Peoples thoughts and help on this question

[bearbear5662]

Ok 3.5 years ago age 69 years I had a stemi 1 heart attack was consious throughout heart attack no chest pain just pulse dropped to 23 beats a min because of blocked artery, only real sympton during heart attack was heart rate drop and severe cold sweat soaking me. I was given 5 stents 2 in left coronary artery 3 in right coronary artery then diagnosed with coronary artery disease with a blood ejection fraction now of 55%.

After this I was given for life to take asprin, lansprozole, beta blocker, blood pressure medication, and statin, the cardiologist said he wanted my bp to be at least 140/90 after taking medicines.

Question is , since being on the medicine, I am constipated headaches, sickness, dizzy, tired, fed up, and now when i take my vitals, even before i take my meds in morning and eve, my bp is 102/63 my heart rate is 59 - 61, my heart rate and bp makes me so cold like a deep freeze which gives me light headedness and headaches, ive told my gp, he allowed me to reduce the rempril to 5mg in the morning and 5 mg in the eve, and the bysoprol beta blocker to 1.25 mg in the mornings.

But when taking these amount i am dropping so low on bp and heart rate, I stopped for a couple of days the beta blocker and blood pressure medicince, and my heart rate was still like 65 beats a min and bp was 109/70 so whats the point making my life so unbearable taking these medicines when i dont get a problem if i dont take them.

I feel like any problems coming off would be because i was to quick coming off, but i feel if i weened of all but the stating and asprin im happy to take, i feel bp and hr would do just fine on fruit and veg and nuts and beet juice.

what do you all think about this because i am having a misrable excistants daily for 3.5 years the meds are worse than the heart attack, My life if rubbish. and yes ive talked to many gps until blue in the face, the ysay stay on all drugs, but there making my bp and heart rate go down so low, i am scared one of these nights when totally relaxed i will pass in my sleep.

Because some nights my hr goes to 50 and bp as been down to 100/101 when in bed

please tell me what you think, especially if you came off blood pressure meds and beta blocker for same reason as im contemplating and what happend to you ?????

[Hidden]

when your cardiologist said “140/90” i believe he or she meant that it should not get above this level.

A reading of 109/70 with a pulse of 65 sounds pretty perfect to me, on betablockers.

However, if this is causing you problems then you’ll need to discuss it further with a health professional. Your doctor’s group of practices employs one or two pharmacists, so that person would be a good starting point. They have your records in front of them and are experienced in medications and their side effects. They would be in a position, after a discussion with you, to suggest a different medication regime to your doctor. There are a range of medications which help. When you speak to them, have ready your blood pressure results, the time of day you take them, and given them an idea of your height and weight and the type of diet you have,

In the meantime, yes a diet which includes the foods you mention will be helpful and remember to keep the amount of salt down and drink plenty of water.

I hope you succeed in making your case to the medical professionals.

[JLMW in reply to Hidden]

I had an MI 4 weeks ago. The consultant is happy for my rhr to be in the 40’s. Stent fitted last Wednesday and can feel the difference despite still having one completely blocked coronary artery that cannot be salvaged. Yes I get a bit cold and the gastric symptoms are pretty weird but having had everything explained to me really well, I now better understand what matters and what doesn’t. To start with I was terrified as every little feeling seemed magnified but with help I have learned to differentiate the feelings. Talking to a medical professional who communicates well is really important. Some of the medics are technically brilliant but not necessarily good at communicating! Find someone who makes sense to you. I take all the drugs (12 pills) on the basis that they can be rationalised over time but currently my body needs all the help it can get 😊.

[bearbear5662 in reply to JLMW]

Thank you I'm 3.5 years in so I even with help with dropping pills Size and type as not helped.... And 4 months in like you I was like you too but it changes dramatically once your bodies taking this stuff for years even with changes to meds for me so good luck and thanks

[bearbear5662 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you

[JLMW]

I have a long way to go! I hope you find someone who can help soon.

[bearbear5662 in reply to JLMW]

Cheers mate all the very best

[Sb1171]

You don’t mention whether you felt better for the couple of days you stopped the Bisoprolol and Ramipril. Assuming that you did, I would speak to your GP about swapping out these meds. One possible alternative combo would be Nebivolol and Losartan (there will be others) and it might be that only one is the culprit, so you could try one at a time (Bisoprolol has this side effect for many, so might be prime suspect?). Good luck

[bearbear5662 in reply to Sb1171]

Yes mate it was bisoprolol if I don't take it I don't get cold body so will tell my GP thank you

[DWizza]

I would definitely pursue this and ask to trial s stop to see if things change and look to try different meds . I would speak to my pharmacist for a start , I dint know what yours is like but I am able to discuss things over the phone or go in for appointments. She was very supportive when I was having similar BP readings and “zombie episodes “ totally wiped out plus terrible aches , pains and cognitive impairment. I trial stopped my 80mg artovastatin and get fantastic. That led to trying Pravastatin 40mg but the symptoms returned after a week , then settling with 10mg Rosuvastatin. Everyone thought it would be related to my 1.25mg bisoprolol . Recently my pharmacy ran out of 1.25mg ramipril tablets that I’m meant to cut in half , they only had 1.25 caplets that you cannot cut so I tried them. My blood pressure is perfect but I’ve had a very runny nose when working outside , it just won’t stop . I think it’s a side effect of the ramipril. I will be asking to go back in the tablets 🤣. Wishing you well in your quest , I only suffered for a number of months but I felt the same, the symptoms were worse than my nstemi and quadruple bypass surgery!

[bearbear5662 in reply to DWizza]

Thank you so much for taking a time out to reply best regards to you

[CyclingRich]

Hello Bearbear5662. Similarly I had a STEMI (on a plane) almost 3 years ago. Conscious throughout but extended period before we landed and getting to hospital meant some scarring with EF now 50% and enlarged LV. I went into cardiogenic shock after the 1st 4 stents so had an inter aortic blood inserted and 3 days in ICU

5 stents including LAD in total during 2 trips to the Cath lab in 1st week, then discharged with the same selection of meds as you, plus Apixaban for first 6 months and clopidogrel for 12.

I feel the cold much more than I did before but otherwise things are better for me now. I’m currently on 1.25mg of Bisoprolol daily plus Ramipril which I split my dose to 3.75mg in the morning and 3.75mg in evening. I felt similarly awful for the first few months and frequently up to about 12 months. The cardiologist instructed my doctor to keep pushing on the bisoprolol and ramipril until it was up to the magic 10mg or until i couldn’t tolerate it. We stopped at the split dose of 7.5mg of Ramipril and dropped down to 1.25 of Bisoprolol. I also questioned the Bisoprolol as my pulse often drops below 40bpm at night with no symptoms. I’ve checked with non hearty friends with monitors who tell me their heart rate is also in the 40s overnight but not to worry if no symptoms. I sometimes awake to find low heart rate warnings on my Apple Watch or even very occasionally when I’m relaxing. So from my perspective if not suffering adverse symptoms I’ve been told not to worry about the low HR.

Maybe you could check with your GP about lowering the split dose as I’m now tolerating the 2 x 3.75mg much better and the cardiologist seemed happy with it. Despite the lower EF + mildly leaky mitral valve, I’m now leading a fairly active life again.

I hope you find a way to improve your quality of life. One final thing to share; I’ve recently had pre diabetes flagged in my routine blood tests so stepped up my exercise as part of the programme I’ve been suggested to follow by my GP. Despite my ‘I know better/it won’t make any difference’ stubbornness, I’ve been amazed at the improvement to my feeling cold and general wellbeing this has had after only 3 weeks.

Anyway, I hope things improve for you and wish you well for the future.

[bearbear5662 in reply to CyclingRich]

Thank you very much

[mozart27]

Sb1171 mentions substituting Nebivolol for Bisoprolol. Both are Beta Blockers but Nebivolol is the most recent one to be developed and is thought not to have as many side effects as the earlier ones. I think that this is excellent advice and you should try it before doing anything more drastic.

[XmasEve24]

Hello I too was feeling dreadful on my cocktail of meds similar to yours after a CABG x2. GP’s I feel are reluctant to reduce/take you off meds prescribed by cardiologist/consultant. I bit the bullet 3 years ago and saw a private cardiologist as I never saw anyone from Cardiology post discharge (5years previous). He put me through all the tests and reduced my meds, but particularly taking me off beta blockers. Game changer -energy levels immediately increased. I wouldn’t advise coming off anything though without the advice of a consultant. Good luck 😊

[Qualipop]

I couldn't tolerate beta blockers; they dropped my heart rate and bP far too low so I was changed to calcium channel blockers. Instead of t rying a GP why don't you ring the cardiac consultant's secretary and ask his advice. Don't stop tablets without permission

[whiteblackblue]

Blessings to you, the same thing happened to me with certain medications, Dr. decreased my medication then I weaned off one at a time slowly. Everyone is different, I was on too much medication and the side effects made my quality of life too much for me, I value living longer however I don’t want to be in misery ever day, the quality of my life means everything to me. Praying that all works will for you.

[bearbear5662 in reply to whiteblackblue]

Thank you how did it go after weaning off much better or not ?

[jackiesj]

bearbear,,,same issues also...i hope your doc listens...know this i sure am listening...im sorry you are going thru this.jj