Terrible side effects from my angina meds

It feels like everyone I know has angina pectoris these days. Even my own mom just got diagnosed. They handed her this massive bag full of pills, and ever since she started taking them, she’s been coughing her lungs out. It’s constant—she's choking, her sinuses are acting up, her lungs feel heavy... it's a nightmare. When I started digging into it, people were telling me that most of these heart medications cause that nasty, persistent cough. I even checked the fine print on the labels, and the side effects are absolutely terrifying. We're talking runny noses, sinusitis, bronchitis, and apparently even more serious lung issues, plus a million other miserable symptoms. But honestly, that’s not even the main point right now—the real question is, HOW do you stop this damn cough? She’s been on antibiotics for almost a month now, which seems incredibly stupid to me, especially if all this misery is being triggered by her heart meds in the first place!
What have you guys dealt with?

Look, there are a few things you mentioned that really jump out at me as red flags.
First off, that "terrible coughing and choking," then the "month-long stint on antibiotics," and finally, this whole "bagful of meds" situation.

If you're saying they've been diagnosed with angina pectoris, then that choking and coughing sounds to me like a certain level of heart failure that you really can't afford to take lightly. Basically, the heart muscle just isn't strong enough to pump all the blood out of the left ventricle. The blood starts "backing up" and pooling in the lungs, and because of how physics works with diffusion, fluid from the blood leaks through the membrane and gets stuck in the lungs. It's what people commonly call "wet lungs." That fluid—whether it's a little or a lot—causes that nasty cough and makes it feel like you're suffocating. You end up gasping for air, getting way too little oxygen, and that lack of oxygen just puts even more strain on an already struggling heart.
Treatment needs to be pretty urgent and focused on the root cause, which is the heart weakness. This is strictly cardiologist territory; someone in this position needs to see a specialist, not just a regular GP at a local clinic. And if the prescribed treatment isn't working, honestly, I think you should go back to the cardiologist immediately to complain.

As for the second thing, regarding the antibiotics, I agree that it seems pretty mindless at first glance. The truth is, here in the States, doctors tend to hand out antibiotics like candy without much critical thought most of the time. Usually, the doctor's logic is just, "I'll throw an antibiotic at them just to be safe, so I don't have to worry about it..."
In your case, since "fluid in the lungs" is basically a playground for infections, the doctor probably figured they'd play it safe and cover any potential infection with antibiotics. But... a whole month is way too long...
To make a long story short, that cough is likely coming from the heart, and that's where the solution needs to be found.

Regarding the third point about the "bag of meds"... Hmm... if you're heading to the hospital, I'd suggest doing some digging first. Talk to folks you know or just ask around to find out which doctors are actually decent, and then try to catch them on one of their shifts.
The thing is, I know there are absolute superstars out there, but there are also those "cowboy" types who I wouldn't even trust with my dog. If you land a great specialist, awesome; but if you get stuck with the cowboy type... well, damn, you might end up with a "bag of pills" that aren't even dosed right, or that clash with each other, or are totally outdated... etc., etc.
I'm not saying that's what's happening to you, but if there hasn't been any improvement for months, that's what I would do...

So, you’re saying the cough is coming from "wet lungs"... I always figured it was just one of those side effects you get from blood pressure meds...
Whatever, though... I know she was getting diuretics to flush out all that extra fluid while she was in the hospital. Is she still on them? If not, what are the actual telltale signs of "wet lungs," and what else can be done to treat it? Like, does applying diuretic creams actually work? Or maybe some herbal remedies? And how do we even deal with that damn cough?

Also, if that heart medication is truly what's causing the coughing, are there any similar drugs that could swap it out?

I know she was being given diuretics to help flush out excess fluid while she was in the hospital... I'm assuming she’s still on them? If not, what are the telltale signs of pulmonary edema, and what are the other ways to manage it? For instance, can herbal teas help pull water out of the system? Or maybe certain medicinal plants? Also, any tips on how to soothe that cough?

Diuretics are hands down the fastest and most effective way to go. Sure, you could try some herbal teas as a supplement, but let's be real—they aren't going to replace pharmaceutical drugs, which are absolutely essential when dealing with heart issues like this.
I don't have much to add beyond what Scott Allen10 said. Please, just find a solid cardiologist as soon as possible.

Look, I should probably start by saying I’m definitely not a doctor, so please don't take anything I say here as a "second opinion." Just think of this as more of a casual chat rather than medical advice. That said, I deal with issues involving messed-up hemodynamics pretty much every day, so I feel okay enough sharing my thoughts a bit more freely.
So, when you mentioned that "cough" and especially that feeling of "suffocating," it really made me wonder if the heart is essentially decompensated. People dealing with that often have that gasping for air look, they’re desperately trying to catch their breath, their neck veins look swollen, they get those classic cardiac-related leg swellings, a racing heart, and they can't stand lying flat—they usually have to prop themselves up high just to catch enough sleep. To get rid of that extra fluid, doctors typically use diuretics—stuff like Lasix, Furosemide, Aldactone, or Edemid. Basically, these meds tell the kidneys to flush out a bunch of fluid from the body. By lowering the total amount of fluid circulating in the system, you're indirectly helping the heart (it doesn't have to push as much volume) and the lungs (less fluid leaking into the pulmonary alveoli). Personally, I wouldn't rely on herbal remedies for something like this.

In your second post, you brought up something else that really caught my eye—that there's blood pressure medication being used when the actual issue is angina pectoris. That could very well be what's driving the current situation or even leading to "wet lungs."
Here's the thing: someone with angina usually has coronary arteries that are narrowed due to atherosclerotic buildup. Over time, the body tries to compensate for that blockage by bumping up the blood pressure. Because of that, almost all these patients end up with high blood pressure. When the blood flow through those coronaries isn't enough at any given moment, you get that classic pain behind the breastbone that tends to radiate down the left arm, shoulder, or scapula. You’ve probably heard of those symptoms. The go-to fix for that is taking nitroglycerin under the tongue. It hits the bloodstream fast and dilates the vessels—including the coronary ones—so blood can actually flow through. If a coronary artery gets completely blocked, though, that’s when you're looking at a full-blown myocardial infarction and permanent damage to the heart muscle.
Now, dropping the blood pressure in these patients isn't without its risks because you're messing with a compensatory mechanism the body has worked hard to set up. If you lower the pressure too much, less blood flows through the coronaries, which weakens the heart muscle, causing the heart to decompensate and pump even worse. It becomes this vicious cycle where the heart just keeps getting weaker, which leads right back to the symptoms you described. So yeah, lowering blood pressure for heart patients, especially those with coronary disease, is a delicate balancing act that carries real danger.

I really think what's needed here is a solid, thorough, and calm cardiology workup, and if things aren't stabilizing, those checkups might need to happen more frequently.