In fact he made me very happy. No not that – after all, I am 75!
Some of you may remember a very grumpy six word Saturday post I made some weeks ago called Cough, Cough, Cough. That cough has been driving me up the wall and depriving me of sleep ever since I came home from hospital at the beginning of December. Yesterday, feeling completely wiped out, I made an appointment with the GP for today.
I took with me the notices from all the new medicines that were prescribed when I left the hospital. Explaining to him that I had had no cold, no fever, and that last time I saw him he had listened to my chest and found nothing untoward. Smiling broadly, he reached across the desk and twitched one of the notices from my hand. There’s the culprit, he said, explaining that he had had many patients react to that anti-hypertensive drug with a persistent cough. (Why is it still on the market, I wonder). He would prescribe something else, and after a few days without the offending Rampril, my cough would disappear. I almost skipped out of the surgery,.
Next, I went to the village pharmacy, brandishing the new prescription, and told the friendly pharmacist what had happened. Oh yes, she said, that does happen to a lot of patients.
Why in heaven’s name did she not say that a month ago when I tried to buy some cough mixture but couldn’t because there’s a lot of salt in cough mixtures and I am on a no salt diet. She has filled every prescription since day one, and knows exactly what I’m taking.
Grrrr.
Anyway, I’m still coughing, but very happy to know why and to be doing something about it. . Tillybud emailed me to know why I hadn’t posted today, so now you know!
My advice to all patients: REMEMBER THEY WORK FOR YOU. Ask all the questions you need to, write them down in advance, and don’t let them go until you are satisfied. Sorry about the Ramitupyoubutt medication. What a racket. Be well, my friend. Amy
Sadly most meds have side effects and it is always worth reading the patient info insert that should be dispensed with the tablets. Most of it won’t be relevant to you, but some will. Most folk won’t get the side effects, or not all of them, or not to a degree that they find distressing, but some will and those who do find the side effect a pain!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramipril
Most prescribers will be considering the main problem you are presenting them with, and giving the best prescription for that diagnosis – I guess it it then up to the patient to come back and feedback. “Any new symptoms since starting you new medications?”
I agree that the pharmacist maybe should have been on the lookout for possible side effects of medications when advising you on your cough.
So glad the problem has been identified. I hope you’ll be sleeping better?
Now read the packet insert in your new prescription?!
Thank you, Sarah. See my reply to Roslyn Ross, I read the insert in the new drug and found that I should signal that I am taking a diuretic. The GP knows this, the pharmacist knows this. What now? Stop the lot?
No don’t stop.
Check with the GP that the diuretic you are taking is OK with the new drug and if any regular tests should be done for blood chemistry urea and electrolytes etc…. You should need an appointment, just a quick telephone consultation should be fine.
The medication balance is often finely tuned and sometimes upset by simple things – stopping drugs while you check them out would leave you uncovered – and in a more precarious place.
Thank you Sarah – our new GP will be sick of the sound of my voice!
And just like that! That’s great news, especially if we get some mudslinging poetry out of it!
see nthis morning’s post
It is frustrating that the pharmacist didn’t catch it. I would think they would (should) always be on the lookout for drug reactions or interactions.
It does make you wonder why certain prescriptions are still on the market despite the side effects, especially when the effect is a nagging cough. I’m glad that your doctor found the culprit and that you will be back to living cough free.
Yes, why is it on the market?
I thought that the point of all these tests before medicines could go on sale was to eliminate risks like this…
I gather it is very effective at reducing blood pressure, but I would have thought that such a significant number of coughing patients should be enough to make them withdraw it. I plan to do a little mud stirring if I can find a way.
My husband has severe problems with blood pressure related to an underlying illness…he has succeeded in regulating it by taking potassium…..we too are no salt people.
I’m glad to read this! But how annoying that you had to put up with an unnecessary irritant. Good to know you’ll be on the mend.