Hi - Just a little of my history before my tirade on Amlodipine. I was prescribed Ramipril about 10 years ago for high blood pressure and seemed to be ok on this medication . Two years ago I suffered an anaphylactic shock due to a drug which I had been given for kidney stones. The Ramipril was stopped and I was put on Amlodipine 10mg instead. Like other people I started getting things going on which I thought was due to age not realising it was the drug. Earlier this year my ankles began to swell badly so after about 6 months I went back to my doctor and was told to stop taking the 10mg tablet. Within two days my ankles were back to normal - my sleep patterns started to get better and my flushes stopped. I was no longer getting cramps in my legs and my digestion was back to normal I suddenly had the revelation that all these things I put down to age were actually drug induced. My blood pressure I was monitoring and all seemed ok. I stopped smoking after fifty years and reduced my salt intake. I am now going to try and maintain my normal blood pressure by lifestyle and not drugs.
Same with swollen feet with 10 mg Amlodipine, my doctor recently told me to take half in the AM, the other in the PM. So far so good, I'm not as tired, and foggy as I was when I first started.
If one can do it with lifestyle changes and diet, more power to them...I tried for years with all kinds of alterantive BP meds and no salt etc....but we need salts too so that can be a problem.....
I take extra potassium daily as if pot is too low that's not good either....
I take higher doses of manesium daily and that can help reduce high BP.
I'm still taking the 5mg Amlopdine and 25mg Atenolol but will see doc in a couple weeks and discuss the Amplodine...and see how White Coat I am in her office.......
It's a huge balancing act as these drugs can cause so much other damage.....grrrr
Hope it works out for you and your problems get better with splitting the dose.
Hi Joy I hear what you say about salt but when I say I'm cutting it out I don't mean all together but far less to what I was using. But if I can get away with not taking these drugs I will be far better off - had the same effects when I was put on Statins and came off them within three months and controlled my cholestrol with diet and natural meds from HealthSpan - good luck in your quest.
A good friend who taught me so much of my alternative medicine world, told me if one eats something with overly salt, it's good to take extra potassium to counter act the salt effect. I do that.
Good to have sodium and potassum labs too to see where those levels are as often MANY end up on lower end of potassium and low potassium can also lead to more fatigue. Getting every thing we need from foods is about impossible....even foods counter act each other. Bananas = high sugar.
This is what works for me, there is no doubt the Amlodipine makes me very tired, almost to a point I want to take a nap. I fight the feeling, and workout by lifting weights. When I do my first set that tired feeling dissapates, and each successive sets are better, then I'm in a different mode, my body now wants to keep going. I continue for about an hour, resting for a short time between sets, which keeps my muscles warm. After I am very relaxed, and calm, completely at ease, when I gert home I have a meal, watch some TV, and maybe take a short nap later. IMO, exercise is one of the best healers, I did the same during cancer treatments, it does wonders.
Thanks Joy - interesting to read your side of things
I am pleased you have found a way to keep fit with weights etc., it's each one to their own and what keeps them well and fit.
I've had white coat syndrome as far back as I can remember, that cuff, and the anticipation drive my BP up, up, and away. At home I'm fine.
Great going for you!
Hello Trikker guy,
Have read many of your posts and was wondering if you had muscle and tendon damage due to meds? I have both and was wondering if this gets better. I am in rehab but Dr wont let me do anything more than gravity stretches for now. Stil having the nerve damage of tingling and burning as well. Muscle and tendon damage in both arms and legs. I used to work out on my total gym 6 days per week. Hope tp get back to that and atleast mowing the lawn!
CONGRATS to YOU FOR STOPPING SMOKING!!!!!! That's great! I finally did quit too after 36 yrs. an it was hard. I still want one every now and then. But I won't go there at all cost!
Fortunately I've never had any tendon or muscle damage from meds, but many years ago before I was on any meds, I was doing calf raises on a seated leg press machine, I put 2 too many 45 lb. plates which totaled 14, and I heard the tendons tearing in my calves. I hobbled home.
Oh my! I'm sorry to hear that! How did you get them to heal? Well...I guess I'm just going to have to stay the course and see what happens.
Good to stop, my grandkids dad didn't stop soon enough, he used those cancer sticks for about 30 yrs, he lost his battle last year at 55....
So greatful I never had that horrible habit. j
One of the best healers is time, it's worked for me physically, and emotionally many times.
Hi Michele - I stopped smoking 33 days ago and yes it's very difficult - it's getting out of the habit of what you have done for the last fifty years. I won't go back to smoking. I just hope now to get different meds for B/P and keep that controlled and my life will be good.
Hi Michele
Was interested in your post - I am Amlodipine reduced from 10 to 5mg due to swollen ankles. There's no doubt it has worked better than any other medication in reducing my BP. But I now am experiencing symptoms very like peripheral neuropathy i.e. tingling/burning sensation in feet and lower legs. Not exactly painful, but uncomfortable and worrying. may be something quite different but would like to rule out yet another side-effect!
Hell Gerry,
Yes, burning, tingling are exactly what I had as well, as well as a host of other side effects. These are known SIDE EFFECTS of this drug if you do the research. I can't tell you how becuase they will just delete it!
A few quick questions for you.
Are you on any other med ie..statins?
How long have you taken Amlodipine?
Are you a diabetic?
How high is your blood pressure?
What is your age, are you active?
I took Amlodipine while I was also on Simvastatin. Amlodipineincreases the side effects of the statin by 47%. And seems to be worse for small in statured woman. There's alot more, but these are just a few of the things I've found in research.
If it were me and I'm not a dr. But burning, tingling is peripheral neuropathy. So the drug has aready done age to your nerves. In time, it will travel up into your hands and arms. Mine went like lightning from my head to my toes and I got very weak, with tremors. This was shortly after I was put on it. And I was only on a 2.5 dose.
My dr ignored these symptoms. Now I'm left with peripheral neuropathy from head to toe, Cranial nerve damage, muscle , tendon and small fiber damage and short term memory problems. I'm only 52 and trying to heal this is a major undertaking if it ever heals.
Since getting off these meds, I've requested my medical records and they show I didn't even need either med, and still don't.
Gerry, please, go back to your dr and TELL them you are coming off this med and ask if there is any alternative you would be better off taking. THEN RESEARCH the drug BEFORE you do. There are natural products you can take to reduce your blood pressure if you use google.
I am currently seeing a chiropratic functional neurologist, who has also had 15 yrs in personal training and nutrition. So he is well trained in how the body, brain and nerves work.
Do what you have to for yourself, don't be a victim of this drug. If you are already having problems then it is not the right drug for you.
Keep in touch,
Michele