H,i im so glad i found this forum. I was prescribed this drug, 5mg daily, 7 weeks ago for very high blood pressure after having a 24 hour b.p. monitor and have been going downhill ever since. For the last week I have been almost crippled with very swollen feet, ankles and lower leg, which ache all the time and have sharp pains traveling up the back of my legs. Work has been a nightmare ( I have to stand for seven hours a day with one half hour break). Walking is very painful too. Not only that but i feel so tired all the time and I'm getting depressed now. My stomach is upset and a feeling of nausea is present most of the time. I have tried to get an appt with my doctor who has been on leave and is now booked up for 3 weeks! the last 3 visits to the docs have all been with "other" doctors at the practice who do not know my history and it was one of these who prescribed amlodipine in the first place. I don't even know if this drug is working to bring down the blood pressure as have not been checked but told to wait 6 to 8 weeks after the first dose. I really dont want to see any doc who is available, I want to see MY doctor, but 3 weeks more of this and i will be in the funny farm so it looks like I will have to take my chances with whoever is available. I would like to be a bit knowlegable about what else i could be taking instead because after reading some of the posts on here Im sure that it is THIS drug that is having such a bad effect on my health. Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved. I am also on Iron tabs, Norethisterone and have just finished a course of 6 Zoladex implants, one every 28 days for another condition but havent had any adverse reactions from any of these in the past.. Thanks to anyone who can help.
I know this may sound uninformed and even stuipd.
But I have a couple of issues with this whole High Blood Pressure.
1st.
It is my understanding that 1/2 of people over 50 have High Blood Pressure.
Almost ALL of people over 60 have :"High Blood Pressure."
Maybe that is "the way it is suppose to be"
"Things" in the body don't work as well as they once did. Will NEVER AGAIN. and WILL CONTINUE TO GET WORSE.
Maybe this is our bodies NATURAL reaction to this situation.
And trying to "Artificially" lower it is actually MORE DAMAGEING then leaving it alone.
Sorry to hear of your problems and I am sure that having read the postings on this forum you are in no doubt that it is the medication.
I sympathise too with the problems having to see different GPs, sadly this seems to have become the norm. I had this problem and what I would do was to book with my 'own' GP even though it was often a few weeks before I could see him so even though I might have had to visit the surgery and see others there in between, at least I got to talk things over with him. He knew my history, and this can make a big difference.
Back to your question of what other drugs are available, well there are a number of them, and I think I am correct in saying there are 4/5 main types which act in different ways. (You can look them up on this website) I have had a number of others all with varying 'bad' side effects. My latest is an alpha blocker Doxazosin. Out of all this is the one with the least side effects for me. BUT I hasten to add that different people react differently to them. HOWEVER Amlodopine seems to be the one that nearly everyone has problems with.
HI Jani
Sorry to hear about your issues with Amlodioine. I too was on this poison they call a medicine. I had many of the sides you’re talking about, including angina like symptoms, problems with my memory & eyesight. I also spoke to my doctor about these sides, but was told they would go away & perhaps it wasn’t caused by the Amlodopine. It seems to me, doctors don’t like to be told the meds they are giving us, can make us worse than our original complaint.
I was on 10mg & the higher the dose the worse the sides. Just look on the pages of this site and you’ll see what I mean.
I’d been on it for three months and said enough. I followed the advice that a doctor gave to another person on this site, (I think it was) which was to take the tablet every other day for two weeks & stop. It worked for me. You’ll need to be monitoring your blood pressure during this withdrawal as your blood pressure could become higher than they were when you started.
Before I started Amlodipine, I had BP as high as 190/110. Whilst on the Amlodipine it came down a bit, but not normal levels. My average now is in the low 140s over 70, it can go as low as 122/59.
I’ve been a diabetic for 35 years. One of the main complications is hypertension, due to arterial & heart issues. How did I do it? A lot of research looking at other peoples research led me to:
Magnesium glycinate powder 300mg twice a day (I now sleep like a baby)
Coenzyme Q10 100mg twice a day (Ubiquinol soft gels, best for absorbtion)
Vitamin D3 20000iu (people without knowledge say it’s too high because the daily recommendation is 400ius daily. Studies have shown this is woefully low. If you went walking for half an hour on a sunny day, your body would produce 10000-20000ius of D3 in half an hour) How can 400ius be enough.
Omega 3 Fish Oil 1000mg (not containing soya)
If you don’t drink milk take some calcium. It works with the D3 & Magnesium
Vitamin B-Complex (get a good one don’t get from a high street shop)
Vitamin E mixed tocopherols 400ius
A note of caution: magnesium and Amlodipine don’t seem to mix. Check out Amlodipine interactions on the net. I had to wait until I was off the amlodipine before taking magnesium.
There are many scientific studies to be found on the Internet, regarding all the supplements I’ve mentioned. There is a mountain of data. So look it up and don’t take my word for it.
It took a good month and a bit for it all to kick in, but hey, here I am Amlodipine free with BP that’s getting lower and lower week by week. I can hardly believe it.
Here’s some bad news. If you’re the kind of person who likes cakes, sugar, bread & all things carbs. You’ll need to cut down. High levels of insulin due to high sugar and carbohydrates intake are damaging to the cardiovascular system. I don’t eat any of this stuff now. Don’t get me wrong, if I was 100% healthy, I’d be in there. A few weeks ago I could hardly walk. I can now.
Final note...
Honestly, most doctors would rather have you stay on this medicine. They would never recommend what I’ve just mentioned. They must play it safe.
I’m glad I did not… This stuff (Amlodipine) is banned in Holland for good reason.
TC
I do sympathise with this problem of seeing one's "own" doctor. I am in the same posiiton - cannot get an appointment with her until mid May!! However, if you phone adn ask them to ring you back at least you might get a chat over the phone. No doctor can expect you to wait while suffering horrid side effects. I do wonder sometimes how much attention they pay to side effects when prescribing
Jani
I hope you have been given the usual blood test after a couple of weeks of starting Amlodipine to check for any side effects to your kidneys etc, as I'm a bit concerned when you mention you have just been told to "wait 6 to 8 weeks after the first dose." Everyone should have this routine test after commencing any blood pressure medications.
Like Annie, I have been tried on several different BP meds, including Amlodipine which caused very swollen ankles with inflammation and rash at the bottom of my legs which was then diagnosed as varicose eczema as a side effect of the Amlodipine. The swelling did completely disappear within a month of stopping the pills, but the varicose eczema remains although not as noticeable. Ramipril was another medication that didn't suit me and made me feel nauseous. I was put on Diltiazem when the Amlodipine was stopped and I am still taking this alongside Losartan Potassium. Diltiazem is from the same family as Amlodipine so I do still have some swelling of the ankles towards the end of the day but nothing compared to Amlodipine. The only discernible side effect so far with Losartan is an increase in my creatinine levels discovered at the first blood test but this is being carefuly monitored. My pharmacist has told me that he hears far fewer complaints of side effects from patients taking Losartan as compared with the other BP drugs so it does sound a well tolerated one. There are six different classes of BP medications, and each class has numerous forms of the drugs that work in slightly different ways.
Amlodipine is a Calcium Channel Blocker and the listed side effects include flushing, headache, ankle swelling, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, palpitations, drowsiness, insomnia, stomach upsets, rashes, tinnitus.
Losartan is an Angiotensin 11 Receptor Antagonist (the newest of the blood presssure drugs), and studies have shown that this drug does not have the side-effects associated with the other classes of drugs with the occasional exception of dizziness.
Hope that helps.
Thanku for your reply Hitch, you could be right, I am 53! I didnt have my bp checked for years until last year when another medical condition raised its head and they decided to check me over. It could be a natural aging process but with bp of between 180/130 going to 210/140 I was told this was very high and needed to be brought down. We trust our doctors to be doing the best for us but are they?
Thanx Annie, I will check through the website and look at the lists. Am going to go to the docs on monday and see whoever but will take your advice and book with my doc for three weeks time anyway 
Thanku for your advice, Im not diabetic but I will certainly look into my diet as yes i do have quite a lot of carbs. I do drink milk tho, and had considered the fish oil. I need to get off this drug and will take a look at the data you mention concerning the the vitamins too. My bp has been ranging from around 180/130 to 210/140
Thanks Rosie, I went to my doctor for another contition, and have ended up feeling ten times worse since taking this drug. I read somewhere that its one of the cheapest so cost before patient comfort? Am going to see a doc monday, but have decided to book in with my own doctor in three weeks as well as prefer face to face
Hi Mrs O and thanks for your reply, I did have a blood test 5 days after starting the treatment which showed anemia, but they said everything alse was ok. I will ask for another! Thankyou for bringing my attention to Losartan, I will look into this too. I know I need to get off the Amlodipine before any more damage is done - I did notice a red rash on my ankle yesterday ;/
Hitch - I have been thinking the same thing recently. High Blood pressure is commonly diagnosed among over-50's and also younger than that. All the poisonous medication my doctor has put me on over the past 12 months - Amlo, Physiotens, etc, have NOT made any difference in lowering my BP and the side effects are still with me even though I stopped taking those types of meds nearly 2 months ago.
So- my high blood pressure doesnt want to come down through the use of meds. I am sure there are other more natural and effective measures we can take. I think high BP runs in my family.
What did doctors and people do 100, or 50 years ago, before these medications were around. Well, sure, people died from BP-related problems but I cannot try to 'artificially lower' my BP and have quality of life. Thanks Hitch.
Sue B
I know it's been a year since your post, but I'm saying this in case anyone else reads the above advice. I understand the thought that "natural is best," and of course it is. But when your blood pressure is getting into the 210/140 range, it is putting you in stroke territory. My husband suddenly experienced blood pressure issues after never having them. He SHOULD have gone on something to get it down while he worked on diet an exercise. PS: He ended up paralyzed from the chin down and it cost him his wonderful piano-playing ability. Yeah, work on the natural end, but also don't gamble with your life. Because no side effect he has now is as bad as not being able to play the piano and walk.
I have what they call malignant hypertension, very hard to control. I get what you're saying about "A". It's an awful drug. I was taking it with another drug , Valsartan for my BP. I called my doctor yesterday and he didn't call me back but I've decided I can't live like this. I'm raising 2 grandkids 8-9 years old and I'm 71 years old. I was taking a drug called Tekturna and another, Exforge and was doing great. Feeling wonderful. Then I had an episode of atrial flutter and my new doctor told me he didn't like Tekturna and he said it didn't work anyway. Well it worked great for me. So now I have to find a doctor who looks at my age and doesn't think I'm ready for a rocking chair. Let me know how you are and what meds are helping you
Hi Conductor,
i recently change medical facilities and my new doctor immediately put me on this Amlodipine, and i can say, i hate it! Drowzy, sleepy from the time taken (evening hours) til mid-afternoon. I've repeatly explain i to my professional medical examiner that in my line of work i cant take this drug, but he's only concern that i'll adjust and is my bp lowering.
thank you for providing an alternative choice, as i do believe the right herb can and will rid our body of toxin elements.
Doxazosin is one of those that can ahve sc ary side effects like postural hypotension, i.e. you'd have to crouch down to get some blood into your brain, otherwise you can't stand or walk.It is not dangeorus, just annoying. This means that the drug can lower your blood pressure to extremely low values. This is another example for the difference between patients since you are not experiencing this particular symptom with Doxazosin.
Hi Marie,
I am 54 have been on Valsartan for many years...I went to the Emergency Room yesterday with my bp 180/120. Very high for me. Anyway, long story short, I was prescibed Amlodipine 5mg today. I have taken 1 pill today. I have been to the bathroom more today than I have been in 3 days...to pee, and my head is pounding. I am thinking I will not take my next pill. My bp is still up. I really hope you have found some remedy that works for you. If so, please share
Hi mommalaurat
Sorry to hear you are having trouble with high bp readings. With the Amlodipine 5mg, you may need to take it for a couple of weeks to really see if the effects settle down, and if your readings settle down. Can you talk to your GP and say how the medication is making you feel? There may be something else they can prescribe for you. Do you know why your reading went up to 180/90? If you can find some reasons why it is high you may be able to take control of it through other means such as exercise or diet.
Good luck, let us know how you go
Sue B
oMG my legs and feet are so swollen since ive been taking this amlodipine, I am stopping this medication immediately and ask my dr. for an alternative medication. my ankles as so swollen i could not figure out why i was swelling all of a sudden. Ive been taking this medication for about a month now and thats when the swelling began.
Swelling in your legs and feet indicates water accumulation. Usually a diuretic which drives water out is prescribed along with a blood pressure drug. A diuretic by itself also helps to lower blood pressure. As to another calcium channel blocker like amlodipine, there are two other choices: verapamil and diltiazem. As for a diuretic, spiractin comes to mind. You don't have to wait for weeks to check your blood pressure, a day or two shouid show results. You could also visit the casualty (emergency) of a hospital and ask the doctor on duty for a prescription if
your own doctor is on an extended leave. Don't just leave your blood pressure high by waiting for his return.