Best time to take Ramipril morning or bedtime?

[Bonnie20]

I'm a 67 yr old woman and I have recently been prescribed Ramipril for really high blood pressure. I was given Amlodipine first, but had every side effect possible and some, then was changed to Propranolol which suited me great but when seeing a doctor because I couldn't breath properly was told it was a side effect and should never have been prescribed it, so he gave me Ramipril.

I was told to take it every morning which I have been doing for the last 5 days, it makes me dizzy and gave me headaches. The headaches seem to have eased off thank goodness.

I've been reading that ACE inhibitors are best taken at night, especially Ramipril, for them to work more efficiently, as they help with non-dipping ? I can relate to that as I hate going to bed it's when I get my panic attacks most and have problems getting to sleep due to anxiety, so my BP is probably raised more then. Yet I was told by my GP to take the Ramipril in the morning.

I'm thinking maybe the GP isn't up to date with the latest research and trials that have found ACE inhibitors are better taken at night.

So seeing as I took my last Ramipril yesterday morning around 10am, I'm thinking of taking the next one at 10pm tonight instead of this morning.

My BP was 135/74, 127/73, 119/62 this morning. I take it 3 times So I'm thinking if I were to take the drug now it would lower my BP too much, which is probably what's making me so dizzy.

Does anyone have any experience of the benefits of taking this drug at bedtime instead? Or any comments on this post.

I realise I'm very very lucky compared to most of you on here with serious health issues, and you may think I'm stupid, but it is quite a thing to me with my anxiety issues after 5 years in an abusive marriage and then a breakdown. I do tend to overthink and imagine something bad will happen, particularly having a heart attack as both parents now dead had heart attacks, so it's something I've always fixated on and been scared of. I've had counselling a couple years ago for this silly phobia which did help until now when it's reared it's ugly head again. Which isn't surprising considering how useless my gp surgery is generally. Handing out tablets that you shouldn't take, telling me I had cancer twice and had all the tests even saw an oncologist and all it was was a fibroid the first time and the second time a kidney stone. So I don't have complete faith in my doctors to do the best for me.

[gracefulmanes]

Hi Bonnie

Sorry to hear what you have been through and I hope you will get over what you have been through soon.I was on Ranipril a few years ago,it worked well in bringing my bp down but gave me the most terrible, irritating, dry cough after only 2 months of use,this cough lasted for about 2yrs and people asked me if I smoked or had bonchitis. Anyway I stopped using it and started to use natural products instead. I know other people who have used Ranipril who have had similar side effects too so I will say it is very effective and works well if you do not suffer from any side effects .

All the best

[Bluesrock in reply to gracefulmanes]

Hi, what natural things have you used please?

[Bonnie20 in reply to gracefulmanes]

Thanks Grace thanks for your reply.

I haven't taken my tablet today, my bp was really low this morning and again midday and this evening. I think my bp spikes when I have stress, so I'm going to see what it's like in the morning then maybe stop the tablets until I see the nurse on Monday. I felt dreadful yesterday but that's because my bp had dropped quite low, 110/59. This evening its between 126/69 and 122/66 so if I took a ramidil it would lower my bp even more. I've been on it about 5 or 6 days.

What natural products have you used and with what success?

[johoho in reply to Bonnie20]

Dear Bonnie, I'm no GP, but if your BP is dropping this low, you should probably not take Ramipril. Find a different GP, talk to a pharmacist about meds as they are the experts above and beyond a GPS knowledge. I also encourage you to seek counselling too. Youre anxiety must be exhausting for you and being able to relax is so important for your overall health. J

[Boberto101]

I just met with my cardiologist yesterday and I’ve started Ramipril. He’s told me to take at night and take amlodipine in the morning to try smooth out my BP spikes. If it doesn’t work he said we will try both in the morning. His first choice though is at night to avoid dips

[Bonnie20 in reply to Boberto101]

Thanks for your reply. I spoke to someone last night who's hubby's had heart surgery and his cardiologist told him to take Ramipril at night, she was also on it amongst other bp meds and so she's taking hers at night too.

I've only been on meds for about a month, they gave me Amlodopine first but I had horrendous side effects, so they put me on Propanolol and had side effects from that too, I couldn't get my breath so now they've put me on Ramipril but told me to take it in the morning. My bp dropped immediately but after the first day it dropped to normal and below and I couldn't function due to such low bp.

Didn't take it yesterday at all, and my bp remained normal all day, And this mornings readings were 128/77, 113/70 and 129/76 so on average my bp is normal. No wonder I felt so ill taking the bp meds.

[Needtodo in reply to Bonnie20]

I was advised by the Pharmacist to take Ramipril at night when I first started taking it to reduce risk of dizziness.I have continued to do so.

I would contact your GP about blood pressure readings being low with symptoms.

[Boberto101]

I’ve been taking one 5mg amlodipine for couple years and have zero side affects . It does a good job keeping my BP down in normal range most of the time. However it can still spike with stress, exercise, after drinking alcohol. Therefore looking to add 2.5 ramipril at night to manage it. It’s trial and error as everyone’s system is different. There are new dual therapy drugs on the market apparently . If ramipril doesn’t work for me my Dr will be looking to try them . Could be worth asking about them

[Hidden]

I take Felodipine 20mg, Doxasosin 4mg and Ramipril 2.5 mg. I take them all in the morning, although I read somewhere BP tablets are best taken in the evening. I was warned about the coughing, which did concern me, as I have a lung disease (Bronchiectasis) and I am a non smoker. But I don't cough any more than usual.

[AnnieW55]

Just wondering how your high blood pressure was diagnosed since you have only had lower readings in your posts?

[Bonnie20]

I had a bp check when I had my routine HBA1c test as I’m borderline diabetic, it was 200/100. But I’d had a very stressful worrying couple of weeks which probably pushed it up. Then had to go back a week later to have it checked again with the nurse and also had an ecg, and see a doctor to have it checked again a week later. It was a bit lower but not much so the doc put me on the first meds, amlodipine which I had all the side effects with and made me worse. He said he had appreared to make me worse and sort of apologised. Not once did he say try lifestyle change for a while first.

He swopped me onto propanolol which made me so breathless I couldn’t breath so went back as an emergency last monday and saw a different doctor who said I should never have been put on those and gave me ramipril, but didn’t check my bp. He told me to go in Monday (tmoro) to see the nurse to have bp checked again and some bloods taken. Ramipril dropped my bp down in 24hrs and after I was quite ill the next few days and getting worse, it was like dragging my body through thick mud to try and walk and my brain couldn’t function it was hard to try and think properly. Very scarey, so I stopped the tablets last Thursday. The next day I checked my bp and it was normal, I’ve checked twice a day since and it’s remained normal. I’m not feeling 100% but a hell of a lot better than I was. My bp has been around 130/80 in the evenings but usually around 119/70 -126/80 in the mornings and midday.

The first doc who I saw on the first and second occasion who prescribed the first 2 meds was one I try to avoid seeing as he misprescribed me before and made me very ill, then when I went back told me my symptoms were all in my head and referred me to a psychotherapist who said he should be struck off as my symptoms were not imagined but were real and advised me to see another doctor. It turns out the reason for being so ill was side effects of a medication he gave me. Rather than make an official complaint I just refuse to see him. Unfortunately I couldn’t avoid it this time.

[hc75]

In 2011 I nursed my mother during the last few weeks of her life. It was a very stressful time and my BP was regularly over 180/100. My GP was not overly concerned and thought it would return to normal when the stress was less. I was 67 at the time. After a few months I saw a specialist who immediately prescibed perindopril/amlopodine and directed me to take it at the same time every day. I tried both early morning or late evening and it works better for me to take it when I wake up, after breakfast. I maintain a reading of around 120/68 providing I do not leave doses more than 24 hours apart. I take statins last thing at night. I now have 3.5 cholestrol reading, down from 7.5 which my doctor warned me to keep checking so that it does not go below 3, because we need it she said. I have had a few allergies but nothing serious. I would not dream of not taking it etc unless I ask my doctor. On the odd occasion I forget to take it I check my BP and providing there is a 12 hour period to the normal dose I take it and continue with the next one as usual. I bought a reasonably priced BP wrist monitor and check my BP once a week and if I do not feel well. I trust my doctor and I think you need to find one that you feel safe with !! I hope you can resolve your problems