Post Angioplasty stents x 2 one year on

[Mark-G]

Hi everyone,

Just had a health review and my BP was high the low number. Nurse asked me to do a weeks worth of results and send them in.I did this and had a call from them today as doctor has reviewed my results and they want to up my dosage of ramapril. I had 2 stents fitted about 12 months ago after 99% blockage. I’m a bit worried now that my BP is rising again as I thought stents would have sorted me out 🥺. I have lost 1 3/4 stone since my OP so I’m in better shape than I have been in the last 10 years. Do you think I should ask more questions or just take higher dose and get on with it🙈. Thanks again everyone

[Happyrosie]

firstly, I suggest you have a look at the website of Blood Pressure UK, the specialist charity. You might get more clarity there.

Stents would not necessarily sort your blood pressure out. Your heart is an organ, a muscle, and had been prevented from performing as well as it should by a blockage.

You may be able to persuade your doctor to allow you, for the next month say, to strictly follow diet and lifestyle advice with daily (or whatever is appropriate) blood pressure readings, and if you are able to demonstrate lower readings it might indicate that you do not need extra medication. So consider what tweaks you might make to your diet and exercise routine.

But please be aware of the risks of doing so. You didn’t say what your readings were nor your height/weight ratio, so I don’t know if these levels were horrifically high or just a bit on the high side.

[Blackknight57]

I would take the higher dose, but also ask questions.

There is a root cause of it. Ramiprill isn’t the only pill that is supposed to lower bp.

[devonian186]

That's a lot of weight to lose, well done. Do you still have more to lose and are you getting enough exercise?

In other words are there other lifestyle things you can tackle to bring down your BP before you need to increase medication .

Can you share what your average readings were morning and evening?

[MountainGoat52]

Hi Mark-G,

Stents basically open up blood vessels and return them to the function they had before getting blocked. This is an entirely separate issue to blood pressure. I have had stents and a triple bypass, yet still require medication to control my blood pressure.

You don't say what dose of Ramipril you are on, but I assume it is offering you some relief from your blood pressure. It is the basic "go to" medication most of us seem to be initially offered for high blood pressure. As the dose that you are on is not doing sufficient to lower your blood pressure, the first course of action will be for your GP to increase the dose. As has been said, there are many alternatives, but changing medication does add the risk of the new medication not suiting you.

I have always found it useful to know where on the scale the dose I've been on has been in relation to what can be prescribed. For Ramipril the NICE website advises the following: Initially 1.25–2.5 mg once daily, increased if necessary up to 10 mg once daily, dose to be increased at intervals of 2–4 weeks.

All I can say is try the increased dose and see what happens. Be pro-active with regards to this and liaise with your GP over the dose you are being prescribed and whether it has affected you in any way. I am sure the GP will in due course request blood pressure readings to assess the effect the increased dose is having.

I hope you get your blood pressure under control soon.

Regards,

Gerald

[Qualipop]

Do both. Take the tablets but you are obviously still worried so ask whatever you need to ask