Blood pressure tablets

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scottyp123

Original Poster:

3,881 posts

56 months

Sunday 31st January 2021
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Ok I know the answer is see your GP but as we all know this pandemic has made that a no no so...

I have been on blood pressure tablets for a couple of years now and all is well, health wise at least. Before I was on them I was always quite warm, I would think nothing of spending the winter months outside in a T-shirt whilst most other people were wrapped up in thermals. The only downside to this was quite a few headaches (and imminent death probably), when I finally got it sorted my BP was 260/145 at its worst.

After getting everything sorted via the hospital and GP I now take 3 tablets daily - Ramipril 5mg, Amlodipine 10mg and Bisoprolol Fumarate 2.5mg. This all keeps my blood pressure i check and currently its about 140/85 which is great for an overweight 49 year old I think, no more headaches either as well. There is a downside though, I've never felt as cold since going onto these tablets.

As well as balancing my health I've got to think about other things as well and one of them is my gas bill, I was always happy with the thermostat being set around 19 degrees but now I feel uncomfortably cold if its below 21 or 22 and that makes a massive difference to how much gas I use. Work as well is suffering, there was a time that I would be up a ladder in minus 5 fixing a security light now I only choose inside work if I can get it.

So if there are any experts in the tablets which one of the three causes me to feel cold? maybe I could stop taking one of them and see how it goes or even reduce the dosage of it/them. I've got a blood pressure machine that seems pretty accurate so its not as if I'm going to end up back at square one again.

Just to add I'm not sure where this fits in but if I have a few brandy's at night I dont notice the heating has switched off and it can drop to 18 degrees or so before I notice its a bit chilly, just like it used to be.


pherlopolus

2,088 posts

158 months

Sunday 31st January 2021
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Hadn't noticed it before but yes! I went on a dog walk with family today, I was just warm enough with thermals, tshirt, hoody and winter coat. Mrs P who feels the cold had a tshirt jumper and coat on and was fine. 5mg Ramipril and 5mg Amlodipine. I can only have 1 beer and I feel squiffy.

Davetheraver

1,336 posts

202 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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If it helps I am on 10mg Ramapril and 300mg Adizem every day and don’t notice it any colder than before I started. I am constantly getting the Mrs to turn the heating off need a window open when she has the car heated like the surface of the moon.

Blood pressure is still high as well 183/107 average over last week.

GT03ROB

13,262 posts

221 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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scottyp123 said:
when I finally got it sorted my BP was 260/145 at its worst.
I can see somebody exploding a la Mr Creosote at that level!

I've been taking some of what you take & don't notice any change.

InitialDave

11,899 posts

119 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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Since December, I take 5mg Ramipril, 10mg Amlodipine, and 75mg Clopidogrel. BP down from the 200s to the 140s, and I don't notice anything different about how I feel the cold.

Perhaps it's due to how large a drop there's been in yours?

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

261 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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32mg Candasartan and 5mg Amlodipine here.

I've not noticed any difference in whether I'm hot or cold in the six or so years I've been taking them. I hate being cold, so I'm probably not the best judge!

blueg33

35,894 posts

224 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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Makes me feel better!

I was worried about mine peaked at 150/100 and averaged 135/96 over christmas, never been that high before, possibly due to massive work stress

Just started 4mg Perindopril now averaging 120/78 Made the difference overnight

No noticing that I feel the cold any more than I did before.

I'm 55 and have spend the last year sat on my ass - need to exercise more



Edited by blueg33 on Monday 1st February 09:24

blueovercream

277 posts

91 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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The three different tablets you’re on all work in slightly different ways and in part have the overall effect of “relaxing” the vessel walls (vasodilation) to reduce your blood pressure. Dilated vessels generally lose more heat, which at a guess could be why you’re feeling cold. Or it might not be, it might be something completely unrelated.

Given your initial BP readings and your recent reading of 140 on all 3 meds, I’d suggest you put on an extra jumper or suck up the heating bills for a bit longer. In the meantime, good old diet and exercise will be the way that will eventually allow you to possibly start reducing your meds, guided by your GP when things have calmed down a bit.

ucb

952 posts

212 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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Most likely side-effect of the B-blocker (Bisoprolol) you're taking, although as you can see above, side effects are person-specific..

biggbn

23,321 posts

220 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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I feel the cold much more since being on blood thinners, toes can get really quite painful in cold conditions.

Pit Pony

8,557 posts

121 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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biggbn said:
I feel the cold much more since being on blood thinners, toes can get really quite painful in cold conditions.
I'm on ticagrelor, Ramipril, Aspirin and Atorvastatin since my heart attack (stent fitted) last June.
I had to come off the bisoperol after a week, as my blood pressure was really low and my heart rate was 38 bpm. Spent another day in hospital, on a monitor and carry a 24 hour recording device. Where yes they agreed that beta blockers might not be a great idea.
Now at rest my blood pressure is around 115/65 and my head beat 45 to 50

biggbn

23,321 posts

220 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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I'm on bisoprolol , ramipril, digoxin, riveroxiban, furosimide and levothyroxin. I felt the cold and poor circulation even before the bisoprolol was added and I was not someone who felt the cold previously

popeyewhite

19,869 posts

120 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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scottyp123 said:
So if there are any experts in the tablets which one of the three causes me to feel cold?
No expert, but some sport science quals. The answer I think is none of them. Previously your metabolism was going crazy (I shudder to think what your hr was) and you were generating an abnormal amount of bodyheat. Now you are not and you feel colder. Your body may be overcompensating a bit now but 21c is a temperature most would feel is comfortable I think.

Incidentally the fitter you are the more you feel cold, and vice versa. All about cardiac efficiency IIRC.

Badda

2,668 posts

82 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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popeyewhite said:
scottyp123 said:
So if there are any experts in the tablets which one of the three causes me to feel cold?
No expert, but some sport science quals. The answer I think is none of them. Previously your metabolism was going crazy (I shudder to think what your hr was) and you were generating an abnormal amount of bodyheat. Now you are not and you feel colder. Your body may be overcompensating a bit now but 21c is a temperature most would feel is comfortable I think.

Incidentally the fitter you are the more you feel cold, and vice versa. All about cardiac efficiency IIRC.
This is not true.
Hypertension doesn’t mean elevated heart rate/metabolism.

Barchettaman

6,308 posts

132 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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scottyp123 said:
I have been on blood pressure tablets for a couple of years...when I finally got it sorted my BP was 260/145 at its worst.
Jeepers. Congratulations on getting that down by the way, that’s a pretty impressive number b

Onelastattempt

395 posts

47 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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I had to start taking blood pressure medication at 55 after a health check where my blood pressure was 220/135. Started on 5mg ramipril and 10mg amlopidine, then the ramipril was upped to 10mg after a few months, no noticeable side effects.
When I was 60 I had a small heart attack, they found I was having lots of episodes of arrhythmia and slight bowing of one of my heart valves, no blockage or narrowing of veins ( they actually said my veins were typical of a healthy 40 year old which was surprising).
Anyway I was prescribed 2.5mg of bisoprolol as well as to keep taking my other medication, as soon as I started taking it I felt more cold than normal.
I spoke to my doctor about it and he said it is a common side effect, usually just affecting the extremities, and if that was the only side effect I was having then I was lucky as some other people had a lot worse side effects.
I am off the amlopidine now as it was causing me to feel dehydrated , but the good news is the my blood pressure is now 135/85 , so not bad for an overweight lazy 63 year old.

popeyewhite

19,869 posts

120 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
quotequote all
Badda said:
This is not true.
Hypertension doesn’t mean elevated heart rate/metabolism.
It can do, in approx 50% of cases, all depends on myocardial damage/hypertrophy. I've already said I'm no expert so bugger off and stop trying to win the internetz. smile

scottyp123

Original Poster:

3,881 posts

56 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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Cheers for all the replies, it so it seems the tablets maybe shouldn't make me feel cold but I'm sure they do. I can't have always been at 260 all my life and I've never felt as cold as I do now. When the room is 20 Deg i feel uncomfortably cold these days.

Badda

2,668 posts

82 months

Thursday 4th February 2021
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popeyewhite said:
Badda said:
This is not true.
Hypertension doesn’t mean elevated heart rate/metabolism.
It can do, in approx 50% of cases, all depends on myocardial damage/hypertrophy. I've already said I'm no expert so bugger off and stop trying to win the internetz. smile
References please. I’m not trying to win anything, I just know more than you and on health matters, it helps not to use bro science.

popeyewhite

19,869 posts

120 months

Thursday 4th February 2021
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Badda said:
References please. I’m not trying to win anything, I just know more than you and on health matters, it helps not to use bro science.
Yawn.