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Alternatives to Amlodipine?

Posted , 30 users are following.

Jani_G
Jani_G

H,i im so glad i found this forum. I was prescribed this drug, 5mg daily, 7 weeks ago for very high blood pressure after having a 24 hour b.p. monitor and have been going downhill ever since. For the last week I have been almost crippled with very swollen feet, ankles and lower leg, which ache all the time and have sharp pains traveling up the back of my legs. Work has been a nightmare ( I have to stand for seven hours a day with one half hour break). Walking is very painful too. Not only that but i feel so tired all the time and I'm getting depressed now. My stomach is upset and a feeling of nausea is present most of the time. I have tried to get an appt with my doctor who has been on leave and is now booked up for 3 weeks! the last 3 visits to the docs have all been with "other" doctors at the practice who do not know my history and it was one of these who prescribed amlodipine in the first place. I don't even know if this drug is working to bring down the blood pressure as have not been checked but told to wait 6 to 8 weeks after the first dose. I really dont want to see any doc who is available, I want to see MY doctor, but 3 weeks more of this and i will be in the funny farm so it looks like I will have to take my chances with whoever is available. I would like to be a bit knowlegable about what else i could be taking instead because after reading some of the posts on here Im sure that it is THIS drug that is having such a bad effect on my health. Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved. I am also on Iron tabs, Norethisterone and have just finished a course of 6 Zoladex implants, one every 28 days for another condition but havent had any adverse reactions from any of these in the past.. Thanks to anyone who can help.

6 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • rosie57572
    rosie57572 Jani_G

    Posted

    I do sympathise with this problem of seeing one's "own" doctor. I am in the same posiiton - cannot get an appointment with her until mid May!! However, if you phone adn ask them to ring you back at least you might get a chat over the phone. No doctor can expect you to wait while suffering horrid side effects.  I do wonder sometimes how much attention they pay to side effects when prescribing
    • Jani_G
      Jani_G rosie57572

      Posted

      Thanks Rosie, I went to my doctor for another contition, and have ended up feeling ten times worse since taking this drug. I read somewhere that its one of the cheapest so cost before patient comfort?  Am going to see a doc monday, but have decided to book in with my own doctor in three weeks as well as prefer face to face
  • MrsO-UK_Surrey
    MrsO-UK_Surrey Jani_G

    Posted

    Jani

    I hope you have been given the usual blood test after a couple of weeks of starting Amlodipine to check for any side effects to your kidneys etc, as I'm a bit concerned when you mention you have just been told to "wait 6 to 8 weeks after the first dose."  Everyone should have this routine test after commencing any blood pressure medications.

    Like Annie, I have been tried on several different BP meds, including Amlodipine which caused very swollen ankles with inflammation and rash at the bottom of my legs which was then diagnosed as varicose eczema as a side effect of the Amlodipine.  The swelling did completely disappear within a month of stopping the pills, but the varicose eczema remains although not as noticeable.  Ramipril was another medication that didn't suit me and made me feel nauseous.  I was put on Diltiazem when the Amlodipine was stopped and I am still taking this alongside Losartan Potassium.  Diltiazem is from the same family as Amlodipine so I do still have some swelling of the ankles towards the end of the day but nothing compared to Amlodipine.  The only discernible side effect so far with Losartan is an increase in my creatinine levels discovered at the first blood test but this is being carefuly monitored.  My pharmacist has told me that he hears far fewer complaints of side effects from patients taking Losartan as compared with the other BP drugs so it does sound a well tolerated one.  There are six different classes of BP medications, and each class has numerous forms of the drugs that work in slightly different ways.  

    Amlodipine is a Calcium Channel Blocker and the listed side effects include flushing, headache, ankle swelling, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, palpitations, drowsiness, insomnia, stomach upsets, rashes, tinnitus.

    Losartan is an Angiotensin 11 Receptor Antagonist (the newest of the blood presssure drugs), and studies have shown that this drug does not have the side-effects associated with the other classes of drugs with the occasional exception of dizziness.

    Hope that helps.

    • Jani_G
      Jani_G MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Hi Mrs O and thanks for your reply, I did have a blood test 5 days after starting the treatment which showed anemia, but they said everything alse was ok.  I will ask for another! Thankyou for bringing my attention to Losartan, I will look into this too. I know I need to get off the Amlodipine before any more damage is done - I did notice a red rash on my ankle yesterday ;/
    • Lonna
      Lonna MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Thank you wrote this down for my phone calls in a bit,   I sure hope I can figure this out, from 120 to 170 3rd day wtih out Amlodipine, started feeling pulse every were, and getting head ache, took small dose of Amlodipine until I can talk to doctors, Thank you for taking time to help us. 
  • marie79754
    marie79754 Jani_G

    Posted

    I have what they call malignant hypertension, very hard to control. I get what you're saying about "A". It's an awful drug. I was taking it with another drug , Valsartan for my BP. I called my doctor yesterday and he didn't call me back but I've decided I can't live like this. I'm raising 2 grandkids 8-9 years old and I'm 71 years old. I was taking a drug called Tekturna and another, Exforge and was doing great. Feeling wonderful. Then I had an episode of atrial flutter and my new doctor told me he didn't like Tekturna and he said it didn't work anyway. Well it worked great for me. So now I have to find a doctor who looks at my age and doesn't think I'm ready for a rocking chair. Let me know how you are and what meds are helping you
    • mommalaurat
      mommalaurat marie79754

      Posted

      Hi Marie,

      I am 54 have been on Valsartan for many years...I went to the Emergency Room yesterday  with my bp 180/120.  Very high for me.  Anyway, long story short, I was prescibed Amlodipine 5mg today.  I have taken 1 pill today.  I have been to the bathroom more today than I have been in 3 days...to pee, and my head is pounding.  I am thinking I will not take my next pill.  My bp is still up.  I really hope you have found some remedy that works for you.  If so, please share smile

    • Guest
      Guest mommalaurat

      Posted

      Hi mommalaurat

      Sorry to hear you are having trouble with high bp readings.  With the Amlodipine 5mg, you may need to take it for a couple of weeks to really see if the effects settle down, and if your readings settle down.  Can you talk to your GP and say how the medication is making you feel?  There may be something else they can prescribe for you.    Do you know why your reading went up to 180/90?  If you can find some reasons why it is high you may be able to take control of it through other means such as exercise or diet.

      Good luck, let us know how you go

      Sue B  

       

  • tina02687
    tina02687 Jani_G

    Posted

    oMG my legs and feet are so swollen since ive been taking this amlodipine, I am stopping this medication immediately and ask my dr. for an alternative medication. my ankles as so swollen i could not figure out why i was swelling all of a sudden. Ive been taking this medication for about a month now and thats when the swelling began. 
  • ian21671
    ian21671 Jani_G

    Posted

    Swelling in your legs and feet indicates water accumulation. Usually a diuretic which drives water out is prescribed along with a blood pressure drug. A diuretic by itself also helps to lower blood pressure.  As to another calcium channel blocker like amlodipine, there are two other choices: verapamil and diltiazem.  As for a diuretic, spiractin comes to mind. You don't have to wait for weeks to check your blood pressure, a day or two shouid show results. You could also visit the casualty (emergency) of a hospital and ask the doctor on duty for a prescription if

    your own doctor is on an extended leave. Don't just leave your blood pressure high by waiting for his return.

  • Lonna
    Lonna Jani_G

    Posted

    Me too, I get very sick to the Amlodopine it was getting worse, every day, I feel horrible, not my self,    when the doctor pulled it, she did not replace it and my blood preasure jumped from 126 to today to 178 ( 3 days ) off. Felt so much better, then last night, it started climbing today I have headache and and can feel all my heart beat and pulses. I just drank a atkins shake, and took a smaller dose one on my own in hopes to get BP down today and call the doctor back.  IM CALLING THE HEART TEAM THAT SAW ME AND MY DOCTOR. WHAT DID YOU FIND TO REPLACE THE AMLODIPINE BESYLATE? I need help. This is medicine is ruining my life too, Thanks so much. 
    • toi79889
      toi79889 Lonna

      Posted

      I started amdolopine about a month go. About a month in, I complained to my doctor about daily headaches and she said it wasn't a common side effect of the medicine and my dose is very low so she didn't think the med was the reason. It's been about 50 days since I started and now my ankle swelled up tremendously interrupting my walking. I had to put my feet up and wear a compression stocking for two days to get it down. But I want to mention that I also was taking Ibrupofen for my headaches and read on webmd that too combines with amdolopine to cause swelling in extremities. I'm going to discuss getting off of it next appt.

  • Lonna
    Lonna Jani_G

    Posted

    DEAR JANI G please let me know what you find out, going through this today, JUN 30th 2017, my email is, need all the help I can get have 2 disabled adult kids I care for and 3 grandkids I help with. Thanks God bless

    Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.

    http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

  • tina98494
    tina98494 Jani_G

    Posted

    Jani,

    Thank you for bringing up this matter on Amlodipine. I have been on Twynsta for a year or so; it's Amlodipine + Telmesartan. At 39, the medication has effectively reduced my BP from 140/100 to 120/80, however, I had acne breakouts. Now, the doctor has advised Tozam, it's still Amlodipine but now paired with Lozartan. I have yet to see the side effect as I will just be starting. Still the best way in controlling BP is to have healthy diet and exercise.

    I hope you are now at the pink of health; it's been a long time since you posted this.

  • jeff09792
    jeff09792 Jani_G

    Posted

    Look up beet juice working so far to control my slightly high BP
    • meikakay
      meikakay jeff09792

      Posted

      Jeff09792 what was your blood pressure before starting the beet juice
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