Changing medication

Hi cardiologist recommended I change amlodipine to diltiazem re continuing chest pain (at rest too) and pressure on chest/sternum, and aspirin to clopidogrel re asthma as was finding breathing out difficult. When you change meds should you change one at a time so you can see impact of each more clearly? Sorry if silly question. I took my first lot this morning, Very tired, tight chest pain and same old pressure on sternum but it’s only one dose. Any tips?

[Hidden]

You may have to give your new medications time to 'bed in'. My advice is to continue taking them but if you still feel rubbish tomorrow or maybe Tuesday try to talk to your GP or better the cardiologist. If that is not possible try the BHF Heart Helpline for professional advice.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

But certainly no one on this forum should be advising you on any medication changes given your circumstances.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you That’s sound advice. I just wondered if better to change one thing at a time but I put off changing to diltiazem a couple of weeks ago. But cardiologist said only option is meds then onLy option regards surgery is bypass (myocardial bridging in lad) but advice and tonne of information from Milkfairy need to consider Other avenues Such as micro vascular angina and spasms. Waiting for echocardiogram at present could be a while.....

[Hidden]

Hello

When we get a change of medication and we are not expecting it we think of these questions after if we knew this is what they were going to suggest then we would no doubt ask while we are talking to them

I would give your Doctor a call or you could ask and your pharmacist they can be very good to talk to with any concerns about medications and how best to use them

I hope the new combination works better for you x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank You I Will see over next couple of days and will contact, although the pharmacy I went to as others did not have in stock offered a service where they call you themselves to ask how I am getting on. So I took up their offer. Everything feels so uncertain at present. I can’t see Much past today, Future has all gone foggy.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

That is an excellent service some pharmacists do , I am glad you took them up on their offer x

[JennyRx in reply to Hidden]

That’s part of a national programme that all pharmacies are meant to offer. We’ve been doing it for years but there’s a much more fierce push from the NHS for take up of the service.

[jerry12953]

In a post yesterday, Milkfairy used the term scattergun approach to medication with heart conditions. I took it mean that cardiologists don't know which medication (if any) will work the most successfully for most people so they try various meds until one seems to work. Could that be the reason?

[Hidden in reply to jerry12953]

Scattergun approach seems rights. Doesn’t feel like a combination of meds based on a true assessment of me.

[richard_jw]

If the cardiologist knows what he is talking about, he will have considered the effect of changing more than one med at a time. Recently, I changed an anti anginal to ranolazine and changed from clopidogrel to aspirin at the same time.

The cardiologist said that clopidogrel and aspirin had similar effects, and were most unlikely to interact with ranolazine.

[Hidden in reply to richard_jw]

I can only hope he knows what he’s talking about! Not much confidence in him tbh. I’m on ranolazine too. I feel over medicated at present or maybe just overwhelmed by number of pills to take. but am going with it all at present as too scared not to.