Question

A patient who has just begun taking an ACE inhibitor telephones the nurse and reports feeling very dizzy when standing up and wonders if she should discontinue the medication. How should the nurse respond?

Answer 1

The patient's dizziness when standing up could be a side effect of the ACE inhibitor. The nurse should advise the patient to continue taking the medication and report the symptoms to the healthcare provider. Discontinuing the medication without medical advice could have negative consequences.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient's symptoms of feeling very dizzy when standing up could be a side effect of the ACE inhibitor medication. This side effect is known as orthostatic hypotension, which occurs when blood pressure goes below the normal set point when standing. The dizziness is a result of blood not getting to the brain adequately, leading to a brief loss of oxygen.

The nurse should advise the patient to continue taking the medication and report the symptoms to the healthcare provider. The provider may adjust the dosage or prescribe a different medication to help manage the dizziness. Discontinuing the medication without medical advice could have negative consequences for the patient's condition.