Anyone else on ACE inhibitors??

[kevin21]

The Cardio put me on 5 mg acupril (sp?) daily. I guess it is to help the blood flow easier.

I hope this isn't cause I have CHF??? He only said my heart was a little larger this time and the valve leaked the same.

I got a referral to another Dr. here in Houston to get another opinion.

Can I make the current Dr's office give me a copy of my records? I guess I might have to pay for them??

Anyways, Have a good christmas!!!

 

[Nancy]

Merry Christmas Kevin-

I think you'll find that many, many people are on ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and other stuff like that. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have CHF, probably just that the doc wants to take a little pressure off your heart. It's a good thing.

Take care,

 

[Creed3]

Hi Kevin!
The doctor has me on a beta blocker. It is being used to keep my blood pressure down and to take stress off the heart. I have already had my vr.
Regarding getting your records from your current doctor. I have worked in Medical Records for 12 years. Every state has their own set of guidelines, but you are certainly entitled to get your records. If you get them yourself, you may have to pay for them. Since they are going to another physician for medical care they may not charge you. It depends on the office. It may help to go through the office of the new doctor you choose. If you sign a release with that office to release your records from your current doctor, they may not charge. Any way you decide to go, you will definately need to sign some sort of release form to get the records. Good Luck with everything!

Take Care!
Gail

 

[Christine]

HI Kevin21.. mine switched me from vasotec twice a day to accupril (simply because as i weaned off the vasotec to once a day, my BP went up to a normal high.. 140/90.. normal high for non heart patients.. so he switched me to 10mg accupril once a day.. i'm also on a beta blocker named coreg.. coreg is used for patients with CHF.. mine does not seem to be permanment.. will probably try weaning off that soon.. we tried after 3 months at the same time i stopped digitex (sp?) my PACs and PVCs came back.. after about 6 months post op, those seem to be leveling out.. so we'll try again weaning off of coreg..

as far as your medical file copied for you.. i don't exactly about that.. but what i have requested, i've rec'd with no problems..

happy holidays

christine

 

[mamsram]

Kevin,


I'm on 25mg toprol once a day. My blood pressure runs anywhere from 120 to 160 systolic. the other no. is always under 90 usually in the 70's. I don't know what its all about, but no one ever dies of high blood pressure. Its what the high blood-pressure will do, that is the problem. I just follow the experts on this.

 

[terry40]

Hey kevin21

Hey kevin21

I was put on an ace inhibitor for MVP, for my CHF they put me on Lasix, said the Vasotec (ace inhibitor) equaled out the need for additional potassium, which is needed when you are taking Lasix (diurectic)

Talk to you Doc about the meds, some have more uses than are listed in most publications, now I take a beta blocker (sectral) to slow down my heart rate and control my PVCs.

I have no history of elevated blood pressure, but a lot of these meds tend to lower your pressure, so mine run around 100/60, it can go lower on bad days, it took a while for me to adjust to the lower B/P.

Never hesitate to ask questions of your PCP or Cardiologist, check the law in your state, here in New Jersey we are allowed copies of all our medical records, we still have to fight (not litterally) with some docs to get them.

Terry

 

[joy]

Hi Kevin...I just got permission from my cardio to wean myself off metoprolol. I found out some things about beta blockers that I didn't like,. For one, they dry your mouth and that causes very fast tooth decay. I am 25 years old, and have been on it for 2 years. I just had oral surgery to have three teeth removed, and most of the teeth in my mouth have either a root canal or a very deep complicated cavity. Actually that's something everybody should take up with their cardio if they like their teeth. I have never been on an ace inhibitor, myself and don't know too much about them. Good luck with it!

 

[terry40]

Hi Joy

Hi Joy

I didn't know that about beta blockers, but I've been on them for 20 years, since age 25, though I drink tons of water.

Knock wood, I haven't lost a tooth yet, and I do the Dentist thing every six months.

But if you can get off the meds, do it, all medicines have side effects, they also are filtered through the liver and kidneys, starting so young on cardiac meds I was always afraid of problems with those organs (liver & kidney) down the road.

Terry40

 

[carbomedic]

Kevin21

I've been on Accuprill for about 10 years for hypertension. Was on before my bicusped valve was "discovered". Was on metoprolol after surgery, but now off, caused fatigue and dizzyness and I couldn't go back to work in that condition. A good thing about Accuprill, I am not as sensitive to the sun as I was on beta blockers.

carbo

 

[Simon Gee]

ACE inhibitor

ACE inhibitor

Hi Kevin,

and a happy and healthy new year to you.

I've been on an ACE inhibitor for over three years, since my bicuspid Aortic valve was diagnosed. The drug in question is Tritace (ramipril) and my current doseage is 10 mg/day. Since my AVR in October 2000, I was taking 2½ mg/day until my last annual check up, when the increased dosage was recommended. I've had no problems that I'm aware of - I was told I might suffer from a dry cough but have felt no ill effects in those three years.

Simon

 

[srwieland]

Hi Kevin,

Welcome to a great bunch of heart buddies.

Heart enlargement is a symptom of CHF (the heart is enlarging its muscle because it can't keep up with demand with its current muscle mass). In my case, heart enlargement has always been the primary indicator for surgery or medications.

I've been on ACE inhibitors (as well as beta and calcium channel blockers) several different times. For about 6 months in 2002, I was on Accupril 20 mg AM and 40 mg PM.

I had a horrible time with the cough and tickle in my throat. It drove me nuts! Sometimes in public, it would get so irritating that I would practically explode trying to suppress it.

Some people have this problem and some not. Of course, I was on a high dose.

A few months ago, my cardiologist switched me to Diovan and it has worked just great. My edema (swelling due to fluid in ankles, stomach, etc.) has been kept in check as well as it was with the Accupril and I have had no side effects whatsoever (at least that I am aware of).

If the ACE inhibitor doesn't cause you side effects like I had, it's supposed to be a great medication for CHF and my cardiologist prefers it over others. Otherwise, there are also good alternatives.

Hope this helps.

 

[PWolff]

Enalapril is my drug of choice

Enalapril is my drug of choice

Hi Kevin,

Welcome to a great environment for asking questions, finding out more about your condition, and meeting others who are wrestling with the same issues you are.

I have a bicuspid aortic valve that is getting close to the point where it will need an operation. I was on 5 mg of enalapril (an ACE inhibitor) once per day, but when the valve got bigger that was upped to 10 mg, and then I got a very strong second opinion that I should up it again, from 10 mg once a day to 10 mg twice a day. I've been fortunate, in that I have no symptoms that I know of from the drug.

The basic idea of the ACE inhibitor is to relieve pressure on the heart and bring your blood pressure down. This is a very good thing to do! There are a number of different ACE inhibitors and I don't know much about how to decide between one or the other. But being on an ACE inhibitor seems to be pretty normal for people with valve problems. Not only is it important to bring the blood pressure into normal ranges, but also it holds out the chance that you can put off surgery.

Best wishes,

Patrick

 

[Jennie]

Hey Kevin,

My cardio told me that ACE Inhibs are the "drug of choice" for aortic regurg folks (specifically, in comparison to Calcium Channel Blockers, as my previous cardio had me on Norvasc). I had read this somewhere on the net, too, some time back, so I wasn't surprised to hear it. The idea is to lower the bp as much as possible to make it easier for the heart to pump blood through the veins (vaso-dialator). He also mentioned that, for reasons they do not fully understand, ACE Inhibs seem to provide some measure of protection for the valve. I started on Altace (7.5 mg) two years ago, and within a day or two noticed a marked improvement in my arrhythmias. After my VR in April, he put me back on at 5.0 mg. He suggested this might be a life-long thing, that the benefits are there, with no real harm.

Another thought: A bit of an enlarged heart does not necessarily mean CHF. My two cardios disagreed over this in relation to me - one thought it was the beginning stage (and possibly so, as I had very severe regurg), while the other likened it to an athlete in perfect health whose heart is enlarged due to the body's response of consistently needing to pump more blood - a sort of conditioning. Either way, the idea was that an ACE Inhib might be able to help the heart and SLOW DOWN (not STOP) the progression of the aortic insufficiency, and thereby possibly postpone (but not prevent) surgery.

I hope you get some confirmation from the second cardio. I always try to grab a copy of my records, particularly test results. A written request usually does the trick.

best wishes,
Jennie

 

[Bob]

ACE

ACE

I am on an ACE (can't remember the name) and the only problem I have had is a dry cough. Especially at night laying in bed. My Doc told me the same as all of the rest. Good Luck.

 

[NancyMVP]

Hi Kevin,
I'm taking Accupril 20 mg. 1 x a day for about a little over 2 years now. I also take atenonol 50 mg 1 x a day an a ecotrin 325mg.
I haven't had surgery yet. I get an echo every six months.
When I first started taking these medications I felt tired so I started taking them at bedtime. Now I take them in the morning I don't have that symptom anymore.

For the ladies of child bearing age. You can't take accupril while pregnant. Its know to cause birth defects.

 

[weekycat]

The Ace Inhibitor I was on was

The Ace Inhibitor I was on was

Prinivil, The generic name is Lisinopril. Ace inhibitors as I understand it, keep the blood vessels from constricting, therefore making it easier on your heart to pump blood through the body.

I was put on 5 mg when I first started having symptoms (ie chest pain/sob) from my MVP. It was then upped to 10 and then 20 mg
as I got closer to my surgery date. They do use Ace inhibitors on people with CHF, however thankfully, I never got that far before surgery. They are also used on people with high blood pressure, which I didn't have either, (except pulmonary high blood pressure, related to the bad mitral valve.)

Come to think of it, my husband is currently on another one, Altace, for hypertension.

Anyway, after my repair surgery in May, I was put back on 5 mg per day, and then taken completely off of it after 3 mos. I don't think it's anything to worry about. I don't recall having any side effects whatsoever from them.

 

[Don]

ACE

ACE

I take 10 mg Lisinopril (Prinivil) and 25 mg Atenolol, i.e. one Ace and one Beta, for controlling my BP. Been on approximatly the same dosage for about one year prior to my AVR, and the same after my AVR. My EF is 60% so I don't think I'm in a CHF situation.
Interesting comment above about dry mouth and teeth relative to Beta Blockers. (Mine are o.k.; just been to the dentist; go 4 times a year; mouth gets very dry at night but I live in very low humidity climate.) Regarding the Ace Inhibitors, some people on them get woozy from rising too quickly from a seated position.
Best wishes,
Don
AVR; 4/02; CCF; Cosgrove; Bovine Tissue