I know its was amlodipine!

Posted , 281 users are following.

I am a healthy 58 yr old and normally very active. BP was rising over the last year or so to 178/98 and so this Jan my Doc put me on Amlodipine 5mg. Thats when it started. Firstly with a loss of energy, then total loss of stamina, I felt like a Zombie all the time. As the month progressed I started to get forgetful, dizzy spells, very tingly left hand and painful joints all througfh my left side. BP did not drop as fast as hoped so Doc added Lisinopril 2.5mg. Hey... off with the faries now! After two weeks I could not concentrate on anything people were telling me and to the point that I was becoming detached from the real world. And that was only after a couple of weeks on the cocktail. I decided to trial which drug was causing this and first removed the Lisinopril for a few days then swapped over to stopping Amlodipine. Cor.. what a difference. Almost the next day after stopping Amlodipine I started to recover. After just one week people at work are now saying 'welcome back' and I know what they mean. BP not down yet but I am never going near Amlodipine again, its a wrecker!

Has anyone else had anything like my reaction?

42 likes, 815 replies

815 Replies

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  • Posted

    Don't forget that if you are taking these tablets you MUST NOT eat or drink grapefruit!.
  • Posted

    I have noticed that since the tablets I take we're changed from one manufacturer to another, some of the side effects, I.e. lethargy, tiredness etc have disappeared for me. I am sticking with them as my BP is nice and steady now, at 119/70.
  • Posted

    Hi Chris16,

    I have been on Amlodipine 5mg for 3 months now.

    I got the monthly prescriptions from the same pharmacist, but the manufacturer of the last one is different from the previous two.

    Like you Chris16, I noticed that the side effects are milder since i started taking the tablets from the new manufacturer. I wonder: is it because of the change in the manufacturer OR is it because I am getting used to Amlodipine? Can I ask the name of your manufacturer?

    Andy

  • Posted

    The manufacturer is Mylan, manufacturers of generic medicines. I have felt great since they were changed, but I can't remember the name of the original manufacturer. I know it is because of the change and not because I am getting used toit (after nearly 2 years on it). Had my BP checked last week and it was 119/70, which is good.
  • Posted

    Thanks Chris. For my next prescription I will ask the pharmacist to give me the tablets from Mylan.

    Can I ask the name of the pharmacist / chemist chain - if it is a national chain.

    I also take 80mg of Valsartan. Do you take only the Amlodipine?

    Andy

  • Posted

    Hi Andy

    It is just my local chemist. I take Bisporol as well at 10mg. I also take 5mg like you ( of amlodipine). You can only ask. Take care. Christine

  • Posted

    Can someone please unsubscribe me or tell me how to do it. Thanks, Lynn
  • Posted

    Go to " edit my profil" and tick the relevant box. Hope that helps.
  • Posted

    To everyone who cannot stand the side effects, what would you rather have, a brain haemorrhage due to high blood pressure? As I said above, you can change the meds either by brand or by a different drug altogether until you get one that suit you. Since taking a different brand of drug, the "away with the fairies" feeling has gone.
  • Posted

    It's ok changing the drug.......IF.....you have a doctor that is amenable to change and doesn't see your requestas a challenge to be opposed at any opportunity. In my experience, the vast majority of doctors are resistan to accepting medication side effects and can get quite unpleasant in their manner. It gets to the point where you try hard to just carry on, feeling dreadful, because you are frightened to upset your doctor. You can't simply demand a change. Doctors need to come off their self imposed pedestals.
  • Posted

    What a relief to find this forum as I was getting very worried about my health. I can now see that it is the Amlodipine!! I am a normally fit and energetic person but y blood pressure began to rise so the doctor put me on Am and I cant believe the difference. I am seeing him this week and will def be coming off it.
  • Posted

    This is a very helpful thread and I thought that people might be interested in my experience. I was put on Amlopodine because of slightly elevated BP - nothing really serious. On Feb 29 I was travelling to Sweden and when I arrived in Gothenburg, got off the plane and started into the immigration area - I'd walked about 25 yards, including a short flight of stairs when I felt dizzy (I'd experienced dizziness with the drug previously) and the next thing I knew I was on the floor, having fainted. In doing so I sprained both ankles and the ligaments in both knees, hurt the muscles at the base of my spine and twisted my neck muscles. I'm still receiving physio for the right ankle. If I'd suffered from osteoporosis I'd have had multiple fractures at the least. THIS DRUG IS DANGEROUS. Fortunately, my GP is a listening guy and he has put me on to Rampiril - but that has the side effect of inducing coughing, which wakes me up several times a night. All of these drugs have side effects that affect a certain percentage of patients - so I'll now be quizzing him about what alternative exists. I see that one site suggests that CoEnzyme Q10 has been clinically tested and shown to reduce the systolic measure by 10 points - I'll be talking with him about that. I shall be writing to the UK drug approval bodies with my experience and asking why this drug is still on the market. I suggest that everyone who has had bad experience with Amlopodine mails info@mhra.gsi.gov.uk to report their experience and ask why this drug has been approved for use on humans, when the rest of Europe appears to regard it as only a veterinary medicine!
  • Posted

    Further to my post on 19th February, I did voice my concerns to the doctor but was persuaded to start this medication. I have been on 5mg for almost 7 weeks. After 4 weeks my blood pressure was down and almost in the normal range. More importantly I haven't, to date, had any side effects at all.

    I realise this is fairly early on in the treatment and am keeping an open mind.

    Again as per my post I am waiting for someone to provide me with some evidence that the use of the drug for humans really is banned in Europe. If it is i would be horrified but I have searched the Internet and can only find heresay or stories.

    I certainly don't want to sway ANYONE, this drug can affect some people quite badly that much is obvious from the posts here, no one should have to suffer as badly as some. There are side effects to every drug some are acceptable and some not. Maybe I am, at the moment, one of the lucky ones, but I'm sure I'm not alone.

  • Posted

    I started taking Amlodipine 5mg very recently, within a couple of hours of taking the first tablet I felt crap.

    Quiet tired & withdrawn & feeling sick.

    Second day after a while of taking tablet I felt really alive, almost a high, until late afternoon, that's when I

    came down a bit, I then went out for the evening for a drink & gradually felt good again. ( yes I know alcohol)

    Didn't have a lot though, couple of pints. But got up to that high again.

    Iv since taken 2 more tablets & have felt almost useless, I can't think straight, I talk rubbish (more than my

    usual) & pain in my back & left hip, I've thrown up virtually the whole meal I ate on the 3rd day & constantly

    feel sick, also I have a couple of small rashes come up.

    I'v now decided that I'm going to stop taking them, think I'd rather have the high blood pressure.

  • Posted

    i have now stopped taking amlodipine after my very extreme reaction and saw my doctor who has prescribed another drug but as I felt so ill i thought I would give my body chance to recover. I took my last pill 6 days ago and feel more like my old self, my energy is returning and the aches and pains have almost gone. My BP was169/101 on that day. It seems that the amlodipine actually put it up. I have started to take q10, multivitamins, hawthorn and garlic, am not drinking any alcohol, am playing table tennis at least two times a day and doing yoga and meditation. I am trying to eat lots of dark green veg and severly restricting my intake of salt and today my bp is 145/94, so it is on its way down, thank goodness. If I can't get it down to a reasonable level then I am quite happy to try the next drug as I certainly don't want to get a stroke or heart attack but I thought I would give it a try. i am also being careful not to get wound up!! I am trying to breathe deeply when I feel a bit stressed...so fingers crossed...one last comment, I am also saying my prayers!!!

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