Stopping Amlodipine 2 weeks cessation.

Hi Andlea, I've always been on 2.5 Rampiral since the liver transplant. This is all I take now. Doc seems fine with going along with me. Bp is stable, I take it morning and night most days. Staying at 130- to 85- most of the time unlkess I drink coffee or Coke. I have a good diet and walk around twenty miles a week. All seems well and definately like being off the 10mg Amlodipine. Paul.

I really suffered with insomnia and some horrendous nightmares. Someone has said the nightmares will wear off in around 3 months. I don't have problems sleeping now I'm off the Amlodipine although still take sleeping tabs for the nightmares, should be able to come off them soon I hope. Nightmares were so bad I'm scrared to cease the sleepers until I'm sure I won't have them again. I didn't have a blood pressure rush & been without for over two weeks now.

I am very careful of my diet, lots of veg & chicken with red meat as a treat sometimes. Low fat diet mainly although not specifically low fat products. I stay clear of coffee and cafiene products and walk 20 miles or so weekly, it's very hilly round hear so 4 - 6 miles is ok. Some venings I just walk a couple of miles but this seems to clear my head. still got a bit of Amlodipine fog but it's clearing. Take care. Paul. 

suezan36...Yes, there are other bp meds out there besides Amlodipine.

Irbesartan is in the class of ARB, whereas Amlodipine is a Calcium Channel Blocker. I have 2 relatives taking Amlodipine without any problems at all. At 10mgs, I had ankle & leg swelling. Went off a few months, back on it at 5mgs...then developed burning & flushing in feet & legs. Came of it back in February..still have mild burning, etc...but I honestly think I have some sort of neuropathy...but can't see a Neurologist 'til March 2016! That's right..9 monhs down the line. I was given Doxazosin when coming off the Amlodipine, so I now take that along with the other meds. It has controlled my bp. If you can persuade your Dr. to take you off the Amlodipine; do so...A friend takes Valsartan (again, an ARB), & has beautiful bp control. There are also A.C.E.'s..etc. You shouldn't be jailed into just 1 medicine when there are plenty out there. Stick up for your rights!!!

Thanks Mike, hope you are finding improvement in the legs and ankles, and waiting for 9 mths to see the Neurologist is pretty bad!  yes I will talk to my doctor soon, I think the Irbesartan is fine, I just dont want the side effects I get with the Amlo, especially troubled with ankle swelling and stiffness at present and bad dreams every night or just sleeplessness.   I am here in Australia, not sure where you are?  Some drugs have different names in different areas, I will follow up the names that you have mentioned.  Best wishes   

suezan36..thanks for your reply. Definitely, 9 months to see a Specialist is totally ridiculous. I'd hate to think what could go wrong during that time. I will be seeing a Cardiologist on Wednesday for an investigation into another problem, & will explain certain things to him as well. One never knows...sometimes a Specialist carries more clout than a GP & if necessary could contact the other Specialist to encourage a much earlier appointment. 

Hi Elaine, I was tired also and kind of weary, really had to push to do things, which I did, but rewards weren't there even when I'd done something. Conversations were difficult cause I lost interest & I had little going on in my head which was weird. Even when I suffered insomnia I had nothing in my head. I doubt this would have improved if I was still taking amlodipine. Feeling very creative and love doing things again. Over two weeks off now & feeling good.

Hi Elaine, for me the tiredness was just there all the time, it didn't get better and felt like a fog around me. I was uninspired but tried my best to do things. Unfortunately the fog kept me from feeling good about anything I had done despite knowing I had done a good job.

Three weeks without I'm now reaping the rewards of everything I do & feel much better about myself. I am still on Rampiral 2.5mg for BP and have little side effect from this drug, Maybe this will suit you?

I really talk to my Gp and provide evidence of daily BP and moodswings & report back when I change meds. This seems to keep him going along with me. Remember Gps don't know what to do either, they just have lists of general drugs to provide and usually guess at which one will suit your symptoms. if you don't let them know what's going on they won't know how to respond. Good luck. & hope this helps. Paul.

Thanks Mike.

I was taking 2.5mg Rampiral & 10mg Amlodipine for two years. Ceasing the Amlodipine has made no difference to my BP but such a difference to my overall well being.

PaulB1950s...I'm finding that Amlodipine either works to lower the bp, or another medication is needed to help it. I have a relative who has good success with Amlodipine, a few friends who do, but for me it was useless,

resulting in a medication that wasn't helping. 

Paul that is astonishing that stopping your 10mg dose of Amlodipine has made no difference to your BP, is it really so ineffective?  I am taking only 2.5mg, I just resist taking the full 10mg my doctor wants to put me on.  Side effects are still unmanageble for me even on the low dose, you have inspired me to talk to my dr about stopping amlo altogether.  Good luck and best wishes

suezan36..Remember, there are other medications out there apart from Amlodipine. Amlodipine isn't the be all, & end all of bp medications. Amlodipine is a Calcium Channel Blocker. You could ask your Dr. for something in the ARB class, i.e. Irbesartan., or you might enquire about an A.C.E.., i.e. Coversyl. With an A.C.E., there's always the risk of a hard dry hacking cough..but I never experienced that. Go for it.

Hi there, thanks for your interest, Please remember that I am still on Rampiral 2.5mg, which is probably being effective enough. To put this in context a bit. After being "laid up" for around nine months and then in hospital for months before the liver transplant, I was really very unfit.

I have worked really well at keeping my diet ok and also walking around twenty miles or more per week for the past two years since the transplant. I am not surprised that I don't need the amlodipine any more as my fitness & well being has increased immensley. I'm not in any way saying that anyone would have the same response to stopping Amlodipine.

I've got to say though, that I was pretty unaware of how crappy I felt on this drug untill having stopped it. (I was mainly concerned with my ghastly nightmares). It's been nearly three weeks or more now I'm keeping a track of my BP morning & night to report to my Gp and also That cramps have stopped, I'm less tired, My mind is creative again & my general mood has lifted and is stablising nicely. Hopefully the nightmares will stop and I'll be able to get oiff the sleeping tablets prescribed to combat these. The nightmares were definately linked to Amlodipine as was the insomnia and fear of sleeping.

As Mike has said there seems to be problems with a hacking cough on other meds but I seem ok on 2.5mg Rampiral. Good luck with everything & remember that Gps will respond to written information that can be put in notes. Mine was very grateful as it takes responsibility away from him & these decisions become my responsibility. (I think that's fair). I also know this was the reason he went along with me.

Thanks Paul, a very clear picture of where you are at.  As well as the small dose of Amlo I am taking ,I am also on 300/12.5 irbesartan daily, and I dont believe I have any bad side effects from this medication.  The amlo side effects for me are the same as yours - nightmares, not sleeping, tiredness, lack of motivation and mental fog, pain in joints and swollen ankles, and a kind of fearfulness and feeling like crap.  I am seeing my GP this week, i will try talking about how I am taking an active and responsible approach to my bp - doing daily bp readings, regular exercise and a more careful diet (my weight is slowly droppinig so I am happy about that too).  Personally I am happy that my BP readings are now consistently between 140/80 and 160/90, I am in my early 60's and I just dont want to force my body to try to maintain lower readings through taking awful medication which reduces me to a shell of myself.  Thanks      

Hi Suezan, you could always attempt coming off  amlodipine & do daily BP to see if it makes a difference. If you tell your Gp your going to try this by yourself it will take responsibility off him. (that's fair for him). you can always restart if Bp starts rising. Check with him how long it takes to re-start working, but given how long the side effects last I would guess it's pretty quickly & doubt you would do any harm to yourself. I am astonished at the difference I feel in myself from stopping amlodipine. Just a thought.