I know its was amlodipine!

I am currently taking 40mg of Prinivil and 5 mg of amlodipine. Yesterday about an hour after taking an afternoon dose, I had the scare of my life. I was standing in my kitchen and suddenly started feeling hot. Next my chest felt uncomfortable and I got really scared. I was home alone, so i went to the den to sit down. I thought I was having a heart attack. It has paralyzed me. I took a tiny dose last night before bed and waited almost all night before going to sleep. I am afraid to take the morning dose which is 10 mg Prinivil and 1.25mg amlodipine. Any thoughts or ideas?

Hi Patricia

I'm not surprised you've been afraid to take another dose - you definitely need to check this out with your Dr as soon as possible.

Have just come across this site (and wish I had seen it earlier). I have only read through 3 pages of the forum but have found others have experienced all the horrible side effects

I have been on Valsartan for a few years for BP. However recently my BP increased and I was prescribed Amlodipine. First major side effect was the swelling of my feet and ankles, and the fronts of my shins hot and inflamed. My GP said it was an infection and prescribed antibiotics. I also found shortly after taking the medication my throat became sore.

2 weeks later returned to GP to check things. (as with many practices now, a number of doctors so do not always see the same one) Again I complained about the swollen ankes and feet (although the red shins had virtually gone) I was also feeling a 'little odd'. A bit forgetful and muddled. and was concerned it was the medication.

He ADDED Indapamide to the cocktail and said this would help with the oedema in my ankles.

2 weeks later and feeling really bad, saw Dr for update and outlined how I was feeling (another Dr) He has taken me off Amlodipine and reduced dosage of Indapamide to 1.5. This is 4 days now and so I suppose I must give it time to work. Did feel better initially (probably relief at being taken off the cocktails of drugs) but not so good today.

Symptoms I have experienced include:- muddled head, forgetfulness, feeling 'spaced out' and not in control. Tired and lethargic. No energy or enthusaism for anything. The swollen feet and ankles, the problem with my shins, a sore throat. Blurry eyes at times.

I have noticed one post which mentions urine infections. I currently have my 2nd one in 5 weeks. However I do suffer from long term cystitus so assumed it was this - now I am not so sure.

Sorry for the length of this post but am so relieved to find it is not just me, and I am hoping that I will shortly be more my old self once the Amlopidine gets out of my system.

Newly registered here and just thought I'd add my two pence worth....

Only discovered this place last week and find it fascinating reading tho understandably it's biased in one direction as folk are only going to post if they have a problem.

I've been on 10Mg of Amlodipine for about the last two years along with 3 other BP medications and have for a long time had problems (I also have COPD so I've tended to assume that my problems were related to this getting worse). I've suffered many of the side effects discussed here tho not all and nothing like as severe as has been described here. I think my main issues have been permanent tiredness, aching legs that won't permit me to walk far, a total lack of concentration and worsening breathing.

The last few months I've been wondering if some of these problems could be caused by the BP meds and made a decision that, with careful monitoring, I'd experiment with stopping one Med at a time and log the results - I only came across this place because I was searching to try and figure out how long it would take to get each out of the system.

By pure co-incidence, the first Med I decided to stop was the Amlodipine and I found the results staggering - the first noticeable effect was one that I haven't seen mentioned here - by the 3rd day my BP had DROPPED by around 20 systolic, at five days I suddenly realised that my legs were no longer aching, at seven days my breathing was measurably improving and I was getting my concentration back. At a little over two weeks I now feel better than I have in the last two or three years.

I plan to continue removing each of the meds and logging everything before I go to see the Dr - with careful monitoring I'll know quickly enough if BP is rising too much.

Has anyone else reported a drop in BP after stopping the Amlodipine?

PhilH1 That is excellent news. Exactly what are the other meds for high BP you are on?

I was at the doctors (again a different one) some 4 days after stopping amlodipine (for an unrelated matter) and she tried twice to take my BP on the machine, but it wouldn't work!!!. otherwise it would have been interesting to compare.

(I know this thread is to do with amlodipine - is there one for indapamide?) but hope it is okay to put this additional query here. The medication I am left on at the moment is Indapamide and I am wondering if anyone else has had side effects from this. I am finding that after taking, I am left with a nauseous headache for most of the day. As I have a UTI at the moment, unsure what is is related and really fed up feeling so ill all the time.

Hello to everyone following this thread about Amlodipine.

GP's don't appear to want to acknowledge the impact and frequency of side effects to this type of medication, which is worrying, as I've yet to meet someone who hasn't had some form of debilitating physical or mental health problems since taking it. There seems a marked reluctance to agree to change medications.

I'm what I would consider to be an otherwise healthy 70 but have been on this type of medication for over ten years. Firstly Ramipril, then Losartan and now Amlodipine. All have had side effects of varying severity and I've found that many of the adverse symptoms are common to all. Such as;

Hypersensitivity/tingling in my left arm

Nausea associated with stomach (high left abdomen below ribs) and back pain (Left kidney region)

Blurred vision

Joint and muscle pain

Low mood (Having worked in a Community Mental Health Team until retirement I would offer that it has the impact of classic depression)

Mood disturbance. My partner would corroborate this and has often said to me "you've shut down again" when I again failed to respond to something said or I'd gone on a flier at something innocuous

I would describe my feelings as living under a terrible sense of foreboding but with no reason to feel so

Sleep disturbance. I long for bed at 9pm , sleep for a while and lie awake from 2am, waiting for the dawn

I have always been naturally energetic and use physical tasks as exercise but now I dread taking on a task as I know that the muscle and joint pain that follows is miserable

I have organised a review with my new GP and will discuss a trial of no formal medication and going onto compounds including Omega-3, magnesium, garlic, 5-HTP etc., and asking him to monitor my BP weekly. If he agrees I will post results.

If anyone has experience of such compounds I would appreciate your views. Best wishes to all

Hello Inquisitive!

I've tried the garlic and lots of oily fish for its Omega3, no salt and the daily fast walk, which did seem to help a couple of years ago when my BP improved to around 144/80. However, it seems the minute I have any stress in my life, and there has been a lot of that in the last two years with health shocks in my family, it seems my blood pressure shoots up.

Having come off Amlodipine due to very swollen and inflamed ankles and heavy legs after taking it for just two months a few months ago, I was scared stiff to take the replacement pills especially as the first most common listed side effect was swollen ankles.

I monitored my blood pressure at home for a while and it ranged between 149/79 and 161/89 without medication. I then stopped monitoring it and went into sort of denial.

However, after a shock with hubby's health a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly started experiencing fleeting dizzy turns, and on Friday had a really bad one when my balance was all over the place. I took my BP and it was 209/94. That scared the living daylights out of me and I immediately took one of the new pills. Last night my BP was 160/72 and earlier today it was 138/88, but I already have swollen ankles again and had terrible leg cramps overnight. I'm now wondering if I've just got to live with these horrid side effects rather than run the risk of serious problems from untreated high BP.

I really wish you well going down the natural route. Good luck and please let us know how you get on.

Article this week in newspaper concerning Amlodipine. It states that it is to be tested on people with vascular dementia as a possible treatment. The headline reads 'Could a 4p blood pressure pill treat dementia?' Therein I suspect is the reason for its widespread popularity amongst the medical profession - the cost!!!!!!!

Hi all

Just wanted to post an update to my note at the beginning of November! I've been off of Amlodipine for a month now, and just wanted to update you on how i'm doing!

It took roughly 4 weeks for my shakes and tingly to finally disappear. I'd get shakes really bad at night so i couldnt sleep, but finally i'm back to being a human being again. I'm was still on a diuretic, beta blocker, and Ramipril, but only on doses of 2.5mg each. Those tablets worked wonders together and my BP is pretty much stable now.

I really wouldnt advice anyone to ever let their doctor put them on Amlodopine, and certainly not the 10mg does that I was put on! I am so grateful for this discussion, which helped me realise the damage the tablets were doing and give me courage to tell the doctor no more!

Wishing you all well!

Katie

Hi Katie

What a relief for you to be off Amlodipine and cured of the shakes etc. I would have thought that between a beta blocker, Ramipril and a diuretic, you have quite enough blood pressure medication as it is. It's interesting that it took 4 weeks for the side effects to subside - that is exactly the same amount of time it took for my legs to completely recover from 2 months on Amlodipine.

I'm still struggling to get my very high BP down. My dose of the new pill, Diltiazem (Adizem XL) has been increased. The lower dose did seem to have some effect at first but then the BP went really high again. It's come down slightly again today so I'm hoping that afetr 5 days the increased dose is beginning to work. Am hoping to see a renal consultant shortly (I have just a sole kidney) and he also deals with hypertension so will see where we go from there. Meanwhile have been told to rest - wish Christmas wasn't so close!

All good wishes that your BP continues to remain stable.

Hello All,

I have read all 14 pages of this thread concerning the AMLODIPINE meds. I have been taking this medicine since 10-25-13 along with the metropolol and the lisinopril as prescribed by my doctor. I first noticed the spaced out demeanor and the befuddlement that I experienced daily. I am a customer service presentative and I take upwards of 60 calls per day. The feeling that the medicine gives me is a no no in my profession. To keep my faculties everyday for 8-10 hours was becoming a chore. The only reason why I continued the medicine because my BP numbers haven't looked this good in YEARS! I also had trouble sleeping before the AMLODIPINE, to the point of taking sleep aids. It was nothing for me to stay awake after retiring for another 3-4 hours. Television or no television. After taking the meds, my sleep has improved. I know it is because the medicine tires me more quickly than before but I can't complain about getting sleep. Before it was 4-5 hours per night at a maximum. Since the meds 7-9 hours even on the weekends! This medicine is proving to be a Curse and a Cure and I don't know which way to feel about it.

I will say that the befuddlement has eased considerably after my daily consumption of Pomegranate. Sounds like a infomercial but it is true. I read alot about the virtues of the fruit and have taken to it seeds and all. My eating habits has always been on the better side than most with the occasional sweet tooth attack. My weight has blossomed about 5 unwanted pounds yet my appetite has been curbed considerably since the Meds. I have to force myself to eat sometimes. I have some discomfort in my right leg but not enough to worry about. I still walk my dogs daily. They are pulling a little more than usual. I must be slowing down a little more than they are use to. But again, no worries at this time.

Like I said earlier. This Medicine is a Curse and a Cure. WIth it being winter, I will use the winter months to my advantage and keep the medicine and work toward my weight loss which if successful, will eleviate me from having to take the medicines. That is my goal.

Be Well Everyone!

Hi,

I was put on first Procardi and then as of this Sept Amlodopine....It wasn't for high BP but for Raynauds to keep my vessels open...I had a terrible reaction to Procardia, heart raced,

turned bright red with rashes so the Dr changed it to Amlodopine...I have experienced

terrible leg/calf pain / cramps and spasms that have gotten worse. After reading all these

remarks I'm now thinking it could be from the Amlodopine...I am stopping it as of today in

hope the pain lessens and gets better. I've also been extremely tired and weak feeling...no energy....Keep you posted!! Hoping this works!!!!

Hi all!

DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY HAVE ANYTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT AMLO HA ??

It seems whenever you check other peoples opinions and experiences on meds it's 99.9% negative! That is why my g.p always advises me never to do the dreaded google search because there's nothing worse than a preconceived opinion when your starting any medication! As she told me it only takes one person to say, what a load of rubbish it made my head fall of and that's it, your subconscious is waitingfor it to fail or cause undesirable side effects! I myself am fighting the hypertension battle and don't feel like i am getting far! Amlo is the 2nd med i have tried now and while i have been fortunate enough to have not experienced much in the way of negative sides apart from occasional aches in the lower back, i have been unfortunate to have not seen a bp reduction! The first med was Ramipril 2.5 mgs which workedquite well for a week or so then bp soared again, then increased to 5 mgs and exact same thing happened hence the change to amlo but it is not coming down at all! So i am definitely going to revert back to ram and ask for a higher dose which worked moderately So based on personal experience so far i am with all of you guys that amlo is not much cop and if it is causing numerous negative sides then it is definitely not worth it!

Hi everyone my first post on this excellent site...well my dad was on statins for many years and i could see his health/memory going down hill so decided to take action and take him off the statins last summer...however thedoctors found out he wasnt having his repeat prescriptions and put alot of pressure on him to resume the tablets which he did..3 months later he had a bleed on the brain stroke..some weeks before then he was having black like out symptons and hit a parked vehicle.When i took him off the statins in summer he was like his old self.

Anyway in hospital they gave him a cocktail of drugs of Amlodopine,paracetolmol,codeine,citalopram but funnily enough took him off his statins [avorstatin] probably because of its anti clotting properties which could have led to another bleed.While in hospital the 2nd day he fell out of his chair and smashed his nose requiring stitches..he was like a zombie seeing things that werent there,couldnt feed himself and slept most of the day. Had urine infection during the 4 weeks which wasnt treated and had a catheter.Anyway managed to get him home and immediately i stopped the amlodipine and citalopram but was pressurised into giving him the citalpram again but for some reason didnt know id taken him off the amlodopine..i monitored his blood pressure next 2 weeks and it was normal.He rapidly improved when they took him off the citalpram and treated his urine infection with an antibiotic called macrodantin although he now has a cough which i'm worried about because it says side effects of macrodantin cause this and should be stopped due to damage to lungs although his urine appears clear now.The district nurse says he will probably be put on statins and citalopram again...but i guess over my dead body...no way!

hi drewboy...big pharma make billions out of sick people...thats why they dont want to make people well..they do trials that are very selective to suit their agenda..it is one big racket and GPs are their drug pushers who will not listen to common sense..i liken them to hired assassins and have only visited one once in 25 years...like Hippocrates said..let food be your medicine,let medicine be thy food...end of.