tasha6342I would love to hear from people who are taking lisinopril and carvedilol together. I was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy and I have been taking these medications for 4 months now. I just want to know if this medicine will work and how long for whomever is taking it, did it work for you.What are side effects that people have had from taking lisinopril?
Anyone taking Lisinopril & Carevdilol for Cardiomyopathy, how did you find it?
- Posted:
- 7 Feb 2012 by tasha6342
- Topics:
- cardiomyopathy, left ventricular dysfunction, carvedilol, lisinopril, side effect, medication
Details:
Responses (1)
jiminycri...20 Feb 2012
I took these 2 meds for 11 years and they gave e me a heart rate of 60's and EF of 55-60%. So, in other words, I had normal heart function on it ! I have cardiomyopathy from chemotherapy I received years ago . The carvedilol worked until last year then it didn't . Now I'm on toprol ex . Not as good, but side effects are not as much as carvedilol . I had the dizzies a lot on carvedilol, but I got used to it. Hang in there !
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Hi, wow it took 11 years for you to completely heal? How long did it take for before you started seeing it work for you. I have read so many blogs about people recovering after a couple of months, I am just trying to see why it is taking me so long to recover. What were the dosages you were taking for the carvedilol and the lisinopril? Thanks for your response. I was curious.
Oh gosh no it probably did take a few months for my heart to get to good numbers . Its been so long I can't remember how long. I took 25mg carvedilol twice daily and I still take 2.5mg lisinopril . 4 months doesn't seem that long to me . But I would also add I followed a VERY strict low sodium diet at 1500 mg / day for years . I still am mindful and watch sodium . I think that made a big difference in easing the load off my heart .
Thanks, I know I was told to be on a low sodium diet, I didn't know how important that was. I think I should be more strict on my diet. I have tried it is kind of hard to count my sodium throughout the course of the day. Can you give me any pointers or what things that you have ate to help you have a better diet. I appreciate your help.
It is hard at first, but then you learn the basics and you can figure it out easily . I started by reading the megaheart.com site. Even if you start by avoiding the biggest sodium foods like bread, dressings, condiments, processed foods like canned soups you will be off to a good start ! Keep me posted I can trade more specific ideas as you might need to learn . How is your heart function now ?
I was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy after having my daughter in October, they told me my ejection fraction was 20%. After taking carvedilol and lisinopril and them upping the dosage I am finally at 25 mg for Carvedilol twice a day and 20mg of Lisinopril twice daily. I had a echo in Jan and my doctor has told me that it is still between 20-25%. So not really a change. I Ihave just started the highest dosage of carvedilol so I am told that I should probably wait a few months to see if that works. I like bread, so I know the low sodium diet is going to be hard. Can you trade that with whole grain or wheat bread, and that would be better. I also want to know if baking everything you eat is better. What are some things that you eat? if I can ask you that. Did you feel funny when you were on the medication, besides being dizzy? Thanks for answering my questions. It is nice to talk to someone who has some idea of what I am going through.
Congratulations on your sweet baby! I am sure this is so much to take in with the cardiomyopathy, medicine, new diet and a new baby. Ok let's talk food. The bad news about bread and all baked goods is that it's the baking soda in it, not the refined or whole wheat flour that causes the sodium to be so high. Do you have a Kroger near you? I use their low sodium sandwich bread. Making your own may be a good idea, but I am not inclined to do that! Avoiding all pastries and if you eat tortillas, never use flour, only corn. Switch to oatmeal but not instant, from cereal, though Kashi brand makes some great low sodium cereals. Pasta sauces are very hard as are any soups. I make my own salad dressings most of the time and soups, too. I substitute vinegar and lemon juice for the "bite" that you get from salt. Basically the rule is the fresher the food, the lower the sodium.
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Look for any sodium count to be probably 150-200mg per serving to figure you can make a daily intake max of 1,500mg. I think general heart guidelines say 2,000mg, but if you have cardiomyopathy, 1,500 or lower is key. In fact, reading the megaheart website you'll see some testimonies of how the low sodium diet actually kept people off the heart transplant list. Do you live in an urban area where there are speciality grocery stores like Whole Foods ? There are some good products there, but you can also go low sodium just by shopping at your local store. I would definitely say go to megaheart.com and use that as your total guide. Also, even walking around the block can help to strengthen the heart muscle. I'm sure you feel so fatigued between the EF of 20% and the medicine. I did feel funny alot of the time on it, but it did get better the longer I was on it. Your body adjusts to the dosages, but if you do go for a walk, do it a few hours after taking the carvedilol so you don't feel like you'll pass out.
Thanks so much. I have two other kids as well and it is hard for me to take a break, so sometimes I do get tired and not feel like doing anything, but I have to push on anyway. I do feel like my chest is heavy or something sometimes, but I never feel dizzy. I don't have problems breathing or no swelling, so I am thankful for that. I just want to feel like myself again and I see if my heart does heal, it is going to take awhile for this to happen. Oh, also since I started this medication I have started to have heart palpitations. Did you have this as well? They are frequent and it scares me sometimes, but my doctor said that the carvedilol should make me not have them, but I do. As far as the food I will try some of the things that you have suggested. I have lowfat icecream everyday is that something that you should not have as well? I am kind of scared to eat certain things now. I have a store called Food For Less around my house so I will check some of the things that you have said. I live in Chicago, so it is very busy around here.
I found out I have cardiomyopathy and systolic/diastolic dysfunction (so I guess mild heart failure) w/ EF of 40% back in Oct after thinking I had horrible asthma for 6 months. I was started on lisinopril but a repeat echo this week showed no improvement so we're adding carvedilol. I keep fainting also. My BP are very erratic though they were always really good when I used to give platelets every month until my last time in Oct. So now we're not sure if I'm really sensitive to lisinopril or whatever messed up my heart all of a sudden.
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I was healthy and active and full of life - softball, walking my 2 75lb dogs, doing stuff with my kids. I have always eaten pretty healthy- not perfect by any means but better than the average consumer. The past year has been a real trial. Last summer I could barely vacuum my house or shop for groceries. In March I was playing catch with my son and had to lay down after 10 minutes. Crazy! I've also lost 30 lbs from having no energy /appetite. I don't think I was this small in my teens and I'm in my 40's now. I'm hoping this carvedilol is the answer! I told my card softball starts in a couple weeks and I have to make it to second base without collapsing this summer!
Good luck to you! With little ones you REALLY need to have your energy. At least my kids are 12 and self sufficient if needed. But it's sad to miss their sports games or nap thru dinner or homework b/c I'm exhausted. I have read about great comebacks like Jiminiycricket's and I was hoping mine would be much better by now since one nurse said "you're not that bad you know" All in the eye of the sufferer!
There are lots of great books on Amazon (my amazing library system was terribly lacking) - cleveland clinic books, living well with heart failure (my first inspirational book that let me know it can be "cured" (ie brought back to normal with proper med treatment), and others - I now own about 10 HF and kidney failure books (yeah, that started going too but the lisinopril really helped I think!) Lots of good info out there on pregnancy induced HF. I hope you find your answers soon! Your babies need you!
Carvedilol, not lisinopril, is now the first line drug for heart failure, so you should see improvement. It takes time for the medicine to suppress the heart rate and allow the heart to rest and not overwork to send it into failure . Interestingly, my cardiologist says the research is showing heart rates are a better predictor of heart failure than EF because EF is often a subjective measurement depending in who's marking it. 3D echos are the most accurate, but most centers do not have those. My heart rate is back up after having to take steroids, so I'm not happy ! Good luck to yall!
Thanks jiminy. Maybe he started w/ lisinopril since I was referred directly from pulmonary doc? But the card doc told me I need to do more cardiovascular - I had been yoga/pilates almost daily but down to not much more than the 7 minute walk to the library and then back or about 20min around a little block in our neighborhood. Tried to walk about 40 continuous minutes Thurs and today and felt awful. Had to nap just a few hours after waking up today. Not sure if it's carvedilol day 3 and asthma or just from doing too much this whole week. The weather was beautiful so it's frustrating to not be out doing stuff in it! Of course PCP said when you lose so much weight and have no body fat, you lose all your energy sources or some such yammering.
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But card also scheduled 3 more tests to evaluate fainting and chest pain (since it's not relieved by omeprazole and liquid maalox-yum!) even though my cholesterol was terrific. 1 thing in my favor-yeah! I have fast HR too-always have and irregular. So maybe that's part of the probem. But I feel like a guinea pig for docs lately! Trying to figure out my problems. It's crazy to feel so "old" all of a sudden. I'll never take my health for granted again! Maybe it's time to go back and review some of the HF info I read 6 months ago and supplement it w/ internet research. LOL, after that next nap...