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Side effects

sasquot1 profile image
21 Replies

Hi everyone

I’m almost 3 months post HA and 1 stent - have started rehab which I have to say is a god send but I’m still having issues ( or so I think) with medication) I’m taking ramipril, cardioplan, atrovatsatin, monomil, aspirin, tricalogular and bisopirol ( sorry girl any spelling errors) I have been suffering from what I can only describe as awful indigestion do now on medication fit that too - Pantoprazole

I have regular pain in my back, and at times discomfort in my chest. The GP tells me he doesn’t think it’s heart related. I was wondering if anyone else has suffered any side effects from these drugs as I think I’m slowly going insane.

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21 Replies
MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star

Hello and welcome to the forum! We are all different so there is always someone who has had aside effect from a specic drug. I had some issues with Simvastatin (OK with Atorvastatin), Amlodapine and Diltiazem (so was prescribed Isosorbide Mononitrate). One has to persevere and work with your GP /cardiologist to optimise medication. Wheresbouts is the back pain?

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to MichaelJH

My right shoulder blade and across my bra line ( for want of a better description)

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply to sasquot1

Hello... It sounds like it may be a trapped nerve. I had pain in my right shoulder blade before my bypass when I was suffering from angina regularly - trapped nerve and not a new coronary symptom! Post bypass I had problems with my hand caused by the ulnar nerve being "nipped" where it passes through the shoulder blade.

Sliverball has mentioned car seats. One cause of many problems these days are PC monitors and keyboards being badly placed. Being tall I found Windows' manuals good for raising VDUs. Using laptops on your lap is very bad as you put tension in the neck/ shoulder area.

As said do not be afraid to go back to your GP.

in reply to sasquot1

I get the same (no bra lol), and it's angina

Jack2019 profile image
Jack2019 in reply to sasquot1

I have the across the bra line pain as well, I am a year out from HA. I also had terrible indigestion and stomach pain the first few months after I started taking the meds, that pain eventually went away, however the belching continued. I stopped the Ramipril at about 7 months post HA and belching and indigestion got a little better, but, it is almost gone now that I have reached a year post HA and stopped ticagrelor. The only problem that remains is the bra line pain.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to Jack2019

Thankyou x it is getting me down so much I don’t want to keep complaining but I just want to be pain free and not worry that it’s happening again. I’m waiting for GP appointment and a chat with my cardiac nurse but I dread them saying there is nothing they can do.

Can I ask did you try anything to help ?

Jack2019 profile image
Jack2019 in reply to sasquot1

I was seeing a Naturopathic Doctor as well as cardiologist, and have been taking various supplements and enzymes . I would say that I believe they helped. The most effective things for me were Micronized L- Glutamine, Magnesium Bis- Glycinate and Digestive enzymes. She also suggested that when you have an area of pain, such as your shoulder, to rub castor oil on the area then put a warm water bottle on the area and leave for about twenty minutes, it works well.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to Jack2019

Sounds very interesting perhaps something for me to look into

Silverball profile image
Silverball

Similar here - all sorts of odd aches and pains. Eventually narrowed it down to the settings on the seat of my car ( I drive for a living) - Why - I do not know as I never had any problems before HA. ( Unless I did have the same aches and I just ignored them - like many others here I suspect that I am rather more aware of chest pains than before)

FYI I raised and moved my seat back.

Good luck and rule nothing out - and don't be afraid to go back to GP as often as you need to.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to Silverball

Thankyou x glad you got to the bottom of your aches and pains. I have my fingers crossed I will too !

Khonkaen profile image
Khonkaen

First of all you are taking a lot of meds, I had two stents, one of which was a double 40mm long, so effectively 3 stents. I take 2 Tricogrelor, an Atorvastatin, Asparin and Omeprazole (changed to pantoprazole). But yes, I get a lot of acid reflux which translates into chest pain/discomfort and a little backache and I often just feel a bit cr^p.

Certain foods give me problems so I have cut them out, tomatoes are the main problem and too many berries. I am almost 8 months in so have 4 months before I lose a couple of these meds and hopefully feel better.

I now have a diet which is vegan-sh minus oils, plus fish, lots of greens with balsamic vinegar. My breakfast is stomach friendly, raw ground rolled oat, crushed roasted almonds, banana, a few berries and oatmilk, or 50% milk/water. Sometimes I have this twice a day, but want to get into baking as I love biscuits and most here in Thailand are really rubbish.

So you are not alone, good luck and it you find anything that works let us know, but the way I still get anxiety attacks.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to Khonkaen

Thankyou for your reply I will certainly look at my diet to see if there is anything that triggers it x

Anxiety is awful isn’t it - I often feel like this

allanrobson profile image
allanrobson

Hello sisquot1, whilst I didn't suffer from any of the above I did find I was extremely exhausted all the time. GP wasn't a lot of help but my Rehab nurse was brilliant and she got my bisoporal reduced which helped tremendously. So I'd suggest talking to yours. Good luck and take care.

Clerkenweller profile image
Clerkenweller

I’m a year in and now apart from gastritis caused by the drug regime (similar to yours) and I’ve had to re-engineer my diet. No citrus lots of leaves no strong spice lots of still water and small snacks etc. It works. It took me six months working with cardiologist and GP to get my meds right. (Bisoprolol was a disaster for me). The body takes time to adjust to the meds but after 6 months it all came good and I’m now right as rain. Persevere and you’ll get there. Good luck.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to Clerkenweller

It’s so hard isn’t it when meds cause side effects - just fed up of not feeling good and the aches and pains I get. Send my anxiety levels through the roof as I start thinking it’s happening again !!

Thankyou for your reply x

I told my consultant I was getting pain in my back and chest and that I thought it wasn't related. He told me off and said it was clearly angina, as is the neck pain and half a dozen other pains I'm getting. Try your gtn spray when you get the pain. If it passes then you know it's angina.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to

Thankyou will try that x

Hatchjd profile image
Hatchjd

I had two stents in July for 90% LAD and 80% LCX after a positive treadmill stress test showed significant ischemia changes at 6 minutes. Post op I experienced pain between my shoulders and burning pain in my chest anytime I tried to walk over a slow pace. I had a repeat treadmill stress test at 4 weeks post op with heart rate to 180 with no EKG changes at 10+minutes, but did have the burning. it was decided the pain was not cardiac. Saw a GI consultant ( privately) and changed the 75mg aspirin from soluble to coated which made a huge improvement and was started on Ranatidine 300mg twice a day as I cant take PPI's.

The problem has gradually decreased over time and I believe a lot of mine was the stent settling in and that the nerves in my gut seem to be on high alert, possibly from the meds.

I am now 4 1/2 months post stent and I recently completed a 7 mile hill walk without problem. I still get occasional fleeting nerve pains in my arms and jaw and occasional chest burning and pain between my shoulders but never when I am active. Maybe I just notice them more hen sitting? I stop the ticagular at 6 months and am hoping that things will settle down more then.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to Hatchjd

Thankyou for the reply I certainly think it’s mrs related I will discuss with my gp

Glad you are on the mend x

Phil_London profile image
Phil_London

Hi, I am sure your post as I can see is bring back a lot of memories for a lot of us, I am just 6 months post a single stent and although I think I am doing well, I have plenty of day when I get pains that worry me, but after a variety of consultations, they seem to think that some medication will.alway affect someone as previously stated in a post, I too have indigestion and the other end also, like you, I get some pains in shoulder blades some times (at rest not during exertion) I too get a pain across my left side of my chest from shoulder down to the centre of my chest, not far from my heart and as you can imagine worry about it, it has calmed down and I passed a full 17 minute stress test with no pains and normal ECG, run 5K every saturday, no pain, ECGs often after worrying trips to A&E in the early days after the stent was fitted. I had a minor HA that was caught before it got bad, I am taking 80mg Atrovastatin, 2.5mg Ramapril, 90mg Trigaelor as your probably twice a day, 75mg Asprin and now 80mg of Omeprazol to help with the indigestion and heart burn. so your not alone and I know it really worries you, keep.at the GP and back to A&E if anything really worries you, for what ever they say, NHS is top notch or at least in London Kings hospital I cant say enough about them. I thing they will start to swap around pills and see what helps or stops the pains, if it is the heart then an ECG will find in, but most off all, if your still waking up every day 😁 (we are all grateful post HA for that one) then time does seem to settle a lot and your body adapts for most to the medication. I hope it all settles for you, never worry about going back, check if you get the pain during any excersise or times when your HR is high. Good luck to all.

sasquot1 profile image
sasquot1 in reply to Phil_London

Thankyou for your reply you sound just like me

I’ve had ecgs and scans and they tell me my heart is fine which I know should be reassuring but I do worry

Hoping to see gp to see if there is anything they can do x

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