This Drug is Dynamite

Hello Annette

I Had similar problems to you, which I have posted about on the forum

I stopped taking Amlodipine 5mg after my legs and ankles swelled up very badly, My GP changed the Amlodipine for Losartan 50mg and Furosemide 40mg ( a diuretic ) to drain the access water build up in my legs.

One leg has returned to normal, But one leg has only reduced by 50% and still has the eczema type rash from the ankle to the knee.

My GP also added Atorvastatin 20mg as a precaution, I still feel a bit wobbly now and then, but nothing like I felt while taking Amlodipine, and my blood pressure has gone down to 125/74, a bit better than 180/100

Amlodipine is a dangerous drug. I think it may have only one reasonable use, and that is very short-term treatment of extremely elevated blood pressure - because that is the only thing it did well and predictably for me - lower very high blood pressure to normal. I've written about my terrible experience with it on another thread.

I have found that I had to taper over a few days to avoid a sudden skyrocketing in blood pressure: starting with 5 mg, going to 2.5 mg for 2-3 days, to 1.25 for another 2 or 3 days, while increasing another hypertension med and making lifestyle changes (supplements and healthy diet - esp. low/no salt or fat; light exercise and stretching; hydration; relaxation).

I still have unusual new tinnitus in one ear (like the rushing of water and sometimes like a tiny electric motor!), and I'm not completely recovered from feeling frighteningly short of breath (like I'm suffocating) just taking a walk (but it's much less severe), but the other awful symptoms have almost completely disappeared - I'm especially glad my sleep is improving fast.

As others on this forum have observed, most of amlodipine's side effects develop so gradually that you may not associate them with the drug.

Like Paul, I have noticed how amlodipine may affect your left side and right side differently. For example, the tinnitus is in my right ear but not my left, my right shoulder hurt but my left didn't, and there was more swelling on one ankle than the other. I have wondered if it has to do with which side we tend to sleep on, but I'm not sure about that.

I concur with your comments though my experiences with Losartan it is that is none too friendly either. I felt incredibly tired and stiff for the duration of 3 months or so I was on it having abandoned Valsartan for similar reasons. I have now moved on to Ramipril 5.mg x2  and so far so good except for screaming tinnitus. I am hoping that it will fade .. or I get used to it after a few more weeks. I may be being an optimist but I am rapidly running out of BP control options.