How long can it take to change one medication?!

[Seniormadam]

Hi allApologies if this query has been answered before. My partner had a heart attack four weeks ago, and two stents fitted. He came home from hospital with prescribed meds, and noticed increasing breathlessness. Contacted his gp, who said almost certainly it was one of his meds, and needed to change it. Said he couldn't do that without the say so of cardiologist, although I'm told that some gp's will. So meanwhile breathlessness is getting worse, now waking him up every night, and still no change. Now affecting his recovery, as don't want to push things until this is sorted. Seems ridiculous to have to wait so long just to change a medication, especially one that's well known for this side effect! Anything we can do? Thanks.

[BeKind28-]

Hello

Sorry to hear about your Husbands heart attack and how his recovery is been slowed down due to possibly a medication he is taking

Did your Doctor say he would email the Consultant to ask what their thoughts were and if there are any alternatives they would be happy for him to take instead ?

Usually you are under your Consultant till they discharge you back into your Doctors care why a lot of Doctors refuse to change medications without the say of the Consultant this is not unusual

It is not unusual either for some medications to make you feel breathless but the degree your Husband is feeling it I would certainly if your Doctor is not going to try and get hold of your Husbands Consultant or speak to the Rehab Nurses at the Hospital he was in

I do hope you manage to get it sorted quickly and let us know how you get on x

[Seniormadam in reply to BeKind28-]

Hi..thanks for your reply. His gp said it was a common side effect of the med, and he'd contact the consultant, but when we've gone online to check what he's written it doesn't say this! He hasn't yet seen a consultant since his heart attack 4 weeks ago. I'm going to ring the consultant 's secretary tomorrow, see if I can get any sense, it's ridiculous. I'll report back x

[BeKind28- in reply to Seniormadam]

Hello

Do you mind me asking which med you think is causing this problem ?

Bisoprolol can be one that makes you slightly out of breath usually on a high dose though but the blood thinners the strong ones are known to make you feel more breathless than usual and I remember when I was allowed to stop mine after a year my Consultant said I might find my breathing got better

Your Doctor may have just not put it down that they are asking the Consultant but I would phone again and ask the Receptionist if they would check up on this

If you have the Consultants Secretaries email as well I would phone and email

Sometimes you might get an answering machine when you phone and when you have left your message if they have not got back to you I would phone and leave another one and keep doing so till someone gets back and helps with this

I will look out to see how you get on x

[Seniormadam in reply to BeKind28-]

Hi...it's Ticagrelor, a pretty common side effect with it apparently. Apparently it's not used in our area (Devon, but we were in Bath when he had his heart attack!) Down here they tend to prescribe Clopidogrel. I'm going to start hassling everyone first thing tomorrow x

[BeKind28- in reply to Seniormadam]

Hello

Yes it was Ticagrelor I was put on I had 3 heart attacks and then a triple bypass and so ended up on it a couple of years

My breathing was not great but I never knew if that was because of the heart attacks or recovering from bypass surgery but when I was told I could stop it that is when my Consultant said that I might find my breathing is better

The alternative is Clopidogrel we usually get put on one or the other that might suite your Husband better

Keep pushing tomorrow I know it is not what we should have to do but do all you can and hopefully he will get it changed and even more it will make a difference

Let us know how you get on x

[DodgyTickerMum]

Hi, very sorry to hear about your Husband’s recent heart attack. A worrying time for you, I’m sure.

Not aware if you have private healthcare, but if you have no joy re the medication side effects, you can usually self refer to cardiology Consultants. Once you’ve seen them and are back on an even keel - you can refer back to your local NHS hospital if required.

Just a thought. I hope you get some advice and the situation resolved swiftly for him.

[Seniormadam in reply to DodgyTickerMum]

Hi...no, unfortunately not, but I'm going to start hassling everyone tomorrow. Thanksx

[Come2jesus]

just a thought : I had a heart attack in January totally blocked right CA but all the peripheral veins and arteries had laid down new routes so the specialist said he was not going to do any thing. Here’s the point I was in a ward with 5 other people who had a variety of conditions stents fitted by passes done and other things but what was consistent was the little bag we all took away we had almost identical medication. I wondered about this turn did some research and when I spoke to the rehab people they told me that when assessing my HR to train I needed to take off 30 because I was on beta blockers. Now when I left hospital they forgot to put in my little bag BBs I questioned this as my HR never goes above 65 resting and on mild exercise never above 115 so I told them I didn’t need them the specialist then deleted them from my prescription. I was then handed over to my GP and on my first repeat prescription another medication appeared for upset stomach so I questioned the GP this time who when realised I wasn’t just going to take this medication as a preventative in case something might happen. He took it off the prescription. So I suggest you ring the cardiac support team and get them to sort it out. It would appear that everyone who is in a certain category gets the same medication then it’s trial or error if it is right for you. I also questioned the dosage of statin medication but that’s another issue. Hope you can sort it because life doesn’t get that much better when the medication isn’t correct.

[Ewloe]

before I left hospital after my heart attack I was given a phone number for rehab. Over my time with them they sent an email directly to the cardiologist who changed a medication. The rehab team then spoke with the GP to sort out the changes. Good luck.

[iansHealth1]

In my case, it wasn’t a single med but a combination of a couple - or so I was told. When I was taken off those meds, the breathing, strength and stamina improved very quickly.

[gorillaqueen]

HI Seniormadam my husband is on Ticagrelor has been for 10 years as consultant said they want him on this medication for life. Has experienced some breathlessness at times but nothing like your husbands, we are different though and react differently so what effects one does not mean will effect another. My husbands health situation can also cause breathlessness so somewhat difficult.

I am also on Clopidogrel have been since triple bypass in November 22. Felt fine until recently but I’m now experiencing regular breathlessness also other symptoms which I now know can be related to Clopidogrel as well as the other meds I’m on. I’ve now been referred to Cardiac nurse and for further tests.

I do hope they sort this out quickly for your husband and there are no more delays. As you say it’s ridiculous the length of time it’s taking. From mine and my husbands experience there seems to be a considerable delay in communication between Consultants, Cardiac nurse etc and GP, just one example was it took months for my GP to respond to several emails my Cardiac nurse sent regarding a new medication she wanted me to try. I do feel you are right in contacting the consultants secretary most of them are good at their job and hopefully will sort this for you. Good luck 🍀🍀take care and please report back 😊X.

[Seniormadam in reply to gorillaqueen]

Hi all..I'm sorry, I don't know if there's a way to post so that you can all see, hopefully you can all read this, maybe someone can tell me? Really appreciate all your replies. Goodness, it's a minefield isn't it! I contacted secretary this morning, who said she was chasing the consultant and she'd definitely get back to me today. Then a phone call from cardiac nurse who said they want him to stay on it for 6 months! I then wondered if the consultant thought he just wanted to stop it, rather than change it, so I'm now trying to verify that? I'll update if I find out. Xx

[gorillaqueen in reply to Seniormadam]

Hi Seniormadam did you ring consultants secretary again and explain that your GP is advising that the Ticagrelor needs to be changed to another medication? I hope you have been able to sort this and they know how bad your husband has been and that it’s urgent as he has waited so long.

Your so right it is a minefield and it depends on who you talk to as they hear you but don’t always listen and take note of what’s being said. I hope you have better news when you update us 😊X

[Seniormadam in reply to gorillaqueen]

Hi..yes, I rang 3 times yesterday, the cardiologist finally actioned the change, and an email was sent to his gp 2pm yesterday. Still waiting for this to be signed by the gp!! He's had yet another dreadful night! X

[gorillaqueen in reply to Seniormadam]

Hi good to hear you have made progress but you may need to chase GP now to see if they have read/ signed off and issued new Med. Only relating to my own experience they don’t hurry theirselves so you may have to nag ( at least women are good at that when needed). Sorry to hear hubby has had another bad night they need to get their finger out. What Med have they changed it to ? Hope he does better on the new one good luck 🍀🍀😊X

[Seniormadam in reply to gorillaqueen]

Hi....changed to Clopidigrel, apparently will be ready by 2pm. Thanks x

[gorillaqueen in reply to Seniormadam]

Oh that’s good hope he tolerates Clopidogrel better and no more problems 😊X.

[Seniormadam in reply to gorillaqueen]

Thanks, I'll update in a while x

[Seniormadam in reply to Seniormadam]

Hi just to say the breathing issues stopped almost immediately, so hopefully onward and upwards now x

[Qualipop]

Your GP should be able to contact eh cardiologist for his advice. After my HA and stents I was on ticagrelor which frequently made me feel as if I was gasping for breath. It felt as if I had asthma yet my oxygen levels were perfectly normal. It scared me so much and G P was still saying he couldn't change it that I actually stopped taking it just 3 days before I had to go back for another angiogram. The consultant was furious with me but I really couldn't have gone on with it any longer. He changed it immediately to clopidogrel and had to give me a big loading dose before he could do the angiogram. I'd no idea what the tigacgrelor was for or how dangerous it could have been to stop taking it so I certainly don't advise your husband to st op taking it. If your GP is still doing nothing, ring the hospital and get the phone number for the consultant's secretary.