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I know its was amlodipine!

  1. I am a healthy 58 yr old and normally very active. BP was rising over the last year or so to 178/98 and so this Jan my Doc put me on Amlodipine 5mg. Thats when it started. Firstly with a loss of energy, then total loss of stamina, I felt like a Zombie all the time. As the month progressed I started to get forgetful, dizzy spells, very tingly left hand and painful joints all througfh my left side. BP did not drop as fast as hoped so Doc added Lisinopril 2.5mg. Hey... off with the faries now! After two weeks I could not concentrate on anything people were telling me and to the point that I was becoming detached from the real world. And that was only after a couple of weeks on the cocktail. I decided to trial which drug was causing this and first removed the Lisinopril for a few days then swapped over to stopping Amlodipine. Cor.. what a difference. Almost the next day after stopping Amlodipine I started to recover. After just one week people at work are now saying 'welcome back' and I know what they mean. BP not down yet but I am never going near Amlodipine again, its a wrecker!

    Has anyone else had anything like my reaction?

  2. I have also recently started taking 5 mg of Amlodipine and for the first two weeks didn't experience any side effects. However, I am now feeling like a zombie. I sleep for 12 hours then feel exhausted after just being awake for about 4 hours. It really is debilitating and today I have decided I can't tolerate the side effects any longer so I'm coming off it. I am currently taking Irbersarten but this wasn't bringing my blood pressure down enough so my doctor prescribed Amlodipine as well. Unfortunately I have a low kidney function and it would seem the options as to what I can take are not as good as lots of BP tablets have a detrimental effect on kidneys and also high blood pressure can cause kidney disease so I just hope my GB can come up with another suitable alternative. Would rather have high blood pressure than carry on with this horrible drug.

  3. Hi Nigel

    Just read your experience, mine is very similar, although I went from years on Lisinopril 40mg to this year 20mg PLUS Amlodipine 5mg. All went well for a while (3-4 months) then it crept up on me, I thought I was at the beginning of senile decay/dementer or even alzhermers (excuse spelling, forget how to spell it). I decided last weekend to stop the Amlodipine which did have an immediate impact for the better however I think I have been left with of the residues of it and I thought I would give the Am. another go. Now two days of it and I'm definately back to similar situation as yourself. Did visit the quack but no joy or advice as to the side effects we are having (wonder why?) so have decided to pack the Am. in. One other big draw back I have maybe due to the Lisinopril is lack of sleep or unable to get to sleep but when I do its nearly time to get up so at best I may catch 2-3-4 hours interupted sleep. This I feel adds to the increase in BP - so why do we bother.

    Anyway I am glad that I have read your report but sorry that you have been through the mill with the side effects. Have noticed from other peoples experiences we are not alone and the drug is banned in Holland - well at least we know why.

    Hope you get back to normal and find a better way to control your BP., take care.

  4. I took 10mg of Amolodipine for two months, after which I went from being able to run 15-20 miles per week, to walking after only 1-2 miles with severe calf cramps. After stopping using the drug for 1 week I was back to my usual fitness. I would never take this drug again.

  5. Yes Nigel very similar experience of forgetfulness, dizzyness and mistakes at work.Also paranoid because everyone was critical of practically all i was saying and doing,eventually lost job which ironically was a nurse. paul c. :cry:

  6. been on it for almost five years - have basically lost the last five years - sleep problems - cant sleep then can sleep but not for long its a nightmare - decided to look it up and i see folk have had similar problems - think i am gonna just stop it - cant live like this any more - cant function properly - like i said have lost years and i am only 38 AND i cant get that time back with my daughter - been an excuse for a mum for years and the depression ooo thats another story - basicaly had enough - stopping it now - zombie no more

  7. It looks like I've been in the same boat as the other people on this drug.

    I was put on amlodipine 5mg by my GP for medium hypertension. It only lasted a week before I came off it. It gradually seemed to be poisoning me, with the effects getting worse each day. Dull, zombie-like during the day, extreme fatigue during the evening, insomnia at night. I cant remember what I did at work during the 4th and 5th days on it. On the 6th day, I felt I was ready for a nursing home (at 54 that's usually a bit premature, I think). Blurred vision was getting severe.

    On the 7th day, my memory was so bad that I couldn't remember who the medicine was for - me or my wife! As my vision was so blurred, I couldn't read the pharmacy label on the box. I guessed it probably wasn't my medicine, especially since I couldn't remember when it arrived in the house, so I didn't take it. By the next day, I was starting to come round, and realised what had happened, so I decided not to take it any more.

    I'm now in my third week off it, and the mood swings are gradually getting less extreme. Hopefully, a few more weeks will get me back to normal.

    My GP was surprised at the severity of these symptoms, said he was sorry it had given me such a bad experience, and prescribed me some ramipril instead.

    When I found this site, I realised I wasn't the only person to be messed up by amlodipine. Ramipril seems like a similar disaster waiting to happen, and I don't feel like being an experimental animal again, so I think its time to get to work on changing my lifestyle instead of my prescription! What's the point of fixing my blood pressure with drugs if I end up as a useless zombie?!

  8. Hi!

    My name is val 22 y/o. I went to the quack yesterday because I felt numb. he gave me the AM 10mg. on my first time of taking it . I felt like a sledgehammer hit my head. so I went online to research and after what I discovered, I am Trashing these tablets.

  9. I have had dreadful side effects whilst taking this tablet, depression, weight gain, swelling from the knees down to feet, as I have osteo arthritus in my knees, the swelling actually made it worse. Muscle aches. Severe tiredness. After seeing the first doctor, he prescribed a water tablet. This did not work so I went back and saw another doctor and he sent me for blood tests, things still did not improve so I went back and saw another doctor, he told me to stop taking this tablet. Within 3 days of stopping this tablet I had no more swelling, felt happy, more energy, my knees felt loads better. All in all I felt well after 5 months of feeling crap.

  10. Oh my God! Can I identify 100% with all those people who have been on Amlodipine.

    I was given a cocktail of drugs in May 2009 during hospitalisation.No GP ever truly listened to my cry for help. I was constantly on Lisinopril including high strengths. My BP was frequently upto 230/100? I got accused on not taking the prescribed medication, despite my abnormally high BP. Not once did any doctor send me to a hospital for tests, in the end my son had to call an emergency Dr.

    Whilst in hospital I was given 7 different drugs, now I am down to four, one of which is Amlodipine.

    I have constantly complained to my new GP about my constant fatigue, lack of energy, and I often feel more dead than alive.

    Every single day since May 2009 I have to take several naps. I often feel exhausted even when retiring to bed, and yet when I try to sleep I cannot. I lie awake for several hours before finally dropping off to sleep.

    It is my belief many Doctors do not know enough about drugs prescribed, and their true side effects. As of today I will be taking myself off all medications, but still take my minerals and vitamins which do work far better than NHS drugs. In addition, one can go further into helping themselves more by looking at their diet and lifestyles.

    I have just purchased a set of three books on eating for health and those books can teach me how to eliminate many of the health issues I have accumulated. I will now be looking at my other medications and perhaps read others experiences too. This is a lovely site for helping others.

  11. [color=violet]Hi everyone. I am seriously concerned now. I am 35 year old female with SLE, hypertension 160/110, Antiphospholipid syndrome , Reynaud’s etc etc...In total 17 diagnoses!! :o

    My Consultant Rheumatologist wants me to start on Amlodipine 5 mg O.D. She basically thinks that it could be the best choice since I have all the other stuff sad But now reading all your experiences, I am severely reluctant : shock: I am due to my SLE a zombie already when I have a flare. But if I am going to be even worse than a zombie I am not sure what to do??

    I feel sorry for all of you who needed to go through all this. I wish you will find a good alternative so you will be able to live a normal life smile Charlotte x

  12. I feel exactly the same. Loss of energy, knees ache, muscle aches all over, bad fatigue and needing to rest all of the time, breathless. I thought it was the radiotherapy I had in June for breast cancer. I did have some fatigue after that, but then my doctor started me on 5mg amlopidine. I felt like a zombie, still do, and do not have any energy and zest for life. I go to bed, maybe sleep but get up very tired. I am seeing my doctor this week for an update and I am going to ask her if I can come off of them. I dont need all of this in my life. I want to live again....... chris

  13. 7 years ago my husband went to his GP and asked if he might have Parkinsons . he was told no but given Amlodopine for high BP .. Getting worse much worse he was then diagnosed with Parkinsons . and told that the Parkinsons meds should help greatly .. what a joke . now also diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and takes beta blockers and warfarin as well ..

    7 years down the line He cannot breat, has put on 3 stone fluid retention cannot walk . Was told it was from the Parkinsons.

    I went to the GP and told him my concerns about the Amlodopine , I had suggested this a number of times .

    He stopped the Amlodpine and was given Indapamide 5 days ago , he has already lost half a stone is not as breathless and he feels a little stronger .

    I don't know whether to laugh or cry ..

  14. I was given amlodopine after I collapsed and spent two days in hospital . I stayed on them for about four weeks, but I felt that I was not in control of my own mind , I was scared , I had feelings that something bad might happen or even worse that I may do something bad .I had to stop them which was a pity as I was getting the most powerful erections that I have ever had , SIGH .

  15. I am SO pleased I found this thread. I started taking Amlodipine last Thursday alongside my Losartan which had never caused a problem. Since yesterday I have had severe muscle ache from the left side of my neck down to my lower arm, but have not done any physical exertion to warrant that! I ache in other parts too to a lesser extent. Thought my time was coming to an end! Time to stop taking them and see what happens, though from the above posts I can guess I will get better!!

  16. Hi every one I am a very active 56yr old and hold down a very responsible job. However after losing both my parents in the space of 15mths I began to suffer from stress related anxiety and last month constant severe nose bleeds. I was admited to hospital and it was discovered that my BP was 220/102 and I was prescribed Amlodipine 5mg. Well what can I say only that I have never felt so ill in my life after taking this medication. I wake up fine but an hour after taking the tablet I feel nauseous, dizzy and lifeless also I am experienceing burning pains in my feet. I also understand what other people have reported as a feeling of being on another planet. I have had to take three weeks off work so that my BP becomes more stable which it has now reading 140/80, however I will never be able to function in work if these side effects do not improve. I have been back to my GP three times and they just keep telling me to persevere because the tablets are doing their job. I am a staff nurse and need to be constantly alert and have a good head on my shoulders however I feel as though I am on the planet Zannusi. I am going back again on Monday to see if they will change them because I am afraid to just stop taking them in case my BP shoots up again.

  17. Like all the others, I am so glad I found this thread as I was now beginning to lose the will to live. Got a prescription for amlodipine in December to bring down blood pressure which was at 160/90. Read the leaflet and so expected some side effects which I hoped would get less and less as time went on. This was followed up with Simvastatin end of January to control high cholesterol which I next was diagnosed with. Again the GP had warned me about muscle pain and also reading the leaflet I thought OK there will be some discomforts. Nothing prepared me for the effects of this cocktail. I have felt every single symptom that everyone has listed on this thread. But worse was now the crippling pain around my lower abdomen, the whole waist area and the back! I bore the pain stoically for a couple of months especially as my blood pressure taken in February had come down to 120/60. However, my symptoms only got worse but I still persevered in the hope there would be an improvement until just before Easter, overwhelmed by depression, crippling pain, feeling like I had been hit by a ten-ton truck, forgetfulness, insomnia and general hopelessness, I decided to stop both drugs. Started feeling better even by the next day but worried about blood pressure rising again. Went back to the quack after Easter. He ordered a blood test to check liver functions and took me off the Simvastatin for now but instructed me to go back on amlopidine. What if these drugs have done horrible things to my liver. As I write all the horrible pains and feelings are back and I am going to have to stop taking them again. What next? God help me! Due to see the quack when the tests are in. Medicines are supposed to make you feel better and not make you feel 'why did I bother waking up this morning!'

  18. Oh Senora I really feel for you . I am laying here in bed putting off the moment that I will get up and take the dreaded tablet because I know that within an hour of swallowing it I will be feeling dreadful. I will be back at my GPs on Monday and will ask if they will put me back on the Bendrofluside that I was on years ago. I stopped taking them because I was too busy looking after my parents, holding down a job and helping my children. It was a very stupid thing to do but I will promise the GP that I will take them as prescribed and monitor my BP to check that it is not going up again. However it may now have gone up too high to be controlled by water tablets. I have read some of the other side effects of different blood pressure tablets and they all seem to be effecting people's quality of life. It is bad enough knowing that you have to live with a chronic illness without having to put up with the devestating side effects. I hope that you feel better soon and please keep in touch

    because it does help to know that you are not alone . Take care sad

  19. After taking amlodipine 10mg daily (plus other meds) I was concerned by the lack of reaction to my increasing inability to exercise, despite my GP encouraging me to do so.

    2 years ago I comfortably ran half marathons in less than 2 hours. Now I can't even manage more than a slow Km or so and this with considerable pain in both calf muscles. I put on about a stone in weight (from 10 to 11 stone), felt sleepy all day long and experienced really painful swelling in my lower legs, feet and ankles. My whole body itched and caused me to scratch to the extent that I made myself bleed, even while asleep.

    About 3 weeks ago the frustration caused me to stop taking everything and in a little over a week I lost 12lbs and the swelling all but disappeared. My GP finally listened and asked me to restart all the meds without the amlodipine. The weight has stayed off, the swelling has gone completely and I am starting to feel more alert.

    I realise that stopping all my meds was rather dangerous and my blood pressure quickly returned to pre-treatment levels, but I feel that my GP now accepts that I really was suffering instead of just saying - 'well that's probably the amlodipine'.

    I sometimes wonder how many drugs would be prescribed if GP's had to take them for a month before giving them to their patients!

  20. Hi Les I have been back to the Doctors four times regarding the side effects that I was suffering after taking Amlodipine and have finally had a result after a vein popped in the back of my leg. It has now been documented on my notes that I suffered an adverse reaction to the drug and therefore have had to be taken off it. I have been prescribed Lorsatin Potassium 25mg instead and have noticed that I am slowly coming back down to this planet. However the new drug is not without it's own side effects and I am feeling dizzy and muddled after taking the medication. I picked up a vase of Yellow Tulips yesterday and asked my collegue to put the Blue Bells onto a table, so that is not good either. However the nausea and loss of presence has stopped so I am trying to work through the fatigue that the new drug is causing. What worries me is that we risk a Stroke if we do not control our BP yet the medication prescribed causes more anxiety because it robs you of the person that you are. I have also looked at my life style and have cut out all salt and only now have the occasional glass of wine which I used to enjoy every night. I have to go back to my GP in three weeks and will ask her to put me back on Bendrofluside which suited me but I stopped taking four years ago because I felt better. I totally agree with you when you say that the Doctors should try these drugs out before they prescribe them, then they would know how horrible and frightening it is to experience the side effects and how they stop your life as you know it. I am a very keen walker but it is all I can do to stand upright after taking the medication and I spend the rest of the day trying to stay awake. When I was on the Amlodopine I would lose five hours of the day after taking it which for an active professional person is wrong. I know that if my GP had not taken me off of that drug I would have had to give my job up because the side effects were gettig worse. Keep in touch and let me know how you are gettigng on

  21. Well I have to say that I have been off Amlodopine now for over a week and I am starting to return to this planet. I am now taking Lorsatin Potassium which is still making me feel drowsy but no where near as ill as I was feeling whilest taking Amlodopine. I would recommend that any one who is having side effects which result in you feeling incapacitated then do not hesitate to go back to your GP and put your case forward so that they have to listen. Many people feel that Doctors know best and do not like to question their decisions, but why should we suffer just because either we are afraid to speak up, or when we do they do not take us serious. I have been made very aware of how a GP can just brush aside one's concerns, however I think that it was the fact that I am a nurse that persuaded the GP to change my medication and the fact that a vein had gone pop in the back of my leg. Yet I still feel that it is unfair that we have to wait untill something adverse happens before they will act on it. I wish that Doctors would LISTEN to our concerns because no body knows our bodies better then ourselves and we know when things are seriously not right. I hope that you get your GPs to listen to you because what I have read on this wall is scary stuff. xx

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