Ramipril dull headaches
Posted , 9 users are following.
Im a 32 yo male and was admitted to hospital with a blood pressure of 245/150 severe hypertension.
I was given 2.5mg of Ramipril increased by my GP to 5mg as BP still high. BP recorded 3 times a day vary from highest 175/92 to 147/81 lowest.
I felt fine before starting these tablets but when I went back to the doctor and told her that I was getting dull headaches and dizziness she said it was just the side effects. It seems to get easier to deal with each day but tonight I had a headache and checked my BP and it was 134/79 the lowest reading so far.
Basically my worry is that although my blood pressure is coming down with Ramipril 5mg I know that she will want to increase the dosage and then I will feel lousy again.
I suspect the fact that my body has been used to dealing with severe high BP for so long that now its dropping much lower in such a short time that is the reason for my headaches/dizziness, sort of backed up by my lowest reading when having a headache. God knows how I will feel if my BP gets down to a normal level....should I try and avoid increasing the dose until I am used to the level 5mg has me at?
0 likes, 18 replies
MrsO-UK_Surrey mark36007
Posted
Your reading of 134/79 is excellent but, of course, I know they expect you youngsters to have an even lower systolic reading.
As for worrying that your GP will want to increase the dose, if your readings remain at around the 134/79 mark from now to your next appointment and you record the evidence for her, then she probably won't wish to increase the dose at all. My instructions from my consultant are to take 3 readings, each one a couple of minutes apart, relaxing between each reading, and then recording the average of the last two readings and noting them down for him. My first reading is usually up but can drop significantly on the nd reading.
However, if the headaches continue for much longer, then you should ask for a change of medication. I had head pain the first time I tried Ramipril and some years later had a similar experience when trying it for the second time just to please my consultant.
I am particularly sensitive to many of the BP meds, with some of them producing abnormal blood test results. At present I am taking Losartan Potassium and it is the first of about six different BP pills that so far seems to agree with me. It is also the one that my pharmacist says he hears the least complaints of side effects from his customers.
A consultant once told me that for every stone in weight someone loses, their blood pressure will reduce by around 10%, so well worth your while fine tuning your diet, Mark, avoiding all salt at the same time.
I agree with Jane about the daily half hour brisk walk, but certainly don't over-exercise if at any point your blood pressure is at its previous high.
Have you any idea why your BP was so high - had you been through a period of intense stress or worry, or is it perhaps genetic?
Gillian_68 mark36007
Posted
Hi Mark, I've never known anyone to have as high a blood pressure as you, I've recently started taking Ramapril for the last 5 weeks, started with 2.5 mg, it was increased to 5mg as blood pressure was still high, I've been getting headaches and dizziness since I started it. I have been thinking about taking hawthorn instead, as it's a herbal product, and does the same as Ramipril without the side effect. What your experiencing is probably the meds, rather than your blood pressure lowering.