Ramiprill

[Sticks.]

After a small heart attack last year (stent) I was prescribed 10mg Ramiprill, as well as statins, beta blocker, anti-coagulant. After some adjustment of the statins etc all going OKish, feel a bit shabby, BP is 120-35/55-65

Except for the cough.

I know it's a possible side effect but it's on and off all day and night, hacking. Not just an irritating little cough but full on, and I have to say I'm getting tired of it, as well as losing sleep. I asked the GP and he pretty well just shrugged.

I was wondering whether anyone had experienced this and found a way around it, either by an alternative drug or other means?

And these who take it, do you have regular blood checks? My med centre doesn't seem to (be able to) do proactive tests, but I had a kidney removed (tumour) a few years back so am a bit concerned.

Thanks very much.

[Alickadoo]

I have been taking Ramipril for several years. No side effects that I have noticed.

I have blood tests whenever the surgery tells me to. I am a good patient. they know best. I don't argue.

[Sticks.]

Alickadoo said:

I have been taking Ramipril for several years. No side effects that I have noticed.

I have blood tests whenever the surgery tells me to. I am a good patient. they know best. I don't argue.

Friends of mine have no side effects too. How often do they ask you for blood tests?

[leef44]

I've been taking Ramipril for several years now with no side effects. I hear statins has a higher rate of side effects. Are you sure it is not the statin which is causing your side effects?

[Fitz666]

I take it with no effects, my sister in law took it and had the cough. Once she complained they put her on something else.

[alscar]

Sticks. said:

After a small heart attack last year (stent) I was prescribed 10mg Ramiprill, as well as statins, beta blocker, anti-coagulant. After some adjustment of the statins etc all going OKish, feel a bit shabby, BP is 120-35/55-65

Except for the cough.

I know it's a possible side effect but it's on and off all day and night, hacking. Not just an irritating little cough but full on, and I have to say I'm getting tired of it, as well as losing sleep. I asked the GP and he pretty well just shrugged.

I was wondering whether anyone had experienced this and found a way around it, either by an alternative drug or other means?

And these who take it, do you have regular blood checks? My med centre doesn't seem to (be able to) do proactive tests, but I had a kidney removed (tumour) a few years back so am a bit concerned.

Thanks very much.

I’ve been on Ramipril for a decade - started off at 5mg and then after a year or so increased to 10 where it’s stayed since.
I distinctly recall reading the side effects leaflet particularly the bits about dizziness and a dry cough.
I had both but literally for a day for the dizziness and iirc the dry cough was about a week but only occasional. Nothing since.
I have bloods checked annually as well as urine , bmi numbers etc.
Was suggested a good idea to go on statins a few weeks ago as a precaution given age and other risk numbers and no side effects whatsoever thus far.

[motco]

A close family member is on 15mg lisinopril which is another ACE inhibitor type which in this case is a direct alternative to Ramipril. No cough that I'm aware of.

[21TonyK]

OP. A similar cough here except I already had/have a lung condition.

When my consultant found out she got me changed to Losartan immediately.

No more cough (or at least not drug related).

Edited by 21TonyK on Thursday 25th January 16:38

[biggbn]

7.5mg per day for @12 years now, only side effects were when they moved it to 10mg and I had dizziness and felt a little lethargic.

[Alickadoo]

Sticks. said:

Friends of mine have no side effects too. How often do they ask you for blood tests?

Sorry.

But what is the point of all the questions? Are you trying to out-doctor the doctors?

[pavarotti1980]

Cough is quite a common side effect of ACE inhibitors.

Speak to your GP/Nurse/Pharmacist and they will be able to decide the best course of action, such as a switch to something like losartan, candersartan etc.

[Sticks.]

Thanks all very much for the answers. It sounds like trying another medication would be worthwhile so I'll pursue that.

[Sticks.]

Alickadoo said:

Sorry.

But what is the point of all the questions? Are you trying to out-doctor the doctors?

Friends of mine who don't live locally have regular checks, I wondered what was normal.

[Shedding]

I took Ramiprill for a while, not really a cough but I got an incredibly dry mouth during the night, enough to badly affect my sleep. I swapped to Candesartan on which I have no ill effects.

[ucb]

pavarotti1980 said:

Cough is quite a common side effect of ACE inhibitors.

Speak to your GP/Nurse/Pharmacist and they will be able to decide the best course of action, such as a switch to something like losartan, candersartan etc.

This is the answer.
ACEIs are reknowned for cough as a side effect.
A conversion to ARBs (angiotensin 2 receptor blockers) avoids the cough

[Alickadoo]

Sticks. said:

Alickadoo said:

Sorry.

But what is the point of all the questions? Are you trying to out-doctor the doctors?

Friends of mine who don't live locally have regular checks, I wondered what was normal.

If the appropriate qualified medical professional has recommended that you take the medication why are you asking questions of a load of anonymous people on an internet forum?

[TTmonkey]

I had this side affect of ramiprill. It was caused by the drug making the sinus liquids less ‘sticky’ than normal. This caused something described as a ‘post nasal drip’. The liquid would drip from the nasal cavity and the drip would hit the back of the throat, causing inflammation and causing a tickly persistent cough with no relief.




I actually thought I had lung cancer or something, people would move away from me in meetings etc (it was some months before Covid broke out. It was depressing and worrying.

I had to self diagnose it after many doctor appointments, as soon as I told him it was on the list of side affects he agreed with me. Months. Months, ffs.


Answer. Swap to losartan. Sorted.

[bigdom]

Sticks. said:

Alickadoo said:

I have been taking Ramipril for several years. No side effects that I have noticed.

I have blood tests whenever the surgery tells me to. I am a good patient. they know best. I don't argue.

Friends of mine have no side effects too. How often do they ask you for blood tests?

I had the Ramipril cough, my Doctor also swapped me to Losartan. My mother takes Ramipril with no issues, plenty of other options and not all drugs suit each patient.

In terms of blood tests, normally more when getting levels or conditions under control, then they tend to move to 6 monthly. Just be clear on the issues, they're normally pretty receptive.

[NorthDave]

I had the rampiril cough too so went the Losartan route. I hated Losartan with a passion, made me have huge amounts of vertigo which seemed tied to caffeine. In the end we seemed to be going round in circles with the GP so I paid to go private - one consultation and they put me on Sevikar which is a combination of two drugs. It seemed to work and I had no side effects.

[Steve H]

21TonyK said:

OP. A similar cough here except I already had/have a lung condition.

When my consultant found out she got me changed to Losartan immediately.

No more cough (or at least not drug related).

Edited by 21TonyK on Thursday 25th January 16:38

Similar for me. I was put on Ramiprill to control mild hypertension, cough started almost immediately so the GP swapped me to Losartan which seem to do the trick fine.