What are the long term side effects of ramipril?

Effective control of blood pressure is one of the proven ways to avoid heart conditions like cardiac arrest or attacks. Not stopping with your heart, keeping pressure level under control helps maintain wellbeing of your kidneys and also helps prevent near-fatal outcomes like stroke. Ramipril is one of the popular drugs taken to manage spells of hypertension or high blood pressure. This med is grouped under a category called angiotensin converting enzyme inhibiting drugs (ACE inhibitors). Do you know the long term side effects of ramipril? It is worth your while to have added details on this front.

Meds categorised as angiotensin converting-enzyme inhibitors are prescribed to relax your arteries and other such blood vessels. Relaxation of vessels brings down blood pressure levels. As a tangential benefit, this action reduces the need of oxygen of the system.

Certain enzymes are capable of shrinking the arteries. For example, an enzyme known as angiotensin-II is known to contract vessels. This enzyme is made by converting angiotensin-I (in short, ATI). Once ATI gets converted into ATII, the direct outcome is the narrowing of blood-supplying vessels. This is identified as one of the reasons for the presence of spike in blood pressure levels. Meds belonging to the ACE inhibitors genre reduce the quantum of ATII made from ATI.

So, what is ramipril?

Ramipril is one of the commonly administered ACE inhibitors. This med is taken to prevent heart conditions like cardiac attacks or heart arrests. One of the extended uses is ramipril is taken to boost the odds of survival among those who recently suffered a cardiac arrest. The chief function of this drug is to avoid or reduce pressure from building up on the walls of arteries. This function is critical to decrease blood pressure levels.

But, no two people living with high pressure are given the same dosage plan. The treatment plan varies from one to another. The plan is also dependent on your age, body weight, gender, prior spells of cardiac ailments, allergic reactions to drugs belonging to ACE inhibiting genre, etc.

What are the long term side effects of ramipril?

People who take ramipril over a longer term may witness a few side effects. Long term use of this med can cause renal dysfunction such as marked drop in filtration rate, presence of residual salts in your system (due to suboptimal working conditions of your kidneys), etc. Your treating doctor may tell you to check the conditions of your renal system periodically. Often times, tests such as kidney function tests are ordered to know how your renal system is functioning.

If you are observing adverse effects like respiratory difficulties, passing out, pain in your chest, etc. dial call 911 as quickly as possible. You can also seek help by calling the helpdesk of the food and drug administration (FDA).

Those who are residents of Canada must reach out to Health Canada. You may also rush to a poison management unit operating closer to where you live. To know more of ramipril side effects, talk to a qualified physician before starting your doses.

How to safely administer ramipril?

Foremost of all, ramipril needs to be taken as per guidance of your caregiving team. In other words, ramipril is not to be taken as through the self-medication approach or as an OTC drug. Moreover, it is safe thing to tell the caregiving team about the drugs you are presently consuming / using. It is safer to share details of other treatment (if any) pursued currently.

As an added precaution, inform the physician of intake of drugs belonging to the OTC genre, prescription drugs, supplements of proteins or vitamins, herbal supplements or any dietary aids. Last but not least, if you are planning to stop taking any of meds you presently use, inform your doctor / pharmacist of all such actions.

Disclaimer

Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.