Can I come off Ramipril once started?

[Bobbbbb11]

Can I come off Ramipril once started? I went to the doctors today for another reason but had my blood pressure checked too and it was high, Not for the first time. I’m very overweight. The doctor has put me in Ramipril 1.25 today. I am very ready to go on a diet and came back from a 2 week holiday yesterday where I over enjoyed myself. I want to know that if after a month of dieting and no drinking will I be able to come off the tablets and just calm down my lifestyle to keep blood pressure down.

I don’t want to be on tablets long term.

[lettingoffsteam]

Well since you are on the lowest dose of ramipril and you say you are overweight then perhaps in time you could come off them.You should keep taking the meds for now though.Good luck with the weight loss,I've lost four stone by eating a mostly plant based diet with some fish and a small amount of low fat dairy.Mind you I'm on two bp meds and I can't see me ever being med free.I did manage to cut the dose though.

[Collywobbles64]

If your blood pressure normalises you can go back to your doctor and ask to stop them.

[Hidden in reply to Collywobbles64]

If, however, the medication is helping that reduction then your BP would go up again!! High BP is not like an infection. A short course of medication will not necessarily heal you.

[Collywobbles64 in reply to Hidden]

I'm quite aware that it is not an infection, but many people can and do reduce/stop medication by taking pro-active steps. I reduced my own medication via the doctor by going on a sugar free diet, the resulting drop in my blood pressure gave me the symptoms of low BP and the doctor reduced my prescription by half. I am currently working on reducing it again by taking measures.

[Kasmi in reply to Collywobbles64]

Hi, would doctors really stop them, my blood pressure has gone low on ccb. I would love to come off them as they make me very tired, if I take at night I keep waking up for toilet. Don't want to cause a fuss at doctors, in case BP goes up again, then might be put on different tablet, which I don't want. 😁

[Collywobbles64 in reply to Kasmi]

See my reply to Osidge. My doctor reduced mine.

[Kasmi in reply to Collywobbles64]

Thank you.

[Hidden in reply to Kasmi]

You could certainly get your medication reduced if you do not need it. The future would depend on how well you maintain your lifestyle adjustments. If you do not maintain them then your BP will creep up again.

[Kasmi in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, Osidge, I will take heed of this. 👍

[Needtodo]

Your GP/ Practice Nurse should be monitoring your medication, if you're on Ramipril you should have an annual blood test to check electrolytes too.

Lifestyle changes e.g significant weight loss may well have an impact on blood pressure and then GP may discontinue the medication, it will probably take more than a month.

You need to discuss with your GP/ Practice Nurse a plan.

[Hidden]

There are equations on the Internet that tally the number of pounds lost to the number of blood pressure monitor points dropped. I think I saw somewhere that losing 20 pounds equals a drop of between 5 - 20 points.

Exercise and diet changes might make a difference too.