I know its was amlodipine!

I too am on amlodipine and did not get on with it in the beginning (I have posted on this forum), but I must say that im now happy with it. The side effects do go away eventually and it does keep your bp low. The tired feeling is still with me a bit but I am prepared to put up with this.

Likewise Chris i do feel a bit tired as well but thats nothing new for me, but feel better then i did when i was rushed into hospital with a BP of 240/180

I've been on Amlodipine for several years without any problems. It has managed to keep my BP down though still slightly above normal. I have recently lost a lot of weight (my own choice) and my BP has fallen further, it is now normal or slightly below. My GP does not want to take me off the medication. I have just started to suffer some of the side effects mentioned in this thread ie tiredness, feeling like a zombie, forgetful etc etc. Is it possible that these side effects only hit home once my BP was lower or does anyone think I have another undiagnosed condition which is causing them? Grateful for your views.

Hi, I have recently been prescribed Amlodipine and after reading so many really bad experiences of this drug I was really nervous about taking it. However I have had no side effects whatsoever !

Yes, yes, yes, and yes! Heart palpitations to the point that I couldn't sleep. Terrible, nightmares, anxiety, chest pains, on and on. I was prescribed it for Raynauds. No high blood pressure here. It is a vaso dilator. Intended to open the blood vessels to make blood flow easier. There are many, many vaso dilators in the vegi world. Something many of us is not willing to look into. One of those is beets. I slice, chip or grate them raw into my big green salad every day. Put a big chunk into your morning green smoothie along with berries, Makes it pink like a strawberry shake. Follow the healthy plans of Dr Esselstyn, Dr. McDougall, Dr Ornish and many others who have reversed heart and blood vessel disease, arthritis, diabetes, and others. The facts are in. We are killing ourselves by the lifestyles we lead. Today is my second day off this dangerous medicine. I'm chosing the McDougall diet and lifestyle. We can do it!

I too am grateful I stumbled upon this discussion group. I have been taking an Amlodipine .5mg with Clonidine .1mg combination for 6 months. I have watched my stamina, balance and well being gradually spiral downward. After being awake for an hour in the morning, I needed to go right back to sleep and then for many hours. I have been just exhausted all the time since on this med. Also, I had assumed the aches and pains along the left side of my body and limbs were caused by natural aging process. I am 60 years old. I can truly relate to those of you who have stated that they feel they had lost part of their lives while on this horrid drug! THANK YOU ALL. Were it not for you, I don't know how long it would have taken for me to realize that it is was this drug causing all these problems. I am weaning myself off this week and I am encouraged by those of you who felt better after cessation. Thank you again sincerely!

Thanks for that. I too feel like you do donna1. So very tired most of the time. It is debilitating. Also my memory is quite bad, and it was good before I started taking these. I am64 years of age. Aches and pains as well.i was ok for a few weeks then back to the tiredness again. Think I will come off of these, my life maybe will get better again. I feel half asleep all the time, in a drugged state......it's too much of a coincidence for us to have the same side effects.

Chris:

I'm sorry you too are experiencing these side effects. I am weaning myself off the drug for the next three days and will monitor bp daily. I did fine for years on hydrochlorothiazide alone and IF my bp goes back up I will ask my doc to put me back on it (this will be an argument) as I never had any problems with the drug. My kidneys are badly damaged from a childhood disease and so my options are very limited. Best of all, my goal is to get off all medications this year! I agree that it is highly "coincidental" that we should all be suffering like we are! We are like sheep and the pharmaceutical companies are the shepherds!!Hope you feel better soon!

As previously mentioned, I came off AM & went onto Lisinopril, much better for a few weeks, then a 'tickly' cough - a common side effect - which then just developed & developed into a real beast of a cough, couldn’t hold a conversation it was that bad. So, off Lisinopril & no tablets at all until cough gone, which took a while I can tell you, with BP regularly monitored. Been on Bendroflumethiazide for ten weeks now & fingers crossed, feeling absolutely fine with no side effects. Apparently Benrdo..... is the Grandfather of tablets for BP, according to my GP anyway. Been a bad year but fingers crossed for 2013. Anyone on Simvastatin.....something else I need apparently but I'm holding out for a while longer to ensure my heath stabilises.

Omg! I'm experiencing this foolishness now. I just want to stop the medication all together. I'm only 27 and have never had problems with my bp. I have panic attacks/anxiety attacks at times and of course when that happens my bp will rise. Went to the hospital because I was a little dizzy after having one and the first thing they gave me was Atenolol 25mg. What the freak?!? Zombie! So then I was changed to Norvasc, still a slight zombie, dizzy, headaches, shortness of breath, heaviness.in left arm, muscles cramps on.left side, drowsiness, lightheaded, faintish, stomach cramps, and most of all now since I'm approaching a month of taking this trash, confusion. Before taking any kind of medication, I could remember anything and would rarely lose my train of thought. Now, I have to concentrate real.hard to write or recall someones name.. I forget what I'm supposed to do and say etc. I'm stopping this medication!!

Hi (and a Happy New Year) everybody,

I am new to this forum so please make allowances for me. I have been following the Amlodipine thread for some time as my 85 yr old mother has been on it for about 2 months now following a slight stroke.

She has quite a few of the symptoms mentioned by you all. She came off it for about 4 days with the doctors knowledge but he put her back on it because her bp was going up. She didn't notice any marked improvementin that time, maybe some slight change, hard to tell.

How long does it normally take to see any real improvement?

Has anyone had problems getting up in the night for the toilet then when back in bed not being able to get back to sleep because of difficulty getting your breath?

Sorry to go on a lot! - Thanks in advance.

I have been prescribed Amlodipine for the last ten months due to Hypertension (147/90) but due to an earlier scare of high blood glucose i was advised to be safe to keep my blood pressure lower hence the prescription. Recently the initial dose of 5mg once a day has been suuplimented with 10mg a day of Enapril.

I originally thought most of the symptomes were due to Hypertension, but after reading most of the posts here it seems more likely that the symptoms or side effects are due to the drugs prescribed.

Amlodipine itself gave me odd days of light headedness / dizziness and fatigue where I couldnt force myself to stay awake, but they are minor compared to Enapril which after 4 weeks i have gradually reduced the dose with no ill effects,

How easy is it to get off amlodipine ? are there any downsides or negative effects ??