Oh my gosh, just found out that Amlodipine is causing my living hell
Posted , 11 users are following.
Hi All - Bear with me as I download here. In April 2012, I was put on Amlodipine 5mg for high B/P. During this time I was the sole caregiver for two ailing parents, trying to get kids off to college & going thru Menopause. Towards the end of 2013, I developed tingling in my face, sometimes my left arm and felt very vascular in my head at times. I told my GP & she always told me it was my stress level & I was experiencing anxiety dealing with the care of my parents. My B/P spiked again and Irbesartan was added to the cocktail. I continued having headaches, flushing, tingling, electric shock in hands & calves and blurry vision. When I googled my symptoms the same thing would come up....menopause symptoms, rosacea & "histamine intolerance". I finally did get diagnosed with Roacea and so I just figured it was the Rosasea triggering my hormonal imbalances & vice versa. Every time I brought this up to my GP, she laughed & said I had no more hormones left etc. So, fast forward to March 2017 when I once again went to my GP & complained about my symptoms, she told me to go home and take an Ativan & then this past June after my physical & me continuing to complain she sent me home with a increased dosage 10 mg of Amlodipine. From June 16th - July 6th I had horrific headaches, blurry vision, drop dead hot flashes, flushing, heart palpitations, anxiety, no energy, total dread feeling, tingling in face, hands and feet, muscle pains, rash on calves, swollen ankles and feet
weird pain in my neck, upper hi issues - I couldn't stand it - when I went back in for a B/P check my B/P had actually increased instead of decreased 152/84. When my GP saw my swollen ankles she switched me from the Amlodipine 10mg to Bystolic 5mg. When the Pharmascist went to counsel me on this new drug she told me all the horrible side effects, so when I got home I just decided to look up the side effects of Amlodipine & then found this forum....OMG! I have been living with these symptoms now for almost four years and thinking it was menopause, Rosasea & grief/stress causing these unbearable side effects. It seriously has diminished my quality of life. I told my GP I was taking myself off of the Amlodipine as of this past Saturday. I feel less anxious/depressed, swelling has decreased, tingling in extremities less, electric shock less, rash gone but still some residual headaches and still don't feel myself. My other Dr friend said it may take 2 to 3 weeks to feel better. What have other people found while coming off this horrific drug? I need to have hope that one day I will feel myself again - I now believe this drug caused my Rosasea, because your skin reacts to when your body is not well - Ugh! Western medicine only treats the symptoms not the cause - I am on a mission to recover my health. Please share in your recovery from this drug -
3 likes, 47 replies
debra16694
Posted
Wow Theresa - I don't care for your Cardio Dr & I don't know him or her - Maybe it's time for a second opinion - Again, heart palpitations are common for woman entering or going through menopause & anxiety can certainly cause them. I definitely would look into a second opinion & hopefully you will find a more caring Cardiologist -
theresa06691 debra16694
Posted
I finally decided to see my GYN instead of my GP and she said I'm in peri...without a doubt! I'll be doing ultrasound and FSH test next week but FSH won't show much until actually in Menopause. In the meantime she's prescribe me a trail of Minivelle .0375 patch to see if it helps.
any suggestions or comment on the patch?
debra16694
Posted
Hi Theresa - I can tell by your post that you feel a sense of relief. I am glad you got confirmation on the peri menopause, at least you know now why you are experiencing some of these symptoms. I personally do not have any experience with the patch or any HRT's. I am 60 years of age and decided to brave menopause without any help, I am not so sure that was a wise decision on my part....spent a lot of time not feeling great, but again, who knows if it was just the Amlodipine for the last 5 years or a combination of both. I have friends that live very full lives and said that they would not live without their HRT's, because it makes their quality of life so much better. I hope you start to feel great again. Glad you got a second opinion and hope you start to feel great again!
kimberly69568 debra16694
Posted
hey so I've only been on this since November 9th and only on 2.5 mg for Raynaud's syndrome and my hands are so hot I can't cool them down. Also my back and chest burns ask the time. So my Dr took me off it. I am going crazy cuz I need it to stop being hot . do you know what i can do?
jean52336 debra16694
Posted
Hi Debra how can this drug cause so many health problems is beyond me. Its a miracle you stayed sane! I am in a similar situation...i so need to get off this dangerous drug asap.
Been on amlodipine about two years but i did not take it on a regular daily basis because i am extremely suspicious about all pharma drugs. Reading your post really helped me understand some of the weird symptoms i have had over past two years, namely, severe itching under my facial skin. The itch cannot be relieved, (have ribboned my skin) mainly along my jawline and into ears. Also severe rosy cheeks that burn like crazy. Thanks to you i now know the cause. Did you know there are brilliant natural supplements that work really well for regulating high BP. I found out about them recently (ordered some) but have not started taking them yet as i trying to get off the horrid amlodipine first. Was off them 4 days and took one 5ml today because i had awful heart scare last night and thought this happened due to stopping the amlodipine...perhaps it did? Hence, in a panic i took one today. Big mistake, over the past few days without amlodipine my BP has been fine. After dose today my BP has gone really high. How can a medicine like this increase BP? Going to take natural BP supplement now to counterbalance high BP caused by amlodipine.
Thing is i have 3 heart conditions diagnosed after starting amlodipine told by GP today that i might have another heart condition Angina which i have got to have tests for. Could it be possible that amlodipine contributed to these conditions in some way? Well dosing with this medication certainly induced high levels of anxiety along with a dreadful foggy brain. So Debra i am also on a mission to restore my health to the best of my ability. Tomorrow i will not be taking any amlodipine but i will be taking natural beetroot supplement that really works and is much safer. Just scared of any withdrawal health issues that might pop up. I am 70 with 5 heart conditions two(Hypertension and enlarged heart) were caused by NHS endocrinologist over prescribing me levothyrozine for over 30 years. Now this drug doing similar stufff....what a nightmare. I will become drug free pretty soon...God Willing
Parsi28766 debra16694
Posted
I was prescribed the Amlodipine 5mg once a day due to high blood pressure with Daflon and compression stocking after giving birth (130-140/80-90). After 5 days, out of balance. Then shortness of breath, high heart rate and anxiety. BP became normal (110-120/80). My Cardio decreased dosage to half a tablet a day (2.5mg) after 1 month. Out of balance and shortness of breath happens in the afternoon if i am tired or have anxiety. BP still normal (120/80). Cardio decreased dosage to 1/4 tablet (1.25mg) after 2 months to taper. No shortness of breath, normal heart rate, no out of balance. After 4 months, stopped taking amlodipine. However, had withdrawal symptom. Shortness of breath. On the 10th day, shortness of breath was the worst but bp and heart rate are normal. I thought of giving in and take the amlodipine again but was thinking that the amlodipine will go out of my system after 12 days. I focused on God. On the 11th day, shortness of breath is gone. I feel ok now. Thank you, God!
Guest debra16694
Posted
I have just discovered this forum after 5 months of a nightmare drug induced hell on Amlodopine. Given to reduce blood pressure (it didn't), told I had anxiety, prescribed other drugs which also sickened me, after reading this I just knew this was why I had deteriorated into a shell of my former self. Medical profession didn't want to know, just prescribe more. After having endured this for 4-5 months with other disturbing symptoms like twitching, loss of interest in all the things I loved, swellings on hands, feet, pain everywhere, eye problems and the list went on, still not understanding what was causing this, I decided to go it alone and get off Amlo. So it begins.
jeff56747 Guest
Posted
Hello -- I hope you're well. Several months have gone by. How has the weaning off of Amlo gone?
Guest debra16694
Posted
I just found this forum with others experiencing the awful debilitating effects of Amlo. I have decided enough is enough and have started to wean myself off it. I know my body and it has been fighting it for the last 4-5 months. I guess it will now give me hell for withdrawing but it is helpful to know I am not alone.
Lodge debra16694
Posted
I was prescribed this drug by a hospital doctor after doing a 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure test (which I requested) because my blood pressure had gone so high due to stress. The nurse who fitted it did say it can actually cause high blood pressure because some people feel panicky each time the cuff inflates and this is exactly what happened with me.
However, my blood pressure settled back down again completely, as it was three months between the hospital doctor writing to the GP asking to prescribe 5mg Amlodopine to them actually doing it.
Over the past few weeks I haven't been feeling too good and my blood pressure has shot up again, so I am wondering if I should just give in and take it. I am absolutely my own worst enemy when it comes to blood pressure. I keep taking it over and over hoping it will come down and all it does is go higher and higher. My husband has now taken the monitor away and hidden it.
I just don't know what to do for the best as all I am thinking about is how high my BP is now. I have hardly slept the last couple of nights worrying about it and thinking I will have a stroke. The last reading I did was 199/103, but I know if I can forget about it for a while it will come back down, it is just a case of getting my head in the right place.
Wonder if it would be worth me taking a quarter of a tablet just to convince my brain that my high blood pressure is being taken care of.