Hi everyone!
I have decided to wean and eventually stop taking amlodipine. I started at 5 mgs per day and was getting some of the side effects that most people here on these discussion forums have experienced. I spoke to my gp about 3 weeks ago and she wanted me to continue taking the meds.
I was prescribed the meds because I was under a lot of stress and my bp was initally 223/114 on election day here in the US. I have less stress in my life and my bp had gone down to 158/86 at the start of Dec. I don't yet have a home monitor and my next gp appointment isn't until April.
I don't like the way my body was reacting to the meds while I was taking the full dosage. And I don't want to be hooked on something like this for the rest of my life just because of what I feel is the "flavor of the day" type of mentality that (some) doctors have in regards to their patients.
I have been watching my sodium intake and have less stress in my life, thanks to my brother loaning me his daughters' car that wasn't being used.
Can anyone help me with this? Please? Thank you in advance.
Hi Rozanne321...
Glad you were able to see the comments in this site regarding Amlodipine. As you can imagine, this doesn't appear to be a popular medication AT ALL. I hate the stuff,but will be teaming with my family doctor in the near future about coming off it. I'm also on Coversyl Plus HD, & 50mgs. Atenolol. Originally, I was on 5mgs Amlodipine, then my Dr. doubled it to 10mgs....mistake! My feet & legs became swollen...then I went on other meds. It's along story, so I won't bore you.
As for coming off the Amlodipine, you don't have to wean yourself..you can abruptly stop the medication without a problem. I have this from a very close friend who is a Pharmacist. Not only did she tell me this,but my own Pharmacist said the same thing. Having 2 opinions is good.
You said your bp has gone down to 158/86. While it's not the best reading in the world it's not great either. How did you get this reading? Try not to fall into the trap of taking your bp reading by one of those machines in Walmart or the Pharmacy. You never know the accuracy or when the machine was last calibrated. Also, there are variations as to arm size, etc. I will agree though, that any reading is betting than no reading at all.
As for a home monitoring machine, I highly recommend the Omron BP785. You can set it to take 3 readings, (15, 60 or 120 seconds apart), then it will give you the average...or you can set it to take 1 reading at a time, then you can take 2 more on your own, then average it out.
You didn't say what side effects you were experiencing, except to say some of them were the same as what people on the site are experiencing. If you have swollen feet/ankles that will NOT go away unless you stop the Amlodipine. Never stop taking a medicatin without the guidance of your doctor. I hope you don't mind me giving you this advice. Please try not to worry about being 'hooked on something like this for the rest of your life". There are other bp medications out there besides Amlodipine. Your doctor should have explainted this to you...but if the side effects of the Amlodipine persist, by all means get back to your doctor.
Nobody should have to put up with nasty side effects of any medication.
Please let us know how you get on.
I experienced no withdrawal -- but my level of fatigue returned to normal : NOT zero. However, my BP is now too high : We will see. . Modern meds are a problem -- They often do more harm than good, especially when one becomes anxious over the results. . Of course, our U S politics will make BP for anyone go up.
I was on amlodipine 5mg for about 3 months and had very sever side effects. I just stopped taking them and had no problem. I went back to my GP who prescribed other medication which I seen to getting on with at the moment.
Although I and still have some of the effects of the amlodipine 10 months on
no definitely no withdrawal symptoms only grear relief that I no longer had my daily poison dose of amlop. Now I no longer have to take BP tablets WHoopee
Hi Rozanne. No withdrawal symptoms,just relief!! On new BP drug plus Grape seed extract. I have been able to cut my 5mg dose of Lisinopril in half by taking the grape seed. Do ge ta good quality BP machine, worth paying the extra. Go back to your GP tell him/her that you want to change your meds.
Hi Nannylyn! I told my gp that if I continued to experience the "side effects" that I was going to wean and stop taking them. Of course she said that I should continue to take them and just get accustomed to them. The first then last time my bp was taken was at her office. It was 158/86... down from 173/92 when I was at my inital appointment with her on 11/6/14.
Since my last dosage of 1/3 of the 5 mg pill that I have been prescribed to take, I have slowly been weaning myself off of it, I haven't experienced any negative side effects neither from the weaning nor the last time I took it on 12/18/14. I started this discussion because I want to know if there are any side effects that I might experience while weaning and then not taking the amlodipine,
The initial reason for my gp/the hospital doctor prescribing this was because I was under a lot of stress on election day and felt my heart pound hard, but not fast, or felt any dizziness. I have less stress in my life since then because my brother has loaned me his daughter's car and I am able to get around, make my own out and about schedule without having to wait for others to take me places within a limited time schedule.
Hi Mike!
I agree with you that 158/86 isn't the best reading, but it's better than 173/92, which what it was when I left my gp's office 2 days after my 4 hour hospital stay. This reading was taken at her office,
Some of the side effects that I was experiencing were fatigue (feeling so tired 30 minutes after taking the meds that I felt like my body was a boulder but I knew that I had to get up!), "zoning out" mentally, loss of enthusiasm that things that I liked to do, hobbies, etc, felt more like chores and just plain dull. I didn't have any swollen fett/ankles. I kept them up when I was sitting at the table and/or couch. I don't have a job, so I didn't need to be on my feet. Driving the car is now a pleasure and not something to worry about whether I am going to zone out and get into an accident. I am also watching my sodium intake and diet. My daughter's boss, who is a chef at her job, gave me a couple of low-sodium cook books. So that helps also. Not that I will make all those gourmet meals, ha ha ...
I will let you know how I am getting along with NOT taking the meds. I do, however, take a multi-vitamin which my gp says is also go for me and doens't cause any side effects.
Hi rozanne321...I agree, 173/92is better than it was...but still needs monitoring. I do hope you're in consult with your doctor about this...you cannot keep up with a bp reading such as this. If you come off the medication, you'll need something in place of the Amlodipine, unless you are able to reduce the readings by accomplishing life style changes, i.e. exercise...low sodium, etc.etc...but not everyone is successful in doing this. Whatever you do..keep monitoring your bp readings, & get back to your doctor.
allenwoll...you're so right...readings can become quite high if one is anxious over ther results. I used to get high bp readings when I attended the Dr office because the blasted nurse didn't let me rest once I got into the inner office. Then, she put the cuff on me (loosely, I might add), & also there were times when I was standing. You can't get proper readings by doing these things!!!! Also, I was feeling tense vibes from my Dr. At one point he said "These readings HAVE to come down!!?? Well, what can I do about that!!??? I was taking my meds as prescribed, & never ever missed a tablet..no,not one!
I'm at the point now where I don't permit the nurse to take my readings...but will allow the Dr. to do so.
paul33163...it's quite permissible to just stop taking the Amlodipine. I have a good friend who is a Pharmacist, & I was told it wasn't necessary to wean off. I also got the same information from my Dr. & yet another Pharmacist. As you experienced, there are other medications out there, so nobody is stuck with Amlodipine. What a nasty drug that is!.
HI, I am glad to be on this site, I am experiencing leg swelling on my left leg and its scary. I was worried until I read about the amelodepine link. I am going to stop taking it and call the doctor about this because it worries me a great deal. I had no idea that this caused leg swelling. I have a dr appointment on the 25th, but if it gets worse I am going ot the E.R
Hi lenie95046..you didn't say how long you have been on the Amlodipine, nor the dosage. Yes, it'squite common for ankle/leg swelling while taking the Amlodipine, but more so with the 10mg dosage. That doesn't mean to say that anyone on 5mgs or less wouldn't suffer that as well. If your leg swelling is painful, you must contact your doctor right away. Usually, the swelling goes down, but returns the next day or so, especially when you continue with the Amlodipine. You don't have to wean off this medication..you certainly can stop abruptly. My own doctor confirmed with me that it stands to reason that there could be some physiological indications of the Amlodipine after stoppage. Makes sense to me, considering the length of time that chemical was in the body. Contact your doctor...don't just stop the medication without something to replace it.
Hi lennie,
My GP took me straight off of Amlopidine and put me on Lisinopril which was just as bad with other symptoms. Swollen legs and feet with the Amlopidine and a hacking cough which did not go away with the Lisinopril. Thought I would go insane, continual coughing day and night. I took myself off of the Lisinopril and went onto Grape seed extract for 6 or 7 weeks while the cough slowly cleared up. The Lisinopril causes kinins which are not dealt with by the kidneys, particularly if you are older. the kinins are toxic waste which gets into the blood stream and lodge in the lungs, the cough is the bodies way of clearning them out. My BP was pretty good on just the Grapeseed but I returned to my GP who was amazed the my BP was okish. She has now put me on a very low dose of Losartan, no side effects and with the 2 grapeseed extract a day my BP ranges between 135/88 - 115/75. Go back to your GP and do not put up with unpleasant symptoms.
Nannylynn...I'm a little surprised that your GP may not have told you of the possible side effect of dry cough. Approximately 1 in 4 experience this, while others, including myself, do not. Also, it doesn't always happen that
the A.C.E. inhibitor causes kinins..it's possible, but again doesn't always happen which is another reason why monitoring by your doctor is important. Losartan is in the class of A.R.B.s..How much Grape Seed Extract do you take? I'm happy the combinatin of the Losartan & Grape Seed Extract is working for you...but I would never encourage anyone to stop medications without first consulting their doctor.
My GP did tell me but said the cough would clear after a week or two. I researched Kinins and older people,whose kidneys are not working so efficiently, are very likely to suffer from the ACE cough due to build up of Kinins in the blood stream. I would only suggest doing what I did if you have a good quality BP machine and keep a regular check, I do not believe in taking chemicals if there is a natural remedy that does the job. I work with a Consultant, who is a great believer in natural remedies where appropriate, some thank goodness do exist. I am taking readings and filling in a chart for a month. So far my readings speak for themselves. I am able to take the lowest dose of Losarton with 200mg grapeseed daily and keep my BP at a good level. Today it was 130/85 in the morning and 115/78 at midday.
Nannylynn...I'm certainly not a doctor, but I strongly disagree with what your doctor said about the cough clearing after a week or two. It doesn't clear. You either get the cough, or your don't. I have a few friends who were taking an A.C.E. Inhibitor, & they developed the cough in less than 1 week..a dry hacking cough that cause their ribs to be sore,AND it kept them awake at night. Once they were switched to somethinge else, not in the A.C.E. category, the cough went away, but it can take a while.
I was prescribed this medication almost two weeks ago after visiting a walk-in centre regarding a dental infection. It was given to me on the strength of one high blood pressure reading! I've since realised that you should have a number of readings before a doctor considers putting a patient on any blood pressure medication. I feel my health has dramatically deteriorated in just 2 weeks. I am going to stop taking it before it does any more damage. If you can avoid medication you should. There are always side effects, and other health consequences. The big winners are the drug companies.
Daily stress can raise bp of course..and must be addressed
I feel that reducing the dosage gradually is wise..
But alternative substitutes as mentioned..reducing sodium intake
and mild walking exercise will help.
Their are many studies on Coenzyme Q10, magnesium, potasium which have been shown in double blind studies to dramatically reduce bp.
Weight reduction also will reduce bp. Go on a 12 week program
with home monitoring and be carefull. I was on Norvasc for 3 months
with many of the symptoms described here..After taking Coenzyme 100mg/d, 250 mg/everyotherday and potasium ..bp has dropped
7 percent in 3 weeks taking 1 mg Norvasc every 3 days..with drop
it further as time goes on.. Good Luck
Hi Rozanne,
Try taking Grapeseed extract, it really does help to low BP I take 2 a day. 1 after breakfast and 1 after dinner. It has many benefits as well as the BP. Google Grapeseed extract and Blood Pressure and read up. There are no known side effects.
If you are going to get a home BP machine, I would agree with Mike, the Omron BP785 is very good, a bit more expensive than some but worth the money.