Heart cath symptoms and conditions

The doctor incrested my Lovastatin from 40 mg. to 80. Not long afterwards, I started to notice that I had trouble climbing stairs or walking up a hill without stopping to rest. It was causing some chest pain. It got much worse over the next month, causing a severe burning in my chest and pain down my arms. Finally at a result, I ended up in the E.R. twice, thinking I was having a heart attack. I had many test, including a heart cath., all of which found nothing wrong with my heart. I started thinking about what might have caused these problems and pain, then remembered my increased dosage of Lovastatin. I stopped taking it, and within a week nearly all my pain was gone. I explained all of this to my cardiologist, and he is reluctant to admit Lovastatin was the problem. I believe it was and am not sure I will take this drug again. Anyone out there who had these symptoms?

1 minor heart attack 5 stents placed over past 6 years thru 4 angio episodes. each hospitalization plavix and statins prescribed each time the side effects started within 2-3 weeks, some times sooner . same crap as most...serious leg fatigue, joint pain, skin is tender to touch. But my FAVORITES are the chest/heart pain that mimic heart attack 'feelings' and the 3AM sweat and anxiety/panic attacks.......3 different statins all the same results symptoms
so intense that i have been admitted 3 times for heart cath, ALL false alarms
S-O-O-O DOC what the hell is going on????? ANSWER: must be reflux, must be stress, must be ANYTHING BUT THE STATINS!!!! each time i quit the statins soon after rehospitalization and each time the symptoms went away......last episode was Friday July 31st. i was really bad....constant chest pain and pressure, legs so fatigued that 1 flight of stairs felt like 10 ...shortness of breath...body aches like you feel when first getting the flu etc. etc you guys all know the crap
they rushed me in to the Cath Lab....nothing wrong...must be stress!! must be reflux!!! bullshit. I quit the Lipitor that day
Today is Tuesday.....I am WAY BETTER each time the same thing, on the statins ...feel like crap, get off the statins and feel almost normal within a week
I will NEVER take a statin again
I am lucky that I have been recovering quickly

Hi, I am a 47 year old female. Last month (June 2009) I went to the doctor because I had a bad migraine that wouldn't go away. After a week of suffering I went to my Doctor and my BP was high, so she put me on Benicar. I took it for 3 days and then I refused to take it anymore. After taking it I couldn't hardly get off the couch, and I was dizzy, and had a tightness in my chest with chest pains. The doctor changed my prescription to lisinopril and the chest pains got worse along with that deadly cough. I went back to my doctor and told her that I wasn't going to take lisinopril any more because of the chest pains and the caugh. She said that she didn't think it was the medicine and she gave me an EKG and I failed it. I went 2 days later and had a nuclear stress test and failed it too, then I had a heart cath and the cardiologist said that my heart was perfect, it wasn't my heart. Needless to say it was the meds that the doctor had put me on, those nasty side effects. Now I just moniter my BP and I'm to scared to take anything because of the side effects. I wished I could make the doctor pay for all the test I had to take. She should have just listened to me when I told her it was the meds. After failing 2 test, I thought that I may be really having a heart attach, Very scary. Just listen to what we are saying " DON'T TAKE LISINOPRIL" Oh yea after heart cath I called my doctor and told her that I was not taking Lisinopril any more because that was what was causing my problems not my heart and she said just to let all meds get out of my system and come back in a week and we would try something else. yea right. She's not getting any more of my money. I've come to realize that every thing has side effects, so before I take anything else I will look it up first. Be careful what you take!

I am a 45 yr old female and I have been on Vytorin for about 2 yrs or so for my cholesterol problems. Was on Lipitor before that and was getting leg pain so I stopped taking it. When blood work time came around it was still up so my doc put me on Vytorin. I have noticed that I feel like I'm dying. I have severe neck,back and arm pain, cold and hot attacks, can't sleep, chest pain,blurred vision, sudden stomach cramps, nausea, throat and ear aches, and bad stomach problems. I have had heart cath, ekgs,endoscopy, blood work and everything keeps coming back normal. Matter of fact, I went to the heart doc today and he put me on a 24 hour monitor and for low heart rate that has gradually gotten worse over the past few months.He even mentioned a pace maker. I don't even want to start about the depression and anxiety attacks that I have. They are AWFUL. But the more blogs that I have read, I think I know where the problem may lye. The Vytorin, so as of tonight I will NOT take another one..I just hope that there is no permanent damage done as far as my liver. I hope you all the best and I will let you know how I start to feel in the next few days...

Hello,

I have just gone through a series of tests and a heart cath over the holidays. I have MVP and two other leaky valves. I have known about these since I was 28, I am now 62. I have had problems with the valves, skipped beats, faster beats early on in diagnosis. Just this Nov., I started with problems again, thus the tests were completed. They found Ven. Fib, fast and skipped beats, therefore putting me on the Toprol XL Tab SA. I have only been on this 7 days. New Year's Day, 4 days after the heart cath, I started with fever and chills, only to find out 2 days ago I have full blown strep throat. This makes me wonder if I had this before the heart cath was performed, as I had complete exhaustion,.... anyhow, I took myself to my family doc and she is taking me off of the Toprol and after reading all of your reports I am very glad. She treats me with herbs and has for years, until this episode, I have been very well, I am actually an energizer bunny due to her efforts! So I am working with her on herbs to build my system back up and support for the heart. I hope the rest of you can find a way to wellness that works for you. I know many people don't believe in herbs but I firmly do! Don't be afraid to try herbs if you can afford it! I am 62 and don't look it or act it, like I said until this episode and it truly makes me wonder if it wasn't the infection playing the biggest part. What concerns me is why that was not caught in the first place? Anyhow, take heed to your own body warnings, other people do not know what is transpiring inside of you, only you can know this. Thank you Doctor ** for keeping me well!

I was started on Toprol-XL after a triple bypass in 2000. I had experienced several episodes of rapid heartbeats. For the next 7 years I took it daily and had no side effects that I was aware of other than feeling a little weak if I missed a dose.
During this time, I was diagnosed as a diabetic and started on Lantus insulin. I had some gastric side effects from the Metformin but other than that I was doing ok. I was and am still overweight but I was also in good enough shape to walk 30 minutes everyday on my treadmill and to hold down a stressful job.
In September of 2007 I hosted a large family reunion at my house and had no physical problems. Right after that I came down with a bad sore throat and was put on Clindamycin. At the same time, my husband went to refill my meds and came back with the generic version of my Toprol-XL. Our insurance now requires us to use generics if available. Within two weeks I was having shortness of breath just walking up the steps into my house. I at first thought it was a hang over from the sore throat and went to my GP. He had me switch back to the original Toprol-XL and I felt an almost immediate relief. However, the symptoms did not go away entirely, in fact after seeming better, they came back again. I went back to my GP. He was concerned enough to want to send me to a cardiologist. Since we had just moved here a year ago I had not visited a cardiologist as yet so this doctor was new to me and my symptoms.
So far we have done a nuclear stress test, echocardiogram, EKG's, heart cath, lung scan, and numerous blood tests. Everything looks good according to the cardiologist. And yet, I cannot walk through my house without stopping to try and catch my breath, I have had to quit work since I can no longer climb the stairs to the second floor offices, I cannot sweep a floor without having to sit down.
Is it possible that a side effect from this generic drug could have damaged something permanently? Has anyone else had any kind of problem like this?

I am a healthy 33 year old female with PMDD. I was recommended to switch to YAZ from my other birth control because I didn't want to take antidepressants. Within 24 hours of taking my first pill, I had every symptom of a heart attack and severe dizziness. I landed in the cardiac unit for five days and had every test including heart cath. The doctor gave me a clean bill of health on my heart, but, told me to immediately stop the YAZ. I had contacted Bayer, they told me that it takes awhile to get into your system and to follow through with the pack. (the doctor said it is only the contraceptive part that takes that long in the system) the medicine is absorbed immediately. If I had kept taking YAZ, I don't know where I would be right now.

There is a strong warning regarding heartbeat irregularities and Topamax. It is in the PDR and professional literature but is usually not told to patients.

I am an RN, wanted to lose around 30 pounds and my doctor prescribed this medication. He did not tell me about any side effects other than possible dizziness when first starting the medication. I wondered why my thick and healthy hair was falling out by the handfulls and why my Diet Coke was undrinkable.. figured out the soft drink part but had to ask him about hair loss before he offered up that it is a very common side effect. But those are the simple, more common things which most people now know about. The cardiac effects are NOT well known until a person really looks for that particular effect in professional literature. People NEED to know. I have been in the hospital for several days and am still having a very rapid heartbeat with a serious irregularity which I have never had before taking Topamax and which is documented in SOME literature for physician prescribing only.

Today I will be having heart tests and possibly even a heart cath. to determine if the Topamax which I stopped taking 2 weeks ago is the cause of my own irregular heartbeat ( Ventricular Ectopy) and chest pain.

IF you don't need this medication very badly for seizures, please do not take if " off label".
The risks are sometimes much more severe than the condition being treated.

I wish you all health and happiness. God bless.

Texas RN

Constant cough with dry mouth, have phlegm that is difficult to bring up. I have Peripheral Neuropathy in both legs & treat it with Gabapentin, which gives me some relief, while taking Lisinopril, the Gabapebtin doesn't help me. When I stop Lisinopril, the Gabapentin works fine. I lose sleep & never feel rested when I take Linispopri. I also take Atenolol 25mg, Imdur 60mg, Gabapentin 300mg, 3 times daily,Simvistatin 40mg & Tricor 160mg tabs 1 time daily. I am a 75 yr old white male, retired since 7/93. I belong to a fitness center, & work out (treadmill, weights,etc) since the day I retired. I had a silent heart attack sometime before 1990. Heart Cath showed RCA 90% blocked, LCA 60% blocked.Collateral vessels keep me going.

My story started back on July 28 2006, went to work and experienced an afib attack. went to the Doctor on the 31st. ekg was normal but my blood pressure was high 162/100 so the Doctor put me on 10mg of Lisinopril, felt bad during the week, thought it was just getting adjusted to a new med. Went back work had very bad shortness of breath, chest pains, and lightheadedness. now It has been 2.5 months of being out of work from these problems and in bed 95% of the day, not being able to do any activity without severe shortness of breath and now over $20,000 in test on the heart and lungs( which was normal) doctors said its probably anxiety( its not) so after my heart cath I stopped taking the lisinopril and with in a few days I was a different person, up doing well, my color is back. I feel so much better even returning to work this week. my bp is normal too. Not one Doctor ever even considered lisinopril as the problem. my trust in most doctors have been shaken to say the least.

This may answer alot of questions. I've been using neosynephrine for 40 years. One to two bottles a week. Started with 1/2%, I think that's what it was, and graduated in no time to 1%. I've never been able to get off for more than a couple of days. I have had a skipping heartbeat for 33 years, which may or may not be due to the neo. Sometimes is skips pretty steady, and other's just occasionally. I had a stress test last week that came back positive, and went for a heart cath. It showed no blockage whatsoever, so it was a false positive. Due to all this, I decided to stop last Wed., so I diluted my nosedrops in half with Saline Nasal solution. Since about the 3rd day, Sat., I have had all kinds of symptoms, including low blood pressure, fuzzy in the head, and not able to think straight. Today it is mainly the fuzzy in the head. Almost like you're somewhere else looking in. I will continue to try and get clear off, if anyone knows anythink else about getting off, would appreciate knowing the symptoms.

I have been on Lisinopril/HCTZ 20/12.5 twice a day for about three months now. I have been experiencing chest pains, head aches, and fatigue but had not attributed it to this medication, due to the side effects creeping up on me over time, until I read many of the posts on this website. My blood pressure without medication runs around 180/120 at its highest. On lisinopril it runs about 145/80. I am 32 years old and was diagnosed with hypertension when I went in for a reconstruction of a broken nose. The only immediate side effects I noticed was tremors and some muscle weakness.

I was prompted to check side effects for this medicine when my father's doctor recently doubled his dose. He takes Lisinopril as well. (I think he takes 40 mgs per day now along with another bp medication). According to my mother he started the heavier dose yesterday evening and took it again this morning and had to LEAVE WORK due to exhaustion. (He starts work at 8:00 am) He slept out in his car until 1:00 in the afternoon, worked until 4:00 and came home angry, confused, tired, said he felt like he had the flu, couldn't eat and I naturally got worried and decided to check for side effects, and I'm glad I did, man this stuff is bad news!

Has anyone had any good results with natural treatments?

Thanks,

JWC

I have been on this drug for about 1 week and have developed heartburn which i never had, burning in my stomach and a very annoying cough. I cant sleep well since starting this med. I was already on 2 other drugs for bp and they added this one after I had a heart cath performed. I have several friends and family members on this drug also and all complain especially of the cough, my aunt complains of pain in her hips and joints along with the cough. I am requesting my doctor remove me from this drug. I will try other methods of treatment as i dont like taking drugs anyway..there are always side effects from drugs..always

My husband was on Prilosec for several years, and switched to Omeprazole by our prescription plan. I don't know if the medication is the cause, but he started experiencing chest pain, and occasional shortness of breath, not the same as the acid reflux discomfort. He went to the Dr. and was tested by blood tests, EKG and chest x-ray. All were normal, so stress thallium test was ordered. He passed the stress test with no problem, but had a small abnormality on the thallium scan. He was referred to a cardiologist because of this and a heart cath was performed, also normal so thallium scan was a false positive. The cardiologist changed his medication to Nexium. Could this all be due to switching to Omeprazole? I don't know, but the timing is suspicious.