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This can be a dangerous medication - beware!

Posted , 64 users are following.

Colibri
Colibri

I took 5mg of amlodipine without problems for about a month. After the first-week period of adjustment, in which it completely knocked me out, I felt normal again and was overjoyed that it lowered and kept my usual 150+/90+ BP down to a textbook 120/80 (with minor variation).

But then side effects began to develop. I found my sleep increasingly poor, until I could only reach a half-sleep, no matter how much exercise I had had that day (or benadryls or Ambiens I took), "twilight sleep" I think it's called, and I arose as tired as when I went to bed, as if I hadn't slept at all.

Then I noticed that I would suddenly have shoulder and upper back muscle pain within an hour of taking amlodipine. The doctor lowered my dose to 2.5mg of amlodipine plus 40mg of benazepril, which brought only temporary improvement. The painful muscle spasms returned.

And most disturbing were the severe hot flashes that woke me up at night, as if the room were on fire, but the thermometer indicated it was only about 70°F (21°C) and my own body temperature was sub-normal, only 97 F or so (36 C), but despite my feelings of being overheated, I did not sweat - except from the soles of my feet, which is unusual for me. But my skin felt like it was on fire.

Then I would often wake with my brain "on fire" and itching like a bad allergy that I couldn't get to to scratch, and my eyes burning and streaming with tears.

The end of the amlodipine is when I opened the trunk (boot) of my car and blood vessels in the tips of my fingers where they had contacted the edge of the trunk (boot) lid burst and my fingers swelled up. I have never had weak blood vessels, or anything like that happen before.

Calcium blockers cause the blood vessels to relax and thin out - and now I wonder if not become weak. That would be a great setup for a stroke. I basically had a stroke in my fingers.

I will NEVER take this medication again. I believe it can lead to muscle pain, unrestorative interrupted sleep, and worse, strokes. I now consider it poison for me.

By the way, amlodipine has been banned in the Netherlands and other countries because its dangerous negative side effects outweigh its benefits. I don't think the Dutch are arbitrary or capricious in their decisions - I totally agree. This substance should be banned everywhere.

15 likes, 121 replies

121 Replies

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  • iori47322
    iori47322 Colibri

    Posted

    I've been on Amlidopine for 9 months and the only side effect I've noticed is very poor sleep and feeling crap in the mornings
    • Colibri
      Colibri iori47322

      Posted

      Amlodipine is a very effecive drug to lower blood pressure, and some people are very fortunate not to have any significant side effects.

      But I have found that people who do have troubling side effects usually say that the problems slowly increase in intensity (amlodipine side effects are seldom immediate - it took a month for mine to develop to the point that I began to feel they were becoming dangerous), and people often develop other side effects later on. In my experience and conversations with people, any side effects of amlodipine you experience are unlikely to go away with time (as with many other drugs) - they stay the same or get worse. In other words, I fear that after 9 months, your sleep problems will not improve and your resulting fatigue in the morning won't either. By the way, do you check your heart rate on a regular basis? That was one of my not so obvious side effects - my heart rate steadily increased from about 60 to more than 80 - something that I would not have known for sure without a blood pressure machine that also measures pulse rate. When your heart is beating faster all the time, it is working harder, and you feel more tired.

      I returned to a mild ACE inhibitor (benazepril), a very low-salt, low-fat diet, and I lost weight - and my blood pressure returned to acceptable levels (with NO side effects!). But salty and fatty foods still raise my blood pressure!

  • iori47322
    iori47322 Colibri

    Posted

    Thanks for sharing your experiences as I said before I've been on Amlodopine for 9 months with the mentioned side effects there is further news the Specialist who has been trying to sort out my problems sent me for a brain scan to rule out a benign growth on my auditory nerve that could be causing the hissing in my right ear. 

    Results came back clear I feel they should now be looking at my meds and wait in anticipation of this when I see my specialist again in early December 

     

    • Colibri
      Colibri iori47322

      Posted

      I'm so sorry that amlodipine doesn't seem to be improving anything but your BP. It also gave me tinnitus (constant noise in the ear). My right ear developed a noise (which was esp. disturbing at night) that sounded like a small electric motor buzzing. I finally had to get a "white noise machine" (like a fan, etc.) to block out the noise. My left ear then developed a penetrating screaming sound (not very loud, but constant, and very noticeable when all was quiet. Since amlodipine dilates arteries all over the body, it seemed it was allowing too much blood to rush through my inner ears and cause these annoying effects. Personally, with all the side effects I experienced (there were a dozen more, including very easy bruising and swelling), I will never take this drug again.
    • iori47322
      iori47322 Colibri

      Posted

      How long did it take for  the noise in your ear to go after stopping the amlodipine?
    • Colibri
      Colibri iori47322

      Posted

      I really didn't count days as I was afraid it was permanent (fortunately it wasn't), but I would say maybe a month after my last amlodipine. There are other things that can cause hissing in your ears, such as lots of aspirin, pepto-bismol, exposure to very loud music or noises, and getting past 60 year old! I still have mild hissing, sometimes light ringing in my ears, but it started before amlodipine. After a while my brain kinda shuts it out, and I have to stop in a silent place and pay attention to whether my ears are hissing or not - usually they are - no biggie. But the strange electric-motor sound was unique for me with amlodipine. It has disappeared now.
  • kaleani75551
    kaleani75551 Colibri

    Posted

    Hello, i am new to this forum.  I have been taking 2 different medications (lisonopril and atenolol) for high blood pressure for quite sometime but recently i experienced spikes as high as 195/117, for reasons that I cannot explai, and the spikes would last several days.  Terrified i contacted the doctor who added Amlodipine.  I took the first one yesterday, but now i am reading all these posts and wonder if i should even continue with this new medication.  I know i should decrease my salt intake and i will do this rather than taking a chance with a 3rd med with awful side effects...
    • Diana112
      Diana112 kaleani75551

      Posted

      Hello Kaleani, I guess most of us on this discussion would say avoid Amlodipine, just reading through the side effects is enough to give anyone high blood pressure.  I believe a lot of the BP drugs fail to control the BP sufficiently after a while and you have to use a different one but a healthy lifestyle should be the first approach - weight, exercise, low salt etc. but not an easy option and not one that doctors seem to look at? Bottom line, for me anyway, is drugs have to be a last resort.  I was prescribed Amlodipine - horrid side effects, so changed to ramipril - no improvement -  and then indapamide - no improvement and with no time between prescriptions for the chemicals to be removed from the body I have now ended up with an autoimmune condition and steroids. 
    • Mainelily
      Mainelily kaleani75551

      Posted

      3 blood pressure medications is a lot but your pressure is high.  If I were you I think I would get put on something else or have the ones you are one adjusted.
  • michael41635
    michael41635 Colibri

    Posted

    I'm beginning to believe Mary Baker Eddy was on to something.
  • bill59563
    bill59563 Colibri

    Posted

    Hi Colibri,

       I am a 79 year old male with heart disease and recently diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic although not yet requiring treatment.  I weigh 93 Kg and am 5' 10", waist 42".  Retired graphic designer but still designing professionally. Following three cardiac episodes in 1997 I had heart surgery in Aug 1999 involving 5 bypasses.       The surgeon told me I could expect the operation to last ten years so I am pleased to have passed his expectations. 3 months ago I started dog-walking with a friend and was feeling on top of the world until I had to attend for my six monthly check-up when my BP was noted as having risen from 148 to 164. My BP has been known to fluctuate between these figures ever since my bypass operations so I was not unduly worried.  However, my doctor prescribed Amlodipine and advised me that it was a less troublesome drug than one I had already taken (Bendroflumethiazide 2.5 mg) but which had been discontinued due to possible conflict with a gout attack I suffered and was treated with a double dose of my regular Allpurinol.

    I started the course of Amlodipine 5 mg tablets seven days ago and have noticed some alarming side effects: muscular pains in my stomach & legs, feeling painful needle pricks in my feet, blurred vision, wheezing and a general feeling of aching lethargy.

    A few days ago I had to attend my clinic for a B12 and a shingles injection and while there I asked the practise nurse if she would check my BP but she said it would be a month before any change could show.  

    After reading the comments on this forum I am stopping taking the tablet today.  I will inform my doctor who is sure to try and persuade me to continue but I felt I was doing so well before adding this tablet to my medications.

    I am determined to try a more refined diet and a more rigorous exercise routine. I do not smoke and only drink wine occasionally with food. 

    I will follow your progress and I will report if my BP changes.

    Best wishes.

    • mike92384
      mike92384 bill59563

      Posted

      Hi bill59563..In this forum, we do not represent ourselves as doctors, but try to help others with what we've experienced with various medications.

      I have a few relatives & some friends who take Amlodipine without any problems whatsoever. This medication doesn't agree with me, so after a year with burning legs, I finally came off it. The burning has subsided considerably, but my doctor did tell me that physiologically, it could take a while for the drug to completely leave my system. Yes, you've read some pretty disturbing comments on this forum about the Amlodipine, but everyone is different. I would not encourage you to stop medication due to what you read on here. You've only been on the tablets a week..not enough time to see if they will help you or not. However after another week or so, if you are still experiencing troublesome side effects, then by all means get back to your doctor. As for it taking a month for any reduction to show in your bp readings, again..not being a doctor; I disagree with that. My advice to you at this point would be to spend some money on a reliable bp machine. I recommend Omron. They're known for accuracy. Monitor your bp at home..but don't get yourself into the habit of taking readings constantly. Bp fluctuations minute to minute. If you do get a high reading, don't let it cause panic; however if the readings stay high over a few days, then by all means this should be brought to the doctor's attention. Apply the cuff to your LEFT arm, approx. 1/2" above the bend in your elbow. Be sure the tube runs down the centre of the bend of your arm. Sit with your feet flat on the floor, with your left arm resting on a table, even with your heart, & with palm facing upward. Rest for a few minutes..completely relax, then take your bp readings. Do not take readings within 30 min. of eating, drinking coffee, alcohol etc..smoking, bathing, showering. Keep a record of your readings over several days.I'd suggest you take 2 readings per day...1 in the morning, 1 in the mid to late afternoon..but do not take readings if you're feeling ill or are in pain, or under stress. 

      A refined diet & more exercise is always good regardless of what your bp readings may be. Again, before you stop taking the Amlodipine, talk to your doctor!!!

    • Mainelily
      Mainelily bill59563

      Posted

      You know your body better than anybody. And from reading these posts it seems this is not a good drug.  I would advise you to do whatever you feel is right for you.  If you don't like the doctor, get another.

  • bill59563
    bill59563 Colibri

    Posted

    I have reported to my doctor that because of the side effects from Amlodipine I no longer take it.  His reply was to tell me that my side effects were widely reported and were well known.  He agreed that it obviously didn't suit me and made an appointment to discuss the matter in two weeks hence.  But I fear that I have lost confidence in the medical profession - remember when thalidomide was prescribed for morning sickness?.  Even now two weeks after stopping Amlodipine I am still experiencing discomfort with nausea, blurred vision and excessive flatuence although the cramps in the legs have gone and I am breathing and sleeping better. However, I am sure that I have done the right thing.  I now have an Omron BP monitor but have a feeling of being a hypocondriac.  Some years past I had a colonoscopy which revealed that I had divertucolitis (?sp) and wonder if this is indirectly related to my digestive problems.  I am walking for an hour each day which can only do me good and there has been a little weight loss.

     

    • mike92384
      mike92384 bill59563

      Posted

      Hi bill59563...I'm glad you consulted with your doctor. Never should anyone stop medication without their doctor knowing, or being supervised by the doctor. While the doctor agreed you should stop taking the Amlodipine, were you given anything else.?? I stopped taking the Amlodipine about 2 months ago, & although my side effects have improved, I'd say about 85-90%,they are not completely gone...however, I'm happy with the improvement. My doctor said that although I've stopped the medication, & considering I was on it for a year, physiologically, it could "take a while" for all the effects to leave my body. I know some people who take Amlodipine without problems, then there are some who suffer swollen ankles/legs. As you know there is a host of people on this forum who have had nasty side effects. Like anything else; what's good for one, isn't good for another. You've stated an improvement with the cramps, breathing & sleeping. I'm sure the rest will come with time. You said you now have a bp monitor but have the feeling of being a 'hypocondriac'. Don't allow the machine to intimidate you. Only take your readings when yoiu're completely relaxed. Don't think about the numbers. In an earlier post, I explained the proper procedure for taking your bp readings. You've lost a little weight, & are walking an hr. each day. THAT is a VERY good thing!!!! Keep it up,Buddy.
    • Mainelily
      Mainelily bill59563

      Posted

      I too have lost confidence in the medical profession, am one myself, which is one of the reasons I retired. You know your body. Taking your blood pressure is an excellent thing to do.
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