like a nitro tablet only weaker in strength and somewhat of a time released medication.
It’s likely that you may have been prescribed nitroglycerin tabs or spray for use if you have chest pains. USE IT. I found my husband wouldn’t use it only because he denied he needed it. It helps your heart when it’s crying for help. Stress, over exertion, a heavy meal or just the sometimes overwhelming mental exercises we all think about can temporarily starve your heart of oxygen. The nitro opens the vessels to your heart and delivers it to relieve its depravation.
It may be in time your doc will down size the dosage or even eliminate them. I told my husband many years ago don’t think I’d these as drugs think of them as vitamins for your heart.
Also, give your body a chance to adjust to these medications. You have been through a lot. When my hubby started the clopidogrel I didn’t tell him the side effects. He had tremendous gas after 3 days. I finally told him it was the med. We called the Doc and he asked that he keep on it for another 2 weeks. It was an interesting 10 days but finally the gas passed (no pun intended) his body adjusted and that was 2 decades ago.
Hang in there and All the Best from across the pond!
Thank you for your good wishes from across the pond, [ I have a sister in Virginia ]
I am getting some side effects from the meds but am persevering, I'm am sweating profusely, [although the hot weather we have had recently hasn't helped,] but don't know which drug is causing it, it's pointless looking at the info, because some have the same side effects, and you can get paranoid with all the side effects listed.
I also am at stage 3 kidney disease which isn't good, and I'm on life long steroids for adrenal failure due to long term use of Prednisolone for giant cell arteritis, I wont bore you with the rest of my ailments.
My Rheumatologist prescribed Calcium and Vitamin D supplement due to long term use of steroids [ Prednisolone ] for Giant cell arteritis and Polymyalgia rheumatica which can weaken the bones, Not sure If they have caused the calcification of my mitral valve, ? I will ask my Cardio surgeon at Papworth when I next see him.
Stents . . AND medication ??
Heart meds and sea sickness medication - advice needed please
What precautions do I need to take when seeing hygienist? 
Stents 
Is it ok to miss some doses of meds
