Hi everone I've been back to the Doctor today BP 150/72.....he has given me Amlodipine 5mg to take.... I am already taking Ramipril.....just wondering what results and side effects I might expect with the new med anyone any idea.

Hi Englander,

I was on 2.5 mg of amlodipine, then 5.00 mg, back down to 2.5, and am now off.

This med had the least severe side effects of the 5 I have taken (hydrochlorothiaze, lisinopril, benicar/hct, atenolol, and finally norvasc/amlodipine).

It is known for causing headaches but I've never had a headache, nor did I experience one on this med. I did have multiple sleep problems...sleepiness in the afternoon but despite this couldn't sleep for a nap, and multiple awakenings during the night. I tried taking the pill in the am, and then I tried taking the pill in the pm...finally gave up due to sleep disruption. Someone who doesn't have structured schedule might be able to work around the sleep problems...but someone who has a 9-5 may have problems if they experience the side effects that I did.

Bethsheba

Hi, :)

Ramipril is excellent. One of my favorites. Hopefully, you won't have problems with the Amlodipine. I was on 10mg CCB for almost 9 months until a couple of weeks ago. The very worst side-effect of this one is the horrible swelling. It will be just the feet and ankles, if you are lucky. Though unpleasant, that is not that bad. However, the edema is by no means limited to those. Many people have this problem with calcium channel blockers. Some of the posters here complained of the same in earlier posts. They swell up like baloons. I do too. Perhaps 5mg is not a strong enough dose to cause the swelling in most. That's what I hope for, anyway. I am on 5mg now due to the problems I have on 10mg.
I would suggest for you to never ever go on 10 mg. If there's ever need for a dosage adjustment or another antihypertensive, opt for an ARB or a higher dose of Ramipril. I am fine on a max dose of that one.

flowergirl

I hated Amlodipine. Totoal water bloating/swelling of my legs, feet, and ankles. Won't ever use that medication again.

I should also add that I started to gain a lot of weight while on Amlodipine.

I would up your dose of Ramipril before ever considering Amlodipine. Has your Doctor ever prestribed a low dose HCTZ along with your Ramipril...? Mine did and it seems to be ok.

Hiya Englander, I too have had problems with Amlodipine, my legs and ankles swelled like balloons, I couldn't keep awake either. They have just changed me over to Ramipril and also on Cardicor, so far I've been OK.

i too take 5mg of Amlodipine, and i have horrible headaches so i didnt know if the headaches are from the Amlodipine or something else i been on them since july its now sept i also have a bad rash on top of head and back of neck but i was on levoxyl too so i thought maybe the levoxyl done it my rash is still here im going to a dr tomorrow a skin dr derma dont know how to spell the word but having a rash for 3 allmost 4 mos and wont go away im starting to think its the b/p meds im on and also i use to take 10mg of lisinipril never had any headaches nor no rash i had nothing on them .and i started getting the horrible horrible headaches in july so its a possibility ,and on lisinipril my b/p was 118/79 or 120/60 now hr was hight though but that was cause the dr i had over medicated me i no longer need thyrold meds either my tsh went down on its own without meds im within normal range now and i feel great my tsh is 2.8 so maybe the Amlodipine, is causeing all the headaches and rash ,i dont see dr again till dec he did write me out some darvacets for the headaches though and they help and NOPE im not getting hooked i only take when i feel a bad headache and i only take 2 aday if i need one depends on the day i guess but my b/p now is running like 140/88 or 134/79 pulse is 98 it was 125 last week but its come down and at gyn dr it was 160/99 pulse was 105 so now im very confused about this med maybe the Amlodipine,is causeing all this i hate calling him back again and telling him maybe the meds are causeing this so what should i do ???
vickie:confused:

i too take 5mg of Amlodipine, and i have horrible headaches so i didnt know if the headaches are from the Amlodipine or something else i been on them since july its now sept:

Thanks for the reply's everyone.

I've only been taken Amloipine for 3 days and I too have already had bad headaches yesterday all day really bad.....thinking of going back to the Doc this week to try something else if things don't improve soon!

i too take 5mg of Amlodipine, and i have horrible headaches ....

Vickie,

Amlodipine is KNOWN for headaches and I'm sure your doctor is aware of this...do tell him, and tell him about the rash, too. A rash is often a sign of an allergic reaction...and it sounds like you developed the rash about the same time you started taking amlodipine.

You might want to call your pharmacist and talk to him/her about your medications. They are very knowledgeable about side effects and may be able to offer some help by talking to your doctor.

There are many many bp medications available so it is best, if possible, to try another medication instead of taking more meds to treat side effects.

Bethsheba

i have told my dr about the headaches and the rash i went to a dr for the rash and as for the headaches he gabe me darvacets for them and hes suppose to be a good dr but see im not sure if it was the Amlodipine or the levoxyl i was on i started both around the same time so i do not know and if this dr dont do something i guess i will be looking for a new dr AGAIN ,see i went to gyn and had all my hormones checked in jan 07 i was hypo thyrold well in june i couldnt take them anymore and its been 8 weeks since i stopped them last tsh before i stopped was 6.00 it went down to 2.8 and t4 is 8.1 normal tsh range is 0.49-4.67 and i lost all my labs so i have to get new copies today i dont know if a t4 level of 8.2 is normal or not without seeing my labs oh and i dont have to pay either .somehow i lost all of them and i had them from jan 07 .but yes i get horrible horrible headaches and im not on the thyrold meds anymore i tried to tell him i wanted a new brand see when i was on linsinipril i never had headaches like this ever!!!!
vickie

Vickie,

I went in for an office check up (if I recall this was when I was on lisinopril), explained my side effects, and the doctor just rolled his eyes. He did nothing to change my medication. I called him several days later and complained again...at that time he called in a new prescription for me.

Again, I am concerned that you may be taking medications for the side effects of a medication that could be changed. The more meds, the more problems...

I have no experience with thryoid issues or tests, so I have nothing to offer in that area.

I hope you start feeling better soon! I can't possibly imagine the pain you must be in.

Bethsheba

beth the only pain i have is the horrible horrible headaches and my gyn says she dont think i have thyrold disorder anymore iam in meno though but i dont feel it alls i do with that is cry at times and get a little depressed but my life is very stressfull right now plus i get those horrible panic attacks when i get emotional i dont understand this dr i have ask him to change my b/p meds but he says the headaches isnt from the meds plus i had to BEG him to please give me the darvacets for my headaches he did and thank god they are the only thing that ever helped my headaches and nope im not getting hooked im seeing a nero dr for the headaches see i also faint but only when im emotional and stressed but omg i been stressed since oh way back since 2002 when my dad died then my ex harrassed me for 5 yrs then i had ovary surgery then i got thyrold but its normal now and now im in meno and my 15 yr old daughter is in mental hospital because she cut both arms ,legs all up and she craved words in her legs (HELP ME ,DIE,HURT,WORTHLESS) and i couldnt handle it i didnt even know she was doing it and it was all over a boy.
vickie

beth the only pain i have is the horrible horrible headaches and my gyn says she dont think i have thyrold disorder anymore iam in meno though but i dont feel it alls i do with that is cry at times and get a little depressed but my life is very stressfull right now plus i get those horrible panic attacks when i get emotional i dont understand this dr i have ask him to change my b/p meds but he says the headaches isnt from the meds plus i had to BEG him to please give me the darvacets for my headaches he did and thank god they are the only thing that ever helped my headaches and nope im not getting hooked im seeing a nero dr for the headaches see i also faint but only when im emotional and stressed but omg i been stressed since oh way back since 2002 when my dad died then my ex harrassed me for 5 yrs then i had ovary surgery then i got thyrold but its normal now and now im in meno and my 15 yr old daughter is in mental hospital because she cut both arms ,legs all up and she craved words in her legs (HELP ME ,DIE,HURT,WORTHLESS) and i couldnt handle it i didnt even know she was doing it and it was all over a boy.
vickie


Oh Vickie,

My heart goes out to you. It's one thing to have health problems, and it's another thing to have life problems, too. I do hope that your daughter finds the help and support she needs...and I hope you are able to talk to someone about all of the things that you're dealing with now, because you, too, need help and support, especially at this difficult time in your life.

I'm still concerned about the headaches. Have you told your pharmacist about your headaches? If so, what did he/she say? When you see your neuro, I would encourage you to tell him ALL of the medicines you are taking, including over the counter (like aspirin or cough syrups) and vitamins and supplements. You might also tell him that your headaches started about the same time that you began taking amlodipine (if that's indeed about the time they started), and that someone told you that headaches were a side effect of amlodipine...

I wish there was more that I could do to help but I wish you well and will keep you in my prayers.

Bethsheba

BETH yes i told my dr and the drugstore both and they say its prob more the stress and not the b/p meds my b/p is normal its been running 127/80-130/75 but my pulse is high i went to see daughter yesterday and she was down right mean shes 15 and she comes home friday but she told me not to come see her today and i said you want me to call she said if i want so i will around 2pm today and then we go get her sometime tomorrow so i will call her tomorrow around 1 if shes not out by then and they put her on zoloft i hope it helps her see what happened is shes been cutting since way back at age 12 did it a few times then and stopped then again in 8th grade but stopped then this time she done it from july till sept over a boy but aklso told the mental place it was cause her parents yell at her yes we yell but its because she wont listen to us and acts up i love her but i shouldnt take how she treats me as iam her mother ,and i been trying to get into couseling way before my daughter done this my life is horrible at times i wish i could run away oh for got to mention my pulse runs 125-130 and yes i have panic attacks and i was so hurt yesterday for one i got to see her for 1 hr and she hardly spoke 2 words to me and if i said something she told me to shut up and that does stress me out ,and the place which we took her in ourselfs is putting all the blame on me oh believe me once shes home im reporting to the manager about the couseler she had she was down right RUDE to me and i was talking to this other girl which i was not told i couldnt she made me leave early so my husband had left and came back but while down in lobby i started crying and crying and crying and had a panic attack allmost fainted but i had a wheelchair i was so hurt by the staff plus my daughter ,and no im not on any meds for this i do take xanax to calm me down and im in meno abd starting HRT next week.
vickie

HI ALL AGAIN ,WELL DR SWITCHED ME TO FOSINOPRIL 10 MG I START THEM NEXT WEEK HAVE ANY OF YOU HEARD OF THIS BLOODPRESSURE MED AND DO YOU KNOW HOW WELL IT WORKS ? MY DAUGHTER IS HOME SO THE STRESS ISNT AS BAD WE FOUND OUT SHES BIPOLAR ,MY B/P ON NORVASC IN AM WAS LIKE 127/92 PULSE 105 THEN AT NIGHT WHEN I CHECK BEFORE BED ITS LIKE 150/98 PULSE STILL HIGH AT TIMES MY PULSE IS 125-130 AND B/P USE TO RUN 118/60 OR 120/79 BUT NOT WITH NORVASC IT WAS THAT READING WHEN I TOOK LISINIPRIL 10 MG AND THE NORVASC HE THE OTHER DR NOT THE ONE I HAVE NOW HAD ME ON 5 MG .SO IM HOPING THE NEW B/P WORKS BETTER AND HOPE THE HEADACHES AND THE RASH GOES AWAY AND THE FAINTING ,I EVEN WENT TO A DERMTOLOGY DR AND SHE BURNT THE SORES ON BACK OF NECK AND SAID I HAD WAY TOO MANY IN MY HEAD SO SHE GAVE ME A SCRIPT TO TAKE TO DRUGSTORE ITS A SPRAY I USE TO SPRAY ALL OVER HEAD LET DRY THEN COMB OUT IM STILL A BIT STRESSED BUT NOT NEAR LIKE I WAS WHY BECAUSE I NOW KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH MY DAUGHTER AND SHES NOW HOME AND IS HAPPY SHES ON MEDS SO SHE WILL GET BETTER,
CAN ANY OF YOU NICE PEOPLE TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS NEW B/P MED IM GETTING ????:)
OH YOU DONT KNOW THE HALF OF ALL THE STRESS I BEEN THROUGH AND ITS BEEN LIKE SINCE 2000 BUT IM GOING TO GET MY STRESS DOWN I HAVE TO WORK AT IT THOUGH,
HUGS TO ALL :angel: VICKIE:)