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Had Respiratory Difficulty. Taken Off Carvedilol And Used Ace Inhibitor. Again Advised Carvedilol, Have Shortness Of Breath. Advise?
Question: I have had respiratory difficulty appro. 10 years ago. Taken off carvedilol and used ace inhibitors for awhile. I changed doctors and he insisted I did not have adverse effects and put me back on carvedilol and I have had sob since. He says no, I am very short of breath last month. What now/
Brief Answer:
may need to ask for trial period of diff meds
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Shortness of breath is a potential side effect of this family of medications.
If the prior use of this medication resulted in shortness of breath and the present use is now also causing this side effect then you are likely one of the persons who experience this particular side effect with this medication.
If you were symptom free when you were off of the carvediol and the symptoms started with the onset of the medication then it is likely the medication is the culprit.
Your doctor can consider a trial of changing medications to see if the symptoms improve. IF he notes no change in the shortness of breath during this trial period then he would be to say that there is another cause.
YOu may want to suggest this trial period to him.
Shortness of breath can also be related to :(1)anemia
(2) heart failure
(3)lung diseases such as asthma, COPD, infection, pulmonary embolism
IF your doctor does not agree to the trial period then he may consider investigations to check for other causes.IF none are found then he may consider that it is the medication
INvestigations of shortness of breath include:(1) an ECG (can check the rate and rhythm of the heart , identify if there are areas of reduced blood supply.
(2)echo- this would look at the structure of the heart and how it pumps and empties
(3) chest x XXXXXXX
The results of these initial investigations would determine if other tests are needed.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any additional questions
may need to ask for trial period of diff meds
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Shortness of breath is a potential side effect of this family of medications.
If the prior use of this medication resulted in shortness of breath and the present use is now also causing this side effect then you are likely one of the persons who experience this particular side effect with this medication.
If you were symptom free when you were off of the carvediol and the symptoms started with the onset of the medication then it is likely the medication is the culprit.
Your doctor can consider a trial of changing medications to see if the symptoms improve. IF he notes no change in the shortness of breath during this trial period then he would be to say that there is another cause.
YOu may want to suggest this trial period to him.
Shortness of breath can also be related to :(1)anemia
(2) heart failure
(3)lung diseases such as asthma, COPD, infection, pulmonary embolism
IF your doctor does not agree to the trial period then he may consider investigations to check for other causes.IF none are found then he may consider that it is the medication
INvestigations of shortness of breath include:(1) an ECG (can check the rate and rhythm of the heart , identify if there are areas of reduced blood supply.
(2)echo- this would look at the structure of the heart and how it pumps and empties
(3) chest x XXXXXXX
The results of these initial investigations would determine if other tests are needed.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any additional questions
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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