Although Ramipril has lowered my BP considerably and I don't really have side effects - or well maybe I do? I have noticed after three weeks of treatment I am getting anxiety type symptoms - tight chest, palpitations as a start to wake in the morning. this wears off as the day goes on but does make me a little scared at bed time - which obviously will not help the symptoms. I will mention it to my GP at my review but has anyone else experienced this and is it likely to be the medication. If it is - will it wear off as I adjust to the meds (as it does seem to do its job well. Sorry to keep posting but I really do feel alone in this journey and I only have members of this feed to express my fears/anxiety too. I don't want to looking for attention but want to learn from those more experienced than me. Thank you in advance. Stay safe. Andrew
I am on 2.5mg Ramipril per day as well as 10mg Amlodopine, as a result of Ramapril I had aches and pains in my chest that felt disconcerting and also ectopics but the side effects gradually wore off over a few months and now I have no chest aches and pains and very occasionall ectopic.
I take Ramipril and Bisoprolol at night (and now also a Ramipril in the morning). I don't have your symptoms, but my dreams are often vivid and anxiety filled (not quite nightmares) which is a drag, but so far tolerable. What you have sounds much worse and if it doesn't improve with time I would definitely talk to your GP about it and see if you can change when you take it or try switching to something else. Don't suffer in silence as there are often solutions. Good luck.
Thank you edplayer. I'm sure we all have some issues and it really helps sharing and finding we are not alone.. there's lots of us. I hope you settle to sweet dreams in the future. Andrew
Dear Andrew, I am sorry to read about your symptoms. For many of us, this journey understanding and managing our heart health is new and anxious, so although I don’t have your exact symptoms I feel I have some idea of what you are experiencing.
I had a (pretty much out of nowhere) cardiac arrest in Dec, then triple bypass in Jan. I am on 5mg ramipril, 3.75mg bisoprolol, 80mg atorvastatin and 75mg aspirin.
I started off taking all the meds in the morning, but have moved to taking all at night.
I have mixed sleep, sometimes fine, sometimes waking in the night. I have experienced high levels of anxiety, but I would say honestly the worst was in the few months after the surgery. I also experienced palpitations for many months after the surgery but these seem to have lessened a lot over time.
It s possible that the medication is causing these symptoms, but it is also possible that it is anxiety caused by worry… or perhaps both. On the mental health side, I have found what has REALLY helped is talking openly to my partner about everything I feel, and I have also been using a daily meditation app which is really helping to give me insight into what my anxious mind is doing! I use ‘headspace’ which I find really helpful, though I’m sure there are others. Also, I find a long walk to be a great help in just getting me out of my “thoughts”.
Im not suggesting that you should only focus on the mental health side, but in my experience anxiety from heart related illness is pretty full on, and I think it makes sense to tackle both physical and mental health as part of one’s treatment.
Dear PV74, thank you for your reply. I agree with all you say. Update though for yesterday is that I had palpitations and felt unwell so reached out to 111. My BP was sky high again. 111 sent a ambulance car and the Paramedic checked me out. He talked to me about a medication review and suggested I mention the use of a beta blocker as part of my meds. However he wouldn't allow me to stay at home with a BP of 222/115 and took me to the hospital for blood checks etc. ECG was fine but said I had over oxygenated blood levels. Breathing too fast really - anxiety. They discharged me after 8 hours and left me to contact my GP to discuss meds and controlling anxiety! I now have the nightmare of trying to get through to my GP - but at least I have made a small step forward. Take care all. Andrew
I have ordered "Headspace" certainly worth a try for 6 months and self referred to "trentpts" for some help with my longstanding anxiety issues. Thanks PV74.
It certainly sounds as though you’re taking all the right steps. The meditation app I find helps to create a little distance with the anxiety, which helps to make me a bit more aware of what I am thinking/feeling without just thinking/feeling it automatically.
But really, anything you can do to quieten the mind could be helpful, and doing things that engage the senses and one’s creative side more - going outside for a walk, gardening, cooking, drawing ….
PV74. A great big thank you to you for your wise words and encouragement. Best wishes to you for your health too. Thanks also to everyone on here for sharing your advice and concerns, I'm sure that everyone who contributes helps someone along the way. Andrew
Hi Tay99, I hope that your symptoms improve. Thanks for sharing and remember you are not alone on here. Keep safe and well.
Thank you Tay99. The Paramedic suggested to me that I should speak to GP about using Beta Blockers rather than Ramipril. I am so confused - its no wonder with all these options and the difficulty of getting to see a GP so many of us get anxious. Hope you are doing ok now
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Haven’t posted here in a while. I don’t know how to ask my GP about starting a statin as a preventive or even if it’s right.
Just post CRT-D OP
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