Amlodipine - gastric/bowel problems

Yes I was taken this for more than 6 years with a couple of others, atenolol for high BP , increasingly my fingers, hands, ankles and legs ballooned, also big purple patches on my legs, just today went to different doctor because my calf was so swollen I can't wear my jeans anymore. The thing is I had to tell him I was on other melds for BP and then it clicked with him, "oh oh stop taking that amlodipine that causes swollen etc etc, and gave me an antibiotic for the patches, so I hope it makes a big difference. I find I can't walk too far etc, so I do I hope this was the cause. Doctors nowadays are really useless, thank God for the net!

I have being having similar problems and have had flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, also MRI scans and there have been no answers to my bowel problems.  I have 8 -10 BMs a day.  The worst experience is that I am constantly woken throughout the night and I am permanently exhausted.  I have tried eliminating all the foods one by one in my diet with no improvement.  It is only this morning that it occurred to me to look up amlodipine to see if it could be the culprit.  Having read that someone else has suffered similar symptoms I have made an appointment with my GP tomorrow to see if I can cease taking this medication in order to see if my bowel symptoms improve.

My story with Amlodipine and severe diarrhea. I was taking the stuff (7.5 mg), with Hydrochlorothiazide, for about 8 months when the first bout set in. I have had this happen with other meds before so as soon as it happened, I stopped the meds. It still took about 3 or 4 weeks for it to go away.

The BP stayed high though so it wasn't long I went right back to it. Two months later, here it is again. Haven’t talked to my doctor, I've been pretty busy. She also seems pretty willy nilly about giving drugs for every little thing, so I'm a little hesitant. For right now I'm just riding it out to see if it will go away before I report it to her and see what she says.

By Severe Diarrhea, I mean almost anything going into my stomach, liquid, food, caused an “outpour.” I have to monitor liquids and foods carefully to make sure I am getting nutrition, water, and electrolytes.

I'm 58, male, haven't had much problem with health or high BP, but about 2 or 3 years ago it shot up and stayed there so I guess I have to deal with it. Working on exercise, nutrition, foods that are supposed the help with BP. So far the results are kind of questionable.

After 12months of misery,going through a colonoscopy and other various tests,I came across this article on amlodipine,this is my eureka moment ,it IS the medicine ,not my gut ,not my bowel, not my stomach.!!! Oh and not to mention the hospital visits !!!!

Thank you internet, I will be going to docs next week, get off these damn things , thank you people for your posts ,time to get my life back !!!!!!!!

I've been taking Amlodipine for several years. I take half a dose when I can remember but I've been trying to remember to take it more often. When I'm taking it regularly, I've noticed lately that I'm waking up in the early morning hours with severe small bowel cramps that later turn into diarrhea. I suffer from chronic constipation on top of that (mostly my fault...water), so the pain is so severe until that gets pushed through, and the loose stool passes. After that, I'm fine. Acid reflux too! I'll wake up with really bad acid reflux as well! I'm not overweight, I don't eat large meals, but I did have COVID which included lots of GI pain. To me it makes sense that if I'm clogged up, it's going to affect my stomach. Sometimes, the pain is so severe, I throw up! So tired of this pain. Dr says its IBS but i don't know. I don't experience this when I forget to take my meds, so that's what made me associate it. After reading this post, I'm going to stop again and see if that solves it PLUS call my cardio Dr, of course.

I am close to 60 and have similar issues as you, intestine cramping and diarrhoea after taking Amlodipine for 15 years. It happens when my stomach is weak, like twice a week. However I cannot escape from it as other CCB cannot achieve the BP drop and have more side effects. I usually have issue 2 hours after taking the medicine in which I though it's due to the stimulation in the duodenum. I am trying to take Amlodipine when the duodenum is empty. That is taking liquid or small biscuits 2 hours before and after taking the pill. Will let you know the result.

I am in the same boat.. Off the drug for only 3 weeks.. Still pain, bloating, and feeling of incomplete bowel movements ( which are improving) . Hoping it improves because the bowel pain is bad..

I have been on amlodipine for four years. Bowel problems from the start, which I did not associate with the drug. I have had a colonoscopy, horrendous constipation, pencil thin stools and then an inability to pass a motion at all, even with strong laxatives. Seen a bowel specialist at my own expense and not once has anyone ever said my problems could be due to amlodipine. I have now stopped taking them two days ago. Not much of an improvement yet but I am hopeful. I am convinced that all my problems are from this drug, and frankly furious nobody has investigated it.