Ramipril

[COYW]

Has anyone got any advice about the side effects of this drug? Im an athlete and in Mountain Rescue. I don’t want it to affect my lifestyle.

[Captain_Birdseye]

nhs.uk/medicines/ramipril/s...

I remember a tickly cough being quite irritating, but was alright otherwise.

You've no doubt been prescribed this for a reason, but if it doesn't work out there are likely to be alternatives you can explore with your GP.

[RufusScamp]

I was on it for about a year, and had no side-effects bar the ramipril cough.

How it affects what you do will depend on the reason you were prescribed it. Your cardiologist or GP are the best people to ask.

[irishwife93]

It affected my husbands taste buds. Once he switched to entresto they came back to normal. Other than that no side effects. It seems pretty person dependent though so you may need to try it and wait to see if there are any for you!

[Noodlesalad]

I have been taking Ramapril for two years now and was until this year on the lowest dose. I now have to take 2 a day one morning one evening. I am happy to day I haven't had any side effects. If you do have any problems there are other medications you can be prescribed.Hope you have a trouble free Ramapril experience as I for one appreciate your mountain rescue service.

[MillaZ]

Hello COYW, I have been taking Ramipril 5mg since 2018 and it seems to me the side effects are starting now... after 5 years! Never had any cough whatsoever until this spring; now I do cough sometimes, especially at night.

My brother also takes Ramipril 5mg and has had no side effects.

BTW, my brother and I are mountain people (the Dolomites), even though not in Mountain Rescue. My brother, in particular, manages an extemely busy mountain hut at a fairly high altitude (2300 metres) and Ramipril does not interfere with the job at all.

[MountainGoat52]

I was on Ramipril for a while for high blood pressure and the only effect it had on my life was the cough. I remember that I was taking it when I climbed Pillar in the Lake District and then spent the night in the Black Sail hut. Thankfully a decent meal and a couple of pints of beer made me suitably relaxed and I managed to avoid keeping the occupants of the dorm awake which would have been rather embarassing.

On account of the cough I moved onto alternative medication and have been taking Losartan without any issues fof over a decade. Last month I enjoyed Ben Lawers in the mist. Oh... and I have had a heart attack, stents and a bypass op and I'm now 71, so don't worry about Ramipril affecting your MR activities. I'm just glad you people are around and I hope never to have to use your assistance. 😀

[COYW in reply to MountainGoat52]

Thanks. You were on our patch on Pillar 😉. I’ll start it and see what happens 👍

[Sb1171]

I was on Ramipril and got the annoying cough. It was just like having a really minor cold/cough that just never went away. Switched to Losartan which is an ARB rather than ACE. It is just as effective in terms of my BP and no side effects I have noticed.

[Tigger_2]

It can take years for Ramipril to start producing the low level cough.I was recently changed to Losartan.

Now there's a suspicion that it might have been acid reflux all along.

The problem is that there simply isn't enough GP time to do the follow ups to find out exactly what is going on, or if the change in medication is working.

[Alaska63]

I was on Ramipril for a period but came off it as it caused me to develop an irritable cough that doesn’t go unless you change drugs which I did to Losartan and since then I’ve had no issues

[ForestryPine6]

I like others had a cough but worst of all fatigue in my body and limbs that stopped me going to the gym , it effects people differently but I went back to doctors after 6 weeks and was put on a better tablet for me Bisoprolol 5mg per day, hope you get on with Ramipril but it weren't for me. All the best 👍

[COYW in reply to ForestryPine6]

yep its the fatigue that people talk about that worried me. But I follow a heart athlete group on Facebook and many of them seem to take it and are fine.

[newstent in reply to ForestryPine6]

How strange, I was the opposite, felt tired and not myself on Bisoprolol but was taken off it and my ramipril dose doubled instead and all seems ok. I have a lot of leg aches but I think that’s atorvastatin which I’m also on.

[ForestryPine6 in reply to newstent]

Yes it is odd that medication effects us all differently, Ramipril had me as a couch potato with no energy but once I told GP and put me on Bisoprolol 5mg which as been 3 months it works a treat and I can go to Gym or Mtn Cycle fine, our bodies are like cars all different mate.

[bee2]

I've been on it 7 weeks now at a very low dose. I had dizziness to start now tiredness and a cough. I wake up fine and as soon as I've taken my meds I could go back to sleep!

[Survivor1952]

I was on Ramipril but found it was causing my ankles to swell badly, that’s a rare side effect. I had the same with Amlodopine. I’m now on Losartan with no issues at all.

[BicuspidBloke]

I'm pretty athletic too and had no side effects apart from it acting as a mild diuretic.

[Tedthedog]

I've been taking Ramipril for years with no problem. Started Bisoprolol and felt tired all the time for nearly 3 months until I go use to it.

I think you have to take it and see, everyone's body reacts differently.

[Qualipop]

I suspect NOT Taking it would have more of an effect on your lifestyle. You've been given it for a reason; a health condition that needs treatment. What would be the effect of that if left untreated? NO one wants to be made worse by tablet side effects but if something's wrong then it needs help to avoid lifelong problems and there are always alternative drugs if they do cause problems. I couldn't tolerate bisopralol at all; I slept almost all day but it was easily changed. Actually Ramipril is one drug with very few side effects;the most well known being the dry, irritating Ramipril cough.

[COYW in reply to Qualipop]

Thanks. Im not convinced that a 5 min chat on the phone to a very busy cardiologist who ive never met before really knows my condition and my ambitions so im cautious about a recommendation to take a drug I know very little about. Comments here have really helped 👍

[Qualipop in reply to COYW]

You were lucky to even get to speak to a cardiologist. I would ring his secretary and explain your concerns

[tangotese]

I yellow carded Ramipiril due to the cough - not good during Covid!! It also affected my lifestyle by persistency, got an alternative and all great.

[RegularWalker]

I was put on Ramipril after my HA 6 years ago. I didn't realise it was that that was making me cough all the time until I met a pharmacist on a walk and she told me "We call that the Ramipril cough". I got it changed to Losartan and have had no side effects since. With a systolic of 108 and a diastolic of 51 and a pulse of 49 at my last check I'm not sure I need to take anything but will continue while they tell me to.

[Merrilegs]

I was on Ramipril and had a constant cough which in turn caused sleeples nights and breathing problems. I am now on Losartan and feel so much better with coughing greatly reduced. Enjoy you lifestyle.

[Seaforth-2468 in reply to Merrilegs]

hi i came off ramipril could not take it bad side affects

[Bhfwue]

Hi COYW please can you post a link to the heart athlete Facebook group?

[COYW]

m.facebook.com/groups/cardi...