I was put on Amlodipine about 2 1/2 months ago for slighlty high BP. (Im 45 super fit kick box all the time) About 1 month in I noticed heart palputations laying in bed at night , and small bouts of blurry vision. 2 month mark I was tired all the time and had chest and left arm pain. Been to ER had stress test, EKG etc blood test eveything OK.
Then out of nowhere brain fog hit, head aches, overall weakness nuasea, arm and chest pain. It took me noticing when I took a pill, arm pain got worse and had trouble swallowing. So found this site and took my last pill 11 days ago.
First 3 days vision better no brian fog. Day 7-8 bad flash back of wekness nausea chest and arm pain. Now day 11 of being off, it I still do not feel 100% left arm chest pain little better, nausea comes and goes. I am convinced it is Amlodipine Docotor says no. Ive had additional blood test this week, all came back fine. So two months taking it hoping at two week mark of not taking pills I really start to improve. As far as BP drinking beet juice once a day keeps it in check.
Hi Jeff
It's good that the side effects kicked in so soon, that way you have more chance of recognising that it's the pills doing it. If you read other posts, you find that many take them for years before anything happens and then it can take many months or years before you discover that the pills are to blame, all the time getting worse and worse. Makes life pure misery. What I find frustrating, is that no matter how many tests you have, EKG, blood tests, endoscopy (as in my case), specialists, the list is endless, but all come back negative and clear. In my case, the doctors kept telling me it wasn't the pills and I'm sure they thought me a hypochondriac and started treating me as such. I thought I was going mad, or had dementia, the mental effects were so bad. Physically, I was unable to function.
Pleased you are off them and I'm sure you'll continue to improve now.
See your doctor NOW! Almost immediately after my Amlodipine dosage was increased from 5 to10 mg I felt palpitations and weakness. I went to my doctor and found I had developed aFib. Even after I gave up the medicine it continued to get worse until I actually passed out and ended up in the hospital for a pacemaker.
HI There, I find it amazing how many people are suffering on this drug and DRs are still prescribing it. I have an apt today with with my primary care. She is not aware I stopped taking it. Every day is a little better for me, I still have a long way to go and I am hoping for a full recovery. I will need to be on another BP meds and I do tend to run high. I am glad you are feeling better and hope you too will get a full recovery.
Hi Jeff, fact of the matter is that doctors lie all the time, because they do not know.. if you don't need surgery then stay away from them.. This is the advice from a life long pharmacist friend.. Guide lines were put in place at the World Health Organization in 1977.... do some research, eat health, get plenty of rest and exercise.. Please don't fall into the trap of creating new patients by lowering blood pressure to sell more drugs.. Think about it...Best of Health to you..
Well I had another EKG blood test and chest xray a week ago, everything looks good
Hi Jeff - I was on Amlodipine 5 mg for almost 5 yrs & 10 mg for like 3 weeks. I did not start to experience side effects until about a year into it & then basically couldn't function on the 10 mg. I can assure you, all of your side effects are the cause of the Amlodipine, your side effects & story is a carbon copy of so many of the posters on this site. Consider yourself lucky that you found out when you did and did not have to endure the suffering like so many of us have had to, because our Drs refused to hear us.
I am 45 days off of the Amlodipine, and initially I felt great, but then had headaches, muscle cramps etc. Brain fog left immediately and thankfully hasn't returned. I will say with every day my symptoms are less, but still have residual shoulder/hand sensation & some GERD symptoms. My blurry vision, migraine headaches, swollen ankles, hot rash on calves, chest pain under left breast and electric shock in extremities have all disappeared. I think the longer you have been on this nasty drug, the longer it takes for your symptoms to subside. You should be feeling great in no time! Good Luck!
I hope you are right, spoke with a different doctor today after not feeling well... day 12 off it. Felt sick heart palputations ... ran a EKG im still good explained my concerns to doctor. Doctor agreed to try another BP medicine even though Im off amlodipine. My BP today 132/78. Still drinking one glass of beet juice daily. So that appears to be keeping my BP in check.
Hi Jeff - Would you maybe characterize your feelings also as anxiety? Something I didn't mention before but while I was on Amlodipine & even when I came off of it, I experienced severe panic attacks that have very physical symptoms like heart palpitations/racing heart/pounding head/flushing/shortness of breath - I just felt weird - obviously it is your decision, but I would give your body time to re-coup before going on another RX, your blood pressure appears very reasonable for your age - I think Drs want everyone's B/P to be a perfect 120/80, I am not so sure that is attainable & at what cost? Just my opinion - hope u feel better - I think it shall pass -
Dr. Did bring that up today as possible issue. I did point out prior to this medicine never had issues before. So if this is amlopidine I still can only hope side effects end soon . I was reccomneded anti_depresents. Turned them down...last thing I want is more meds. And seems to be the trend on this forum. Peolpe go to doctors complaining of side effectsm only to be given more meds. Two months ago i could run through a wall. Now im feeling pretty feeble. Again all my bloodwork checked out for other stuff.
Now think about this 120/80 blood pressure for all of us? It's impossible doctors can not tell me a 20 year old has the same bp as a 70 year old.. Pushing the numbers down with drugs does more harm than good and advice from doctors etc. is the 3rd leading cause of death across the board.. Doctors want ALL of us to be on drugs, there is big money in it for them. and the pharmaceutical companies. In 1977 bp was changed from 100 + age to a low number.. Nine of the ten votes came from people who had ties to pharmaceutical companies.. The medical profession is one of the biggest hoaxes around today...Search the internet and you will see what I'm talking about.. Your doctor does not walk on water.. please be careful what you are taking...
Hi Jeff
I'm not a doctor, but just as my two penneth, I'd be more than pleased to have those BP numbers....I am a lot older than you though. My BP wasn't too different to yours when I got on this merry go round of pills, and if I'd have known then what I do now, I would never have taken them.
Do you have a BP monitor at home? Maybe it's worth getting one if you or your doctor are concerned about it. You say you are very active and fit, so I assume weight is not an issue, and doubt if you smoke, so perhaps, it may be an option to do a little in depth research yourself into other options before going down the medication route. Beet juice is good and I know there are many other things you can try if you want to bring it down a little. But honestly, BP cannot be a set number for every person of every age. It does tend to rise a little as you get older and that's normal and not unhealthy in my book. But as I say, I'm not a doctor, and you must decide for yourself what is acceptable and safe.
The anxiety is a big part of what these pills caused for me, as well as stomach problems, swelling, breathlessness, heart palpitations, joint and muscle pain, feeling detached, the list is endless as I was on them for 5 years........I got put on other pills to counteract these affects which I didn't know were caused by the amlodipine. They in turn caused more problems. If you didn't suffer any of these symptoms before starting on the med's, then I agree with others who say to give yourself time off any meds so as to give your body time to flush them out of your system. Obviously, if you start to feel really ill, or your BP continues to rise, you must consult your doctor, but only you can decide what's best for you. I now research myself if given any meds and as someone else on here once said, if you know a good pharmacist, ask their advice on drugs, as I'm not convinced that doctors have full knowledge of what they're giving out. I know mine needs to look in a book when she's deciding what to feed me next. Then again, no one drug suits everybody. But doctors do seem keen on throwing pills at people.......
Well day 14 off it, still feel like hell been back from yet, another ekg ..read fine at them time, having chest, and arm pain when I walk around (comes andvgoes), palpitations. See a cardiologist in a few days. I hope no permenent heart issue from 2 months of amlodipine. I know I have had couple panic attacks over this last couple weeks. Which never had before I took this drug. Beet juice still keeping BP in check
Oh so sorry to hear you are still not feeling great, but I do believe it takes a bit to get out of your system. Obviously that probably doesn't make you feel any better. I have been off of it 40 plus days and still have "weird episodes". Today I have a headache and I immediately start having an anxiety attack thinking about why I am having this headache. I know this is the fallout from this drug. I never had headaches or anxiety like this before. I just want to feel like my old self again and I am sure you do too! Good Luck in your recovery & I hope you get a clean bill of health -
Thank you i hope you are right. Feels like im not getting better, I know I have had at least 1 panic attack few days ago. Hopefully after I see cardiologist i can relax some.
Hello Debra...
I am on the 50th day off now after 3 yrs with all the problems building up ... would you care to share yr current progress ?
I have had most mental issues relieved months first 20 days .. right now .. the bad effects have somewhat been more controllable but I still get a heavy head... sore neck .. some fatigue and tiredness.. and bloating ... these come and go .. at 50 days ...
Hi there - Yes I am a little over 55 days clean from taking Amlodipine. I am still on Irbesartan 300/25. I would say that I have good days and then I have "not so great" days. When I first got off of it, I couldn't believe the difference I felt....no more doom & gloom, swelling in legs & ankles went away, flushing gone & numbness in hands and feet were less, shoulder pain & neck pain also less. Then after off of it for a week I started getting headaches again and traveling pain starting in my ankle radiating to my knee that was so painful, I was convinced I had a blood clot. Fortunately after a trip to Urgent Care it was not, but I swear it seems like everyday there is a new "something". Yesterday I had such gas & bloating and the pain under my left breast which I know is GERD. I didn't eat anything that would have warranted such a horrible reaction, but it seems that whatever I eat now, I get this. I feel that somehow my stomach has permanently been damaged by this drug because I never had these issues before. Also, I get this reoccurring sensation that half of my brain has been affected. It's a sensation like I am not all there. I still have random pain in my left jaw and some weird nerve sensation around my lips. I will say my anxiety appears less, but boy when I was first coming off of it, my anxiety was at an all time high, I also had shortness of breath & felt like I could choke on water. I do think taking magnesium/calcium helped calm me down in that department.
I was on Amlodipine for 5 years so I can only assume it's going to take awhile for my body to adjust - I will say that people have commented on my overall mood being bett er, so I must have really have been a "Debbie downer" because I still don't feel 100% happy. Another comment I have heard is that my skin looks better, which while on this horrid drug I developed Rosasea-I think your skin is a telltale sign as to what is going on in your body & mine was at war with this awful drug! I still have joint pain, but the electric shock in my extremities is gone. Hope this helps - please keep me posted on how you are getting along -
Be well -- Debra
Hello Debra...
Thanks for yr post ..
While on Amlodipine.. I had some of the serious symptoms .... brain fog .. feeling lost .. down and no enthusiasm.. tired ..lethagic... neck pains and aches .. insomnia ... sleepiness .. lack of energy .. miserable and irritable ..teary eyes and running nose ..
When off Amlodipine.. most immediate relief to brain fog .. anxiety... insomnia ...
At 50 days .. symptoms remain .. tired .. sleepy .. neck ache ..but .. less frequency maybe once in 10 days as compared pre once in 5 days ...and less serious .. so previously was 7 to 8 .. now is 3 to 4 ..
However new symptoms develop ... bloated and gas... stomach distended ... mild headaches at the back of head and neck ... shallow sleep ..
These are observable and I am sure they are Amlodipine related and not just wellness or such ..
Stay well...
These drugs are horrible and after reading comments it really makes you question the medical profession. Just by accident I came across a site, like this one, only it was med students talking to one another.. Boy was it an eye opener.. most of the posts I couldn't understand as it was medical lingo BUT did hear one student complain about a patient and another wrote to him saying he must protect his medical career above all else. These comments were prevelant and the way they spoke about patients in general was less than comforting...
A few days ago I developed very hot hands and they are now either hot or tingling. I walk daily, I lift weights, I eat low carb. There is no logical reason for this. My anxiety is far worse on this med than it has ever been. I just want off it. I had very high bp but the other meds they tried me on had issues too so they try to keep me on this mess.