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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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  • Dixi1lee
    Dixi1lee Nigel

    Posted

    10 weeks on Amlodipine and still no side effects or, if I have had side effects I'm not aware of them.  I did experience some slight swelling in my feet for a couple of days, upped my water intake and the problem was gone. 

    It's a personal thing.  Depends on your own drug cocktail that you are taking and what issues you, as an individual are dealing with.  Always best to consult with your prescribing doc or pharmacist. 

    • janet23335
      janet23335 Dixi1lee

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply much appreciated. I'm at the doctors today because I don't feel well my blood pressure is sky high but hopefully we'll get sorted out today hope to come off the amlodapine and try something different. I'm not very good with medications I seem to have a reaction to then .jan

  • ann_c.04098
    ann_c.04098 Nigel

    Posted

    I took it for 3 days and then threw it in the trash Nigel... my cardiologist gave me a low dose of Amlodipine Bes but what I didn't know at the time is that it is the generic of Norvasc which I had trouble with years ago for the very same reasons you mentioned... I refuse to walk around like a zombie.. this drug is like poison to me

  • william91514
    william91514 Nigel

    Posted

    So I have a question did you ever have blurred vision while on being on that medication Amlodipine the reason for asking that my doctor had prescribed me that but 10 mg of it and I'm also taking 50 mg of atenolol because my blood pressure was pretty high and I'm a young guy I've been on Amlodipine 10mg for like four months now and I didn't have these problems until now I am experiencing cramps in my legs and i wake up in the middle of the night with cramps and my mouth be very dry mouth and I'll be very thirsty and i  drinking a lot of water and i am urinating a lot are you experiencing any of these symptoms?

    • janet23335
      janet23335 william91514

      Posted

      Hi William I was only on five milligrams amlodipine not very good with medications of any kind but I must say my eyes felt terrible and my head was hurting a lot every time I took one and I was paying frequent visits to the bathroom and waking up during the night with leg cramps . The thing is William different people respond to different medication and like I said I'm not very good with medications I respond more to natural therapies . Without all the nasty side effects. Hope that helps for you william

  • mommalaurat
    mommalaurat Nigel

    Posted

    So happy to get some info.  I was in the Emergency room yesterday morning with BP 170/120 even though I had taken 2 Valsartan during the previous day (160mg each).  The ER gave me 2 clonodine and sent me home.  They said to see my doc today.  Can't wait to get that bill!!!   Anyway my doc gave me a prescription for 5mg Amlodipine.  Took one when I got home, and have been heading to pee more than ever in my life!!  I am 52 years old, and I have enough issues.  Does anyone have ANY other options to Amlodipine to try to get my BP down???  Please help, I am willing to listen to anything...herbal...I actually did not have to pay for this at my Pharmacy, now I think I know why.  I think most presribed drugs just create another ailment.  My Biostlic is and has been hovering around 100-120 for days now, and I am just getting scared about it.  From what I have read here Amlodipine does not seem like something I want to take a second dose of.

    Thanks for any input,

    Laura (I live in Florida)

    • ann_c.04098
      ann_c.04098 mommalaurat

      Posted

      Hello Laura,  It's a vicious cycle when we go to the emergency room.. we are given a clonodine and sent off to see our primary care physician.. the fact is that although clonodine brings down BP fast it is one of the drugs on the Beers study that anyone over the age of 60 should avoid.. I know you are not  60 yet but please be aware of the games doctors play with us.. when they are stumped they will increase your medication and often times less is better than more....

  • coastalks19
    coastalks19 Nigel

    Posted

    Check out what the coating on the Amlodipine was. each manufacturer and each pill (being that they are generic) have different coatings. I found mine was coated with Soy and I am very allergic to Soy/MSG. I am now on a soy free coated amlodipine and doing better. Generic pills are coated with anything the manufacturer wants and we all need to be aware of this.
  • sally_15252
    sally_15252 Nigel

    Posted

    I feel like you dizzy, forgetful, no energy. Feel better sitting. Need to clean my house but don't feel good. I also have fast heartbeat at night that wakes me up and ringing in one of my ears all the time.

    • margaret01450
      margaret01450 sally_15252

      Posted

      Sally I cannot swear it's the Amlodopine that has created all my issue because I have now been on it so long and have got used to many of the side effects.   If you are new to this drug I would be inclined to drop it for a week or so and see if these issues go away.  You can then truthfully tell your Dr. And ask for something else.    Dizziness, light headedness, sinus, rapid heartbeat, extreme tiredness and depression al started when I first began to take BP medicines forty years ago. 

  • ingalo
    ingalo Nigel

    Posted

    I have been off Amlodipine for two weeks in the hope that it is responsible for - here goes the list! - tingling extremities, aching finger joints, dizziness, 'dropping' thoughts, Bier spots, pain in calf muscles. These all emerged at around three months after beginning the drug (though I had one week off for abdominal surgery), and the only thing that could possibly tie it all together is Amlodipine. The receptive GP said that the drug might at least be causing the Bier spots, so it was worth seeing what happened when I stopped. My concern is that nothing has improved after two weeks. The drug has a long half-life, and beyond that side effects can go on longer, but does anyone here think I should go ahead down the blood test / MRI route now, or give it a few more weeks to see if symptoms resolve? I'd be very grateful to hear from anyone who has similar symptoms/experience.once, but 

  • dana50034
    dana50034 Nigel

    Posted

    Hi everyone,  a couple of months back i wrote about my moms experience with amlopidine (sp?). In March,  she turned into a zombie on the drug, she is 74, we thought she had dementia. When she cut back to 5mg she improved and then stopped altogether she fully returned to herself--IT WAS ALL Amolopidine.  It can cause you to be a zombie/ appear as dementia/depression etc.  She almost died.

    BUT...

    last week my brother died suddenly of an aortic dissection.  These are triggered by genetic predisposition, and being a man, and having high blood pressure. So PLEASE PLEASE do take blood pressure meds to control very bad blood pressure, and lose weight and excercise, please dont die like my brother, he was 52.

    dana

  • clarky75
    clarky75 Nigel

    Posted

    Hi All,

    Just seen this thread after having the worst 6 weeks of my life thanks to Amlodopine or as I now called it, Am Load of Pain.

    Story is I am a type 1 diabetic and was diagnosed with high blood pressure back in 2005.  I have been on Coversyl ever since on 5mg with no side effects except maybe sweating and occasional cough.

    6 weeks ago my GP said my blood pressure had been up over the past month or or so.  He put me on Amlodopine.  Thats when the nightmare started for me. First few days nothing, adfter a week, I experienced vertigo which I have never had before, blurred vision, a foggy light headed feeling which makes me feel terrible and anxious like I might pass out.  Went back after 2 weeks was told to persist as side efffects go away. Persisted for another 4 weeks, was getting worse and worse, irritable, anxiety, almost paranoia from symptoms.  I stopped it and felt better the next day. Told my GP who took me off, then went back to Coversyl.   After stopping it, my blood pressure soared as did my heart rate, I ended up at a different GP who did full blood work and an ECG.  Had a high heart rate, my blood pressure etc is now back to normal.  My last amlodopine was 7 days ago, still feel foggy, light headed and blurred vision.  How long till thuis rubbish is out of my system. Its been the worst 6 weeks of my life, and I am over it.  This medication should be pulled, I am in Australia and trying to work out how I can report this poison.  Cant wait to be free of Am Load of Pain.  How long did people on here take to feel bettter after stopping it.  I have read it takes about 11 days to be eliminated is that correct?

    Thanks for this thread and forum I thought I was going crazy

    • ingalo
      ingalo clarky75

      Posted

      Hi

      Sorry I can't answer your question because it's the same one I want answering (see two below). I do know that it takes 11 days to leave system, but from what I can gather some side effects can take 4-8 weeks to subside, if the improvement wasn't immediate (as with me - 2 weeks off and no change). It seems that in some people's experience the effects don't much improve even after then. But that's just what I've picked up from trawling through these threads and the only thing that's clear is that everyone's different!

    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK clarky75

      Posted

      "This medication should be pulled, I am in Australia and trying to work out how I can report this poison."

      Clarky75 - I would be very careful what you say - it's not a poison or we all would be in trouble!  Why 'pull' a med that works extremely well in the majority of cases and has done so for decades?   One of the comments in the thread sums it up 'we are all different' and in your case you are one of the minority of patients that experience such extreme side effects.  

      I do speak from personal experience as I'm still on Amlodipine (5mg) after 16 years of taking them and they have kept my BP down or I might well be dead of a stroke or heart attack by now.  Both in the US (The FDA) and the UK ( The Yellow Card Scheme) there are ways of reporting bad reactions to meds.  I had a quick look and in Australia, it's the tga (search this) as Alan the Moderator will not permit the posting of URL's

      Hope this helps and I'm well aware that there is some anger that you may feel you have been treated incorrectly and are venting your frustration, but it's not appropriate to make claims that are just not true. 

       

    • ryan1947
      ryan1947 clarky75

      Posted

      Amlodopine.  I was taking a nice mix of Lisinopril and Aspirine and went from the 180's to 140's in 18 months.  Still making progress when my new carodiologist decided to add Amlodopine like he was playing some card game.  Four days later I'm a train wreck.  Stopped the A and BP jumped back to the 160's.  Then magic man decided on Carvedilol.  My research shows 70 known medications you can't take with Carvedilol and another 150 medications you should not mix  with Carvedilol.  This doesn't count allergies and other physical problems you don't want to use Carvedilol with.  Who in the hell would recommend this medication to anyone?  My whole system has gone to hell and I'm trying to crawl back to my original - simple - solution. And I got a doctor due for a bad day in two weeks when we meet again. 

    • Guest
      Guest Oregonjohn-UK

      Posted

      Oregonjohn I feel that I have to respond to your comments. Yes our friend used the word 'poison ' because of frustration and anger but many people posting on this thread have clearly experienced distressing side effects from Amlodipine. I am one of those people and the drug was not effective in controlling my high BP readings. I am glad to read that it has been useful for you but the effects people are experiencing can only be described as toxic. This thread has brought a lot of people together who ARE having real problems so I wonder how many cases it will take until an enquiry is made?? I wonder which is more important - quality of human life or big profits for drug companies? And when will our GP's be willing to listen to the patients?

    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK Guest

      Posted

      I can only repeat what I have already said many times no one on this forum can do anything about 'pulling' a med.  There is a scheme in the UK call the yellow card scheme where you can report any side effects not listed on the data sheet (PIL) that comes with all meds.  This forum maybe a place to vent your feelings and frustration but go to the mhra website and report it.  I can't paste the URL as I will be moderated but search for yellow card scheme or mhra.

    • sue_63828
      sue_63828 Oregonjohn-UK

      Posted

      Hi I wondered if you can enlighten me by what you said I quote ( it's not appropriate to make claims that are just not true ?? 

    • bigpat81
      bigpat81 sue_63828

      Posted

      And also whats interesting is when I spoke to my dr and spoke to the emerg doctor about what i feel are side effects of 10 mg of amlodipine they disagreed with the possibility. If it wasnt for this forum all this info of side effects would be unknown and I would just assume I was dieing. Who knows maybe I am but after 6 months or so of being on 10 mg of amlo and fiddling with how to take the dose and when I cant take what seems to be these side effects. pressure in ears, slight head ache, pounding heart, anxiety, light headed and dizziness, flushing neck and face, occasional ice cold fingers, being completely out of it(which is the worst one) hazey vision, tiredness.... these are all what I believe to be side effects that have added up slowly but came on full tilt in the last couple weeks (about 6 months of usage) Luckily I walk around all day for work so I think thats how I avoided sore swollen legs however now and then I do get a slight ache but nothing major. Im glad amlo works for some but for me it does seem like poison.
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