amlodipine?

Hi, I am glad you feel better.

I stopped taking Aml back in the Summer, and things just got better and better and better.

Leaden legs are gone; now I can walk without fatigue.

Cramps are gone.

Breathlessness gone.

Anxiety disappeared.

Sleep patterns back to normal.

Energy levels back to normal.

I have a light step, which feels wonderful- no pain, blimey, what is this state of bliss? Well, it is simply a lack of Aml half-killing me.

Stopping the pills gave noticeable improvements in days, but months later I am a different man.

My BP is totally normal too, verified by GP nurse.

I hope others may gain similar rejuvenation , if currently suffering.

Good luck & good health to all!

thanks capncrew. I will keep a close eye on my blood pressure , but I will not be going back on amlodipine. I think my empty chest feeling may be just anxiety like I said I have only been off them for 2 weeks with a bit of luck things will settle down soon. all the very best LEN7.

Hi. I was prescribed Amlodipine for high BP and suffered heavy, leaden legs, oedema around the ankles, plus a persistent runny nose and tickly cough. After feeling really debilitated for months owing to joint pain as well, I insisted that the GP prescribed another drug. I had been taking Aml for about fourteen months. I could not believe the difference I experienced within only about two weeks. All of the above symptoms disappeared, I've got my slim ankles back again - okay, I'm 63, but have never had elephant shaped legs and ankles prior to taking the Aml and now I can see my ankle bones again!

Ramipril, the substitute drug, caused persisten runny nose and tickly cough. As I did more research on line and got more confident with telling the GP that he was there to serve ME, not the other way around, he ditched the Ramipril as well. I am now on Losartan without any side effects at all.

I feel as if I have claimed my life back and am so much more positive in outlook. The debilitating effects of both the Aml and Ram had made me feel like a feeble, aching old biddy with a very bleak future.

Cynic that I am, I discovered that Aml is the cheapest of the BP meds, all of which affect the Surgery's budget, of course!

Remember that there is the Yellow Card scheme which your GP should encourage you to fill in to inform the NHS about any real or perceived side effects. I had to find out about it for myself because the GP's don't seem to want to encourage patients to report back on the negative aspects of these drugs they prescribe.

Now that my system has been free of the Aml and Ram for about 6 months, I am definitely so much better in every way. The BP readings vary only slightly either way from when I was on the Aml & Ram, there is absolutely NO oedema or swellings or leaden, heavy legs, the crippling joint pains, runny nose and persistent cough have gone totally. I feel as if I've got my quality of life back again.

laura78631 thanks for your post. I had similar experienced with Amlodipine. for high BP. My GP did say there might(?) be side effects and sure enough within a week my ankles looked like balloons. Never again.

As I've posted before, soon after taking Ramipril, the drug first prescribed for my high BP I developed atrial fibrillation which is a well known side effect known to everyone it seems, except doctors. I took myself off Ramipril and Sotalol (another drug with AF side effects known to everyone except doctors) my AF episodes have decreased. So no more Ramipril or Sotalol for me and the experience has left me with serious doubts about competence of doctors I've seen.

I was on amlodipine.

Made me feel like a ZOMBIE.

Quit it. Took a while but much better now.

Later another DR. (in USA) put me on Lisinopril.

Messed by mind up big time. Quit it too.

Getting better but recovery is slow.

Messed up memory. Mental mistakes. Mind is a mess.

All these drugs mess with your liver which will screw up other parts of your body too, like your BRAIN!!!

I just hope I can recover to a great degree.

hi, I would just like to say thank you to all who have commented on amlodipine. what stands out to me is all your comments are negative , and you are all saying more or less the same things. I cannot understand why doctors are still prescribing a drug that is giving people so much misery. doctors and chemists must be getting feed back on this drug . they should research the best and safest drugs for BP and make peoples lives a little bit more bearable high blood pressure is hard to cope with but all the after effects that this drug is doing to people is something else. the problem is when you come off amlodipine you have to find a drug that is suitable for you. the drug companies need to get there act together and research a drug that is a lot more user friendly, thank you again for all your feed back. len 7

Sorry if this sounds political, but I think that problems have arisen since GP's have been given charge of their drugs budget ( speaking for the UK ). In earlier years, the GP would prescribe the drug which he / she really thought best fit for the patients condition, irrespective of cost. I know it sounds cynical but if you can be prescribed a tab such as Aml which according to other sites costs only 4p per unit, as opposed to a more expensive drug, there's more profit for the end of month / quarterly profit share for the partners.

Similarly with statins which many GP's insist on many patients taking. They will virtually always prescribe Simvastatin first which is the cheapest and which is regularly reported as having horrendous side effects for many patients. If he / she can be persuaded to change the prescription and give something like Atorvastatin, the majority of patients find relief from the toxic side effects within a very short time. Guess what - Simvastatin is the cheapest of the many statins!

Remember in the UK you can ( and SHOULD ) report any and all side effects, however slight, to the Yellow Card reporting system. I had to do it via trawling the net. I have since discovered that your GP is supposed to inform you about the Yellow Card procedure being in place. I'll bet you've not been informed about it, nor will you find any information regarding it on the boards in your GP's surgery!

Good luck to anyone who has successfully persuaded their GP to prescribe the meds which will help your condition, whatever they cost!

hi laura 78631 thankyou for your insight into the yellow carduk. they do not seem to advertise it , I managed to get one from my local chemist I am going to send it off today. it is correct what you are saying about statins because I was on simvastatins for about a year and my arm muscles were aching all the time I told the doctor on several visits and he just said it could be from your t.i.a (mini stroke) after seeing a different doctor he said it could be the statin and changed me to atorvastatin and the problem went away. so atorvastatin must be the more expensive option. Did you hear back from the yellow card agency with any comments or do they just bin it?

Hitch, are you on any kind of blood pressure medication now, ore have you stoped them all and do you what your bp is now compared to what it was? it seems you have had a terrible time with both those drugs.