Medication review

[LJS40]

Hi all,

I'm approaching the 1 year anniversary since my heart attack and angioplasty.

I wondered if anyone out there can advise what there experience was in regards to a medication review?

Did your GP contact you after 12 months or did you contact them?

I remember being told that some of my meds might be reduced or taken away completely. I'm on the standard cocktail.

I just wondered what other people's experiences were?

Thanks

Lee

[Happyrosie]

this entirely depends on your surgery policy. It might show on your copy of a prescription that you cannot order any more drugs so you are therefore forced to contact the surgery to find out - make sure you don’t run out!

[LJS40 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you

[10gingercats]

my doc arranges for his practice pharmacist to phone me to discuss meds once a year.I also get a check up of heart meds from my cardiologist once or sometimes twice a year.

[LJS40 in reply to 10gingercats]

Thank you. I wish my GP was as proactive

[Dyllibobs]

I also received a phone call from GP pharmacist to advise that 1 of my meds would be stopped as it was only prescribed for 12 months. X

[DWizza]

I had a telecon with my local hospital consultant to where I was discharged from my surgery hospital . As I’m doing very well post quadruple bypass /nstemi in July 2023 the consultation was by phone. She confirmed that I would get next ECG /review in 5 years , still get the annual blood tests for cholesterol etc . She also said I could stop taking bisoprolol as I’m on a low dose. Maybe you could contact your consultants secretary to see if you are due a an annual review ?

[LJS40 in reply to DWizza]

Thank you 😊

[Bluelobby]

Clopidogrel is usually stopped after 12 months pal

[Happyrosie in reply to Bluelobby]

Usually but. It always!

[Taviterry in reply to Bluelobby]

I hope so! The fewer pills I take the better. When I see a cardiologist in November, 17 months after my TAVI, I'll be drawing their attention to some recent blood-test results which, to my untutored eye, look as if Clopidogrel is doing its job (but if I stop taking it?)

I have the idea that some people are prescribed Clopidogrel AND aspirin (I wasn't), and sometimes they need to continue only with the latter.

[LJS40 in reply to Taviterry]

I'm on both

[Daveinbridgo in reply to Taviterry]

My clopidogrel was stopped after 13 months I'm still on asprin and the docs phoned me to discuss bloods that had been taken and then told me that it's stopped after a year

[Cofton in reply to Taviterry]

I’m on ticagrelor and will be moved to Rivaroxaban when the 12 months are up . Anyone else on that ?

[LJS40 in reply to Cofton]

I was on it but I've had really bad stomach issues since starting the meds. They swapped me over to clopidogrel but it's made no difference.

[Cofton in reply to LJS40]

I’m sorry to hear that . I’ve been poorly on ticagrelor so I am hoping Rivaroxaban will be better once my 12 months is up . I think they’re just swapping it on price grounds as I’ve been told ticagrelor is expensive.

[LJS40 in reply to Cofton]

It's all a balancing act unfortunately.

I was told clopidogrel were more expensive than ticagrelor 🤣.

I would really like to get rid of it all but it's unlikely they will want to do that.

There seems to be so much conflicting information out there, it's very difficult to know what to do.

[Heartbroke]

I waited and waited for my medication review it just didn't happen. After chatting to people in here I didn't manage to get through on the phone to the surgery so I sent an askmy gp request to discuss with their pharmacist (its adjoined to surgery). It did take a week for them to reply but they phoned me with an appointment to see pharmacist and she was on the ball with my medication very friendly I didn't feel rushed to question any meds with her, got all my but what ifs answered and now sorted. So thank you to this group for guiding me in the right direction when I was slowly giving up hope of getting meds sorted .

[Taviterry]

There's a note on my current prescriptions list (given to me with my pills by the chemist) that the doctor would like to review them with me by February 28 next year. This has been the case for many years. I've had so many tests in the past 20 months that I can't recall what the review entails - blood pressure perhaps, and one thing that all those tests haven't checked for is my pre-diabetes status. I managed to get this down below the threshold, but have relaxed my diet ever so slightly - with strawberry trifle ...

A review of my newish heart valve has been brought forward from next year to mid-November, with a cardiologist. I'll be asking him if I need to continue with Clopidogrel, but the answer is almost certain to be "yes".

[Jedi14]

We are all considered "sorted for now"! It all depends on how you feel further down the line, are you ok or having problems? I had to go back to them after heart pains which started months later. After the tests my meds were adjusted also.

So nothing is fixed or permanent as our hearts adjust and possibly change with meds.

[LJS40 in reply to Jedi14]

I've had heart pains and constant stomach issues since going on medication. It all falls on deaf ears with my GP. I never get to see one and I normally have to speak to them over the phone.

The one upside is that I had suffered with quite severe anxiety and depression prior to my heart attack and it literally went overnight. I'm wondering whether it could be the bisoprolol helping. On the flip side, I gained weight and can't seem to lose any, despite quite a lot of effort....

[Jedi14 in reply to LJS40]

I had something similar happen to me! So when I contacted my GP, (they must have taken advice from hospital) I was told to double up the dose for my Omezaparole. Lo and behold this seemed to work!

Meds work in mysterious ways!

[Lowerfield_no_more]

In all the many years I have taken various forms of ongoing medication I am certain I have never actually been contacted by anyone to have a 'medication review' other than perhaps after the initial set up if necessary. Otherwise the only times I have had any review which involved me personally is when I have specifically raised an issue concerning medication. And as far as the review dates on my repeat prescription list for they are, as far as I am concerned, meaningless.

[LJS40 in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Shocking....

[Qualipop]

My GP contacted me but some don't. Now 6 years later, they often book my check up a bit late. It may be as well to ask when it's going to be done. I had several tablets stopped but that depends on yoru condition. The one most often stopped is the anticoagulant, usually , clopidogrel or ticagrelor but you continue the aspirin. No more huge bruises. For my first check up I also had an ECG but the rest was just questions, weight check etc. I've never seen a cardiologist at all.

[EdtheDead]

I've just been called in by my GP for a medication review ironically two days after my Cardiologist removed a couple. Had an 'alleged' Heart Attack 12 months ago. I say alleged because since moving home my new Health Authority have done all the relevant tests and have categorically stated I never had a Heart Attack in the first place.

[LJS40 in reply to EdtheDead]

I would love to know more about what happened. Because I had a similar experience.

Did you have a stent?

[EdtheDead in reply to LJS40]

Sent to Hull for an Angiogram 12:months ago and it was determined then than I didn't need Stents as no blockage.

[Cofton in reply to EdtheDead]

The attack probably showed up in your blood test . I had something similar in May but the cardiologist said they have to go by the test even though they couldn’t find a cause during my angiogram.

[Kayleigh30]

You will probably stay on the medication for the duration with regular blood tests & reviews.