Hello again, first post for a long time.
I’ve always had high blood pressure, around 200/110 at its worst, which is somewhere in the imminent stroke range.
I’m currently on four different drugs to keep it down and it’s now typically 140/80, which is towards the upper end of the normal range, bordering on high.
The problem now is the side effects of the drugs.
Ramipril “unusual tiredness or weakness”
Bisoprolol “unusual tiredness or weakness”
Indapamide “unusual tiredness or weakness”
Apixaban “unusual tiredness or weakness”
I’ve worked early and late shifts, doing 150+km a week, including cycling to work at 3am or cycling home at 1am, and I’ve ridden 12 hour solo races in the past, so I’ve got a better idea than most of what tiredness and weakness feel like, but I’m not sure how much of the way I feel now is down to the drugs and how much to being less fit now and being a bit older (I’m 54).
Has anyone else got any experience with these drugs?
Is there any way of measuring tiredness and proving its cause, or is it entirely subjective?
Just to clarify, by “tiredness”, I mean fatigued. I’m wide awake, but I spend most of the day feeling like I just got back from a three hour hilly bike ride.

Was on 10 mg ramipril and decided enough was enough. I tried exercising more and eating healthy and this lowered my blood pressure down to 110/70 and sometimes far too low at 90/60 on 10 mg of ramipril.
I’m now on 2.5 mg of lisinopril which is a much better for me than ramipril.
Far too many tablets that to treat hypertension.
If you drink caffeine drinks bin that for a start. But exercise helps a lot.

I can’t help with the question but nice to have you back MTG, do stay!

If you’re reading the possible side effects from the leaflet, be aware that everything reported in a clinical trial has to be reported. Hence the prevalence of ‘headaches’, ‘tiredness’, nausea… in any trial of a decent size chances are high someone will be suffering from one of these when they report in and it has to be recorded as a potential.

TL;DR – might not be related to the medicine at all, best speak to the doc.

I dream of 140/80! 😀

I’m on 3 – Ramipril, Amlodopine and Bendroflumethiazide. I started them 10 years ago now and went from riding at the front of my local club to hanging off the back. It blunted my edge and my interest in cycling waned.

I’ve sort of become adjusted to them now. But they can make you feel flat and almost ‘vacant’. They can also make me feel flushed.

Too much Ramipril makes me feel edgy and slightly aggressive though – I was on 10mg but now down to 5mg.

5mg Ramipril here, have noticed that it’s I can’t get to my top hr feel down on power, endurance not affected. Also on Flecainide so it could be that.

Without trying to wake up the tin foil hat nutters, I’ll ask if you got put on statins if you fell into a risk category.

I had them a few years ago and progressively became weaker, tried a couple of different ones before the docs agreed exercise was more important so I came off them.

Only mentioning as I was getting that feeling that I’d no more go in muscles as if I’d just done an epic ride.

Something to discuss with the docs, see if you can try different ones if you are on them.

Hey, man. Missed your posts.

That is all.

Can’t help either, so I’ll just say Bacon.

Good to see you again BGW!

I have been taking various B/P tablets for 20 yrs(67 yrs very old), now on Ramipril 7.5mg per day. What ever one I have taken has led to general lethargic feeling and when mountain biking feels like I only have two thirds throttle available. The steeper the climb the more I suffer compared to riding mates. Never found any solution and just learned to put up with it.

Thanks all.
“be aware that everything reported in a clinical trial has to be reported” yeah, they’re all listed as “May cause…”, but with four of them I think I really am feeling the cumulative effect.

“If you drink caffeine drinks…” The irony is that whatever is recommended for lowering blood pressure, I already do to the extreme anyway. Exercise, no meat, no dairy, no alcohol, no smoking, no added salt*, now working part time to cut down on stress. The only consolation is that if I wasn’t vegan straightedge, I’d probably be dead by now.
*Except for a portion of chips and a bottle of pop once a week on Saturdays.

“It blunted my edge and my interest in cycling waned.” Yeah, I’m getting that as well. I spend all day feeling like I just got back from a long ride, so I don’t want to go out “again”.

No easy solution then. Getting off the drugs would be the best way, but exercise alone as an alternative doesn’t work for me. I’ve had a half-hearted attempt at yoga in the past, so I’m thinking that might be worth taking up properly.

You may hate me for this but… Ebike?

I’m also on ramipril and bisoprolol and asprin and atovorstatin due to a heart attack whilst mountain biking at bpw.

I too struggle to keep up uphills, downs I was fine but any long uphills absolutely mullered me.

I’ve recently bought a trek powerfly 9lt and it’s a revelation for shorter rides or uplifting anywhere it’s making me ride much more without feeling dead for days afterwards, still have my orange five 2017 for proper? Rides but if you are struggling it’s such a help it’s unreal.

Oooh blood pressure top trumps! Started at 240/190 (felt great) now on Amlodapine, invidabrine, losartan, aspirin ezetimbe, spirolactone, indapamide and rosuvastin all at max dosage – feel like shit, ache all the time get horrible leg cramps at night. Also on metformin as the above drug combination slows your pancreas down. Have micro vascular heart disease that no drug can help but my BP is 130/90 – result

ask for a iron deficency blood test at gp,s its free, anaqemia causes fatigue etc, iron tablets or the thick iron syrup from holland and barrett all work and are available prescription free.

Do you know, I was only wondering the other day where MTG had gone. Welcome back fella.

No help with the drug stuff tho!

You looked in fine form when I passed you on the river bank earlier in the week Graham 🙂 Sorry I couldn’t stop for chat but had to get back.

I always struggle during the winter months, feel a 100% better with some sunshine and or vitamins if I am eating poorly.

Hope you get it sorted 🙂

You may find this useful:

From the blog…

I wish I could help more with your list of drugs, though long experience with my dad on Ramapril for 15+ years he tolerates it well, together with a water tablet, Furosemide and keeps him going through his host of other challenges.

In case others are looking in based on the thread title, I’ll chip in with my experience of another, Lacidipine, starting dose 2mg, upped to 4mg, then 8mg. Really sharp headaches, dizziness, nausea, and a cramp like pain in calves. All of which I’d have put up with if it wasn’t for the feeling of intense weakness, which makes getting out of a chair to do anything significant a real chore. It’s weird though, because although the feeling of weakness is strong, when I tested myself with a bunch of press-ups or squats, the strength is still there. So, with that and the fact that it’s not actually controlling the BP well, I’ve sacked them off this week and am weaning off them and trying Candesartan, (from the ARB family of medicines) instead from today.

One thing I was warned of, some of these things can cause rebound heart attacks if you stop them abruptly due to the body overcompensating, so doon’t just stop, wind down with medical approval if changing. Good luck and nice to see you back MTQG.

I think I’m on my fourth brand of statins and about to ask my GP for a change of meds. Whether the statin or the Ramipril, something gives me muscle aches, fatigue and night-time cramps. Fortunately I got taken off the beta-blockers before I gave up altogether.

Someone on here said, approximately, GPs don’t like the diet and exercise alternative because many patients won’t stick to it. I think this was in the discussion on statins.

I’m on ramipril and amlodipine. No side effects at all and my BP is normal. All good.

Wife was on ramipril, she constantly had sore legs and would fall asleep instantly if in a chair that was remotely comfy.
She didn’t ride a bike for a year.
Shes on losartin now, considerably more energy, and thoroughly enjoying her ebike.

I’ve been on ticker medication for the last 8 years following a minor MI (heart attack).

Aged 45,male and around 110Kg at 6 foot – so around 30Kg too much !

Bisoprololmg 2.5mg
Lisinopril 5mg
Clopidogrel 75mg

No idea if these are strong or not but the net effect is I find my maximum heart rate around 155 and a good working rate at 125. I can maintain 135 for a while but as soon as it goes up the speed drops right down and I get fatigued very quickly.

Only recently I discovered that if Itry and stay at 120bpm all the ride, I can keep on going for hours and give it some welly up hills. Not fast at all and I get passed by most half fit people uphill.

I did start on statins as well but insisted the doc take me off them as my legs ached all the time and I couldn’t do much at all exercise wise.

The other drugs, I can’t say as I realy notice any difference day to day that couldn’t also be attributed to being so over weight.

I do have a more or less constant tickly throat which I believe is drug related but all in all not bad.

I can’t help with the question but nice to have you back MTG, do stay!

+1

The irony is that whatever is recommended for lowering blood pressure, I already do to the extreme anyway. Exercise, no meat, no dairy, no alcohol, no smoking, no added salt*, now working part time to cut down on stress. The only consolation is that if I wasn’t vegan straightedge, I’d probably be dead by now.

this is me, except i’d DEFINITELY be dead!
hypertensive cardiomyopathy 12 years ago, BP was 270/150 when i was shutting down, got that sorted and these days i’m on 10mg ramipril and 10mg amlodipine. and yeah, i’m useless.

Twonks,the tickly throat is probs the lisinopril,I was on it ,and it became a constant cough,so I was taken off it pronto. I was started on bisoprolol for angina,and it’s taken me a year to work out my new MHR and training zones,my MHR is down by 20 bpm.

Ramipril here for 6months, just bunked up to 5mg and it’s got my pressure down to acceptable level.
Waiting (now 10months) for haemo consultant referral for haemochromatosis(sp?) tests as cause.
I’m peeing more. it puts me ‘on edge’, feeling almost angry or seems.
Other than that, I feel better than when I had the silly high BP.

I was in ramipril for a while. For the first month or so I was absolutely cream crackered, would fall asleep on the sofa most evenings straight after my evening meal ( about 6.30pm). However, my body gradually adapated to it and after a few months I was back to normal energy levels. 😀

Sorry to hijack a bit, or change subject,
while we are talking about heart problems, has anyone been diagnosed with LVH ( Left Ventricular Hypertrophy)
what did teh doctors say/advise?

thanks

C

Ramipril here (10mg) for about 10 years now plus amlodipine (low dose) – can’t say I’ve noticed any side effects but who knows what normal is. Doesn’t help that I was diagnosed with underactive thyroid at same time as hypertension so going from 0 drugs to 3 in one go it’s difficult to know what side effects are caused by what. I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat but put that down to getting older (I’m 46)

Just wanted to update here on Ramipril.

I was given Ramipril just over a year ago.

The last 6 weeks I have had a cough that was awful at night – it was constant at bed time, often through night. I wasn’t sleeping at all.

Finally I went to docs and have been on Losartan since the new year.

Oh. My. Word.

I hadn’t realised how much my cough was there (Day and night), how tired I was, how grumpy I was and how I couldn’t concentrate at work.

It feels like a weight lifted – and a fug cleared from my head.

The bad news is my pressure was back upwards again 🙁
Check on BP next week.

I was diagnosed with hbp in my 20’s
5 years of different tabs until i got a doc who was a cyclist sent me for every test going and eventually white coat syndrome
Loss of libido, a pee in the middle of the night every night and lethargy, i check mine often at 56 years of age if totally relaxed im in the green zone

Ramipril, Ivabradine, Frusemide and Eplerenone here….heart failure from 38 yrs old due to an unlucky dose of Myocarditis…think tonsillitis but of your heart…and far more damaging.

Whenever doses were increased or new meds were introduced I would feel fatigued for several weeks….unless you’ve experienced it you’ll never know…falling asleep at work, falling asleep talking to people (very embarrassing), having to sleep once home from work in order to function through the evening etc….a truly great pharmacist used to go above and beyond the call of duty and took my mobile number and would call me after work sometime into the evening to check on me and give me encouragement to stick with it….true to her word the side effects do wear off…it does require some willpower to push through it and continue trying to cycle, go to the gym etc when you really don’t want to….eventually the stamina and energy comes back.

I wouldn’t take myself off or reduce the meds now, even though I’m technically out of the heart failure zone due to cleaning up my diet, lots of exercise, judicious use of some off market drugs (read around your condition) and the NHS prescriptions…i realise they work, my BP is always a nice low 110 systolic and my heart rate rarely exceeds 70bpm…my prognosis is now good, the cardiologists couldn’t believe my cardiac output in my last scan given that it was less than 20% in the summer.

In other words learn to adapt and live with the meds rather than living with high BP or another equally insidious cardiovascular condition.

Another non medcial way is meditation and biofeedback

I used to do loads of really boring nightshifts and wired myself up to full monitoring and practiced biofeedback. I can now raise and lower my heart rate and BP by around 20% at will.

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/biofeedback-therapy-uses-benefits#1

I’m on a cocktail of medication for high blood pressure & type 2 diabetes ( although looking at me you wouldn’t say I was seriously overweight)…
I have never once looked at what the possible side effects are ..believing that it’s too much of an excuse to play up to them .
I try to be a good boy and do what I’m told ..and just get on with life instead of worrying about it ..

I’d suggest that your sleep pattern is being destroyed by your shift pattern, working nights. Its well know that poor sleep pattern causes lots of problems.

I’ve been on Lercanadipine 10mg and Atorvastatin 20mg for a couple of months now.

I havent felt any side effects since taking the pills but have been lethargic for the prior year which has coincided with 10kg weight gain and raised blood pressure (150/100).

Which is the cause and which is the effect I’m not sure.

I have just this week been diagnosed with HBP 180/110. Just had a ECG and a blood test, but I think work is at the heart of mine.

So I will be watching this post closely.

I was on ramapril for a year I developed a constant tickly cough particularly at night, reading the posts above I’m pretty sure my legs also ached and I was on edge a lot at the time I saw other causes for the last two . I’m now on irbesartan Teva 225 mg . I haven’t noticed any side effects they were proscribed because the ramapril cough was ruining my and my wife’s sleep. I do notice a sudden draining tiredness if I forget to take them 2 days in a row.
Like a proper grown up I avoid checking my blood pressure so I can’t say where I am at with them but the GP seems happy.

8 months seems quick. I was like you Mounty, 190/110 when caught. Family genetics and stress at the heart of it. Currently on Candesartan and Lacidipine. BP ranges from 110/70 to 135/85, so very happy with that. Had a bunch of heart and blood tests to see if I’d messed myself up with the long term BP and stress. Lots of ECGs, exercise stress test, 24hr monitor, Ultrasound etc. Thankfully no lasting damage, and getting a good amount of help with the stress and how to deal with things better without becoming overwhelmed.

I’d say it’s worth having a BP monitor at home, and checking it often in the first week or so after a change in meds, but not letting it become a worry in itself if you can manage that. What that did for me was allowing me to recognise what peaks and troughs in BP felt like, biofeedback, like tj says, so when I feel stress and BP, I can take a little time out and go for a walk/calming music/breathing exercises/mindfulness etc and get back on track. Talk to the doctors a lot and tell them everything, as you can tell from this thread there are a lot of options for meds and most people can find one that both works and they can deal with.