Altace

[donsabi]

My BP dropped from 150/90 to 120/70 in one day. I have been taking it for two months and I didn't seem to have any problems. In the past two weeks I have been getting drowsy even though I get plently of sleep. This week I seem to be getting an allergic reaction on my face. I looked up the side effects and both are a side effect of Altace. I am stopping the medication.
I took Altace 2.5mg a few years ago and my BP went too low and was told to stop the med. I was also on a diet at the time and I think the combination of the two, meds and diet caused that. BTW, I found that if I can lose ten pounds my BP will fall into a normal range.
Meds react differently on different people. My thought is give it a try and if you have adverse reactions talk to your MD about trying something else.
Good luck!

[Lenin]

evelyn,

For me, the drug class (enalapril) produced only the cough as I reacall, and really didn't do much to improve my BP. If you coughed from the Vasotec, my guess is that you will from the Altace also.

[evelyn1]

I've been on 2.5 mg Altace plus 25 mg HCTC for 2 months now. Also tried with 5 mg Altace but didn't need that much. BP readings very good and doctor said don't need to come back until Feb. 100 to 115 over 75 (sometimes lower) to 82. But I am really tired certain times of day. Think it may be the Altace. The good news is I don't run to bathroom as much as I did taking maxide (trimterene plus hctc). Have no cough or other side effects.

Cardizem made me feel just awful. tired, stomach hurt, etc.

ARBS didn't help me at all. Tried Diovan, bp didn't come down.

[CASSIEBEL]

I am on my second round with Altace. As I mentioned in April, It didn't work very well the first time. I fired the cardiologist and begged my GP to work with me and so far so good. I asked to be put back on diltiazem but he just didn't feel comfortable mixing that with atenolol (which I have had a hard time weaning off of) So I agreed to try his ideas first. I dropped the ARB and just took 10mgs of Altace with 25mgs of HCTZ and the tiny dose of atenolol.
My BP settled to a consistant "normal" range. Not perfect, not under 120/80 but still OK. It ranges from the 100s / 60s to 130s / 80s. Believe me that is an improvement.
As for tiredness, yes I do get tired sometimes, but it's usually early am or late afternoon and a small shot of caffeine ( diet coke, tea, or coffee ) gets me up and going again. The tiredness seems to be related to the lowest BP of the day.
I have taken other ACEIs before (vasetec) and have never had "the" cough.
I do, however, get a tickle in my throat from time to time. It's not often enough to be bothersome though and I suspect it may just be an allergy.
Cass

[evelyn1]

Update on my altace experience. No cough. If I take 2.5 altace + 25 mg hctc in a.m., I am exhausted from 4-6 pm. Readings at that time about 100/74. Switched to 2.5 mg altace at night and 25 mg hctc a.m. When I do this, bp is a little higher in afternoon if no altace. I"m thinking I'll try 2.5 altace morning and evening and leave off the hctc. But, I think altace might cause me to have some insomnia and weird dreams.

I also don't think I have so much rebound water retention without the hctc.