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Lisinopril and other blood pressure drugs

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Graceelsie

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I thought I would try to find out other people's experiences with drugs to control blood pressure. When first diagnosed with Type 2 some years ago they decided to put me on Ramipril as my bp was a little high. I really did try to stick with it for some weeks but the side effect of stunning headaches got to me too much and I had to give up taking them and decided basically to leave it unmedicated. Recently my bp went really high (I am under a lot of stress) and the doctor insisted on trying ACE inhibitors again. She put me on Lisinopril on Wednesday and after just two days (and the dose is only one 5mg tablet too) I have just suffered a day where my head felt like it would explode, I couldn't move out of bed without feeling giddy and my stomach was horrendously acidic so I could not eat anything. So this tablet is worse than the first one and no way am I putting another into my system this evening (Friday)!

So I have some questions...

A) is there anything else they can put me on for bp that is not an ACE inhibitor and not likely to cause me headaches, dizziness and stomach pain? (I also have M.E. and am very sensitive to med side effects).
B) Has anyone else had this bad a reaction to this drug and others in its group?
C) The gp told me a good reason to take it was because it protected my kidneys and then promptly gave me a form for blood tests to test my kidney function was not adversely affected in three weeks time... does it help kidneys or harm them?... this seems totally contradictory and my Mum (with heart failure) was taken off the same drug after one day when in hospital because her kidney function went downhill!!!

TIA, Grace
 
Hi Grace, I was put on ramipril after diagnosis but started to develop side effects (bad nausea) as soon as I went up from the smallest dose. Another GP changed me on to candesartan cilexetil (an ARB) and I have had no problems with it - been on it for over 3 years now. She also said that it was actually better for protecting my kidneys than the ramipril. I don't know what she based that on, it's just what I was told.

I think all drugs ending in '-sarten' are ARBs. Certainly worth asking about! 🙂
 
Graceelsie said:
I have some questions...

A) is there anything else they can put me on for bp that is not an ACE inhibitor and not likely to cause me headaches, dizziness and stomach pain? (I also have M.E. and am very sensitive to med side effects).
B) Has anyone else had this bad a reaction to this drug and others in its group?
C) The gp told me a good reason to take it was because it protected my kidneys and then promptly gave me a form for blood tests to test my kidney function was not adversely affected in three weeks time... does it help kidneys or harm them?... this seems totally contradictory and my Mum (with heart failure) was taken off the same drug after one day when in hospital because her kidney function went downhill!!!

TIA, Grace
Click to expand...

Yes, if you can't get on with ACEs ask for an ARB (Angiotensin Receptor Blocker) which do a similar job.
and yes ACEs protect the kidneys by controlling the BP. It is "normal' for T2s to start on a diuretic like Bendroflumethiazide to start with for BPS and then add an ACE if kidneys show leakages.
 
Hello I take Ramipril for the kidneys and not for BP. It has helped and my blood tests last year showed kidneys as normal, so the Ramipril definately worked for me :D I have blood tests next week, so hoping for a good result again.
 
I changed from an ACE to an ARB, as I got another known side effect - a dry very annoying cough. Firstly Olmesartan, then they decided that was too dear, so changed to Losartan. NPs at all AFAIK. Been on em some years now, didn't have high BP per se, only 'a bit high' for a diabetic.

(Oh look you've got diabetes, well - we'll move all the goalposts now - cos having diabetes is just not hard enough on its own .... LOL)
 
Graceelsie said:
C) The gp told me a good reason to take it was because it protected my kidneys and then promptly gave me a form for blood tests to test my kidney function was not adversely affected in three weeks time... TIA, Grace
Click to expand...

Measuring your kidney function now will confirm their function - also give a 'baseline' reading to check against in future, e.g. to confirm whether medications are affecting them.

Richard
 
If it's of any use I take
150mg Irbesartan (Approvel) - Angiotensin-II receptor antagonist,
25mg Carvedilol (Beta-adrenoceptor blocker) twice a day, Bendroflumethiazide (thiazide diuretics) which probably contributes to the frequent loo visits and occasional dry mouth.

This lot has been worked up to over the last 7 years and now my blood pressure is very good (touch wood) and no know side effects (apart from the possible loo visits and maybe contributing to the gout problem bendroflumethiazide).
 
I'm on Atenalol & have been for a while now & no probs. Ramapril gave me an awful cough.
 
tomtat said:
I'm on Atenalol & have been for a while now & no probs. Ramapril gave me an awful cough.
Click to expand...

I'm on Atenalol, have been for 10 years or so, and was on bendroflumethiazide, but taken off that now and put on Ramapril. Have to wait and see.
 
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