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Amlodipine nightmare

Posted , 8 users are following.

nicole31356
nicole31356

My doctor started me on Amlodipine 5mg. Within a week I started having facial tingling and anxiety. My doctor firmly believed that these symptoms were not related to the amlodipine. I continued to take the medication and began to have arm weakness and my legs would feel heavy walking up and down stairs. At that point I called my doctor to let her know that I would not be taking the amlodipine anymore. I had only taken it for almost a month, but now I realize that after the first week I should have discontinued it. My arms and legs are better since being off of it for 9 days now. Unfortunately, the facial tingling comes and goes. This scares me...I'm hoping that it will go away soon. I also had acid reflux flare up while taking it. Has anyone else experienced the facial tingling?

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • MrsO-UK_Surrey
    MrsO-UK_Surrey nicole31356

    Posted

    Nicole, I didn't experience facial tingling whilst on Amlodipine but did get diagnosed with varicose eczema due to Amlodipine causing patchy red marks on my lower legs.  The Mayo Clinic site (one of the few reliable sources of medical information on the web) does include tingling as a possible side effect even though it is listed under "Rare".  However, rare doesn't mean never!  It states "burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings".

    If the tingling is due to Amlodipine then it might just take a little longer to sort itself out.  It took a few weeks for my ankle swelling to completely return to normal after coming off Amlodipine.   Good luck! 

     

    • nicole31356
      nicole31356 MrsO-UK_Surrey

      Posted

      Thank you. I'm hoping the tingling will go away soon. It is so aggravating. I wish I had never taken the amlodipine!

  • miriam13562
    miriam13562 nicole31356

    Posted

    Hi Nicole313569,

    Your definitely not alone with the tingling, the acid reflux and also I experience dizziness and being unbalanced. I drank the Amlodipine 2.5mg for almost a year and not immediately I guess because the dose was low I didn't immediately feel the horrible symptoms. I started with having issues with going to the bathroom, then Acid Reflux, sleepless nights, tingling in my face and arms, pain in my joints and then my nightmare the feeling of being unbalanced and dizzy.  It was to the point that I would wash dishes and had to sit down cause I could not stay up.  It would make me scare and cause me to feel anxious and I started getting panic attacks.  I went to my pcp and he gave me something for the dizziness and that didn't work, so I continued to get these symptoms off and on for like two months.  Three weeks ago I was at my worsest, couldn't drive, couldn't stand for too long, panic attacks were driving me crazy and the dizziness was horrible.  I went to the ER and immediately they felt I needed to see a Psychiatrist, but I realized that I had skipped my meds for two days and was fine and this particular day the night before I had took the meds and then I was feeling this horrible, so there was no question it was the medication.  I immediately stopped it and now 3 weeks later I am back to my old self. Do not take it again find another med... I don't take anything now just monitor my bp.

    • nicole31356
      nicole31356 miriam13562

      Posted

      Hi Miriam13562,

      Thank you for your response. I have been so afraid that something more serious may be going on. My doctor just didn't want to believe that the amlodipine was causing my symptoms. If it isn't on the "normal" side effects list, they like to assume it's related to something else. Hopefully I will back to normal soon as well. Glad to hear that you are doing well.

    • miriam13562
      miriam13562 nicole31356

      Posted

      Thank you Nicole! You will be the same way give it like two weeks and you will get back to normal.  I don't care what any doctor say Amlodipine has a lot more side affects than what doctors believe.  I hope you feel better please keep us posted!!

    • nicole31356
      nicole31356 miriam13562

      Posted

      Thank you. I will keep you all posted. That medication needs to be taken off the market!
    • nicole31356
      nicole31356 miriam13562

      Posted

      Hi Miriam

      As I am still dealing with my face tingling and it's been two weeks since I stopped the med I decided to see an endocrinologist. I also have hypothrodism, I am worried that something more may be going on. Have you had any residual tingling or did yours seem to just stop?

  • michael32218
    michael32218 nicole31356

    Posted

    Hi Nicole,

    Kind of late to reply to this post but you're feeling like I am except I have been off the amphlodopine for 2 months and my symptoms wont go away..I lay in bed and I start to shiver or have mild tremors through my body which then makes me have a mild panic attack almost daily. I hope this goes away soon because I can barely handle it anymore...

  • chris21802
    chris21802 nicole31356

    Posted

    Nicole, I have had similar symptoms tingling in my thumb in my index finger. I have been on amlodipine for many years. I have weakness in my Achilles , gout, muscle pain on my feet left and right fluctuates every couple of weeks. Sometimes I can hardly walk. I feel uneasy when I'm walking as if I'm not balanced. I have told my doctor numerous times to get me off this stuff and she doesn't listen. My doctor said you can't quit cold turkey. It could cause a heart attack or defib. I also take Carvedilol. That causes muscle pain to. I am so tired of being in pain not being able to play with my grandson having a hard time walking around I just turned 65 and I'm pretty healthy. I'm going to call my doctor and tell him I'm going off this medicine. There are other supplements that can be found like beet juice or something else that does not have side effects. I get muscle pain in my arm and my back my ankles I'm miserable I can't take it anymore. Thank you for sharing your story

    • debra16694
      debra16694 chris21802

      Posted

      Hi Chris - I just read your post & found it very interesting that you had pain in your Achilles’ tendon - I was on Amlodipine for 5 years & about 2 years into taking it developed Achilles Tendonapathy - it came out of nowhere & has virtually made it very difficult for me to walk longer than 10 minutes without pain.  I also developed huge nodules on the back of my heels which makes it impossible to wear enclosed shoes.  I am 61 & the orthopedist does not want to perform surgery on my Achilles if not absolutely necessary.  I am absolutely positive that Amlodipine caused this, because nobody in my family has it & no one else has ever been on this poison.   I have had so many side effects on this drug, but this deformity & the fact that I can no longer walk long distances is terrible.  I weened myself off this horrible drug, it’s been 9 months & I am just finally starting to feel normal & yes, I also had extreme facial tingling & flushing.  In fact, I still get tingling in my hands & feet - horrible drug!

    • chris21802
      chris21802 debra16694

      Posted

      Debra,

      I add nodules on the back of my ankles that became swollen and my daughter noticed that it was red and I couldn't Flex my ankles is extremely painful. It would go from one foot for a couple weeks and then one week it was fine the next time I go to the other foot I end up getting gout on my toe. Now I have pain in my arm I can't take it anymore. I'm going to wean myself off of this stuff Carvedilol has some similar effects. For example muscle pain back pain muscle spasms. I have explained this to my doctor she said well you were off of it for 2 weeks and nothing changed well hello it takes more than 2 weeks to get the stuff out of your system sometimes it takes months sometimes it takes years I don't want permanent damage when does he's darn doctors listen to us. Good luck to you Deborah thank you for acknowledging and writing about this it really helps a lot

  • stephen24953
    stephen24953 nicole31356

    Posted

    Hello nicole i totally agree with your post on the A medication i have only been on it 3 weeks the first 2 weeks on 10mgs but noticed all the above side efffects starting to spring up now my GP said the tablet had dramitically brought my bp down to near normal as it was 190/85 iam aged 57 and am on a Statin 20mgs every day. But she brought it down to 5mgs however its like being in a fire 10 times worse these past 7 days for me almost out of my mind with foot sharp pains in toes swollen ankles pain in stomach sides arms and head its been hell for me nicolle and not getting to sleep until 6am most mornings i will ring my GP today and tell her iam going to come of this drug my anxiety levels have got 10 times worse since taking A. Iam from northern ireland take care Steve
    • chris21802
      chris21802 stephen24953

      Posted

      Stephen, Thank you for sharing .I can relate to the pain in toes ,swollen and painful muscles, joints everywhere
    • stephen24953
      stephen24953 chris21802

      Posted

      Chris i live in a housing fold and there is a emergency red cord for out of hours help well at 4am i had to pull it as my pains got so sore plus chest pains i went into a panic state and told the person on the intercom he rang a dr and the dr rang me and i explained all to him he said dont take anymore tabs but it will take around 24 hours to see that final one come out of your body compleatley i was on them 25 days imagine if it was 25 months i would be in a mental ward by now iam already halfway there now chris no more hell A tabs for me
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