Ramapril and joint pain

Hi All,

I saw my GP yesterday. She is a new doc to me. We had a long discussion and she said it would be ok for me to come off of Ramipril and didnt offer any thing else as she said the dose I am taking is so low anyway. I have to check my blood pressure and go see her again in 6 weeks time. Also that the stuff I am drinking is such a good thing due to latest research! She herself is taking the spice cumin daily so I am adding it into my concoction. She also said that the pain, numbness & tingling in my feet is due to another condition which I hadnt fully understood when another doctor had explained it to me. She also talked about the amazing power of aspirin which I have also been taking as part of my regime.

I am scared stiff to stop the Ramipril ironic after I have been complaining about it so much. So have decided to decrease the dose to every other day then every third day. After reading mollymacs experience I am really frightened. So thank you everyone here. I will be watching myself really carefully & will post details as they occur.

Hi Tigra, I think you are doing the right thing in reducing the dosage rather than a sudden stopping of the drug. I also think that you should keep in touch with the doctor and get regular blood pressure tests done just to be sure. I see that you have been benefiting from taking a spice mixture that you are making into a curry which seems to be reducing your joint and muscular pain, I wonder if you could let me have the recipe please as I would love to try it for myself as I love spicy food. Thanks grosvenoram.

Hi grosvenoram,

I have been putting a tspeach of ginger, turmeric, cumin and chilli in a saucepan with a bit of oil then adding a bit of chopped onion stirring like mad then adding 2 cupfuls of red lentils, cover with water and boil for vigorously for 10 minutes, then add a couple of chopped carrrots and some chopped potatoes, add more water if required and simmer gently for 20 mins. Indian curries call for salt in the cooking but I jsut add salt in my bowl. If you add to much water it can be more soupy or less and its a thick bowl of yumminess. I have been having this for breakfast and its delicious. The other thing is that you can vary the amounts of spices to your personal taste. Let me know how you get on with it.

Hi Tigra, thanks for the recipe, I will give it a try as soon as I gather the ingredients and then I'll let you know how I get on.

Hi grosvenoram you are so very welcome.If you are in the UK Waitrose have organic turmeric & cumin for £1.69 when I went in last week. I rarely shop there or buy organic but it was a good price.

I had a couple of dizzy spells today. I went to the local Boots & got my bp taken. It was 130/80 on Friday and today it was 133/83. The pharmacist said dizziness & irregualr bp would be expected after 8 years of taking Ramipril. Im to get it checked again next week. I am so scared of this. Before I had heart surgury I was very laksidasical about my health. I was dying and telling everyone oh its only flu. My poor Dad had to drag me to an emergency room when I was unable to walk up stairs. Now I am a complete neurotic.

Hi Tigra, it is interesting to hear that Ramipril can cause dizziness, as I have been getting dizzy spells for a few years now, mainly first thing in the morning, my doctor is satisfied with my bp, which is usually around 140/80. And thanks for the advice, I will call in at Waitrose for the spices.

Anybody, like me, who is having problems with Ramipril should know that the standard procedure for GPs is to prescribe Candesartan which works in a similar way but without the severe side effects.

I have just spent 4 days in bed with severe joint and muscle pain and cramps in my leg, I went back on Candesartan and was able to walk to the bathroom today. I am aware Ramipril is a wonderful drug but it is just not tolerated by everybody. I am now starting to feel a little more optimistic because I was scared that I was dying. I will never take Ramipril again.

Thanks for that WallyM. I hope by now that you are back on your feet. I tried stopping my Ramipril but the stress and fear it caused me frightened me too much so I just started taking it normally again. When I have my annual check up at the hospital I may try again to stop. I have to report though that I am still drinking my disgusting drink and it has definetly helped with the pains I was having. Good luck and health to all

Hi tigra, I have just got back from Spain and wanted to tell you about my Atorvastatin, I am now on 20mg a day and find that my legs are a little less painful and I will now be having curry for breakfast. I will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.

Hi grosvenoram, good to hear from you. Great news that the legs are a little less painful. I am still drinking the drink. It seems to keep the muscle pain at bay. I have been having acupunture for the painful feet. It seems to be helping in the way of its coming and going. Only on my 2nd session though. Very good luck with the curry breakfast. Spain sounds great to me I am going in December - cant wait.

I am52 yr old male. Since taking rampril I have had shoulder, finger joint pain as well as muscle pain in both arms. The shoulder pain is very similar to frozen shoulder in symptoms.All these aches have come on suddenly since taking ramipril.

Hi Nigel26. I stopped taking Ramipril just over a month ago & now I am now taking Candestaten. I still have numbness in my right foot but no joint pain for several months. I had acupunture for five and half months. Also I have been taking some chinese herbs to cure dampness!, I have been doing yoga every day for the same period and have just started to meditate too. Since I have taken Candestarten my head is clear and I have lots of energy. I didnt even know I had a muzzy head. I just thought my brains were blown. I would defo consult your GP and get off Ramipril as soon as possible. Apparantly unless doctors register these side effects they are never listed. Its really a shocking state of affairs. Hope you get sorted soon. Also that everyone else on this site is doing well. Best wishes, Tigra.

Hi Tigra

That's very helpful to know. I have spoken to my GP a couple of days ago about Ramipril and whilst sympathetic to my joint pain was however surprising sceptical that it would lead to joint paint, despite having re-read the leaflet in my tablets box saying quite clearly it is one of the recognised side effects albeit not as common as some others. GP now has me on Lisinopril instead. Haven't noticed any real difference yet accept to say the muscle pain isn't now getting worse. I'll update if any improvement, otherwise next time I see my GP I'll suggest taking what you are!

Have at last been taken off Ramapril - told gp I was feeling unwell and she reluctantly said she would have a blood test done - showed that my kidney function was not good at all - told me to come off Ramapril for a week and then have another blood test to see if kidney function returned to normal - am now on Candestarten and have to have another blood test to see how it is affecting the kidneys. Surely in this day and age there are medications to lower bp without damaging the kidneys. Chemist told me that people are treated with cheapest drugs first of all and kept on them if there are no problems. He suggested another natural tip - drinking a glass of beetroot juice daily - has anyone else heard of this or tried it.

Dear TIgra, I have just joined this site as I have been having similar problems to you when taking Ramipril. I am 62 years old and have been taking this medication for about 2 or three years. I had been noticing that I had muscle weakness and soreness and also that my joints were stiff and painful especially in the morning. I teach exercise classes so I am fairly active with that and dog walking. I have been suffering with the pain so much that my sleep pattern has been disturbed and occassionally I have resorted to pain killers which I would rather not do. However when I read this forum it finally occurred to me that this was not an "age" thing but could well be due to Ramipril. I have stopped taking the medication for a week now and gradually the pain is decreasing. Initially I thought it was in my imagination but I really think that the medication has been the problem. I have not got in touch with my GP as yet but I am regularly monitoring my BP which seems so far to be OK. I hope my experience may help you as I know we are not alone with these symptoms. Good luck.