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associated ectopic beats and Amlopodine

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thegirlsnanna
thegirlsnanna

I am so pleased to have found this discussion thread.  I was taken off Ibersartan about two months ago due to it giving me a cough and put onto 5mg Amlopodine.  I'm 57 and in reasonable health apart from needing my BP controlled.  

Within a week of starting Amlopodine i developed swollen ankles.  Then after about a month i developed palpitations like never before. We can all experience the odd 'flutter' especially us post-menopausal women, but this was on a scale i had never had before.  Waking in the morning and particularly in the evening whilst watching TV and doing nothing i became aware of these frightening irregular beats.  Going to bed was even worse... laying down in the stillness of night, i could feel my heart going haywire.   I have got others to check my pulse when this happens (i work in a clinical environment so there is no shortage or nurses to do this for me) and i have been reassured that its not just 'my imagination' or a panic attack.  

It has been incredibly frightening as it started to happen several times a day.   Hence the GP has now taken me off Amlopodine and five days later the palpitations are hardly there at all.   I am awaiting a 24hour heart monitor fitting so they can check on my beats over a longer period as the ECG i had yesterday showed up no irregularities.

The swollen ankles have hastily gone down too.     I am hopeful i may be getting over this dreadful episode and can only think that Amlopodine was the culprit.   I have now been put on a low dose of Doxazosine which is an alpha-blocker so here's hoping it will treat my BP without dreadful side effects.  

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Mesirm
    Mesirm thegirlsnanna

    Posted

    Hi, I can relate to the swollen ankles when I was taking Amlodipine. It also caused pain or mainly discomfort (at times chest tightness) on the left side of my body and arm. It was so frightening that I ended up in the emergency room three times.  The last trip resulted in being transferred to the hospital where a heart cath was performed and ruled out as the culprit. Eventually I realized that the Amlodipine was causing intestinal problems which resulted in bloating, flatulence, back pain and the list goes on. 

     

    • thegirlsnanna
      thegirlsnanna Mesirm

      Posted

      Hi there. Thanks for your comment. It's good to hear that you've come to similar conclusion as me. The drugs are most likely to blame. I hope you've settled down now you're off the meds. Good luck x 

  • d01875
    d01875 thegirlsnanna

    Posted

    This drug is to blame. Many take it for years with no problems at all, but if they don't suit you, the side effects are a nightmare and cause serious problems. You're fortunate that your doctor stopped them, a lot of people on here, myself included, have been told all the problems they had were not due to the amlodipine and kept on them for far longer than they should have been, or have to fight to be taken off them. Hope the new med's work well for you. 

    • thegirlsnanna
      thegirlsnanna d01875

      Posted

      Hi There.  Thank you for your well wishes and your remarks about the dreaded Amlopodine.  Its a shame that people dont feel listened too......we all know our own bodies best and when something starts happening that never happened before, its only right that GP's listen to their patients and be prepared to consider it being the meds and change them.   I'm nearing sixty and at one time i would never have questioned drugs at all.  I always believed side affects are what happened to 'other people' but i have learnt over the past ten years in particular, that prescibed meds and i dont always get along too well.  If there is going to be a 1:100 reaction..... the 1 will be me!   I have learnt to listen to my body now and read up on all drugs - prescribed or over the counter - as much as i can.   Than kyou again.

  • matt32455
    matt32455 thegirlsnanna

    Posted

    Hi the girls Anna,

    Please let me know how you get on after 4 weeks off the Amlodipine, it may take a few weeks to wash out of the system.

    I had my simvastain dose changed recently and just dropping from 40 to 20mg caused many side effects. I appear since going on Amlodipine to be very sensitive to any changes in my regular drugs. I intended to continue with the  Amlodipine in the hope that my body settles. 

    Best set of luck to you and good health.

    Matt

     

    • thegirlsnanna
      thegirlsnanna matt32455

      Posted

      Thank you Matt. I'll post an update at two weeks and four weeks off the med. 

      good luck to you too. 

  • theresa06691
    theresa06691 thegirlsnanna

    Posted

    I've had the same symptoms. One night i my bp was 191/121 so I went to the ER. EKG, CT came back normal, ER doc said it was vertigo. My GP said my high BP caused the vertigo so he put me on 5 mg of Amlodipine. Ever since then i've had almost every side effect: swelling, palpations, heartburn, flushing. My GP didn't want to take me off since it was working, BP down to 135/85ish. My palpations were so bad I went to the ER agian...EKG, 2 hours of heart monitoring, blood work enzemes all came back normal. The ER doc referred me to a cardiologist that told me to quit Amlodipine cold turkey, if BP spikes she gave me 25mg Atenolol (which seems like a worse drug) then i come back for 1 month heart monitor and stress test. I scared to do any other drug now.

    Today is day 1 of cold turkey and still feeling flush, palpations ...maybe i should wean off instead? I consulted 2 other docs and a pharmacist and they say ok to go cold turkey since only 5mg.

    anyone else have strange reactions to stopping Amlodopine?

    • thegirlsnanna
      thegirlsnanna theresa06691

      Posted

      Hi Theresa. Your story sounds similar to mine.  I'm now exactly one week on from stopping 'cold turkey' the Amlopodine. Last Sunday (three days after stopping) I was at my worst with the palpitations- this is when I went to A&E.  All tests came back normal.

      During that day I calmed right down and it was my last episode (I hope) of the severe palpitations.  I've not had it since.

      Also, It's taken a week for my swollen ankles to return to normal but they look normal again now!

      this showed me that it will take a few days for you to return to normal. Maybe it will not be the same for you- you may take longer or shorter but from what I have read you will start to see improvements soon. 

      All  the best of luck X  

       

    • Mesirm
      Mesirm theresa06691

      Posted

      Hi Theresa, I quit cold turkey and most side effects subsided within 7 days.  I did not experience heart palpitations but did experience swelling early on, digestive issues, aches and discomfort on left side of body, & chest tightness. 

    • theresa06691
      theresa06691 Mesirm

      Posted

      Thank you for your replies...I had the worst palpitations on day 3 too but now on day 5...i feel like they have subsided. Also my heartburn/gas problems are almost all gone however I still have discomfort on my left side and a bit of chest tightness. It's comforting to hear  that I'm on the same road as others.

      I've been checking my BP 2x daily and since being off it's been pretty normal always novering around 120/80. I see my cardio doc at end of week for check up and Holt Monitor for percaution then later a stress test.

      Thank you for your posts, it helps to know that I am not alone.

    • Mesirm
      Mesirm theresa06691

      Posted

      I've been off Amlodipine for almost 5 months now and working to heal my digestive system by diet along with ranitidine, betaine, even trying buttermilk. I'm feeling so much better.

      It appears my body is rejecting most of the blood pressure meds that my doctor has prescribed (side effects have been worst than Amlodipine to some degree).  Rash, memory loss, extreme fatigue and dizziness to name a few.  Only able to take lozol (indapamide). I've been checking my blood pressure regularly and so far it's holding in range. 

      There have been ups and down so far where occasionally I would have some discomfort on my left side and some constipation but gradually adding more vegetables and fruit are helping.

      I hope you find your path to better health. 

  • thegirlsnanna
    thegirlsnanna

    Posted

    Today I am on a holter monitor for 24 hrs to see what is going on with my irregular ectopic beats.    However, I am now 3-4 weeks off amlopodine and have not had one palpitation in all that time.  My leg and ankle swelling has completely gone too.     I am not expecting the holter monitor to show any palpitations and am hopeful I can get my life back now I have stopped this horrendous drug.
  • jx41870
    jx41870 thegirlsnanna

    Posted

    I just checked into this part of the forum and saw the amlodipine list, and wanted to see what people said.  I took amlodipine for about seven years, first in a combination tablet with Benicar, then as separate tablet with generic olmesartan.  When my BP ran high (for some other reasons) and I increased the dose, that's when the real trouble started, violent atrial fibrillations and other heartbeat irregularities.  OMG. I was changing doctors, but the doctors I saw just sort of shrugged it off.  I went cold turkey on all my BP meds and finally isolated the problem - amlodipine. I suffered mild fibrillations for several years before it got bad and I figured it out.  Amlodipine is slow to clear from the system, but within a few days things were much better, though it took months to completely clear.

    ?I see everyone gets every side effect in the book from this stuff.  My mother and brother both took it without apparent problems.  Go figure.  I won't be taking any more.

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