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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Tenoretic
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Tenoretic
by Owen__0, Aug 04, 1998 12:00AM
My father who is 74 years of age has been prescribed Zeneca's Tenoretic beta blocker drug (atenolol) for c. 10 years. In April, his prescription was changed to MSD's Vasotec (enalapril maleate). Since this time, he has been very tired, has lost appettite and weight and generally lacking in any energy. He is clearly having medical care but in your experience, could the sudden change of drug have caused these symptoms whcih have now been evidenced for c. 3 months.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF CARDIO MD APS, Aug 04, 1998 12:00AM
_
Dear Owen,
Surely any new symptom that coincides with a new prescription should be considered a side effect of the drug until proven otherwise.
Of course in treating hypertension this is easy to do since there are so many
drugs on the market available to treat hypertension. Your father was switched from
a drug in the class "beta-blockers" to a drug in the class "ace-inhibitors".
Of course as other avenues are being paved to investigate your father's new symptoms, there
should also be an attempt made to stop the drug or any of its class in order to see if symptoms
improve; certainly it is a poor quality of life to be so fatigued,
and without appetite. Again it is not necessarily the sudden change in drugs so much as it is
the side effects of the new drug. Although ace-inhibitors such as vasotec do not usually have such
profound side effects, this is according to a study that did not include your father specifically, and
given that some patients simply react differently to common drugs one should never assume 'it can't be the drug'.
In elderly patients, the best way to treat hypertension is by finding a drug that works best for that patient
that has the least amount if any side effects that affect his/her quality of life. Good Luck.
Information provided in the heart forum is intended for general medical informational purposes only,
actual diagnosis and treatment can only be made by your physician(s).
