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Amlodipine

Posted , 6 users are following.

Howard5050
Howard5050

I've been taking these tablets now for nearly two months now and feel to some extent that they are not really reducing my blood pressure enough that there is much difference. I like some I've noticed have had many side effects eg, legs swelling, itching all over, bleeding of the gums and nose. I was on 5meg and am on 10meg now. When I first went to my GP my BP was around 176/123. It has fallen slightly and is around 150/107. Fortunately the side effects that I have had, I have been able to cope with ok. But what I am  bothered about is I feel I have increased in weight, around my face and around my waist. Has anybody else noticed an increase in weight while taking Amlodipine? or is it my diet and not enough excercise. I have a cousin who is diabetic and suffers with high BP and he tried Amlodipine but made him dizzy, so he is on another BP drug

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • mike92384
    mike92384 Howard5050

    Posted

    Hey Howard....It seems Amlodipine has claimed yet another victim..YOU.

    I'm not at all surprised that you are suffering with swollen legs, etc.etc. This is a very common side effect of Amlodipine, especially when the dosage has been doubled. 

    Anything I've read about bp meds is that they say doubling the dosage to get the bp down isn't exactly a good idea, as the CCB (Amlodipine for example) works on one area of the body, & obviously it's now lowering the bp, however there are people out there who have good luck with the Amlodipine. I for one, am not one of the lucky ones. I'd strongly suggest you get back to your doctor & ask for another bp med...i.e. an ARB...he/she'll know what that means. Good luck...don't suffer any longer!!!

    • Howard5050
      Howard5050 mike92384

      Posted

      Yeah, Thanks Mike, I think your right. I suppose its pot luck. Not everybody suits certain pills. I'm not over keen on taking pills anyway. Thanks again, I'll be seeing my doctor soon.
  • MrsO-UK_Surrey
    MrsO-UK_Surrey Howard5050

    Posted

    Hi Howard

    Yes, Mike is right, you need to return to your GP and ask for either the Amlodipine to be reduced back down to 5mg (if at that dose you didn't suffer the side effects) and perhaps another low dose BP medication added, or switch to a different medication completely.

    My hubby doesn't notice any side effects on the 5mg dose but when they increased it to 10mg his legs and feet swelled up and they immediately reduced it back down to the 5mg level and added in a low dose of Ramipril.  I believe the latest thinking is that it is better to prescribe two or three different meds each at low doses rather than a high dose of just one med.

    The weight increase you are experiencing around your waist and face is probably because the Amlodipine is causing fluid retention (hence the leg swelling).

    I was given just a baby dose of Amlodipine (2.5mg) and suffered swelling of my lower legs and feet without any let-up eventually leading to a diagnosis of varicose eczema, so my advice is not to leave it too long before doing something about it. 

    • Howard5050
      Howard5050 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Thanks for your suggestions. But I don't really see any improvement on my BP. The swelling I remarked on comes and goes, so I don't feel this is retention, but cannot really understand my weight gain full stop. I'm not working at the moment, so that might be the problem to a degree. A lack of get up and go, although i do try to keep reasonably fit :-)
  • yvonne85501
    yvonne85501 Howard5050

    Posted

    When I was on Amlodipine I always had bleeding gums when brushing my teeth ,it's only since coming on to this forum and reading other people's experiences that I have made a connection.I am now on Rampiril 10mg and a low dose diuretic as Amlodipine wasn't really lowering my blood pressure to acceptable levels despite the dose being doubled. to 10mg.I've also noticed that my gums no longer bleed when brushing my teeth!
    • Howard5050
      Howard5050 yvonne85501

      Posted

      hi Yvonne,

      But is Rampiril 10mg lowering your BP? Are there any unsavoury :-) side effects you are experiencing? thankyou anyway for sharing your views on amplodipine. I would be interested to see of any positive views of amplodipine use on here.

  • wendy82413
    wendy82413 Howard5050

    Posted

    hi, I was on Amlodipine for 6 months, having the doseage doubled from 5 to 10mg after 2 months. I sufferred most of the side effects you mentioned, plus insomnia, and increased urgency to go to the loo.  Once I read about the medication on this forum I stopped the tablets, and my side effects stopped within 3 days !!  Please go back to your gp and ask to come off the medication.  I was put on candesartan after the Amlodipine, neither really cut my blood pressure down and gave me unwanted side-effects. With my doctors agreement I have now come off all medication and have changed my diet. I discovered I was 3 stone overweight for my height,  I joined slimming world, have cut down on fat/salt/sugar/all processed food, and have lost almost a stone  in weight and my blood pressure is now lower than when taking medication. I still regularly monitor my blood pressure at the doctors and on my home monitor.
    • Howard5050
      Howard5050 wendy82413

      Posted

      Hi Wendy and thankyou for your reply. I feel what you have said makes more sense to me. Exercise and a close look at my diet is the only way I'm going to see a vast reduction on my bp
    • wendy82413
      wendy82413 Howard5050

      Posted

      Yes...diet and exercise is definitely the way to go, also keeping a check on the BP as well. I do mine once every 3 days at home , and the Dr says to see him only every six weeks now.

       

    • mike92384
      mike92384 wendy82413

      Posted

      Hi Wendy...Im leaning more toward taking some weight off too, but with

      being currently on holiday, it doesnt make much sense but when I get

      back home, I will definitely be doing the same as you. Ive heard from several good sources that reducing weight most definitely lowers bp...just how much is anyones guess, but if it lowers even a little, its better than nothing.

  • angela09535
    angela09535 Howard5050

    Posted

    If this drug is making you itch then please stop the drug, my husband was taking BP medication and he developed restless-leg syndrome.  Your best bet is to exercise as much as possible.  Hope this helps. Blessings, Angel
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