Advice continually changing!

[Saffron63]

I’m just so overwhelmed right now, I got to see a cardiologist today 3 months after stents, I was naturally extremely nervous and grateful as the GPS and cardiac nurses would not listen or deal with my medication concerns without cardiologist approval. So of course my BP was high, I explained I take my own as per NICE guidelines, and it can be low, again no one interested, all policy and procedure, tick boxes, expert patient? Forget about that. So the cardiologist pops in at the registrars request and tells her to ‘ditch’ the Bisoprolol as I don’t have angina and start Losartan, finishing with ‘all meds for life’ then walks out. Then registrar says 12 months. What has kept me going was waiting for this appointment and the knowledge meds will only be for 12 months, now, who knows. I’m in limbo, again. Sorry to rant but I’m afraid this is the only place I can say what I truly feel . Thanks for reading always interested in other experiences.

[Nathan53]

Rant away you sometimes need too. Your experience is all too common and causes stress and uncertainty at a time when your plan should be to move forward in a calm supported way. Unfortunately I find it's best to try and let go of the irritation and do some of your own research as you are doing. My impression (and that's all it is) is that the 12 month comment may be relating to taking clopidogrel. The usual advice is to remain on statins and aspirin for life. Keep taking your BP at the same time(s) of day but maybe just 2 or 3 times a week to see how you are averaging out. If BP is consistently low and giving you dizziness, light headed feel etc you can only discuss with GP and they are opting out of their responsibility if they say they can't change. Yes they can write to Cardiologist but as an urgent matter. A previous GP of mine used to say they couldn't change meds but on moving to a different area a new GP is only to happy to review and change if there is a problem - it's a lottery. My experiences with Cardiologists and Registrar's have on the whole been decent but I know this is not everyone's experience. Hope you find the attached info useful heart.org/en/health-topics/...

Keep calm and carry on

[Saffron63 in reply to Nathan53]

Thanks Nathan for the reply and link, very useful. I am grateful to the doctors and nurses and know they are under immense pressure and doing their very best. Just pissed me off that consultant came 45 mins late and whizzed through my appointment. But then again I’m just one of the very many heart patients