Possibly Due to Amlodipine?
Posted , 7 users are following.
I began taking Amlodipine a few months ago and I immediately felt like a zombie so I stopped taking it. My doctor implored me to try it again and I talked myself into it despite reservations. A few weeks ago I was sitting at my desk at work and began to feel like something wasn't right. I couldn't put a finger on it, only that I was a little off. Suddenly I felt like someone had injected me with drugs---dizzy, foggy, rapid pulse, shaking. I looked at my co-worker sitting across from me and said "I'm about to pass out so I'm going down to the floor just in case I do." Another co-worker dialed 911 and told the dispatcher that in addition to my symptoms I was also hot to the touch. Needless to say I was freaking out a little. My father died of heart disease when he was only 42 and I always assumed I would too.
Firefighters arrived and took my pulse and blood pressure. By then my pulse had dropped to 88, but my blood pressure was 200/150. Fortunately that eventually dropped as well. I was taken to Mass General via ambulance and doctors took my information, including medications I'm taking, and ran every test imaginable---three different blood tests, EKG, chest X-rays, Cat Scan---and kept me overnight hooked to a heart monitor.
The good news is my heart has no plaque and I was told I wouldn't need to have it checked again for three more years. Huge relief. The bad news is they have no idea why I had those symptoms and what caused them.
So my question is: has anyone here ever suffered anything similar?
Thanks in advance for sharing similar experiences.
Mike
0 likes, 10 replies
debra16694 Seamhead
Posted
Dear Seamhead - Gosh! That is just scary awful!!! Glad you are alright! All I can say is, I just think some RX’s are toxic to some people & our bodies have a way of letting us know that. I was on Amlodipine for 5 years & seemed to tolerate it Ok for the first couple of years but then kept getting weird symptoms, then I got put on an additional B/P RX & then Dr ramped up my Amlodipine RX from 5 mg to 10 mg & then my life quality went south - I then found this forum & took myself off the amlodipine, & oddly enough, my B/P actually came down - I just think amlodipine was toxic to my body, others can tolerate it, it’s just not for me - good luck!
joanna17875 Seamhead
Posted
Bless you, this must have been very scary, I had to change from Amlodopine because it gave me ringin g in my ears and dizziness, when my gp lowered the dose the symptoms went but my bp was too high. I wish you all the best and hope you get this situation resolved.
christophe71098 joanna17875
Posted
What did you have instead? I have been taking amlodipine for a number of years, 5mg at first and 10mg for the past couple of years or so. I thought I tolerated it quite well, but since I've been taking amlodipine a number of things have happened; firstly, I steadily lost weight (and I was already slim); I can no longer tolerate alcohol; and I have to get up to pee several times each night. The last symptom is getting worse. Also, some nights I wake up with a head-ache, or feel head-achey and muzzy first thing in the morning; this symptom seems worse with some brands of the drug than others. I intend to see my doctor about this in a couple of weeks (the first appointment I could get), but I suspect that she will resist changing my medication. Of course, with symptoms developing over a long time, it is difficult to pinpoint cause and effect.
Seamhead christophe71098
Posted
Unfortunately I'm still on it because I'm not 100% sure it was the medication that caused my episode. But reading what others are going through frankly scares the hell out of me and I might need to figure out an alternative. I'm sorry to hear about your symptoms and hope you find a solution soon.
margaret90930 Seamhead
Posted
I ended up in A&E immediately after being started on amlodopine. I found that a magnesium supplement and a glass of beetroot juice every day worked for me and I have been fine for a year. Bought my own BP monitor because most people's BP rises when being taken by somebody in a white coat. It is a recognised fact and I reckon half the people on BP medication don't really need it.
joycecny Seamhead
Posted
Those symptoms could very well be due to your body having an adverse reaction to the amlodipine. Some of your symptoms sound very much like the ones I was experiencing with it. I'm glad you are Ok, and I'm wondering if you are still taking it? I suffered from dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches, terrible hot flushes, and generally just felt "off" after a few days of starting it. My PC dr. has switched me to the generic Benicar - 5mg....i took my first one last night.......too soon to notice how I will react, but i will let you know. Good luck to you.....
Seamhead joycecny
Posted
Truth be told, my doctor hasn't been very sympathetic about my reservations about taking the drug. "Millions of people are taking it and they're fine." On the other hand, I haven't made an appointment with her yet to discuss what happened. I plan on doing that soon.Good luck with your new prescription. I hope it helps.
jx41870 Seamhead
Posted
"Millions of people are taking it and they're fine".
And a few hundred thousand, are not.
Today's medicine is still so totally primitive. In ten years maybe they'll have a genetic test so you can sit in the doctor's office and she'll look and say, "Hey you're one of the ones this is NOT going to work for", instead of belittling you on what can be a totally valid complaint, because that's all they had to go on fifty years ago when the people who taught your doctor in medical school, were themselves in medical school.
jx41870 Seamhead
Posted
What was your BP when you started taking amlodipine? Is that the only drug you're taking? What was your BP that morning or other most recent measurement?
I don't think it's going to be easy for anyone to track a specific event to the amlodipine. This does not mean it's totally innocent, but there are so many other factors to consider. And it's not like it's known for episodes like yours - as far as I can tell, it is not.
Now just very speculatively, amlodipine can contribute to arrhythmias, and what you experienced can fall under that category. And I'm not a doctor, and what I've experience with doctors says that they won't commit to much either, it's not even their job to really figure it out, but they may help you try other BP drugs at least.
Seamhead jx41870
Posted
My BP at the time was about 170/120. I also take Sertraline for PTSD. My BP is typically between 150-170/110-120, although there have been days where my monitor has shown 145/75.
I've had an irregular heartbeat for as long as I can remember and there have been times where I felt like I was going to pass out, but that hasn't happened for quite a while, the sensation only lasted a second or so, and tests didn't reveal anything alarming. My doctor merely recommended cutting back on caffeine. I was also putting MCT oil in my morning coffee to help with metabolism and overall health, and it's certainly possible it was a combination of things that led to my episode. I stopped taking the oil and switched back to iced green tea, and so far I've been fine. I still don't feel 100% right but I try not to let it get to me or dwell on it.