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I know its was amlodipine!

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Nigel
Nigel

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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  • bigphil
    bigphil

    Edited

    I took amlodopine for one month alongside of lisinopril then suddenly one saturday i was hit by agonising muscle pain particularly in my back and legs . I have scoliosis in the lower back so wasnt sure if I had hurt it at work and caused a flair up of inflamation. Istopped taking amlodopine and things improved so i went back to see my doctor,he advised me to try again with it so i took one tablet that morning by six oclock that night the aches and pains had returned i didnt take it again and now thing are getting back to normal so am going back to doctors to get this drug taken away
    • franstuff64
      franstuff64 bigphil

      Posted

      I hope you have found a better blood pressure medication. Aodipime has so many side of defects, I'm surprised anyone still prescribes it. I wonder why they didn't add HCTZ (hydrochlorothiazide) with the lisinipril. There's even a cheap combo pill of the two drugs. I have heard so many people complain about the fatigue, memory loss, dizziness, and more.

  • Stacy
    Stacy

    Posted

    Hi Bigphil I hope that your GP will listen to you and take you off this terrible drug once and for all. I can not believe how many people are suffering and GPs are still prescribing it . I think that Amlodipine is a very dangerous drug and that patients need regular monitoring to ensure that they are not suffering from these terrible side effects.They also need to have regular bloods checked to ensure that their blood levels and kidneys are ok. I am now taking Losatrin Potassium and have started to experience very bad neck and shoulder pain, but that could be due to the nature of my job and the fact that I have been working a very long stretch. Any way I do still feel rather drowsy after taking the medication, but it is something that I can work through compared to the total loss of five hours a day that I used to suffer after taking Amlodopine. We need to have our BP controlled however, we must also be able to have a good quality of life and be able to function otherwise what is the point of taking tablets that result in one being reduced to a Zombie. Take care and good luck .
    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK Stacy

      Posted

      Stacy - I have to contradict your rather wild statement that 'Amlodipine is a very dangerous drug' if it was it most certainly would be banned - but it's a very effect one and has been for several decades?   I personally have been prescribed it since 2001 when I was 60 and have never experienced any side effects along with the majority of other users.  It has kept my BP near normal for 16 years.  I strongly suspect the majority of contributors to this particular forum have experienced some side effect, as happens with most drugs, but those of us who have not had any 'problems' with Amlodipine tend not to be on this forum.  So please refrain from making wild statements that are just not true.

      If you have concerns about your medication can I suggest you go back to your MD/GP and asked to be placed on another med - there are many others?   If you really do think it 'dangerous'  can I strongly recommend you report it using the correct procedure; in the US - the FDA, or if you are in the UK the yellow card scheme; try a search for MHRA.

  • Merlin
    Merlin

    Posted

    Hi, I was told that my Blood pressure was too high and as I am in need of a small Operation the Doctor said that it could be that the Blood pressure reading might stop the Operation.

    I have had what is called High Blood pressure for many years and although when visiting the Doctor I have been told it’s high, some people suffer from “White Fright” which has the effect of raising the pressure when visiting a Doctor or Hospital.

    When finally I accepted the need to take a Tablet of late, I was given Amlodipine 5mg. This did not seem to have much effect at first, but I continued. Over about a month to 6 weeks I started to note how tried I became. I go to a Gym twice a week and before I took any Tablets did not seem to feel tried even after a work out, however lately I have. Plus a slow build up of Depression and now also a real problem of feeling lethargic. Waking up at night and having real problems getting back to sleep, so getting up tired is again something new for me. I suffer from Tinnitus and have done for many years, but of late the noise level has increased.

    To be frank as I have managed to reduce my Blood pressure before I started these tablets to 157/ 93 (using Beet-root capsules and weight reduction) but now I have been told by my Doctor to aim for 140ish and 80ish which I feel I can achieve using a Herbal treatment. Plus a feeling of pain in joints is also becoming a problem, so goodbye Amlodipine.

    • franstuff64
      franstuff64 Merlin

      Posted

      High blood pressure is the silent killer, so I hope you have been able to get your blood pressure down. Please don't ignore it. The numbers your doctor gave you as a target (140/80) are still borderline, and if you can't get there with diet exercise and herbal medication, please let your doctor prescribe a different medication. Most of them don't have so many horrible side effects this one does, you could ask if a simple water pill would help.

      There are so many horrible things that can happen to you because of uncontrolled high blood pressure. Mostly the damage from high blood pressure builds up slowly, so you don't notice it. I have seen it happen to people I love, and patients at the pharmacy, and it always makes me sad, because it is preventable.

      My father had 2 strokes and had to have open heart surgery from the effects of uncontrolled high blood pressure. The second stroke took away his independence, and with his independence went his will to live. My mother had a heart attack. It can also cause congestive heart failure, leaking valves ( that's what caused his open heart surgery.

      When your blood pressure is over 140/80 your heart has to work A LOT harder to pump the blood around. The upper number, aka Systolic, is the pressure as your heart is making a beat. The lower number, aka diastolic, is the pressure when your heart is resting between beats. When that number is high, it means your heart is never getting a chance to rest, anything over 80 is bad. When it gets close to, or over 100, that's REALLY bad, and can start to cause all sorts of problems.

      Many people are discouraged when the first drug the doctor gives them causes too many side effects, not realizing there are many other drugs your doctor can try. It may take several weeks and trying several different medications, before finding the right combination for you. Also, every person is different, what gives your best friend horrid side effects from a medication, doesn't mean you will. The reverse is always true. This also applies to the effectiveness of the medication also.

      When you get a new medication, talk to your druggist about potential side effects, and whether any of them are medically serious. If you've tried more than one medication, and still haven't gotten the right combo, especially if you have other health conditions you are taking medications for, ask your druggist to go over your profile, and see what they would recommend your doctor try next. Pharmacists know a lot more about medications specially than doctors do, and sometimes may have learned something new your doctor hasn't heard yet. Most pharmacists are happy to do this, as they want to see you happy and healthy, and drugs are a druggists specialty.

      Please, whatever you do, don't ignore your high blood pressure, and don't ignore it.

      Gran

    • bigpat81
      bigpat81 Merlin

      Posted

      Hi merlin, when my diastolic BP is around 100 that's when I start noticing my tinnitus increases and pressure starts in the head and ears. Typically I'm fairly OK at 140 /90 but when it spikes like for example after 10 days off at Christmas and not taking care of my self it spikes to 150/100. Crazy but that jump makes a huge difference. Since taking amlo and having the crazy side effects im skeptical about bp meds. The herbal route has been working however now that my BP is clearly too high and causing head pressure I got on coversyl plus HD and so far so good.. checked my BP yesterday and it was 140/90 and that was the 2nd day on the Coversyl. So far I urinate a bit more and am a bit tired at times but I will see how it goes.Also that sodium is the worst!

    • Guest
      Guest franstuff64

      Posted

      Hi there

      You have gone to a lot of trouble to give lots of details about bp readings, possible strokes or heart problems.

      My concern here is that you are painting a frightening picture. I believe that a reading of 140/80 is not unacceptably high - these numbers have altered and reduced over the last twenty years since I was put on BP medication. In the last 5 years, as my doctor has become more concerned at my BP readings, which have not changed, and he has put me onto several other meds with awful side effects, my health really deteriorated. Look, I think it is a bad idea to frighten people into taking medication. We are all adults and we can seek advice, educate ourselves and try our best to be healthy without fearing that our bodies will 'let us down '

      Sue B

    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK franstuff64

      Posted

      Great advice.  I wish all the members of this particular forum would go back to their MD/GP talk to them and try other meds. I have commented about the Yellow Card Scheme, or the FDA in the US, on a number of occasions.  Thank You
    • susan94357
      susan94357 franstuff64

      Posted

      Good advice from Gran.  I too have known someone who didn't take their blood pressure medication and then died from a heart attack.  

      I have found Indapamide to be good.... it's not a strong blood pressure med so won't bring down really high pressure enough, but if you are not too far off the recommended levels then this seems to be a good one to try.  My doctor has advised that it's the medication that suits most people and causes least side effects, and I've certainly found that to be the case and am taking it without noticing any difference other than having a lower blood pressure.

  • Stacy
    Stacy

    Posted

    Hi Merlin I hope that you have managed to say goodbye to this horrible medication that is having such horrendous side effects on people. It is awful how one can go from being a very active out going happy person, to some one who becomes slow, lethargic, painful and depressed. I would get up in the morning and dread the time when my medication was due, because I would have to say goodbye to the rest of the day as I would be on a different planet an hour after taking the medication. Like yourself I began to feel depressed with no quality of life and could only just manage to get off of the sofa to make a cup of tea, due to lethergy and joint pain, also swollen feet and legs. Where as before I was always on the go, I could now hardly walk to the kitchen without feeling sick and dizzy and when I did eventually go out of the house I was bouncing off the walls of houses and looked as though I had been drinking all day. Work was out of the question and as for looking after my grandchildren well I think that the boot would have been on the other foot if my daughter had allowed me to watch them. She was very concerned about the change in me and so was my son. I appriciate that our BP has to be controlled but this medication is proving to be detrimental to our quality of life and is reducing many people to a Zombie status. I do think that changes in life style are of great benefit and will have a look at the Beet-root capsules that you have started taking. However I am at the moment taking Lorsatin Pottassium 25mg and this seems to be suiting me a bit better, so I will check that there will be no counter - indications with natural or herbal remedies. Still lets hope that if our BP can be stabilised then with change of diet, life style and reduction of stress we may be able to leave off or even take a less potent treatment for our condition. I am going to do some research into what trials have been completed on Amlodipine and what side effects have been reported. When my GP decided to take me off it she reported me as having had an adverse reaction to the drug also the Chemist whom I retuned the drugs to reported my reaction because she said that it was important that it was documented. Yet when I told her about the swelling and pain in my leg she told me that it was a common side effect. What I can not understand is why they are still prescrbing this drug. Any way good luck and I hope that things work out for you .
  • Merlin
    Merlin

    Posted

    Hi, Stacy. I am a firm believer in helping ourselves. Sometimes we make our own problems, so when as in this case high Blood Pressure is diagnosed, we have to ask why. Of course there are many reasons, some may be down to a need for Doctors to be involved, but I know when I visit a Doctor I get agitated, so the pressure goes up.

    I spoke to my Doctor about this problem and he said if I can after sitting still and resting for about 5 mins and then take the reading and it reads 140ish over 80ish he says that’s good enough. So as I said I am now off the Tablets and will wait for at least a week may be two, taking readings everyday, and if the Pressure is stable and it’s within the range he states that’s the time I will go back and explain.

    I feel sometime that Doctors just don’t have the time to spend going into a deep cause which means that they reach for the Pills.

    But one should always be careful when not following the advice of a Doctor, after all we take the report a Motor Mechanic seriously and that’s just a Car.

    I did some research as to alternatives and that’s when I came to take Beet root Tabs. No side effect and the Juice is palatable (I don’t take that now).

    As for the symptoms I described they were starting to give me a worry, which is why I stopped; now I wait. It may be I can’t keep a stable blood pressure due to age, but I am going to give it my best shot.

    I hope things work out for you, Good luck

  • Stacy
    Stacy

    Posted

    Hi Merlin I hope that you are ok. I have to agree with you that we can bring on our own problems and need to take a step back to find out what the causes are and what we can do about them. I come from a family who have all suffered from chronic hypertension which was controlled by a coctail of drugs yet they all lived in to their late 80's and 90's . I know that this has been a contributory factor to my condition, however I have also lost both of my parents in the last 15 months, Dad with Dementia and Mam with Cardiac failiure . As a family we did our best to care for them whilst holding down very responsible jobs so I suppose that once both of my parents died, then as nearly always happens, the carers become ill themselves. Still I recognised the reason that triggered my illness and that was Stress, ( there I have admitted to it now ) so I have taken a different approach to life and things are beginning to settle down. I may have to accept that I will have to remain on BP tablets due to my Genetic susceptibilety to Hypertension and that does not bother me as long as they do not disrupt my life. Lorsatin is not too bad and I have to go back in two weeks for a check up so may be my GP will put me back on the Bendrofluside that suited me six years ago when I had this problem, again due to stress. I have decided to take my self away for a weeks break to just relax and recharge because the last three years have been hard ones. I also hope that every thing works out for you and that your BP becomes more stable.

    Take Care

  • Merlin
    Merlin

    Posted

    Hi, Stacy, Well only two days after stop taking the Tablets and my Joints are better and the Tinntus is very much quieter. I think that proves the effect the Tablets were having. Plus I keep a record of my Blood pressure and it really does not show a great deal of difference. So allowing the Pressure stays stable I shall after a week or two go back and tell the Doctor.

    My Mother did suffer from hypertension but she never needed tablets. Her metabolism must have acted as a damping down and I think I have inherited from her the same genes. However as I posted I do believe if we look deep inside at the way we live or more important the way we react to events, that tells a lot about how we deal with life. Age also must play a part, which is why at 73yrs old I have started workouts at a gym this does help plus losing weight, which is another factor.

    The stress you were under at the time of losing your parents must have contributed to your raised pressure, now you must start to try and relax. I took up Ti Chi and find it very calmer; un-fortunately I developed a problem with a sciatic nerve, which has meant I can’t go to practise now.

    Any break and spell away from the norm is beneficial, so good luck.

    When taking my pressure I do it at least three times so as to get a fair reading, but I am encouraged as to the results.

    I hope things work out for you and it pays sometime to check on our life style to see if that is causing problems. Mine I know doesn’t accept for reading Newspapers and trying not to wish we could rid ourselves of the politicians who speak with a fork tongues.

    Regards Merlin.

  • Stacy
    Stacy

    Posted

    Hi Merlin I am so glad that you are feeling better since you stopped the dreaded tablets. I am now coping well with the tablets that I am taking so will give them a chance. Both my parents suffered form High Blood Pressure and so did my Granny and they were on medicaation so I will go with the Docs on this one but will hope that a change in life style will also help.However what annoys me is that, I do not smoke, I chose a healthy eating life style and do plenty of exercise however I do enjoy a glass of wine in the evening so why is it that I have high BP when others who drink, smoke, and eat of the chip pan have a healthy BP. It just goes to show that some times is it hereditary. Never mind I am going away for a week to the Isle Of Whight tomorrow to just relax and take in the majic of the Island . You take care now and let me know how you get on .

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