Burning mouth and dry mouth on Amlodipine
Posted , 11 users are following.
Sorry for the long post but I want to give as much background as possible.
I started on 5mg Amlodipine on a Wednesday. By the Saturday my mouth was tender and burning - my tongue, gums, inside of lips and cheeks. By the Sunday I was in absolute agony. Every mouthful of food felt like chewing razor blades. Brushing my teeth felt like I was using acid and steel wool. I was literally in tears every time I brushed my teeth. My mouth was like a desert, I'd wake up during the night from the intense pain and dryness. The only thing that helped was to hold a mouthful of cold water to soothe the burning down to a manageable level. A dry hacking cough I experienced on Valsartan also returned, though not as severe as before. I should also note I'd first been put on an ACE inhibitor which caused angio-edema (my lips and face became grotesquely swollen).
So the Tuesday I went to my pharmacist and described what I was enduring. He said it was very likely that I was reacting to the Amlodipine and recommended I stop immediately and see how I felt over the next two days. By the Thursday I was much better. All I felt was a slight tenderness and numbness in the centre of my tongue. Since then (a week later) I'm almost 100% better but I notice that some days I am slightly more sensitive to acidic foods (like tomatoes) than I was before and there is a mild burning sensation.
Has anyone else experienced anything similar? If so, how long did it take you to fully recover?
I am taking a short break from the drugs as I feel my body needs some time to recover from the battery of side effects it experienced. I'll be trying a mixture of raw honey and unrefined apple cider vinegar in water, twice a day. My best friend uses it and says it helps her. I will be seeing my GP again in early January. I admit that I am very apprehensive about trying another medication. My body seems to reject every one.
1 like, 13 replies
christine_20029 odette75141
Posted
How strange is that? Not heard anyone say they suffered from that particular side effect. Must have been awful for you. Amlodopine is an awful drug in my opinion and l was on it almost 10 years before l actually realised it was this giving me such vile side effects. Not had the mouth/ tongue one though thank goodness. You sound super allergic to drugs and think you doing the right thing by giving your body a break until it recovers. But can l ask what you are doing about your high blood pressure?assuming of course that is the reason you were on Amlodopine in the first place. Myself l couldn't do without something to keep my bp under control as it's fairly high. Was on Canderstartin until the side effects kicked in. Now on Lostarten and have been for a few weeks. So far only side effects are stuffed nose (Not pleasant)And a mad itch. Also on a betta blocker for a raised heart rate, Bisoprolol. Don't like this over much as the side effects get me down too. They keep my heart rate quite stable though during the day but as night l wake with palpitations and a feeling of anxiety. Horrible. I wish you well and hope you find the solution to the best drug for your problem.
odette75141 christine_20029
Posted
It's only been a few months since my GP was concerned enough about my blood pressure to prescribe medication. I am carrying extra weight I need to shed and that is what is driving up my blood pressure. I am doing my best to follow a healthy balanced eating plan and am working with my therapist to manage the emotional issues entwined through this entire life change.
For now I will continue drinking lots of water and keeping my salt intake low, as well as the natural remedy I mentioned in my original post. I had no idea that hypertension medication could have such serious side effects and I never expected to be one of those people who would be so susceptible. I did a Google search and found a medical site that had details on a survey that was done with over 11 000 people on Amlodipine. Of those, only one reported the burning mouth problem. So it is definitely a very rare side effect.
Thank you for your kind words of support. I wish you good health and I hope that the side effects you are suffering will decrease with time.
jx41870 odette75141
Posted
Odette, sorry to hear of your problems. Have you tried a simple diuretic? That's what is working best for me, and probably least likely to cause side-effects. Well, you do have to watch your electrolytes and that can be tricky, but it's worth a try.
odette75141 jx41870
Posted
I haven't tried a diuretic. I'll look into that.
Yurtdweller123 odette75141
Posted
So sorry to hear this.
I do hope you are feeling better.
I am still resisting taking Amlodipine despite my doctor and pharmacist telling me how safe and trouble free it is!!!!!Also the risk I'm taking by not taking it.
I am worried about my BP
I'm taking cider vinegar, Hawthorn and garlic capsules and turmeric paste.I'll also try to lose a bit of weight and do more exercise and hope the BP comes down.
Fingers crossed and good luck. X
odette75141 Yurtdweller123
Posted
debra16694 odette75141
Posted
Hi Odette - Believe it or not, I had the whole tongue issue when I first started Amlodipine...in fact, I used to think I was having a histamine reaction to sooo many foods. My tongue felt like it was swelling, my face would flush, my arms (especially my left would tingle) I always felt I was one step away from a stroke . I was on amlodipine for 5 years, during this time it was also crazy stressful cuz I was caregiving for my elderly parents but all and all this drug is toxic to some. I kept begging my GP for answers to why I felt so bad...menopause, histamine intolerance etc. etc. Bottom line is, I think some people can handle this drug and others simply cannot. I think I am one of those that is extremely drug sensitive....heck I could never tolerate even low dose birth control. I had every symptom in the book with Amlodipine, I finally figured it out by myself & took myself off the drug. I am 5 1/2 months off, but it wasn’t without some gnarly side effects. I still take Irbresartan with a dietetic which doesn’t seem to effect me like Amlodipine - I am trying to make huge lifestyle changes because I never want to feel the way I did on amlodipine again! I think the whole tongue thing is your body telling you it is toxic - listen to your body - not your doctors -
odette75141 debra16694
Posted
debra16694 odette75141
Posted
Good for you Odette - if you are already experiencing some side effects from Amlodipine, chances are they are just going to get worse rather than better. I am not sure how long you have been on Amlodipine, but you are one of the wise ones who recognized that it was the cause, I unfortunately did not connect the dots because I was too busy taking care of other people to think about my own health & not feeling well. You appear to be fortunate to have figured it out - Good Luck to you!
gail20548 odette75141
Posted
odette75141 gail20548
Posted
The sore mouth is so awful because it's not like we can avoid eating and drinking. I am glad things have improved for you and your BP is fine. At the moment I am not on any medication. I am taking a solution of raw honey and unrefined apple cider vinegar in a glass of water twice a day. I am seeing my GP at the end of January so hopefully the home remedy will have had a positive effect by then.
yolanda711 odette75141
Posted
I am going through this exact same thing right now. My mouth is so dry I can barely chew food. My face is swollen and I can't swallow anything. This is the worst feeling ever and it didn't start until I took that Amlodipine. I wouldn't recommend that drug to anyone.
tim59642 odette75141
Posted
I came on here a while back to say that not everyone who takes Amlodopine has all these terrible side effects (10 mg a day has brought my BP down and I'm fine). But I really do feel for those who are not so fortunate, and there are so many horror stories. Maybe some of us could try tackling the issues without the use of drugs, statins, calcium blockers, beta blockers or whatever. Maybe Yurtdweller has the answer: "lose a bit of weight and take some exercise." Tackling causes, not symptoms does make sense, although I accept that in extreme cases tablets are the only answer. What I do know is that if you start taking a daily walk, then inject a few seconds of slow jogging now and then, then make those few seconds a little more frequent and a little longer, within a couple of months you'll be chugging along happily. And losing weight. And eating better. And loving yourself. And, just maybe, flushing the pills down the can.