This can be a dangerous medication - beware!

Treatment and medication
1

I took 5mg of amlodipine without problems for about a month. After the first-week period of adjustment, in which it completely knocked me out, I felt normal again and was overjoyed that it lowered and kept my usual 150+/90+ BP down to a textbook 120/80 (with minor variation).

But then side effects began to develop. I found my sleep increasingly poor, until I could only reach a half-sleep, no matter how much exercise I had had that day (or benadryls or Ambiens I took), "twilight sleep" I think it's called, and I arose as tired as when I went to bed, as if I hadn't slept at all.

Then I noticed that I would suddenly have shoulder and upper back muscle pain within an hour of taking amlodipine. The doctor lowered my dose to 2.5mg of amlodipine plus 40mg of benazepril, which brought only temporary improvement. The painful muscle spasms returned.

And most disturbing were the severe hot flashes that woke me up at night, as if the room were on fire, but the thermometer indicated it was only about 70°F (21°C) and my own body temperature was sub-normal, only 97 F or so (36 C), but despite my feelings of being overheated, I did not sweat - except from the soles of my feet, which is unusual for me. But my skin felt like it was on fire.

Then I would often wake with my brain "on fire" and itching like a bad allergy that I couldn't get to to scratch, and my eyes burning and streaming with tears.

The end of the amlodipine is when I opened the trunk (boot) of my car and blood vessels in the tips of my fingers where they had contacted the edge of the trunk (boot) lid burst and my fingers swelled up. I have never had weak blood vessels, or anything like that happen before.

Calcium blockers cause the blood vessels to relax and thin out - and now I wonder if not become weak. That would be a great setup for a stroke. I basically had a stroke in my fingers.

I will NEVER take this medication again. I believe it can lead to muscle pain, unrestorative interrupted sleep, and worse, strokes. I now consider it poison for me.

By the way, amlodipine has been banned in the Netherlands and other countries because its dangerous negative side effects outweigh its benefits. I don't think the Dutch are arbitrary or capricious in their decisions - I totally agree. This substance should be banned everywhere.

2

Hi Colibri,

                I am in areement on your action but what have you decided to do in future about your blood pressure. Will you replace one drug for another or work out a regime of diet and exercise to conteract your BP. If the latter will it be possible to keep us posted on your progress.

Best wishes.

3

I've only been on Amlodipine (plus Benicar 20) for about 3 weeks but have had no side effects.  My bp went from 160/105 to 116/64.  So far, I'm perfectly satisfied.  I'm going in for a colonoscopy in 2 weeks and plan to go off of the bp meds a few days prior, just to make sure there is not going to be any drug interaction.  I don't want to lose this drug combo, because it works so well for me.

4

i called this thedrug from hell and would not take after suffering the same effects for two weeks.

 

5

- Colibri,

Yes, your havent been alone in suffering with this drug, I myself had a dreadfull time, before I took it as prescribed I was (relatively) heathly but with high bp. About a week into the med I had red inflamed knees & shins, swollen ankles, burning feeelings in my kness and joints, poor sleep, poor thought patterns ete etc.

I too myself off and it took about a week to feel normal again.

The syptoms you mention, in my opinion, are very dangerous for you- simple logic dictates that. You will need to confer with your doc and get another prescription.

I myself am going down the weight loss/ healthy eating, low salt diet regime but be warned if you try that you will need to be 99% dedicated to it to get benefits, and if you like a drink keep it down to a minimum level. good luck Ivan.

6

Hello Colibri,

Yes...this drug should be off the market everywhere. I presented much the same symptoms and more, but my dr refused to listen. I endured the side effects and 2  1/2 years later I now have periperal neuropathy all over my body. Extremely slow recovery from nerve damage. Some how we need to start a discusssion that brings us all together as a collective voice of experience on theis drug and present it to the medical boards, FDA (which already know about the devastating effects) our elected officials. This drug MUST be gotten rid of. Let's everyone who follows this post start doing what I have done, copy and paste and print these discussion from various web blogs as testistimonials. I have also gathered enough clinical information about this drug and it's effects. Now I'm in the process of looking for a law firm that is willing to start a class action lawsuit. Many have suffered debilitating effects and need to be compensated and more importantly will possibly keep others form being effected by this drug. WHO IS WITH ME ON THIS EFFORT!

7

Thanks for sharing this.  It confirms what I've been feeling about Amlopidine.  I've stopped taking it.  I'm dieting and exercising ... 

8

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to your responses. I haven't had access to the Internet for a while. I wanted to add that amlodipine (even at 2.5mg a day) ALSO accelerated my heart rate alarmingly, from its usual plus/minus 60 bpm to 80+!!! And the doctor just prescribed a higher dosage of atenolol - from 25 to 75 mg to keep the HR under control rather than consider the danger of this drug.

9

Thanks, Colibri.  I've stopped taking it.  I didn't feel right about it from the start.  Swelling ankles are not a good sign - your legs act like big pumps and it's important that the veins and articles do a good job.

My challenge is to stop being a 'hot reactor'.  

10

Charlie, this is an excellent question and one that has troubled me greatly since quitting amlodipine. By the way, for those who use it, amlodipine seems it might have rebound flashbacks - esp. sudden and erratic changes in blood pressure, high heart rate for no reason, hot flushes, and constant lethargy. I am concerned that it may have damaged my nervous system. I was never told to wean off of it, but I'm glad it's gone anyway. I only hope "time will heal".

The doctor seems to have given up on me, as most other patients don't have the same disturbing side effects. ACE inhibitors (e.g. benazerpril) have only moderate effects on me (and lisinopril gives me insomnia), and losartan (Cozaar and other ARBs) seems to have had little effect on me for the last few years - it used to be a problem-free solution to my blood pressure - no side effects.

In the past, I always found that benzodiazepines (clonazepam, lorazepam, and particularly alprazolam - Xanax - unavailable in the UK I believe) lowered my BP dramatically and rapidly, but their effect is noticeably decreased now, following the amlodipine. They are not good long-term BP meds anyway, as they are addictive and intended for short-treatment of anxiety and panic - BP is "off label" use.

I have tried Bystolic (nebivolol), but it lowered my heart rate into the 40s!!!

Since my doctor has "thrown up his hands" and figures I know how to monitor my blood pressure and the "pharmacy" of anti-hypertensives I've accumulated in various "experimental" prescriptions, I feel I'm on my own now. I am trying a combination of Xanax, benazepril (an ACE), losartan (an ARB), and atenolol (good for nothing but heart rate control in my body).

I'm somewhat overweight and need to lose about 20 pounds to get to the ideal weight for my build, and I need FAR more sweaty exercise. No fatty foods, no decongestants (not the same as antihistimines, such as chlorphenimine, which lowers my BP a bit), no stimulants, and no oversleeping (which that amlodipine made so easy to do - sometimes a ghastly 12 hours a day!!! My cats can work with that, but that's going to end because my BP goes sky-high when I stay in bed beyond a normal length of time, despite the lethargy). Sorry, but that's all I have to offer, and I don't even know if I'm on the right track. Oh, and NO alcohol - it causes my BP to rollercoaster like crazy, from very low (even hypOtensive) to frighteningly high

 

11

I am delighted and VERY envious that amlodipine has worked for you with no side effects. It's amazing how different our metabolisms can be!

12

Jenny, I'm in your group. We're not as lucky as Barry! Please read my addendum at the end of the comments for more symptoms I've suffered. For you and me, truly the drug from Hell.

13

Wow, Ivan, you give me hope! These horrible symptoms can pass in time.

If you read my comment at the end of these, my doc has given up on me. I am full-heartedly (no pun intended) with you in your last paragraph. I've found salt to be a big factor - I have to shop at a special health-food grocery for no-salt, low-salt everything. It really makes a difference! I ate something salty (by accident) yesterday and my BP is 160/100 this morning!!! I'm going for a long walk in a few minutes then a hot, sweaty bath!!

14

Hi, Michele! You'll see MORE symptoms I forgot to mention at the end of these comments. I'm so sorry you suffered 2 1/2 years of it!!! It frightens me that this drug has damaged my nervous system - I still don't feel as I did before amlodipine . I'm with you, but I don't know where to start. Big pharma is a mightly opponent, and generic amlodipine (not Norvasc as it used to be) is being produced by a huge company owned and operated in India.

15

Good for you, Louise. I so glad it confirmed your feelings. For some of us, amlodipine is truly a drug from Hell.

16

Hello Colibri,

Yes your synptoms will pass but as you have been on the drug for some time unlike myself you wll hav to keep a watch out for rebound hypertension which can be dangerous, I tapered off slowly over a week or so. ....With salt in food its amazing just how much there is when you look! And, as you say, how you can tast it straight away if you have it in foodstuffs unawares, as an update I am now on Indapamide 1.5mg as a last resort from my gp. I will post here again when I have an update. Seems I just cannot tolerate ace inhibitors etc so this combined with a new diet and lifestyle I'm hopefull will do the trick.

17

Oh Ivan, believe me! I know about the rebound hypertension! I've been fighting it every day. I sometimes wake up in the early hours of the morning with 170+/110+ (terrified, my head feels like it's going to explode), apparently when the alprazolam (Xanax), benazepril (Lotensin), and losartan (Cozaar) I took at bedtime wear off.

I'm dealing with frightening hypertension that was never this high before - thanks to the vengeful rebound of going "cold turkey" on the amlodipine - fighting it with a barrage of anti-hypertensives. My doctor did call back and remind me to keep my supplements of magnesium high (no less than 400mg a day, which I already take - it's the RDA), as magnesium will act as a calcium-channel blocker, though not as potent as amlodipine, and its only side effect is drowsiness (unless you take magnesium oxide, which is like taking a quick laxative!), Mg glycinate, aspartate, or orotate are the best choices. I doubled my magnesium, and I definitely have increased control of my BP (but I stay drowsy all day). My BP is still too high (it peaks in the high 150s/90s now), but it's gradually coming down, even faster with the extra magnesium. I finally got it down to about 130/82 this afternoon, but of course, I'll have to keep on it until the "amlodipine effect" is completely gone. Is it any wonder it's banned in Europe?

You're right about salt! I've been on no/low salt food for so long, that regularly salted food burns my tongue - I can't eat it.

Best of luck with your new regimen. I truly hope everything works out for the best. You know I know your pain! Do post here how things go.

18

I took amlodipine for two weeks and I was dizzy felt dreadful. Went on holiday and had to leave at 4 am for a flight so didn't take the medication 5mg. That night I took it. I couldn't breathe if I had been able to get to a hospital I would have but we were in the middle of nowhere with no reception. I thought I was going to die. I stopped and survived but I couldn't walk more than a few steps or go upstairs for many weeks without having to rest on each stair had diarrhoea continuously, leg pains, dizzy,the list goes on. 8 weeks later I can walk on the flat, still coming home from work and going to bed, barely able to remember work related thngs I could before still can't walk upstairs without getting breathless and have to continuously rest throughout the day. I have improved a lot but how much longer will it take to get back to normal. Blood pressure all over the place and going to have a 24 hour monitor to check it again. Really concerned about never getting back to normalfore

19

Almo, I really feel your pain! Since I stopped amlodipine, I have felt out of breath and totally exhausted, and today I felt so terribly weak I was afraid this would be the day I would diel

While I was exhausted and wanted to lie back down, my blood pressure skyrocketed to 170/110 and only alprazolam (xanax) brought it down to 145/88. My ACE inhibitor (benazepril) and ARB (losartan) had no effect at all! But of course, xanax made me so drowsy that all I had to go back to bed. Later, a little vodka helped a lot, alleviating some of xanax's drowsiness - maybe it flushed more of that poisonous amlodipine out of my body!

All my best in your finding the right meds for you!

20

I've been on Amlidopine for 9 months and the only side effect I've noticed is very poor sleep and feeling crap in the mornings