Get Informed: Altace
Active Ingredient(s)
Ramipril
What does it do?
This product is primarily used to treat hypertension and heart failure, although it is also used by patients who have had heart attacks because of its association with improved survival. It works by blocking Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE), which plays an important role in controlling blood pressure.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 7:29 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:52 PM
Other Names
- Altace
- Ramipril
- Tritace
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- D
Black Box Warning
This product has a black box warning relating to its risks when used in pregnancy.
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 28 Jan 1991
- Est US Patients*
- 1,673,000
- Generic Available
- Yes
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Altace or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Altace
There have been no alerts regarding Altace during the past year.
Altace Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Altace interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Altace used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 9,800 patients that use Altace (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| High Blood Pressure | 75% | 
|
| Heart Disease Prevention | 12% | 
|
| Kidney Protection | 9% |
|
| Heart Failure / Edema | 4% |
|
| Other | 4% |
|
How well does Altace work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 9,800 users taking Altace (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 86%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Altace outweigh the bad things.
- 13%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Altace.
Common Side Effects of Altace
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 9,800 users taking Altace (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
23% of patients experience side-effects on Altace
2% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Altace
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Cough
-
Drowsiness
-
Fatigue
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Altered Taste/Smell, Dizziness, Dryness, Heartburn/Reflux, Low Blood Pressure, Ringing Ears, Sexual Problems, Weight Gain
Global Patient Feedback for Altace (Ramipril) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I've experience a severe chronic cough in taking this medication...So severe until it has alter my life style, the coughing has caused me to throw up, urinary leaks, spitting up clear sputum, nasal drainage/drips and more...I am now off this stuff...it took up to 3 weeks for this med. to clear my system....My only wish is that my doctor would have warned me about the side effects much, much sooner. I guess she trailed the drug and hope for the best, turns out for me it was the worst. I hope others are having better results with this than I, it really seemed to work, except for the unbearable coughing experienced.
77 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-18 18:19:47
Answer/Reply:
I experienced the same symtoms ,To the point I took my self off this medication .The Dr. prescribed antiboditcs and cough syrup twice to no avail .
I couldnt go out in public the cough and gagging were so bad . Now he has me on hydrochlorothiazidea (water Pill ) to keep the blood pressure in check. Now my sugars have soared to 190 .,even with 15mg of actos a day and metformin 1000 twice a day . I give up .
I find it hard to think a little water pill could jack my sugars and give me a splitting headache.
suggestions will be considered . thanks .
im just now turning 65
65 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-27 14:18:36
Question/Comment:
I have been taking Rampiril, 10 mg per day for high blood pressure, for the last year. I do not have any other health issues but find it makes me really tired and dozy. Is it possible to reduce the need for this dosage by by taking exercise and dieting? Or am I on this for life?
62 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-20 08:15:08
Answer/Reply:
I was on the 10mg for awhile, but found I was falling asleep at work, promptly at 2 pm. I reported this to my doctor, and since my BP was cooperating, he dropped my dosage to 5 mg.
50 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-24 18:37:28
Answer/Reply:
I'm directed to take my Blood Pressure med (20mg) before bed. Couldn't tell you if it makes me tired. When do you take yours?
67 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-26 16:36:11
Answer/Reply:
I am an 85 yr old male with elevated blood pressure and I also am taking Ramipril but only 2.5 mg per day. I find that if I relieve stress by not dwelling on troublsome things my blood pressure stays manageable. I do not let myself worry about things that I can't control. Before I started on Ramipril and positive thinking, my blood pressure would rise as high as 210 over 90. Now I never have bp readings above 160 over 84 and 90% of the time it stays below 140 over 78. You have to force yourself to keep engaged with the world around you, stay busy with friends, going out to dine, volunteering to do small things in the community. When you go to bed at night think about your youth and all the great times you lived.
86 year old Male
Posted: 2009-08-26 18:23:34
Question/Comment:
My Dr put me on Altace for HBP. After taking it for almost a month,I started to have severe cramping in my back and legs and feet. I had to stop taking it presently I am not taking any medication for high blood pressure.She said that was funny because altace is the 1 HBP meds that was supposed to be the lowest at taking the potassiam out of the body.
48 year old Female
Posted: 2009-06-03 11:06:59
Question/Comment:
PRIOR TO RAMIPRIL I WAS FEELING VERY DIZZY, IT HAS MY HBP UNDER CONTROL.
60 year old Female
Posted: 2009-05-30 03:26:01
Question/Comment:
Since I've been on these pills I experence some dizziness at times. Is this a usual happening with others taking same meds.??
65 yr. old female
67 year old Female
Posted: 2009-04-15 11:50:46
Answer/Reply:
i have been dizzy while on this medication, sometimes I have even had bouts of feeling out of sorts, confused, like , I did not know where i was. Has any one else had this experience?
48 year old Female
47 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-28 13:28:38
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Dizziness is one of the most common side effects of ramipril. It is usually not severe enough for patients to change medications though. Confusion or feeling out of sorts has not been reported with ramipril. Depending on how controlled your blood pressure is, you could experience these symptoms from increased or decreased blood pressure. If you continue to have these episodes, please make an appointment with your physician to discuss and find the underlying cause.
Posted: 2009-10-22 10:06:41
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
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Patient Comments about
Altace