Atace to Ramipril - High & Low Blood Pressure Message Board

donsabi · 06-16-2008, 01:55 PM

Recently my insurance company told me they were going to increase the price I pay for Altace again and suggested I switch to a generic. I was doing fine on Altace with no cough and good BP control. However, my insurance company is charging me $53.15 for a months supply and now want to increase it. Therefore I switched to Ramipril at a cost of $7 a month, and I like the price, but I seem to have developed a minor cough after starting Ramipril. Is it possible to have a cough reaction to the generic but not the main drug? Or is it just coincidence?
Comments appreciated.

Edelweiss · 06-16-2008, 07:20 PM

The FDA mandates that the active ingredient in generics be the same as in name brand. However, the "fillers" or inactive ingredients can differ. It could be that you're reacting to one of the fillers. How long have you been on the Atace? Sometimes it takes being on a med for several weeks for side effects to become apparent.

Just some things to think about.

I hope you find a solution.

flowergirl2day · 06-16-2008, 11:32 PM

I believe that Altace IS Ramipril. I take 20mg of this drug daily. I just checked the label on mine - it says Altace Ramipril (E-21).
I think that Ramipril is the common name, while Altace is a brand name? I am not 100% sure if that's how it works. My Altace/Ramipril/whatever is not cheap, either - around $50 a month.

I had a bad experience with a generic CCB. Not all generics are made the same way as their brand name counterparts! Against my wishes, the pharmacy I deal with switched me to a generic. I was given no choice in the matter - the brand name drug was being discontinued, or so I was told at the time. The new medication caused frequent chest pain (several times a day) and fast heart rate. I ended up going to several pharmacies with the pill bottle, asking why I was reacting so strongly to these pills. All pharmacists said that I shouldn't be reacting at all, because the generics are the same as the brand name drugs. Well, I WAS! Things returned to normal after switching back to a brand name drug.

Don't let the cough bother you too much - give your medication a try. It usually goes away after a while, even if the cough is bad to begin with. Good luck!

flowergirl

donsabi · 06-27-2008, 06:52 AM

OP update: I have now tried Ramipril two times and each time I develop a mild dry cough and cannot get a good nights sleep. After I go back to Altace my cough stops and I sleep like a rock. I take other generics without a problem. How can an Altace generic replacement cause side effects the original does not? I would really like to save the money but it seems I will have to stay with Altace as it provides good BP control with minimal side effects.

famnd · 06-27-2008, 09:16 AM

Generics have the same active ingredient as in the b/p medicine but they may have different fillers ( substances which help the pill stay together.) You should probably get the package insert & check out the inactive ingredients so perhaps you can figure out what causes the cough. Fam