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Side Effects of Amlodipine

Posted , 6 users are following.

megan62605
megan62605

Hi - Just a little of my history before my tirade on Amlodipine. I was prescribed Ramipril about 10 years ago for high blood pressure and seemed to be ok on this medication . Two years ago I suffered an anaphylactic shock due to a drug which I had been given for kidney stones. The Ramipril was stopped and I was put on Amlodipine 10mg instead. Like other people I started getting things going on which I thought was due to age not realising it was the drug. Earlier this year my ankles began to swell badly so after about 6 months I went back to my doctor and was told to stop taking the 10mg tablet. Within two days my ankles were back to normal - my sleep patterns started to get better and my flushes stopped. I was no longer getting cramps in my legs and my digestion was back to normal I suddenly had the revelation that all these things I put down to age were actually drug induced. My blood pressure I was monitoring and all seemed ok. I stopped smoking after fifty years and reduced my salt intake. I am now going to try and maintain my normal blood pressure by lifestyle and not drugs.

4 likes, 25 replies

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  • Trikkerguy
    Trikkerguy megan62605

    Posted

    Same with swollen feet with 10 mg Amlodipine, my doctor recently told me to take half in the AM, the other in the PM. So far so good, I'm not as tired, and foggy as I was when I first started.
    • megan62605
      megan62605 Trikkerguy

      Posted

      Hope it works out for you and your problems get better with splitting the dose.
    • Trikkerguy
      Trikkerguy megan62605

      Posted

      This is what works for me, there is no doubt the Amlodipine makes me very tired, almost to a point I want to take a nap. I fight the feeling, and workout by lifting weights. When I do my first set that tired feeling dissapates, and each successive sets are better, then I'm in a different mode, my body now wants to keep going. I continue for about an hour, resting for a short time between sets, which keeps my muscles warm. After I am very relaxed, and calm, completely at ease, when I gert home I have a meal, watch some TV, and maybe take a short nap later. IMO, exercise is one of the best healers, I did the same during cancer treatments, it does wonders.
    • megan62605
      megan62605 Trikkerguy

      Posted

      I am pleased you have found a way to keep fit with weights etc., it's each one to their own and what keeps them well and fit.
    • michele_20247
      michele_20247 Trikkerguy

      Posted

      Hello Trikker guy,

      Have read many of your posts and was wondering if you had muscle and tendon damage due to meds? I have both and was wondering if this gets better. I am in rehab but Dr wont let me do anything more than gravity stretches for now. Stil having the nerve damage of tingling and burning as well. Muscle and tendon damage in both arms and legs. I used to work out on my total gym 6 days per week. Hope tp get back to that and atleast mowing the lawn!

    • Trikkerguy
      Trikkerguy michele_20247

      Posted

      Fortunately I've never had any tendon or muscle damage from meds, but many years ago before I was on any meds, I was doing calf raises on a seated leg press machine, I put 2 too many 45 lb. plates which totaled 14, and I heard the tendons tearing in my calves. I hobbled home.
    • michele_20247
      michele_20247 Trikkerguy

      Posted

      Oh my! I'm sorry to hear that! How did you get them to heal?  Well...I guess I'm just going to have to stay the course and see what happens.
    • Trikkerguy
      Trikkerguy michele_20247

      Posted

      One of the best healers is time, it's worked for me physically, and emotionally many times.
    • Gerry-ann
      Gerry-ann michele_20247

      Posted

      Hi Michele

      Was interested in your post - I am Amlodipine reduced from 10 to 5mg due to swollen ankles. There's no doubt it has worked better than any other medication in reducing my BP. But I now am experiencing symptoms very like peripheral neuropathy i.e. tingling/burning sensation in feet and lower legs. Not exactly painful, but uncomfortable and worrying. may be something quite different but would like to rule out yet another side-effect!

    • michele_20247
      michele_20247 Gerry-ann

      Posted

      Hell Gerry,

      Yes, burning, tingling are exactly what  I had as well, as well as a host of other side effects. These are known SIDE EFFECTS of this drug if you do the research. I can't tell you how becuase they will just delete it!

       A few quick questions for you.

      Are you on any other med ie..statins?

      How long have you taken Amlodipine?

      Are you a diabetic?

      How high is your  blood pressure?

      What is your age, are you active?

      I took Amlodipine while I was also on Simvastatin. Amlodipineincreases the side effects of the statin by 47%. And seems to be worse for small in statured woman. There's alot more, but these are just a few of the things I've found in research.

      If it were me and I'm not a dr. But burning, tingling is peripheral neuropathy. So the drug has aready done age to your nerves. In time, it will travel up into your hands and arms.  Mine went like lightning from my head to my toes and I got very weak, with tremors. This was shortly after I was put on it. And I was only on a 2.5 dose.

      My dr ignored these symptoms. Now I'm left with peripheral neuropathy from head to toe, Cranial nerve damage, muscle , tendon and small fiber damage and short term memory problems. I'm only 52 and trying to heal this is a major undertaking if it ever heals.

      Since getting off these meds, I've requested my medical records and they show I didn't even need either med, and still don't.

      Gerry, please, go back to your dr and TELL them you are coming off this med and ask if there is any alternative you would be better off taking. THEN RESEARCH the drug BEFORE you do. There are natural products you can take to reduce your blood pressure if you use google.

      I am currently seeing a chiropratic functional neurologist[/b], who has also had 15 yrs in personal training and nutrition. So he is well trained in how the body, brain and nerves work.

      Do what you have to for yourself, don't be a victim of this drug. If you are already having problems then it is not the right drug for you.

      Keep in touch,

      Michele 

    • Gerry-ann
      Gerry-ann michele_20247

      Posted

      Thanks so much Michele. This is a big help - I am 61 - small stature - active, and take regular exercise (cardio-vascular) and pilates classes each week, as well as plenty of walking. 

      My blood pressure got up to over 200 at one time even with drugs. The Amlodipine definitely effective in lowering it. I have been on it about 6 months, but reduced from 10 to 5mg about a month ago because of swollen legs.

      Currently blood pressure generally about 140/90 - I am not on statins although my cholesterol is a bit on high side - seems to run in my family!

      Dont smoke, and have stopped all alcohol to see if it improves.

      But I will stop amlodipine for a while to see if any improvement, and follow your advice. I have already asked dr about alternatives, but they said side effects likely to be same if they gave me a drug that was as effective.

      Thanks so much for your support.

    • michele_20247
      michele_20247 Gerry-ann

      Posted

      No problem Gerry-ann!

      Do some research on supplements you can take for your blood pressure. There is alot of information out there these days that is very informative. Sounds like your a busy gal! But please do take the time to research before taking anymore Pharma meds. I don't want you to end up like me. From 52 and feeling like in my 30's to not being able to do my own grocery shopping.

    • joaneyg
      joaneyg michele_20247

      Posted

      thanks for your post, I suspected that amlodipine was the cause of my legs cramping, feet hurting, and like pin head electrical shocks in my legas as well. I am going to discontinue this and see what else he can do for my BP. I was on Avapro and it worked great but apparently with kidney disease it's not the drug to take either.

  • joy47826
    joy47826 megan62605

    Posted

    If one can do it with lifestyle changes and diet, more power to them...I tried for years with all kinds of alterantive BP meds and no salt etc....but we need salts too so that can be a problem.....

    I take extra potassium daily as if pot is too low that's not good either....

    I take higher doses of manesium daily and that can help reduce high BP.

    I'm still taking the 5mg Amlopdine and 25mg Atenolol but will see doc in a couple weeks and discuss the Amplodine...and see how White Coat I am in her office.......

    It's a huge balancing act as these drugs can cause so much other damage.....grrrr

    • megan62605
      megan62605 joy47826

      Posted

      Hi Joy I hear what you say about salt but when I say I'm cutting it out I don't mean all together but far less to what I was using. But if I can get away with not taking these drugs I will be far better off - had the same effects when I was put on Statins and came off them within three months and controlled my cholestrol with diet and natural meds from HealthSpan - good luck in your quest.
    • joy47826
      joy47826 megan62605

      Posted

      A good friend who taught me so much of my alternative medicine world, told me if one eats something with overly salt, it's good to take extra potassium to counter act the salt effect. I do that.

      Good to have sodium and potassum labs too to see where those levels are as often MANY end up on lower end of potassium and low potassium can also lead to more fatigue. Getting every thing we need from foods is about impossible....even foods counter act each other. Bananas = high sugar.

    • Trikkerguy
      Trikkerguy joy47826

      Posted

      I've had white coat syndrome as far back as I can remember, that cuff, and the anticipation drive my BP up, up, and away. At home I'm fine.
    • Guest
      Guest Trikkerguy

      Posted

      Hi there - I like your comment about White Coat Syndrome, I have been thinking about this today as my last BP reading in the doctors surgery was 178/80 (at home it is about 145-150/80).  I  asked my Dr if I could stop the Amlo because of side effects but he said with that BP reading, he cannot let me stop taking the Amlo (which I found very upsetting).  Anyway the surgery nurse asked me about my home BP monitor, how much I paid for it etc - I told her, she said that the Dr's BP machine cost 500 times that amount, to me this implied that because her BP machine was in a Dr's surgery and cost so much more it must always be accurate and my home machine, the same brand, probably wasnt accurate.  (I should have made a comment then but I didnt).  So I am still angry that my Dr insisted on me taking a medication that I dont want to take without discussing any alternative, and upset that they have not taken into account that my BP readings at home are much more acceptable..anyway my longwinded point is that the surgery nurse mentioned White Coat syndrome but now I am wondering if there is such a thing.  To me it is just another way of putting the problem back onto the patient.  Maybe Dr's BP machines are calibrated in some way so that they will always give a high BP reading.  Not blaming the Dr's machine but it is just something to think about.

      Thanks, thats my gripe for the day.

      And Amlo is a terrible drug!         

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