Greatidea787

[Greatidea787]

I am a 73 year old woman

With high blood pressure

Mild asthma.

Work full time and have been prescribed Ramipril

I need to lose 4 stone

My question is

Is it safe to have protein shakes as part of my weight reduction while taking Ramipril?

[Happyrosie]

the best source of information about blood pressure (in my non medical opinion) is the website of Blood Pressure UK, the specialist charity.

You could give their helpline a ring about protein shakes.

but why have protein shakes? Real protein will keep your hunger more at bay, surely? Plenty of fresh vegetables, real protein, plenty of water and exercise is the way to go.

[Greatidea787 in reply to Happyrosie]

thank you happy rosie

Good advise

[Oldsilver]

Hi, I am no expert (far from it), but I'm sure I was told by my Consultant to avoid products that contain "whey powder". Not much help, but I do recall being told that. Good luck.

[annpavitt250448]

Better to eat healthy. If you need a bit of support maybe try a slimming club. I personally am a slimming world member and have been at target for nearly 11 years. Although I don't go every week now I find when I go the support from other members and consultant is fantastic. If you do go down the slimming club route don't just go and get weighed stay.

[SAMARJIT]

As far I know, protein shakes are OK to take with Ramipril. Googling reveals that whey products even lower the blood pressure. However you should check the potassium content of your protein shakes because Ramipril can cause a rise in blood potassium levels. Regards.

[Blearyeyed]

I've read that whey protein can improve blood pressure and blood sugar fluctuations , not sure if it interacts with ramipril but on the whole whey doesn't usually cause side effects with most medicines.The one thing you would need to do if you feel a shame and soup based regime was better for you is to double check which other vitamins , minerals and additives are in them too, because those higher dose supplements could cause some people more interactions with medications than the protein.

The NHS actually backs a shake based diet regime for people with Type2 Diabetes whom need to loose quite a bit of weight or weight quickly.

Since March 2024 there are lots of free shake based programmes available if you fit the criteria across England , a few selected areas in Wales and Scotland have pilots.

If you fancy the trying that type of diet you can check your eligibility and sign up online via NHS Type 2 Path to Remission.

You can also see if you are eligible by looking up the information on DiabetesUK website.

You can also choose to look at which shake varieties are those recommended by the NHS programme and choose to buy those tested brands instead of over the counter options like SlimFast.

I know one option includes vegan varieties and soups and porridge in the NHS scheme.

Whichever you choose you can show the list of ingredients to your cardiologist or contact the cardio helpline and double check if they are ok for you to use on your specific medications.

The good thing about these schemes is that you start with the shakes but they also give you guidelines and education about what foods to eat as you go into the transition stage and then meal plans to continue weight loss and weight management after you stop the shakes.

If you choose not to do the shakes you can also get NHS approved diet sheets for blood pressure or type 2 weight loss.

And Diabetes UK is an amazing resource for diets and diet plans that fit all different needs , not just for those with diabetes.

There advice and recipes can also help you with weight and blood sugar management beyond the diet to help prevent Type2 in the future.

It's worth going to your GP and double checking your nutrient blood levels before starting a diet just to make sure that you haven't got any nutrient deficiencies that could be adding to your weight gain.

Ask them for the following because you want a baseline of results before you start a diet to make sure you choose the right foods to prevent health issues.

These tests include full blood count, ferritin, folate , Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D , kidney function / electrolytes.

It's also worth asking them to sign you up for the Exercise Referral Scheme in your area and taking the opportunity to do some free exercise classes for your age and health limitations as well as getting sometime of free or subsidised entry to leisure centres.

As although weight loss is more about eating less calories than you use each day , adding in exercise within your comfort zone helps to improve your metabolism and tone your muscles in a way which aids loss of weight and inches too.

Your local Diabetes or Heart group might also have a group of people supporting each other to lose weight within the main group so that can be a good way to keep up your motivation by doing the changes with others.

Good luck , it takes perseverance and patience to lose weight especially if you have health conditions that make you less active or take medications that can make weight loss harder but I'm sure you'll get there.

Let us know how you are getting on I'm sure the forum would love to here your tips and want to cheer you on.

Take care , Bee

[Greatidea787]

thank you Bee for your detailed advise