Amlodipine almost cost me my life - blogging from hospital bed!
Posted , 4 users are following.
If you read my previous post you'll see that I've been taking 5 mg of Amlodipine once a day for four weeks for slightly elevated blood pressure 147/68. My GP decided after one visit that he'd like to see my blood pressure at 120/80. I told him I'd try but I was reluctant to take the meds since my pressure wasn't really that high.
Fast forward to last Sunday. I didn't make it out of bed to go to church because I was so lethargic I decided to just sleep in. I had muscle cramps in my legs, a hollow empty feeling in the pit of my stomach, so weak with no energy and overall just felt like I had a bad case of the flu. On top of that my anxiety was all over the place and I was nervous and jittery all week. Monday came, same thing I couldn't get out of bed to go to work. Only then did I start to research AM as it was the only new drug I was taking and before that I was fine. What I read here and and other sites terrified me.
I immediately called my pharmacist who said it was OK to just abruptly stop taking the med but to call my Dr. and keep an eye on my blood pressure.
Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday were pure hell . I was so weak I couldn't eat, I didn't drink very much all I could do was lay still and pray that I didn't faint or have a panic attack. My heart was palpitating so hard I thought it would jump out of my chest. My heart rate went up to 118 resting. By Friday I couldn't take it anymore, I had started literally shaking from freezing chills one minute and having hot flashes the next. I called 911 and came to the ER.
They did the usual ekg checks and my heart looked OK but my heart rate was super high, while my blood pressure was only 95/50! My blood sugar was only 70 because I couldn't eat due to the extreme nausea, plus I was extremely dehydrated. They admitted me immediately.
The doctor in charge of my case said that I should've never been put on a blood pressure pill as my blood pressure Could've been managed by lifestyle change because it was just borderline. And because I also take a blood thinner - Plavix, it was just too much unneed strain on my heart hence the palpitations which is a serious side effects of this medicine and can cause permanent Afibulation.
I have been on a nonstop saline drip to flush out the meds and to rehydrate, and it seems to be working wonderfully. I've been here three days and I scarcely have palpitations now, today was also the first day I was able to eat two whole meals and could tolerate a cup of coffee.
I considered his medicine to be straight poison and I will never take it again. Doc ask me if I wanted to try a beta blocker instead. I said no thank you I'll change my eating habits which I had already begun doing anyway. I finally feel like myself again and get to go home tomorrow. I'm looking forward to LIVING and managing my health as drug-free as possible.
Please if you were taking this medicine or were prescribed it recently that you are aware of all the nasty side effects they can cause, it's truly scary.
0 likes, 6 replies
carol83631 BrandyinPA
Posted
OMG ???? 147/68 is pretty good what is WRONG with your Dr? I'm sure all these drugs thrown at us are because the surgery gets paid for dishing out the drugs
I came off of Amlodopine a couple of years ago now (roughly) due to all the horrid side effects I was getting and the Dr. I saw at the time was happy for me to do so telling me to keep an eye on my BP and go back to her if the lower BP number went over 100. I try and take more exercise (no problem really as I am a horse owner) but I know that a brisk walk every day does help to keep the blood pressure levels down somewhat as does cutting sugar from my diet (it works for me anyhow so I hope you find a lifestyle that works for you when you get home). So sorry to hear you have ended up in hospital because of it and hope you recover quickly with no residual side effects from this episode. Best of luck 
BrandyinPA carol83631
Posted
Yes I didn't think my pressure was "high" either but as I have a touch of heart disease I didn't want to take any chances. Honestly the amlodipine would've killed me before I ever had a heart attack!
cpwood BrandyinPA
Posted
Good luck on your recovery. Amlodipine did cause me to develop Afib. I had been on it for a few years at 5mg. My doctor increased it to 10mg and I immediately began experiencing palpatations. I was on it only a very few weeks and dropped back to 5mg and made an appointment with my doctor. He diagnosed the Afib. A couple months later I passed out at a restaurant from a very slow pulse (about 30) and had a pacemaker installed. I've discussed this medicine with my doctor and he said he finds no warnings about this. I hope this site will get the word out on the danger of this medicine.
BrandyinPA cpwood
Posted
If you have Afib why are you still taking the medicine? Can't you get on a different med?
ann_c.04098 BrandyinPA
Posted
I'm glad you discovered the problem with Amlodipine.. your doctor is an idiot please think about changing him/her.. the mere fact that the doctor is asking you if you would like a beta blocker should be a red flag... Please note that beta-blockers show down you heartbeat and have a tendency to thin your hair.. also I am on metoprolol ER which is made in India, a place where water is not fit to drink.. please pay attention to the medical profession they are not as great as people think they are...and above all remember some of those doctors are the ones who graduated at the bottom of the class..
BrandyinPA ann_c.04098
Posted
Metoprolol is what he wanted me to take, I said no. IF my pressure does get higher Ill consider Propanolol as I was on that a few years ago for tremors due to anxiety and it didn't cause me any issues at 10 mg/day. And I am changing doctors immediately.