Heart drugs

missbinks ... I am sorry that your life is full of illness.

DMARDs suppress the overall immune system, whereas biologics block specific parts of the immune system, such as proteins that promote inflammation.

Hi, I've got mixed connective tissue disease, basically Lupus, Scleroderma, Polymyositis, Sjogren's and Raynaud's. basically a wonky immune system. I've been on max rate methotrexate for years, next stop rituximab.
I changed from Ramipril to Losartan as I had an anaphylactic episode out of the blue after years of taking it.
I take 10mg of Bisoprolol daily, to help with the dizziness when I was first prescribed I'd lie down with my legs over the back of the sofa, it soon passed and after a week or so stopped completely.

Luckygirl3

*I'm a bit surprised you are on Edoxaban and Clopidogrel* - I have just had a stent put in a main coronary artery. I understand the clopidogrel is to stop the platelets accumulating round the stent and blocking the artery - I have to stay on it for a year. The edoxaban is because of the AF.

Sorry didn't wish to worry you in any way, generally they avoid giving both but I'm not a doctor so basing it on limited knowledge.

Foxie I don’t think Edoxoban and Clopidogrel is that unusual after a recent ‘event’ as they now say!

I'm a bit surprised you are on Edoxaban and Clopidogrel - I have just had a stent put in a main coronary artery. I understand the clopidogrel is to stop the platelets accumulating round the stent and blocking the artery - I have to stay on it for a year. The edoxaban is because of the AF.

Many years ago I did a short stint on a metabolic unit. I can’t remember what the research project was at the time. Everything that went into the patient was measured. It was common for the patients to arrive with a bag of medications and leave with only a few. Unfortunately drugs had been prescribed to treat symptoms without looking at the bigger picture and the various interactions.
When I was diagnosed with vasculitis and a dissected aorta I had a lot of meds some to help with side effects etc. complicated with those for arthritis as my hip replacements had to be delayed. Interestingly when I took myself of some the medics were in agreement.
When I decided to cut out the prednisolone they were not sure but two years down the line my inflammatory markers are fine and they are happy.
I was so depressed on them
On low dose beta blocker but sometimes heart rate can be pretty low and wondering if that’s why can sometimes feel fatigued or am I still suffering from my adrenal gland being suppressed by the steroids

Luckygirl3 I'm a bit surprised you are on Edoxaban and Clopidogrel, I'd definitely want to get that checked out. I used to be on perindopril which is similar to Ramipril but it gave me an awful cough so it was dropped when I went on a high dose of Beta blockers, unfortunately my BP started to rise a bit so I'm now on a very small dose of lasartan which seems to suit me better. It's a real pain trying to get meds that don't give you miserable side effects, don't react with others you are taking and at the same time keep you feeling well. There are lots of options though so hopefully you'll get yours sorted out. I can't wait to have my AV node ablation when hopefully I'll be able to drop some of the drugs.

Well it sounds as though we are all rattling with pills!

I am on metoprolol, Ramipril, ranolazine, clopidogrel, edoxaban and a new drug for lowering cholesterol Ezetimibe. I was also on a long-acting nitrate which I stopped after 3 days as I was barely functional.

Two of those drugs have the same mode of action as far as I can see and I am keen tom rationalise that in some way to reduce the chance of side effects.

I take 5mg bisoprolol am and pm with 125mcg Digoxin + 60 mg of Edoxaban, so very similar to you crissy I've just started on 12.5mg of Losartan as my BP is just a little high. I had PAFlutter couldn't tolerate more than 1.25 mg bisoprolol as I also have LBBB and a grade 1 heart block, not that serious in itself but dropped my HR too much on more than 1.25. I've now got a pacemaker, developed persistent A Flutter with a high HR controlled well by the bisloprolol and digoxin but on the list for an AV Node ablation. I had a cardioversion back in 2020 which kept me symptom free for two years and I felt so much better. I hope you get yours soon.

I am on 7.5 mg bisoprolol and 125 mcg digoxin plus 60mg edoxaban per day. This seems to keep my heart rate at between 60-80 after being diagnosed with persistent AF with rapid heart rate of 140-160 and breathlessness. I am on waiting list for a cardioversion. Anyone else similar?

Thanks

I'm on 5 mg bisoprolol. I was started on 2.5 mg but when my episodes of AF were getting more frequent, I was changed to the higher dose.

I was on 10mg of bisoprolol but my heart rate became too low so it was gradually reduced to 1.5mg which was still too much for me and so I was taken off it. If your heart rate is fine I guess it is doing you some good.

The beta blocker Bisoprolol has been mentioned by many but no dosage has been ststed am on a low dose of 1.25 mg and no other heart medication. Since my discected aorta repair I get breathless up hills and at times feel fatigued which I put down to a slow adrenal gland recovery after stopping steroids. Drs all tell me I am doing very well and I am not 35 any more would be interested to hear what dose others are on

Luckygirl3

Since a heart attack and a stent I am on a cocktail of drugs wich cause my heart rate and BP to descend into my boots with the result that I can barely function ... out of breath, dizzy, exhausted etc. I have asked if some could be reduced so that I stand a sporting chance of being able to live my life, but they say they are all necessary.
Anyone else have/had this problem? And did you find a solution?

Do you have a blood pressure machine at home, Luckygirl?
They are easily available, Boots sell them and other outlets.
It's a good idea to take your blood pressure regularly and especially if you are put on new medication.

If you log it you can take the results to show your GP if you're worried.

MissAdventure

I take amlopidine, and I've never felt worse than I do, of late.
I seem to be taking almost the exact same meds as people with heart issues, except I haven't got heart issues. (Yet!)

I'm sure my meds are making me ill.

It's dreadful, MissAdventure! I've been asking the GP for a change from Amplodipine for about two years as my legs and feet were swelling. At last she reluctantly changed me to a different medicine, assuring me it would not cause swelling.
It does and I don't feel great. I feel as if I can't be bothered to fight with the surgery about this any more.

I have just heard of someone who has been hospitalised due to a reaction to statins and heart drugs which worsened over years, she has had to undergo a detox. to these drugs in hospital. I have heard other bad reports about statins.

I take amlopidine, and I've never felt worse than I do, of late.
I seem to be taking almost the exact same meds as people with heart issues, except I haven't got heart issues. (Yet!)

I'm sure my meds are making me ill.

I had a heart attack back in January. Hubs took me to hospital I was treated within 10 minutes and home within 5 days with 3 stents wonderful NHS treatment. I had a mild HA with no heart damage and would feel great other than ectopic heartbeats I get. Told nothing to worry about not indicative of another HA or heart disease or coronary disease. However. they make me feel s**t. After lots of change of meds and diet I think it is the bp medicine amlodipine that raises potassium levels which can cause irregular heartbeats.

Interesting how differently we are affected by conditions and medications. I'm on 5mg Bisprolol as well as Apixipan and a statin 40 mg. Also 100 mcg Eltoxin as no thyroid. I actually feel fine with plenty of energy. When I get episodes of AF, maybe every few weeks, I find it annoying, but just carry on and try to ignore.

I'm really only posting this in case someone reading is being prescribed a beta-blocker and is nervous of taking - not everyone is affected badly. In my case my resting heart rate used to be on the high side - even now it's in 60s but with an episode of AF it's usually 150!

Unfortunately many of us need some medication to control our arrhythmia and what is suitable and effective is sometimes limited. I've had a pacemaker fitted which stops my HR dropping below 60, it means I can take a big dose of bisoprolol but that didn't stabilse my HR sufficiently so I now take digoxin and bisoprolol. It's taken a little while but I'm feeling so much better now. Long term I'm having an AV node ablation which means I won't have my own heart beat the pacemaker will control everything. There are lots of different treatments available but sometimes it takes a while to find something that gives you a decent quality of life. Good luck to anyone with an arrhythmia it can be a miserable condition.

Same with me on bisoporol. I was in danger of nearly having a pace maker fitted when I suggested coming off bisoporol .Fortunately the consultant listened to me.

Sarnia, like you I have a low heart rate. Same with Bisoporol I was zombie like. My cardiologist said he thought they’d slowed me down too much and took me off them. Energy,levels improved. Marydoll is right though. We are never (anywhere near) 100%

I suffer from AF and I have a naturally low heart rate. Since my diagnosis over 30 years ago I have been prescribed a multitude of medication, some beneficial, others so, so, and some downright dangerous. My last beta-blocker was Bisoprolol and finally after months of complaining about feeling like a zombie to my GP and cardiac team they eventually fitted a 48 hour monitor. It showed my heart rate dropping to 33bpm. The cardiologist took me off this tablet immediately and I began to feel human again. If I were you, I would ask for some tests like a monitor to show what is going on over a long period, day and night. The medics don't always welcome being questioned by us mere mortals but we know how we feel, they don't. Keep at it and as a fellow sufferer you have my complete sympathy because it makes each day a miserable struggle. Good luck

Luckygirl3

Thank you. I feel so unwell and as I am on so many different drugs there is no way of knowing which might be the culprit/s ... I would love to bin them all. I am sure they must be doing some good, but at the moment the detrimental effects are so overwhelming.

Please don't give up hope, Lucky. I thought I would always feel so ill, but eventually things did improve slightly, after intervention.

Sadly we will never feel 100%, but any improvement is a bonus. 💐