Anybody experience withdrawal symptons when stopping Amlodipine?

I was prescribed this medication almost two weeks ago after visiting a walk-in centre regarding a dental infection. It was given to me on the strength of one high blood pressure reading! I've since realised that you should have a number of readings before a doctor considers putting a patient on any blood pressure medication. I feel my health has dramatically deteriorated in just 2 weeks. I am going to stop taking it before it does any more damage. If you can avoid medication you should. There are always side effects, and other health consequences. The big winners are the drug companies.

Daily stress can raise bp of course..and must be addressed

I feel that reducing the dosage gradually is wise..

But alternative substitutes as mentioned..reducing sodium intake

and mild walking exercise will help.

Their are many studies on Coenzyme Q10, magnesium, potasium which have been shown in double blind studies to dramatically reduce bp.

Weight reduction also will reduce bp. Go on a 12 week program

with home monitoring and be carefull. I was on Norvasc for 3 months

with many of the symptoms described here..After taking Coenzyme 100mg/d, 250 mg/everyotherday and potasium ..bp has dropped

7 percent in 3 weeks taking 1 mg Norvasc every 3 days..with drop

it further as time goes on.. Good Luck

 

Hi Rozanne,

Try taking Grapeseed extract, it really does help to low BP I take 2 a day. 1 after breakfast and 1 after dinner. It has many benefits as well as the BP. Google Grapeseed extract and Blood Pressure and read up. There are no known side effects.

If you are going to get a home BP machine, I would agree with Mike, the Omron BP785 is very good, a bit more expensive than some but worth the money.

I am glad you,are sharing your situation with this forum..because

stress is a BIG TIME OVERLOOKED FACTOR in raising BP..Other factors may be weight..age..diet etc..but this calcium

blocker is not the only med that lowers blood pressure. Valspartan is

an interesting one..however my main point is you must have alternatives and not go cold turkey..& you MUST Must monitor frequently. Beet Juice,CoQ10, Magnesium, Spinach, stress management diet (lower sodium)will all work to some degree...but if your pressure is too high you may need to take it very slow..Also if and I say if their are blockages they must be addressed..So it is nerve racking for sure.!

I do not have any withdrawal at this stage however I was not

taking probably at your dose level.. I still carry a Norvasc just

in case I see my numbers are high or I feel out of sorts..

Good Luck my friend

Twelve months since coming off Amlodipine. Still got some colitis problems and some aches but BP controlled at 135/80. Candesartin my tablet now. Amlodipine almost did what cancer couldn't 13 years ago.

Keep well.

Hiya just joined group. Nice to meet everyone. I was put on Amlodapine 3 weeks ago as my blood pressure was getting high. I have been stressed as a blood yet came back saying blood not pumping to heart properly. Had an echocardiogram things look fine. Last Friday I had to have surgery under general anaesthetic on my knee. I came off these tablets a Thursday before surgery but now four days after blood pressure on way bk up again so going to have to go bk on them. They were making my ankles and legs retain fluid. I am a teaching assistant in a primary school so up and down a lot. Iv to have blood tests done again next Wednesday. They said may be aenemic. I have piled weight on over last two years and think that's the reason for bl pressure going up. On thyroxine for 36 years. ?

A lot of comments on here are anti-blood pressure meds. Not everyone needs them, some people just need to watch their sodium intake and lifestyle choices. Obviously, some people also react badly to certain medications. You and your doctor need to figure out what is right for you. 

I need these medications. I was doing practically everything I could, trying to lower my blood pressure naturally, watching diet and exercising, and my blood pressure was still through the roof at 260/185. I went to the ER with a headache that had lasted for a month and I was probably close to stroking out or having a cardiac event. I went on amlodipine, metoprolol, and valsartan, and my BP is now normal. I also feel way better. I still want to try perfecting my diet and lifestyle to see if I can reduce or get off the meds, but for right now I have to have them. It might be I have to go vegan and no sodium to have normal BP apart from the meds, and as a trained chef and a foodie that is pretty demanding. My body is genetically predisposed to having high blood pressure. 

So for those with anger against doctors and their pharmaceuticals, maybe you don't need them, but it's lifesaving for some of us. 

I've been reading the comments. I'm also interested in coming off (Norvasc) generic Amlodipine. I use the 5mg tabs but I've only been on them for a few months. I switched from Lysinopril because it caused terrible coughing. I don't think I need it and never did. My BP was never in the danger zone when prescribed and life style change wasn't even mentioned. I now lift weights, use the elliptical, cut back on sodium and processed foods. I eat more fruits, drink more water and last I take Organic Beet Root and CoQ10. I have an Omron BP machine and check my BP several times a day. My BP average now is 118/75. My highest reading very infrequently is 125/82. I keep my readings in a journal.

I agree with gerald36543 might I add a few suggestions Im 42 and Ive been on bp and diabetes medications for 13 years. These medication kill you just as fast as the disease does.

I'm no expert so take what you like out of what I say. Doctors will change and add more and more medication until you either die or want to kill yourself. It took me 13 years to take control and get my life from medications.

m not 100% yet but I feel better off my meds then I do on them. 98% of that take BP medication at some point is or where over weight, smoke alcohol or all of the above.

The cause of hypertension disease is to much fat around and inside your arteries, liver, Stomach and pancreas to much stress adds to hypertension as well. Its ironic that the medications cause stress and fatigue.

Here is what I recommend to people don't wait to long to work on your body you can get away with it in you 20s 30s but when you hit your 40s and up your body will demand attention and will stop you from doing anything you are use to doing on a regular bases you body will stop your future plans as well.

Here is how I got my hypertension and diabetes on the control this method is very hard and I recommend you consult with your doctor and do your research before attempting this but this does work.

1. First I went on a OMAD diet (One Meal A Day) along with Intermittent fasting for 2 months and research how to do this using youtube.

2. Second I did my research on all the foods I was eating using youtube I then subscribed to all the channels that I felt where knowledgeable.

3. Third I got rid of all the foods I use to eat and went full vegan and to my surprise at the super market they have vegan cheese steak chick hot dogs etc and the list goes on so I don't miss eating meat  and by the way fish is even worse then eating meat and chicken is just as fat as beef and is some cases even fatter. bye the way meat is a group 1 Carcinogenic to humans that means eating meat is just as bad as smoking cigarettes.

4. Fourth After doing these steps I studied, at home work outs on youtube and bookmarked the ones I liked then I started working out.

5. Fifth I studied supplements on youtube for hypertension, workouts and diabetes then I purchased all those supplements on ebay mind you the entire time I continued taking my medication along with the supplements. My BP was 115/65 most of the time but the medications still made me feel fatigue anxiety and shortness of breath and chest pain. Some days where normal but most days I dreaded going to sleet, nights where the worst for me.

6. Sixth I studied water fasting on youtube this was the hardest thing I did.  I stop all my medication and went on a four day water fast  there are 21 to 30 day fast but I didn't make it that far on my first try. Medication withdraw is real it wasn't until my fourth day in the fast when my heart started beating fast I had difficulty breathing moving around I felt horrible. Oh yea during my fast my bp with no medication was 118/65 it spiked once but stayed around these numbers and my glucose was 56-70. I was a 198 pounds with diet and excessive before that I was 208 after the water fast I am 187-190 daily the weight lose and fast reset my body. I you google (fasting centers) in your state you will find the real doctors that know how stabilize or cure all kinds of diseases including hypertension and diabetes.

Long story short I am no longer diabetic and my bp sits around 125/75 with no mediation I still eat only one meal a day with no sodium only salt subs and I purchase potassium powder beet root powder and some WHITE Kidney Bean Extract powder to mix inside my healthy vegan protein shakes I drink once a day.

Currently I still have withdraws from coming off the mediation but from my research this could take 3 weeks or even longer

Also people dont know this but lots of BP medication cause Drug-Induced Autoimmune Diseases such as lupus

do your research I hope this helps and please to all stop smoking drinking and get rid of the weight that is what keeps you on the meds and closer to an early horrible death. I hope this helps.

amlodipine, perindopril and other oprils have caused me nothing but pain in my legs mainly and hips and lower back with some reduction in blood pressure. I have now abandoned them all and resorted to GTN spray. This remedy may not be safe for all, so be careful. It works well for me. First thing in the morning my BP is around 160s/90s to 180/110 variable. TWO shots of GTN quickly reduces it to 120s/80s and sets me up for the day. I can now enjoy the thing I missed most, walking.

i hope you're in the road to recovery and feeling better. i came upon this question

about 3 weeks ago when i was coming off of this medicine. I was out on it last October after my bp sky-rocketed as a reaction to an antibiotic that i was given from a sinus infection. Long story short, is that I went on a road trip and my ankles became so swollen that it scared me. The Doctor that put me on it had left the practice and I mentioned it to my new doctor and he told me to just stop taking it. I specifically asked him three times if I need to wean off of Norvasc Doctor that put me on it had left the practice and I mentioned it to my new doctor and he told me to just stop taking it. I specifically asked him three times if I need to wean off of Norvasc (amlodipine) and he told me no. What a joke! I felt great for the first few days, but then started feeling light headed, anxious, tired and depressed. I originally came to

this forum to see if anyone mentioned specifically how long those crappy symptoms lasted because i wanted to feel better and I didn’t see that answer. I decided to come back and posts how long it took me to feel better in case there was somebody going through the same thing. I felt better after about 2 1/2 weeks. I finally feel like myself again… No more dizziness, no more fatigue and very little anxiety. Good luck! There truly is a light at the end of the tunnel