Irregular beats with Losartan

[Outforawalk]

I posted a little while ago about the Cardio Pharmacist wanting to increase my Losartan dose to 150mg. After HA I was changed from Ramipril to low dose Losartan (25mg), which I was on for months with no problems.

I increased that per instructions and got as far as 100mg before feeling pretty rubbish and tired.

I also experienced ectopic beats back in the summer but those subsided, however the increased Losartan dose has coincided with much more regularly experiencing ectopics and irregular heartbeat. I’ve mentioned this to the pharmacist but he was unconcerned. I’ve dropped, off my own back, the Losartan back to 50mg and feel a bit better.

Has anyone else experienced similar?

[Scott_d]

Have to say I was on 125mg Losartaan for a while with no problems I noticed. Been on it about 20 years in total. But I guess each person is different and may react differently.

[Alison_L]

Hi O. Do you know why you were switched from Ramipril? Ramipril is the "go to" drug for reducing blood pressure. I was put on it after my HA but switched to Candesartan (similar to Losartan) because I thought it was causing side effects (the change didn't make any difference). To go from 25mg to 150mg is a huge change anyway, I'm not surprised your body doesn't like it! Try by-passing the pharmacist and talk directly to the cardiologist (an email or snail-mail letter is probably the best idea) explaining what has happened, and asking why a) you were switched away from Ramipril, and b) why the Losartan was increased from 25 to 150mg. Some medics are very keen to pump more and more drugs into us without any thought for our quality of life. The pharmacist should not have dismissed your concerns. Good luck xx

[Outforawalk in reply to Alison_L]

Thanks for your response, I was changed from Ramipril after having a reaction to it shortly after leaving hospital so I was happy with the change.

Between the Losartan and the bisoprolol my blood pressure was very much under control, and the dose increase was based on Losartan strengthening the heart muscle during recovery. It felt a bit like “you’ve had that so you take this” treating the condition rather than the patient.

As well as me feeling pretty rubbish at 100mg of Losartan my GP pushed back on prescribing any more than that.

I feel at least 40 mins of cardio exercise a day (bike, cross trainer etc) does more good for my heart muscle than a tablet 🤔

I was discharged from hospital immediately pre lockdown 1 and to my knowledge don’t have a cardiologist to contact 🤷‍♂️

[Alison_L in reply to Outforawalk]

Fair enough on the switch away from Ramipril. Is the cardio pharmacist attached to a hospital cardio unit? If so, write to the lead doctor in that unit. If not, talk to your GP again to see if you can try something else. (I haven't come across a "cardio pharmacist" yet!) Pre-covid you would probably have been referred to a community heart failure nurse, but that is all up in the air at the moment, so GP should be your first port of call. xx

[Outforawalk in reply to Alison_L]

Hi again - I’m in regular contact with my GP, and I did have a good follow up service from the cardio rehab team albeit over the phone due to Covid. I think the fact I am not under a cardiologist as such stems from the fact I live in one health board area but was hospitalised in another, owing to that being the closest hospital. I would just like to get to the bottom of the much increased ectopics coinciding with the much increased dose of Losartan. Thanks again 👍

[Musicl]

Hi , I was switched from Ramipril to Losartan because I kept losing my voice and had a dry throat. I am on 50mg and I am very tired, but don't know whether that is because of Losartan or the Clobidogrel that I am on. Like you, I suffer from ectopic beats and have done for years but can't say it has got worse recently, it comes in fits and starts. I wad also on Bisprolol (beta blocker) but it affected my Asthma so had to stop it.

I am really fed up of these heart meds as they seem to interact with each other and any other meds that you take.

My thoughts are that if you are going to be on these meds for the rest of your life, then you have to get the right combination of drugs and the most effective dosage.

I have a constant battle on my hands with my cardiologist as he will not admit that he may be wrong about the fact that I am not tolerating some of these drugs well.

I don't know if this helps you and I am sorry to rant on.

I do hope you get sorted with your problem.

[Outforawalk in reply to Musicl]

It’s a grind to find a balance and keep on taking the right meds.

I think if had no family or responsibilities I might be tempted to say stuff it what will be will be, but I do, so I won’t.

I have spoken to a lot of people who took a year or two to get meds balanced to make life comfortable whilst also allowing the meds to do their job, hopefully we can both find the same balance soon.

[Musicl in reply to Outforawalk]

I completely agree with you, I often think of just chancing it and coming off all these meds as I am fed up of all the side effects. I feel that I would have a better quality of life without them, but I just keep hoping that I can get that balance, Some people would just accept the drugs they were given no matter what, but unfortunately I am not one of those people, so keep striving to make things right for my sense of wellbeing.Here's hoping we get there in the end.

[Thevans]

yes same thing happened to me and I use Kardia mobile to test. Doctors claimed it’s due to stress and lack of water but they don’t want to listen