Q: Hello: Have there been any studies done on the long-term use of ramipril. I have been taking ramipril for about 15 years and I know it is not controlling my blood pressure as well as it used to. I think your body gets used to the medicine. I have recently got down to a normal weight, exercise every day, eat healthy, limit my alcohol but still can’t seem to get my bp under control even with the ramipril. I have searched on the internet and haven’t found any documentation about people being on ramipril for a long period of time. I really don’t want to go on a second medication.
A: Your loss of blood pressure control is likely related to normal aging. You are 15 years older than when you started taking ramipril. As part of normal aging systolic pressure goes up and diastolic pressure goes down. Taking blood pressure medicine does not prevent aging. Talk to your doctor about a change in dose or change in medication.
Further Reading:
Ramipril (Oral Route) – MayoClinic.com
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Answer does not appear to have listened to the simple and direct question. Are there any studies of the long term effectiveness of the medication?
MLB:
Thank You MLB. I thought I was the only one who thought that. My question was not answered, maybe because Dr. Rowena did not know the answer. I really am having a hard time understanding why instead of simply stating she did not know the answer, the question was evaded.
Because most dr’s seem to have a problem just saying “I don’t know…” It’s a problem my husband’s run into time and again with his bp issues. They’re afraid of being perceived as ignorant about an area that’s supposed to be an issue they deal with regularly. I’d just rather they be honest.
My 68-year old friend told me this morning that her BP at the surgery was 230/103. The doctor told her that he can not give her any more medication and she just has to live with it. So she went home and cried. There is something terribly wrong when things turn out that way and doctors absolve themselves of responsibility.
If loss of blood pressure control is ‘normal’ with aging why are older people prescribed more and more drugs? Why can’t we just be ‘normal’?
To sound slightly sarcastic, my answer is 1) that’s why they call it the “practice of medicine” because they have not arrived at amenable solutions to ongoing problems like this, and 2) they try to treat everything with drugs and patent medicines. When does our body ever produce these “patent medicines” for themselves as a way to heal? Think about it.
I have been on the maximum dose of ramipril for over two years now. I too have been looking for studies as my BP is creeping up again and other additional drugs make me so ill. My doctor keeps trying different meds in addition to the ramipril.. they work for a short time and then I have bad reactions.
All the studies are for the efficacy of ramipril over much shorter lengths of time. I would be interested in finding out what longer term effects are too if anyone knows of any studies which address this.