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RAMIPRIL AND NAGGING COUGH

Posted , 4 users are following.

peter101
peter101

I was recently diagnosed for diabetes and high blood pressure. I was prescribed Ramipril, and little did I know the hell I went through since I started taking the Ramipril. I have been coughing my cage ribs to quake--ing. It siezes my chest so firm and all the muscles clamped around me and it goes on for as long as it wishes until it frees me. I went back to the surgery and was seen by a nurse who said to me it was a virus infection so I went and bought all the cough syrup bottle after bottle both for tickly /dry / and bet me if any was for 'damp cough' I would have bought it too.

It is worse off in the night where I keep all my family awake coughing through the dark, also I had to stop driving for a while because i thought it was the high winds since i do the motor way a lot to work; most embarassing when I then decided to take the bus and the cough triggers everyone starts starring at me as though I fell from space with some rare disease, even got to the stage where I stand by the bus door and get off immediately it starts and leg my remaining journey coughing all the way. I could not stand the eyes of those thinking this man will soon die...what a scary thought from their eyes.

My wife got so concerned and mad and drove me straight to the surgery again after some weeks, demanding this time to see the DOCTOR, who sincerely apologised and confirmed RAMIPRIL was associated with coughing. She then changed my drug to another, and the first night was a great improvement. So far the coughing graph is decreasing and definately can confirm that not everyone is RAMIPRIL made for..but why administer it in the first instance...to kill people through coughs?

I pray no other person/people goes through my kind of experience, seeing this webpage just confirms that RAMIPRIL needs to be re-checked or recalled to determine the right and wrong people it is made for.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I've been on ramipril for a few years now. Last year they upped it to 5mg as my BP was still high. I didn't experience a cough straight away but over the winter I had a dry irritating cough for 3-4 months.

    The itchy-ness in my throat in nearly unbearable at times and feels like pins and needles. Over the winter there were times when I had to get off trains and leave meetings as I was coughing so uncontrollably.

    The Dr however, decided it wasn't associated with ramipril because I didn't have an immediate reaction to the increased dosage and because I had a period of 2 weeks (in between coughing) when everything was fine.

    I eventually got rid of the cough in February but it has now re-appeared, again with this persistent itchy throat. I am wondering if it could be a side effect of the ramipril but as I don't suffer continuously I feel the Dr is unlikely to think so. Interestingly though I spoke to a pharmacist today who said I should immediately return to the Dr's and ask for different BP medication.

  • Sebastian
    Sebastian

    Posted

    I too was not warned against the cough. It's a dry nagging cough that really does make by eyes water. It is especially bad at night. I have had people on the bus move away from me. I don't blame them it sounds as if I have somthing contagious.Surley there is an antidote. I did read a research paper with only a small sample that said that ferrous sulphate helped people with cough. I tried it but to no avail. Would love to know if anyone has found anything that helps as the drug does the buisiness on my BP.
  • nick389
    nick389

    Posted

    I was on felodopine for my BP, which was OK but my ankles started swelling up, so I went to the doctor. I was put on ramipril (2.5mg) which seemed to be OK but there were spikes. So I was up'ed to 5 mg. My BP shot up 190/90 (Iwas v worried so doctor put it down to anxiety). He put me on 10mg - i hate this drug. BP still erratic. Was doing training for half marathon, so BP and heart palpitations were a worry. Then the cough started. On the day of the half put it down to asthma and anxiety - god was it awful. Chest was tight couldn't breathe properly. Worse thing was how crap I felt afterwards - took me hours and hours to get my heart rate down afterwards. Wife still thinks I am just a hypochondriac and she believes my cough and breathlessness is just a cold. I am not convinced and will be going baack to the doctor to get off of this awful drug. I wish I had never gone to the doctor in the first place, swollen ankles were fine compared to this. The problem with drugs is they all have side effects. Originally I was on valsartan and felodipine which seemed to work fine but there was some rumour about valsartan and lung cancer. Worse thing is that I suffer with depression and the exercise has been my major coping mechanism. I need to sort this out - Ramipril is not helping. I hope no one else has suffered with this, but if you have let me know what you did.
  • Susiecottonsocks
    Susiecottonsocks

    Posted

    I am on the same drug and was started at 2.5mg, which was increased to 5mg a couple of weeks later. Immediately the dose was increased I also developed the dreadful cough which causes me to wretch and I am getting very little sleep at night. I will be visiting the doctor again to ask for a change as there is no sign of the cough reducing.
  • chris71641
    chris71641

    Posted

    I too have the same awful cough, exactly as described by others. I was on Ramipril for about 3 months and the cough just got worse and worse. I have seen 3 different nurses at our surgery (it's impossible to see a doctor unless you're dying) who suggested antihistamine, then asthma before I finally spoke to a doctor on the phone. He immediately told me to come off the Ramipril. That was a week ago, I stopped the drug but the cough is as bad as ever.

    Can someone tell me how long it will take before I can get rid of it? Thanks

  • Susiecottonsocks
    Susiecottonsocks

    Posted

    Hello, Sorry to hear that you have had the same problems with ramipril. I found that the cough took about a month to clear. I tried another ace inhibitor but had the same problem. A different type of drug gave me dreadful stomach cramps and a further one made my legs swell. Have started a new drug this week which has the effect of making you run to the loo, so timing has to be careful! Hope things improve for you.

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