HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Heart Medications for All Aspects of the Disease

Support Forums
>
Heart & Cardiovascular Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/30/2005 5:38 AM (GMT 0)
I've been taking certain medications for months or years, and then something new happens and the Dr.'s decide to switch my medications around.  Almost a year ago, they told me that I'd be on the same med.'s for life...not so, as within the past few months, they almost all were stopped for a while, changed, deleted completely or the dosages have been increased, or decreased.

 

How are you doing with this aspect of heart disease and all that it brings to your pill box?!

 

Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 6/30/2005 1:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Teri, sorry you are having problems with meds and hope the new ones will be effective. I hear wonderful things about Zoloft, I have never been on an antidepressant but have several friends who are and they all say this drug has been the most successful for them.

For this thread maybe we should list the drugs we take and describe the effects they have on us, good and bad.

Posted 6/30/2005 1:58 PM (GMT 0)
Meant to ask if this was a good idea!!!!!

Posted 6/30/2005 5:14 PM (GMT 0)

me too.  i've heard good things about zoloft.  not a ton of side effects.  do they make you "nervous" at all teri?  i'm being prescribed celexa, but haven't started it yet.

anybody have any thoughts on klonopin?  i've been prescribed it in 2 different ways:  one doc said take twice a day no matter what, for ongoing discomfort.  one doc told me to take only one, at night, before bedtime...

Posted 6/30/2005 6:07 PM (GMT 0)

Just thought Id throw my two cents in about Anti-depressants. I have taken just about eveyone of them.  My sleep apnea was mis diagnosed as depression and I was prescribed the SSRI's. I always seem to get severe insomnia from them. Actually I bounce off the walls, I can stay up round the clock.  I have taken Effexor, serzone, celexa, lexapro and Zoloft. I do have an anxiety problem though and my Dr. seemed to think these would help.  They do wonderful things for people I just cant tolerate the side effects.  I know a lot of people who have been helped by these drugs. 

I was also prescribed Klonopin.  I think that is a great drug also. Really helps you sleep at night.  Keeps you very calm.  I was put on Valium when I got home from the hospital because I was so tense and nervous that no pain medication was working for me. The valium really helped me.

Teri, I am sorry to hear about your depression. I really believe that the medication will help you. Zoloft is supposed to be a great drug.  It is my understanding that it takes a while to work. So be patient and good luck.

stormie

Posted 6/30/2005 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone!  Well, with a very pleasant night's sleep under my belt (so to speak)...I feel great today!  cool Though they told me it would take up to 2 wks. for it to help...my first lowest dose of Zoloft helped-I'm starting one week of 25 mg. then going up to 50 mg. No unpleasantness or jittery feelings at all.  I'm so thankful!!

 

I've been taking Klonopin for almost a year or so...I take 

.5 mg. at night.  My prescription says I can take it 3 times a day plus at bedtime, but the only times I've used, other than at night, was the day after my Mom died and the night I was told my Dad had passed.  It does make you a little slowed up...?? :)  Does that make sense? lol 

 

Right now I'm on Digoxin for my heart, Plavix and Aspirin for my blood, and back on Zocor 40 mg. for my cholesterol - oh and 6 mg. of Nitro patches...

 

Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 6/30/2005 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
PS Jay, Good idea! - if any of you want to put down what you take and how it's helped or hindered you, feel free to do so!! Just remember, everyone's different with their reactions. :)

Hugs, Teri :)
Posted 6/30/2005 8:21 PM (GMT 0)
I am going to jump right in here becauses I have finally come to terms with the fact I am on these medications forever even if there are some side effects I have to deal with. The only reason I feel as good as I do is that the CHF is well compensated by the meds! This took awhile , three years, for me to accept! When I talked to the CHF specialist about this the other day he looked at me an said " I have been telling you this for three years, the choices are there but the wrong choice could be fatal"!

Coreg - 12.5 mgms AM, 25 mgs PM. Cannot understand why the lower dose gives me so many problems, dizziness, weakness etc but not the PM dose! I am very careful on stairs and I try not to make important plans for the morning and have to admit the odd time I don't take it when I go out by myself in the morning. The dose is not as high as doc. would like but is all I can handle. As Teri said everyone reacts differently to meds.

I don't have any problems with any of my other meds. as follows...Synthroid, Diovan, Lipitor, Aspirin, Fosomax. I am lucky with all those.

Writing this down has really helped with the acceptance!

Posted 7/1/2005 2:50 AM (GMT 0)

hi all,

so glad to be talking about drugs!  thanks for the input on klonopin and anti-depressants everyone. 

has anyone taken klonopin vs xanax?  i heard they're the same, but klonopin is supposed to just be longer lasting.  is that what anyone else has discovered?

re anti-depressants, they all make me jittery too.  i haven't tried the celexa yet, though, as i'm starting one thing at a time.  i dread the potential side effects.

AND i had to get off my statins, making my muslces feel like jelly.  i can't tell you how sorry i am about THAT, since i think they're helping everyone stay alive that's taking them!  i'm on niacin instead, i know it's helping, but probably not the kick that statins would give me.  thoughts?

THANKS
libby

Posted 7/1/2005 3:52 AM (GMT 0)
Jay, I'm so happy that your CHF is being well compensated with the med.'s you're taking!!  WooHoo!!  tongue And I'm happy that writing all this helped you along - your welcome to do this anytime - that's what we're here for!! yeah

 

 

Libby, they've given me xanax in the ER when I'm having the heavy chest pains and angina, which in turn causes me to get much more nervous?!  The xanax (to me) was very strong.  In comparison the Klonopin was calming - not sedating.  I suppose that could also depend on the dosage - duh?! tongue

 

Re no statins...well the niacin, oatmeal, whole grain foods, fresh garlic, pomegranite juice, plenty of water for flushing the system?!  Anyone??

 

Hugs, Teri tongue

Posted 7/2/2005 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
Woe Teri you hit the nose right on the head here. Yes I take a depressant and Paxil is one of the ones that the gov't is looking into. There are days that I feel pretty good and some days that I feel like why am I here???? But I know deep in my heart I want to live and prosper in this world. However, the fact remains that I have good and bad days like everyone else. Paxil has helped me tremendously, even though my daughters think I'm abit whacked from it. All in all I'm glad I am on them and hope one day I will get off them too!!! I take numerous drugs for asthma too!!! Adavair 500/50, Singular 10mg., Lipitor 40mg. zetia, 10mg, Paxil 20mg., combivent inhaler and albuteral inhaler, Prevacid 30mg. and aspirin 81mg., as well as some kinda water pill. HBP.  Opps I forgot that I am on Altace 5mg. too!!!
Take care, be well and God Bless Everyone!!!
Happy 4th of July
xoxoMARYME

Post Edited (MARYME) : 7/2/2005 7:47:32 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 7/2/2005 2:43 AM (GMT 0)
on 7 meds and 2 diuretics HZT 12.5 m=now down from 25 miligrams and now Aldactone 75 milligrams up from 50 and I am told to them tae them one in Am and one in afternnon but i got to go right now like the dextrol commerical and sometimes when I cough or sneeze I leak is this a side effect from these diuretics lets se

thyroid synthyroid 112.milligrams but it changes every 6 monthe

Aldactone 75 miligramsd

HZT 12.5 down from 25 now

Ram[pril 5 miligrams talking about raising it to 10miligrams

Advair 1 250/50

Clebrex 200 miligrams twie a day

Lipitor 10 miligrams then my 1,000 Miligrams of fish and flax oil every other day and my co enzyme Q-10 for my Lipoitor drains co enzyme levels out of yur system.

But wondering abuot these two diuretics I ahve tried takweing them both at one time and still got to go got to go now.

LOL.

 

Thinking about taaalkng to Doctor abuot and antideprressent too took aticvian years ago and my husbnand is flat out agianst it tellingg me I can talk and pry my way ut of it.

Well this is it but need answeres on both diuretics just a wondering told my doctor and she laughed saying I got CHF so get use to it he is ok as a cardio doctor but wish he could be on two diureticss at a time.

Heidi

Posted 7/2/2005 3:57 AM (GMT 0)
MaryMe-I'm the Advair 500/50 now, too...was on the combivent and 250/50, but it wasn't helping-so now just the increase in the Advair has helped me a lot!!-did you read the article on the anti depressants that I put up earlier today??

 

Heidi, I know I don't have to tell you...but anyone with heart disease needs to remember to toss out the salt!  Watch the fluid intake as well...'remember where salt goes, water flows...'

 

You Rock - All of you!!  Hugs, tongue Teri

 

Posted 7/3/2005 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
You rock Teri, you take care and God Bless you!!
Happy 4th of July and have some fun everyone!!!!
xoxoMARYME
Posted 7/3/2005 1:58 AM (GMT 0)
  tongue    Thanks, MaryMe!!
Posted 7/5/2005 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
My Cardio and PCP agree they might take me off my Hydrochlorathyadize HZT I hope that is right aand upping my aldactone from 50 miligrams to 100 miligrams whoa aaaaain't that alot Teri? I have ben feeling tired when i wake up in a groggy state I am 5'7" 144 lbs ned to be below 135 they are saying but hey lost from last year from 180 to 140 and now it hovers near 140-145 butu with my fmioly hisotry of hart disease no he wants me near 135 but upping my aldactone to 100 miligrams from 50 sounds high to me and take me off other diuretic they cut in ahlf from 25 to 12.5?

Heidi

Posted 7/5/2005 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Heidi,

According to the site itself, it says (Aldactone) for CHF, 25 mg. to 200 mg. can be used.  But initial dose is usually 100 mg. singly or divided is recommended.

www.pfizer.com/download/uspi_aldactone.pdf

 

Do you have a potassium problem per chance?  I ask that only because I know along with helping to relieve edema, Aldactone, also helps treat people with potassium deficiencies.

http://www.drugs.com/xq/cfm/pageid_0/htm_D00373A1.htm/type_mtm/tgid_54/bn_Aldactone/qx/index.htm

 

Also, another site re this drug with a warning...

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682627.html

Hope all this info helps!!

Hugs, Teri tongue xoxoxo

Posted 7/6/2005 12:59 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Teri for all the links especially the medline pluse one with it stateing that has caused  tumors in lab animals. talk to yuor doctor abuot the risks and benfits of takeing this medicine I will ask if this medicine has cused my breast mass. Something for me to lookinto  deeper again thanks Teri yuo are such a sweetheart.

Heidi

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply