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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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  • malcolm92645
    malcolm92645 Nigel

    Posted

    Two months ago my GP stopped my bp tablets and I feel fine. I check my bp regularly and the most recent was 108/69. Since stopping amlodipine life has retutned to what it was before.
    • john54137
      john54137 rozanne321

      Posted

      Glad to hear about Malcolm's recovery

      I had my doktor reduce my AM from

      10 to 2.5 and almost immediately find

      My light headiness gone...

      Almost seems live my muscle strength

      Has returned a bit

      MERRY CHRISTMAS  to you all

      John

    • rozanne321
      rozanne321 john54137

      Posted

      Hi John!

      A belated Merry Christmas to you too!

      I posted a new discussion about reducing and eventually going off Amlodipine. My gp started me on 5 mgs. in November and I started feeling the effects about a month later. I have since reduced it to 2.5 and have been off it for about 7 days.

      I really never had any lightheadedness but zoning out mentally. I was under some stress, not having to do with Christmas shopping or anything like that. Just that I had to do many things in a day but was pressed for time because of no personal transportation.  That's when I went to the hospital and was prescribed the amlodipine. I was feeling fine on the 2.5. And I wasn't having any issues with the loaner car from my brother. Now I feel like I need to go back on the 2.5, not the 5.0 mg. Although my gp/her nurse want me to go back on the 5.0 mg. I am debating on whether to do this. I mean, I felt no bad effects while on the 2.5. Did you? I haven't taken my meds since 12/19. I'm just hoping that if/when I do go back, my body will act like it was on the 5. Suggestions? 

  • jfdi6366
    jfdi6366 Nigel

    Posted

    Just started on AM 5mg, been using it daily for 9 days, so far no side effects but no desired ones either. I monitor my bp everyday now, as well as exercise (swimming) 3 times a week.

    Had some bloods done also and awaiting results next week. Seeing the doc on the 26th March for a follow up.

    I was told about the common side effects by the doc and the pharmacy, nothing about fatigue though.

    I fully expect my dosage to increase or be suplemented by another drug. Just hope the side effects are mild and desired effects are noticeable.

    • Sidney007
      Sidney007 jfdi6366

      Posted

      I have been on AM 5mg since Sept 14. I have missed so much time from work as a teacher because of the following side effects.

      Severe dry throat and loss of voice, fatigue to the point of sleeping the moment I got in from work, loss of skin from finger tips, bleeding gums and a feeling of just not being able to cope.  So much so I resigned from my job.I also gained over 1 stone in weight.

      I stopped AM  5 days ago. I feel great! Yesterday I could have knocked down a row of houses and my bp - a little high 148/91 this morning - I'll bring it down natuarally from now on.

      I'm off to chat with my doctor tomorrow but all medications will be refused. I feel I have been slowly poisoning myself for the last 7 months.

    • MrsO-UK_Surrey
      MrsO-UK_Surrey Sidney007

      Posted

      Sidney, what a pity that you didn't get your GP to stop the Amlodipine long before now rather than suffer such awful side effects leading to you resigning from your job.  There are so many other BP medications out there to try and there is bound to be one that suits you if the natural route doesn't work (losing weight, taking more exercise, reducing salt etc).  I'm sure that armed with an appropriate letter from your GP explaining that you resigned from your school job due to medication side effects which have now been removed, will help you to get reinstated.  Good luck. 
  • mat1717
    mat1717 Nigel

    Posted

    thank you  i gained from your post
  • steve34218
    steve34218 Nigel

    Posted

    I am Also just 58, my bp was 222 so quickly put on 8mg Perindopril instead of 4mg and additional 10mg of Amlodipine, I was very bad brain pains, I have had brain ischemia before, anyway I am recovering from two weeks of confusion but as far as sex goes, I have a very good sex life every night with my wife of 25yrs, recently and the reason I searched the internet is my sex drive has dramatically change, I feel more need for sex but! it is early days, if there are changes I will further reply, good luck.
  • sharon34402
    sharon34402 Nigel

    Posted

    Hi Nigel,

    I am in the United States. I was looking up side effects of different medications and came across this website.

    They have been trying different medications with me. I have been having many side effects from several of these medications. When I brought it up to my kidney doctor about the Coreg, he said that couldn't possibly be causing the side effects. I have had to emergency room visits because of side effects from the blood pressure medications.

    Amlodipine has been one of the drugs. I have no energy and am constantly nauseated. from the other side effects that I have been experiencing have been warmth, cold sweats, chest pain and trouble breathing. It is very depressing!!

    I'm going back to the doctor on Monday morning and telling him that these blood pressure medications are killing me.I am taking four blood pressure medications per day.

    I hope you are doing better. I also read some of the other comments and it seems like these medications are causing problems for many people.

    Take care.

    Shsron

    • rozanne321
      rozanne321 sharon34402

      Posted

      Hi Sharon!

      I was placed on amlodipine, 5mg way back in November. About a month later, I started experiencing some negative effects, fatigue, zoning out, irribility. I went to my dr. and told her about the symptoms and in a nutshell, she disregarded them. Saying that I was the first of her patients to let her know about them. I also told her that I was going to lessen the dosage from 5mg to 2.5mg per day. Even though she told me to take the meds at night, I was still experiencing symptoms.

      Here's what I have done. I have taken the initiative and weaned myself completely off the meds and taken a proactive approach to my health by writing everything down that I eat and drink. Measure everything and keep my sodium intake to about 1,100 mg per day. I use to replace regular salt with a salt substitute, but that is potassium chloride and can do damage to the kidneys. I use salt free seasonings, no salt added foods like canned veggies and  tomato sauce, and am eating more fruits and my favorite veggies. You won't believe all of the foods that are available!!!

      I am not saying that you should stop taking your meds!!! I am not promoting this at all!!!

      But, since I haven't taken any of the medication, I have felt much better, my mind is clearer and I don't feel hungry! If I am in the mood for some crunchy stuff... raw nuts are my escape! And drink water, with lemon and ginger or honey and cinnamon!  

      Look on the web for foods to help lower blood pressure. There is a boatload of information.

      Find what fits your lifestyle and start slow. Now that the warmer weather is coming... well hopefully soon here in PA, I will be able to go and take some walks. That'll also help lower bp. Good luck! 

    • sharon34402
      sharon34402 rozanne321

      Posted

      Hi Rozanne,

      Thanks for the informatjon. It really amazes me that doctors do not listen to their patients. Who knows your body better than you? I know how I feel and it was when they started fooling around with my meds that the symptoms occurred. Unfortunately, I have so many drug sensitivities and they seem to ignore that.

      I know that when I go to the doctor on Monday that some of this will be brushed off. Well, it's not going to be. I am going to be upfront with him and tell him that just isn't working! Enough is enough.

      I suppose when I tell him that this is depressing me, he will want to add an antidepressant. No, I don't want another pill, I just want to feel my old self.I know how I felt before I was taking all these drugs and since they are not controlling the blood pressure what is the sense of taking them?

      Again, thank you so much for the information. I think that we, as patients, need to stand up for ourselves when we know that something is affecting us negatively.These drugs are shortening our life span.

  • jacqui02385
    jacqui02385 Nigel

    Posted

    hi there i had been on Amlodipine for 2yrs and i had the same reaction. I use to be an endurance walker, on taking those tablets i could only walk a short distance when i felt like which wasn't often. My body ached so bad which was something i had never experienced before. So i have put on weight. I decided to come off it 4 weeks ago and honestly my experience has been like withdrawal symptons, i broke out in a rash and to add to the discomfort imaginery crawly things on my skin along with frequent sensations of vertigo. I can feel i am coming to the end of this terrible journey now and i have changed my way of life completely so i won't have to take any meds. I may probably always have high blood pressure but i would rather do what i am doing now then take amlodipine which has been the reason for my health decline.  
    • sharon34402
      sharon34402 jacqui02385

      Posted

      Hi jacqui02385,

      I totally understand what you are saying. I had such tight chest pain and had trouble breathing that I thought I was having a heart attack. they did a stress test and everything was fine with my heart. It was the stupid medication. all of these medications that we take whether they are for blood pressure, high cholesterole, etc. take a toll on us.

      As I have said in my previous notes, people react differently to medications. Some people may never be bothered with any side effects and those of us who are sensitive to drugs can be bothered with the slightest side effect. I I am very allergic to ACE inhibitors. they actually cause angioedema for me.

      Truthfully, I think if we could get off all of these things we would be a lot healthier. When you look back over years time how people didn't take all these drugs and yet they lived to be very, very old.

      I am trying the natural remedies that people have talked about. Today I picked up some grape seed extract in capsule form and I'm going to start taking that. Coq10 is very good for the heart.

      Let me know how it goes for you. You take care.

  • rosemary07505
    rosemary07505 Nigel

    Posted

    I was put on lisinopril for high blood pressure but lisinopril didn't hold my pressure down so they added Amolodipine 5 mg.

    I felt tired and dizzy .I was told this would pass.

    Well it's been four months and I was so sick my legs hurt,I couldn't sleep or think I was in so much discomfort,thats when I got on the computer and ask if this medicine could cause my symptions.

    I found your article.I was relieved to know I wasn't the only one. THANK YOU.

    I stopped today hope i feel better tomorrow.

     

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