Aspirin

Aspirin can prevent blood clot formations that block the coronary arteries, which cause heart attacks. Research in
patients with unstable angina has proven that taking an aspirin every day reduces the risk of heart attack.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) are not the same as aspirin, and should not be used in place of
aspirin.
If your loved one has unstable angina, he or she will probably be told to take aspirin every day. Your loved ones
doctor will tell him or her how much to take.
ACE Inhibitors
ACE inhibitorsincluding captopril, enalapril, lisinopril, and quinaprilhelp to keep blood vessels from narrowing. As
a result, your loved ones blood pressure should drop and his or her heart should not have to work as hard to pump
blood. ACE inhibitors have been shown to help heart failure patients live longer and feel better, but it may take a few
weeks before your loved one feels better from taking the medicine.
Possible side effects of ACE inhibitors include:

Coughing

Dizziness

Skin rash

Fluid retention

Excess potassium in the bloodstream

Kidney problems

Altered or lost sense of taste

Beta-Blockers
Beta-blockers can decrease both the amount of work your loved ones heart needs to do and the amount of oxygen
his or her heart needs.
Possible side effects of beta-blockers include:

Dizziness

Fatigue

Depression

Diarrhea

Skin rash

Mental confusion

Headaches

Heartburn

Shortness of breath

Calcium-Channel Blockers
Calcium-channel blockers relax blood vessels, and treat high blood pressure and chest pain.
Possible side effects of calcium-channel blockers include:

Headaches

Dizziness

Nausea

Bradycardia (slow heartbeat)

Edema

Asthenia (weakness)

Blood CholesterolLowering Agents

HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (or statins), nicotinic acid, bile acid sequestrants, fibric acid derivatives, and probucol
are among the agents used to lower blood cholesterol.
Possible side effects of blood cholesterollowering agents include:

Abdominal pain

Gas

Constipation

Diarrhea

Headaches

Asthenia (weakness)

Upper respiratory infection.

Diuretics
Diuretics, or water pills, will make your loved one urinate more often, thereby helping remove excess fluid and salt
from his or her body. If your loved one experiences swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, and abdomen and shortness of
breath when lying down or during physical activity, check with a physician about the effects of diuretics. The
symptoms may also occur if doses are skipped.
The most commonly used diuretics are hydrochlorothiazide and furosemide (Lasix). Regular use of some diuretics
can lead to the loss of potassium and to other nutritional imbalances. Blood tests are needed to monitor these levels.
To replace lost potassium, your loved one may have to:

Eat more foods rich in potassium (such as bananas and raisins)

Drink orange juice and other citrus juices

Take a prescribed potassium supplement

Possible side effects of diuretics include:

Leg cramps

Dizziness or light-headedness

Incontinence (accidental urine leakage)

Gout (a type of arthritis)

Skin rash

Note: Urinating more often is not a side effect; it is the intended result of the diuretic.
Digitalis
Digitalis strengthens each heartbeat, allowing the heart to pump more blood. This may improve your loved ones
ability to exercise. Prescribed as digoxin or Lanoxin, digitalis is taken daily by many heart patients.
Possible side effects of digitalis include:

Nausea

Loss of appetite

Diarrhea

Mental confusion

Blurred or yellow-colored vision

Rapid, forceful heartbeat (palpitations)

Hydralazine
This drug widens blood vessels, easing blood flow.
Possible side effects of hydralazine include:

Headaches

Rapid heartbeat

Joint pain

Nitrates
Nitrates (usually nitroglycerin and isosorbide) increase blood flow to the heart muscle and make it easier for the heart
to work. Nitrates can relieve most anginal discomfort very quickly. Nitrates are taken either as tablets placed under
the tongue, tablets that are swallowed, a patch worn on the skin, or a cream applied to the skin.
Nitrate tablets, cream, and patches all have a limited shelf life. Ask your pharmacist to explain the expiration dates for
nitrates. Nitrate cream and patches are for maintenance therapy only. If your loved one is using a nitrate patch or
cream, he or she should still use nitrate tablets if he or she has anginal discomfort.
Your loved one should take one nitroglycerin tablet as soon as he or she feels any anginal discomfort, or chest pain.
If the discomfort does not go away in 5 minutes, he or she should take a second tablet. If the discomfort does not go
away after 5 more minutes, take a third tablet. If the discomfort has not gone away after taking three nitrate tablets in
15 minutes, your loved one should go to the hospital immediately. Persistent discomfort that doesnt go away could
be a sign that your loved one is having a heart attack.
Possible side effects of nitrates include:

Light-headedness (Tablets should be taken while sitting down)

Headache

Ask Questions
Your pharmacist is a good resource for information about medications. Ask if any drugs that your loved one is
currently taking will interact with certain foods or with other drugs, including nonprescription ones. Your pharmacist
also can help you and your loved one understand product package inserts and label instructions.
Remember, if your loved one does experience any medication side effects, he or she should tell the doctor about
them as soon as possible. Its possible that the doctor may be able to try a different prescription that will ease your
loved ones discomfort. Under no circumstances, however, should your loved one stop taking any prescribed
medication unless a doctor tells him or her to do so. Some side effects can be annoying, or even painful, but the
medication is intended to manage your loved ones heart problem, and failure to take the medication as prescribed
could lead to more serious heart problems in the future.
Copyright FamilyCare America, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Adapted from Living With Heart Disease: Is It Heart Failure? AHCPR Publication No. 94-0614, developed by the
United States Agency for Health Care Policy and Research.

And
Facts About Heart Failure, NIH Publication No. 95-923, developed by the United States National Institutes of Health
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.